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The man with ash-colored hair who intruded upon the battlefield. The shocking situation he created left every human and demon on the field frozen in bewilderment.
"......W-what is that human?" "No, more importantly...... did that guy just block the Commander’s sword?"
The demons stared with agape mouths at the man who had parried Rowen’s blade. Even the retreating Reigle army halted their steps and looked back at the battlefield.
"Your Excellency... who on earth is that man...?" "Hmm......."
If no one else knew, Palador Reigle, an 8-star Paladin, had perceived the man’s movements, if only in fragments. The man had appeared from the northern highway leading toward the Delphious territory. The moment Palador became aware of his existence, he had already arrived at the center of the battlefield.
'It was truly incredible speed.......'
In his fifty-plus years, Palador could remember only a few knights who were that fast.
'It’s as if the hero of the past, Canius, has returned to life. No...... even the man called "Swiftness" had a limit of 8-stars.'
Palador’s pupils dilated as he felt the explosive volume and density of Holy Power radiating from the ash-haired man.
'That man is in the ninth realm... a being who stands at the pinnacle as a knight of Minis.'
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
'Where did such a talent even come from...?' 'More importantly, for what purpose has he appeared here?'
Questions crossed his mind in the face of this unexpected situation, but Palador soon bit his cheek to regain his reason. Awakening his senses with the metallic taste of blood and pain, he focused only on the facts.
A man possessing Holy Power had intruded and clashed blades with a 9-star Magic Swordsman.
"All troops, prepare for battle!"
Having reached that conclusion, Palador immediately urged his adjutant and raised his voice. Though flustered, the adjutant guarding his side infused Holy Power into his voice and repeated Palador’s command.
"All troops, prepare for battle!" "A 9-star Paladin has arrived!" "A 9-star Paladin has arrived!"
At that moment, the wind changed. Those who had been standing still or retreating let out a roar, raising their weapons and assuming battle stances.
"It’s a counterattack!" "Waaaaaaaah!"
Watching the soldiers turn back with eyes burning with fighting spirit, Palador felt a second chance had come his way and curled his lips into a smile.
The reason the Reigle territory had assumed defeat despite their strong forces was entirely due to the existence of the 9-star Magic Swordsman. Since a being capable of opposing that Magic Swordsman had appeared, Palador Reigle shifted his plan from an honorable defeat to securing a victory.
"Waaaaah!" "Glory to Reigle!!"
The surroundings were boisterous. Perhaps emboldened by Glenn's intrusion, the retreating Reigle soldiers returned to the battlefield with fire in their eyes. Of course, they did not dare to interfere between Glenn and Rowen; instead, they fanned out far away from the two 9-star beings to resume their fight. Naturally, a large circular clearing formed around the two of them.
"Move......."
Regardless of the chaos, the Magic Swordsman Rowen stared at Glenn with an expressionless face. In her snake-like red eyes, there was only hostility toward her opponent, yet even that seemed somewhat awkward.
"......This is a bit different from what I heard."
The Rowen he had heard about from Penelope Ogma was a hero of the demon race. A being who possessed the righteousness and nobility that the knights of the Holy Papal State idealized.
However, the demon woman across the crossed blades was far from the hero Penelope had described. At this point, just by clashing swords, he could tell to some extent. That the massive heavy sword she swung was not her original weapon.
"You've certainly been through something."
However, Glenn was not meddlesome enough to take every detail into consideration.
"If you're not at your full strength, then I'm grateful."
No matter what kind of life she had lived before, the truth was that she was currently a Legion Commander of the Demon King’s Army whom Glenn had to defeat. With a smirk, Glenn applied strength to the hand holding Einherjar. Following this, the nine circles of holiness near his heart rotated, pouring in a massive amount of Holy Power.
"......."
As if responding to it, black sparks flickered in the opponent’s red eyes.
Kreeeeeeeee— Paaaaang!
Einherjar and the greatsword slid against each other before clashing again at a single point, triggering a storm around them. Glenn and Rowen were blown back in opposite directions, but they immediately narrowed the distance, leaving massive cracks in the ground.
Kaaaaang!
Blade met blade, creating another gale. Before one whirlwind could dissipate, the two swords struck repeatedly, tearing through the air and the wind.
Kwaang! Peoooong!
The collision of Holy Power and Demonic Energy was so violent that it even drowned out the sound of clanging metal.
"......." "......."
White and black particles scattered in all directions. In the center of that lethal storm, Glenn’s smile vanished. Simultaneously, Rowen added strength to the sharp glow in her red eyes.
As if their probing phase was over. The sword strikes that filled the gaps between them began to grow even more dense.
Chaeng— Kwaaaaaang!
It was a flawless, clean display of swordsmanship that one could get lost in just by watching. Glenn and Rowen performed such feats consecutively as if it were nothing. As time passed, the green plains where they stood were transformed into a deep pit, like a desert crater.
The two forces that had been fighting fiercely at first had now become mere spectators.
"......."
Silence followed, without a single cheer or even a small exclamation.
They simply watched the fight from several hundred meters away, forgetting even to breathe. To them, a battle between 9-stars was a natural disaster that meant death if they drew near. Just witnessing it from afar left them utterly overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, at the center of the disaster, Glenn could not help but be continuously impressed.
'Crazy.......'
He didn't even have the leisure to think long. He had to predict the opponent's movements a split second faster and calculate any possible irregular maneuvers. Of course, such irregular moves were something Glenn, who had a greater variety of weapons, could take the lead in.
However, during the five minutes of battle with Rowen, he had tried dozens of attempts, but none worked. He mixed in skills that a normal swordsman wouldn't be able to use through Mimicry, but she blocked them without much trouble. He tried increasing his speed by switching between Einherjar and Impeus using the Lunatic Inventory, but after a momentary hesitation, she adapted immediately.
'She's not just a normal 9-star...?'
He had used every means currently at his disposal, but Rowen did not yield an inch, even without using a single skill. Instead, she used orthodox, solid swordsmanship and a monstrous strength that belied her small frame to swing her heavy sword, parrying Glenn’s moves one by one. Because of Glenn’s short combat duration of 40 minutes, he was the one pressured to end the fight quickly.
'Mid-9-star... no, her pure combat sense is a step above mine.'
It was almost laughable that even this wasn't her true strength. He felt quite bitter toward the system for including such a crazily strong person as a Lunatic element.
'I really can't let my guard down.'
