Chapter 229 - But a real sword? That was different?
Hearing the news of Roy's arrival, Kuraudo shook off his previous boredom and sprang up from the sofa, striding quickly toward the main training floor.
Accompanied by the heavy thud of footsteps on the wooden floor, three figures came into Kuraudo's view.
He completely ignored his lackey and Ayase, fixing his gaze immediately on Roy. His serrated teeth bared in a ferocious grin.
Ayase was weak; she couldn't arouse the slightest interest in him. After defeating her father, Kuraudo had held a glimmer of expectation for her.
After all, Kaito was an ordinary human, but Ayase was a Blazer who had inherited his swordsmanship. He thought she might provide a worthy fight.
Unfortunately, the result had let him down. She didn't deserve his attention.
Fortunately, Roy was here, a guy with high attainments in swordsmanship who clearly deserved to be taken seriously. Kuraudo's favorite pastime was crossing blades with strong swordsmen.
That steel-on-steel collision always made his blood boil and his heart race. He was hopelessly addicted to that feeling, constantly seeking out new opponents.
"Hahaha! I hadn't even started looking for you, yet you came to me first."
Kuraudo stared at Roy like a predator eyeing its prey, laughing unscrupulously.
"You really are a swordsman at heart. You can't resist the thrill of a fight, can you?"
He stared at Roy with eager, fanatical eyes, looking as if he wanted to draw his weapon right then and there.
"I came here to win back Ayase's dojo. And stop looking at me with those eyes; I have no interest in men," Roy responded with a light snort.
"So it's for this woman? Seems she's got you wrapped around her finger," Kuraudo said disdainfully.
"But it doesn't matter why you're here. You want this dojo?"
"Naturally."
"This is a trophy I won in a formal duel. You understand what that means, right?" Kuraudo asked.
In this world, the winner of a duel had the right to claim the loser's territory or impose demands.
"You are the master of this dojo now. You set the rules of the duel," Roy said indifferently. Since he had arrived in this world, he would play by its rules.
"When I won this dojo, Kaito Ayatsuji chose the method of the duel. Today, I'll give you the same courtesy," Kuraudo said, a frenzied look in his eyes.
"Do you want a simple competition of swordsmanship, or an all out battle using everything we have?"
"Let's compete in swordsmanship," Roy responded.
"Just swordsmanship? That's so boring. I thought you would choose the latter." Kuraudo was stunned for a moment, then showed visible disappointment.
He was eager for a real fight; the feeling of dancing on the edge of death was what he craved most.
"You seem to be mistaken," Roy glanced at Kuraudo. "You want me to fight with all my strength? You aren't qualified."
"I'm worried that if I went all out, you wouldn't survive a single move. That would be too boring."
"You really have a big mouth!"
Hearing Roy's words, Kuraudo laughed in anger. Roy's condescending tone infuriated him.
Although Kuraudo didn't think he could sweep the entire world, there were very few student knights who could defeat him head-on, let alone kill him instantly.
"It's just a fact," Roy said indifferently. "Or you can go all out, and I'll hold back."
"Then let the steel speak! I will use my swordsmanship to make you understand the truth!" Kuraudo grinned, showing his serrated teeth.
"When you're beaten to a pulp, it won't be too late to have a real fight!"
"Clean this place up," Kuraudo ordered his lackeys.
The dojo was a mess, filled with garbage they had discarded at random. The training ground was slightly better, but still dirty.
Since there was going to be a duel, the floor needed to be cleared.
Soon, Kuraudo's lackeys scrambled to clean up the trash, deftly clearing a space for the two combatants.
Roy and Kuraudo stood on opposite sides of the training ground, about ten meters apart.
Kuraudo summoned his Device, Orochimaru.
Normally, student knights were not permitted to summon their Devices in public without authorization.
However, there were exceptions. On private property, such as a dojo, the owner had the right to authorize their use. As the current owner of the Ayatsuji Dojo, Kuraudo had that qualification.
Roy made a casual motion, and a weapon appeared in his right hand.
"That... isn't a Device, is it?"
Kuraudo stared at the weapon in Roy's hand. He observed it carefully, frowned, and then laughed loudly.
"It's a real sword!"
Although a Device manifested from the soul is a physical object, its aura is slightly different from a mundane weapon. As an experienced swordsman, Kuraudo had the vision to tell the difference.
Furthermore, Blazers had all sorts of strange abilities; a storage type ability that contained real weapons wasn't unheard of.
"It seems you're actually looking forward to this fight more than I am!"
A bloodthirsty light shone in Kuraudo's eyes, his face full of excitement.
Devices generally have two modes: Phantom Form and Real Form.
There is a rule among student knights that unless there are special circumstances, a Device must be maintained in Phantom Form.
In Phantom Form, attacks do not cause physical damage to the flesh; instead, they drain the opponent's stamina directly.
This was why Kuraudo had been able to attack Roy in the restaurant without hesitation. Even if the blow had landed on Roy's neck, it wouldn't have decapitated him, it would have simply drained his stamina, likely causing him to faint.
But a real sword? That was different. That was a weapon of death.
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