The armies on both sides exuded fierce energy.
Although the Delphine army was quite exhausted from marching without eating or resting, their morale hadn't waned.
They were confident in victory because they were accompanied by the Continent's Finest Sword.
The Fenris Mobile Army was no different. Despite being more fatigued due to previous battles, their fighting spirit burned brightly.
It was because they believed they could win any battle as long as they were with Ghislain.
"Hmm."
Ghislain, about to give the order to charge, turned around briefly. Kaien did the same.
They could have ordered their troops to charge at each other right then, but everyone was too exhausted.
The Fenris side had better equipment, but the Delphine army had greater numbers. Both sides had elite forces of the same type, so no one could guarantee which side would win.
Because of this, neither Ghislain nor Kaien could give the command to charge. They both shared the same thought.
"In the end, the ones who will decide the outcome are separate from the rest."
Ghislain chuckled lightly, then dismounted from his black steed and walked forward.
Surprisingly, Kaien also dismounted and advanced toward Ghislain.
The two silently agreed. There was no need to increase the casualties by throwing their soldiers into battle now.
If one of them died, it would be much easier to annihilate the exhausted enemy forces.
Kaien, facing Ghislain, unsheathed his dual-handed sword strapped to his back and spoke.
"This time, I'll finally be able to kill you. You won't escape like last time."
Ghislain also discarded his spear and drew the sword at his waist.
"I've always wanted to face you at least once. It seems the opportunity has finally come."
"Your arrogance ends today. After I kill you, I'll slaughter your men and return to the southern front."
For Kaien, this duel was an excellent opportunity. If he killed Ghislain, he could return with his full force intact.
Ghislain smirked at Kaien's words.
"You're quite confident. But… even if you win here, the southern front will already be decimated."
"What?"
As Kaien scowled in disbelief, Ghislain assumed his stance and continued.
"Do you really think the army you left behind can handle the northern army? Do you even know who's commanding there right now?"
"Who?"
"Amelia."
At that name, Kaien's expression contorted even more grotesquely.
Amelia had caused the Duchy significant harm.
After Desmond's downfall, she had taken full advantage of the support but refrained from attacking Fenris. Later, she disrupted their plan to use barbarians to assault Perdium.
That wasn't all. Early in the civil war, she cut off their supply lines, delaying the advance of the 5th Corps.
Even the proud Duchy, which had always dismissed her, had no choice but to acknowledge her abilities.
And now, Amelia was once again hindering and disrupting their plans?
Hearing the name of someone he must kill, Kaien's blood boiled.
Ghislain, seeing Kaien's distorted face, laughed as though he was enjoying himself.
"I knew you'd come for me."
"Does that mean…?"
"Yes, part of this plan was to lure you here. The remaining Delphine army in the southern front will be crushed by Amelia. Do you think such a large army can function properly without you?"
Rumble!
At Ghislain's taunt, a storm-like aura erupted from Kaien's body.
It was a strategy Kaien knew but had no choice but to fall for. If he hadn't come, Eclipse would have been truly overrun.
In the storm of mana, Kaien, his lion-like mane of hair blowing wildly, spoke with a stern expression.
"The two fools of the north have completely ruined our grand plans."
"You're surprisingly susceptible to provocation."
Swoosh!
At that moment, a massive aura blade erupted from Kaien's sword.
His face devoid of emotion, Kaien continued.
"No matter. I'll kill you here and head straight to the southern front to kill Amelia as well."
Great power can sometimes shatter all strategies. The two may have used their wits, but it wasn't beyond Kaien's ability to overcome.
That was the strength of the Kingdom's Finest Sword.
Boom!
As Kaien stepped forward, the ground cracked and caved beneath him.
He swung his sword in that spot. At first glance, the swing seemed incredibly slow.
Clang!
Ghislain raised his sword. Before he knew it, Kaien was right in front of him, still in the middle of his downward swing.
Crunch!
The sheer force bore down. Pushed back while blocking the attack, Ghislain smiled fiercely.
This was it. This was the kind of strength he wanted to face.
Swoosh!
Once again, his body was enveloped in black energy, and his eyes glowed more fiercely than ever, emitting a crimson light.
Boom!
The two clashed, then instantly collided again. Blue and red flashes intertwined and radiated outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their swords never fully connected. The energy emanating from their blades prevented them from touching.
However, the resulting shockwaves spared nothing in their vicinity. Each swing of their swords shattered the ground and whipped up storms.
The flashes and gales made it almost impossible to see the two combatants.
Boom!
With every clash of swords, Ghislain swallowed the blood rising from within. Kaien's sword carried immense power.
'So, the Kingdom's Finest Sword truly lives up to its reputation.'
He was on a completely different level from Count Palantz, who had grown complacent after consuming a dragon heart. Kaien's sword was flawless. There was no wasted skill in it.
His sword mirrored his steadfast character. This was what a knight's sword looked like at its peak.
But what was even more extraordinary—
'His mana reserves are beyond imagination.'
Even though Ghislain amplified his energy to the maximum using Dark's power, it wasn't enough to absorb Kaien's strength. Every time he blocked an attack, his hands went numb, and it felt like he might lose his grip on his sword.
It was clear his mana reserves were still insufficient. Even at full strength, he would have been at a disadvantage.
And now, half his mana had already been consumed breaking through Ilois's illusion.
'It seems he hasn't rested for even a moment.'
It was evident Kaien had spent decades solely focused on training with the best support. No matter how quickly Ghislain learned and grew stronger, it was hard to bridge the gap in time.
But there was one thing Ghislain had accumulated over a longer period than Kaien.
Swish!
Slice.
At the peculiar movement of Ghislain's sword, a cut appeared on Kaien's cheek.
Ghislain's sword suddenly began to move with sharp precision. He no longer openly clashed with Kaien using brute strength.
This was a swordsmanship Ghislain had honed through countless life-and-death battles in his past life. It was neither systematic nor predictable—it was bizarre.
It wasn't a skill learned for fair duels or contests of honor. It was a sword born of desperation, forged through a fight for survival.
No, it wasn't learned—it evolved.
Using this swordsmanship, Ghislain had killed orcs without mana and defeated those far stronger than himself.
And Kaien, experiencing Ghislain's swordsmanship firsthand, widened his eyes.
"What is this!"
Never in his life had Kaien seen such ferocious swordsmanship.
At first, he thought it was just swordsmanship with a lot of variation. However, the more he fought, the more it turned out to be not so.
Rather, the movement of the sword itself was surprisingly simple. It was more honest than the sword of an honest knight.
It was a swordsmanship that only had slashes and thrusts. However, he could not guess the trajectory.
'This is ridiculous!'
It was not a simple sword. Is this what it looks like when basic skills reach their peak?
Before he could even notice, a sword appeared from a blind spot. Each one of them could inflict fatal wounds, and it was an extremely practical and living sword.
That is why Kaien could not understand it any more.
'This is absolutely not swordsmanship that can be achieved at that age.'
It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had been holding a sword since birth. Born into a prestigious family, he learned countless swordsmanship techniques and then threw them away to create his own sword.
In this way, he naturally created a world.
Unlike others, it was not based on any beliefs or emotions.
Sword.
The sword that had been with him since birth had become his world and everything.
It was natural fate and natural for him to become the Finest Sword of the Kingdom.
However, his opponent was showing swordsmanship superior to his own, who had become a superhuman only through his will and enlightenment for the sword.
'It's impossible!'
Kaien, who had made the sword itself his world, was confident.
That sword had the weight of time. The weight that had accumulated from killing countless people and absorbing their blood.
Count Fenris had fought many battles and was known as a war maniac, but that wasn't enough. It was a sword that could only be created after experiencing dozens or hundreds of times more.
That sword was clearly telling itself that.
Count Fenris had killed more people and risked more lives than was known. It was a sword that had endured all those years.
'You... who the hell are you?'
Bang!
Before they knew it, the two swords clashed again. The two were talking with their swords like that.
The conversation became increasingly rough. Kaien used the power of his overflowing mana, and Ghislain used the techniques he had accumulated over time to launch fatal attacks at each other.
— Master! Your mana is running low!
Dark screamed.
Unlike before, Ghislain's body no longer suffered severe damage. His training had expanded his capacity enough to handle the amplified power.
However, he had to allocate that power wisely. Otherwise, his body would soon break down again.
Ghislain had already consumed an enormous amount of mana breaking through Ilois's magic. And now, without rest, he was pouring out power once more, reaching the limits of what Dark's mana could sustain.
If this continued, he would exhaust all his energy and collapse in the end.
'It's fine. Even if I empty it completely.'
Ignoring Dark's cries, Ghislain kept channeling power. If he could just kill the opponent in front of him, the rest would fall easily.
Kaien, the pinnacle of the Duchy's military power, held a symbolic significance greater than anything else.
Kaien had similar thoughts. He continued to push forward, enduring Ghislain's attacks with his body.
'I just need to kill Count Fenris.'
Count Fenris had shattered all the Duchy's strategies and even altered the state of the continent. His achievements were nothing short of heroic.
In other words, eliminating him could reverse the entire situation.
'That's why, no matter what—!'
Boom!
The two swung their swords with all their might. Kaien's body bore countless wounds, blood spraying out.
Ghislain wasn't unscathed either. With every swing of Kaien's sword, the black energy surrounding him was violently torn apart. The protective aura diminished with each blow.
And finally, when Ghislain's body was exposed—
Slash!
Kaien seized the opportunity and landed a long cut across Ghislain's chest.
Splat!
Although Ghislain quickly retreated, he couldn't completely avoid the attack. Blood gushed from the wound.
As Kaien watched Ghislain's wound slowly heal, he spoke.
"You don't recover as quickly as before."
"Ah, I've lost a lot of strength this time."
"You've got some incredible abilities. A few more years, and even I wouldn't have been able to handle you."
"With time, your skills would have improved just as much."
The two faced each other with smiles. Regardless of their positions, fighting such a strong opponent was exhilarating.
Kaien raised his sword again and said, "If we had worked together... we could have conquered this continent more easily."
Ghislain extended his sword in response.
"Even in another life, we'd never fight on the same side."
"Then, one of us must die here."
Boom!
Kaien swung his sword powerfully. Using the mana he still had left, he overwhelmed Ghislain completely.
Ghislain struggled to block, retreating desperately. No matter how skilled one was, if the body's foundation collapsed, no technique could be fully utilized.
— M-Master! It's dangerous!
"It's fine. Drain it all."
Kaien pressed so relentlessly that Ghislain could barely catch his breath. His hands trembled with each blocked attack. The strength was undeniable.
The Kingdom's Finest Sword.
The weight of that title was not light.
Ghislain's rise to fame as one of the Continent's Seven Strongest was still in the future. Kaien likely would have matched those elite ranks even then.
And in this life, he was certain to do so again within a few years.
If only he didn't die here.
Boom!
Ghislain blocked another strike but couldn't withstand the force, being flung backward.
Quickly regaining his stance, he looked up. Kaien approached, breathing heavily.
He, too, was bleeding from wounds all over his body.
"Impressive. You're the first to corner me like this."
"That's what I wanted to say."
"No more bluffing. I'll remember you as the greatest adversary who ever hindered us."
Kaien raised his sword high. But Ghislain grinned and said, "The fight isn't over until the very end, is it?"
"You can't withstand my strength anymore."
It wasn't arrogance or underestimation.
Anyone could see that Ghislain was already out of mana. Exhausted, he couldn't possibly endure Kaien's overwhelming mana any longer.
But Ghislain, still smiling, replied, "I also happen to love overpowering my opponents."
Kaien dismissed the words and prepared to strike.
Boom!
Suddenly, an immense amount of mana surged into Ghislain's body from the surroundings, preventing Kaien from attacking.
"What the...?"
Kaien, startled, looked around. He thought an ally had appeared to aid Ghislain.
But there was no one nearby.
When he looked back, Ghislain was already on his feet.
"What on earth are you doing...?"
From Ghislain's body, immense mana was once again emanating.
It was an impossible sight. How could his drained mana recover so quickly? Rest and mana cultivation were required to replenish mana.
Kaien's eyes widened. There was a way to refill mana without cultivation.
"Don't tell me..."
When a core is first created, the surrounding mana rapidly converges to fill the empty core.
It was absurd to think that someone like Ghislain, already a superhuman, was forming his core for the first time. Yet there was no other explanation.
Ghislain pointed his sword at Kaien and laughed.
"Let's go again. I've regained a bit of my former level."
Now, within his body—
Five cores were spinning furiously.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]