The Way of KnightChapter 18 – Duel in the MireThe Second Clash
Claaanng!
The first strike of this new round thundered through the night. Fenrir's sword, wrapped in molten-red aura, met Klaus' greatsword blazing with dark-blue energy. The sound of metal colliding shook the swamp, forcing both militia and mercenaries to pause in awe.
Aura sparks scattered, painting the foggy marsh with crimson and azure.
Fenrir staggered back several steps, his boots sinking into the mire. Yet he planted his heels firmly, his body sheathed in a shell of magma-like energy that boiled around him.
Klaus laughed, harsh and wild. "You've got guts, boy! But guts don't stop steel!"
His greatsword swept wide. Wooooshhh—BOOM!
The pressure alone knocked two Eisenwald youths off their feet, shields flying.
Fenrir braced, holding his sword in both hands. The vibration split his palms, blood trickling from his grip. Yet the lava-red aura on his blade flared brighter, casting the night in fiery light.
"If I fall here, Eisenwald falls," Fenrir muttered through clenched teeth.
No retreat. Not now.
He forced his aura forward, channeling it to the sword's tip. As Klaus bore down with another crushing strike, Fenrir thrust straight ahead.
ZRRRAAKKK!
Red energy burst forth, forcing Klaus' blade slightly off course. The swamp air hissed, steam rising where the auras clashed.
Elsewhere on the field, chaos churned. Eisenwald youths held their ragged shield wall, spears stabbing desperately. Mercenary blades hacked and thrust, arrows streaked through the fog.
"Don't let them through!" Geralt shouted, his face splattered with mud and blood.
A mercenary's axe tore through a boy's shield, splinters flying. Before he could finish, another Eisenwald spear drove into his belly. The man collapsed, choking on blood.
The swamp had become a pit of screams, clashing steel, and the iron stench of death.
Klaus advanced, his greatsword swinging like a titan's hammer.
BOOOOMM!
The mire split under the strike, mud spraying into the air. The shockwave sent fighters sprawling.
Fenrir met the blow head-on. His knees bent deep, veins bulging across his arms. "Ughhhh—!"
Klaus leaned close, snarling. "You're just a child hiding behind aura. I've cut down dozens like you."
Fenrir's eyes blazed. "I… am not like them."
With a sudden kick, Fenrir flung mud into Klaus' face.
The mercenary commander raised his arm instinctively to shield his eyes. In that heartbeat, Fenrir's sword whipped sideways.
Shrrraakk!
His aura blade carved into Klaus' left shoulder, magma-red energy burning flesh. Smoke hissed from the wound.
"Arghhhh!" Klaus roared, blood pouring down his arm. His blue aura flickered, faltering.
The Eisenwald militia erupted in cheers.
"He wounded the commander!"
"Our Baron can do it!"
Their morale flared, spears driving forward with renewed fury.
Furious, Klaus ignited Aura Burst. His body exploded with storm-like energy, dark-blue waves battering the marsh.
"Boy! I'll crush you to pieces!"
Fenrir's lava aura surged hotter in response, rolling off his body like molten fire, coating his blade in burning red haze.
They charged.
BOOM! A downward strike.
CLANG! A desperate parry.
CRASHHH! Sparks scattered as blades locked.
The duel was a storm of steel. Each swing cracked bone or ripped earth, each clash sent shockwaves rippling through mud and water.
Fenrir's arm bled from a shallow cut, but his eyes never wavered.
Stat Comparison
As their swords ground against each other, a glowing panel flickered in Fenrir's vision.
🔻 [Status – Fenrir Eisenwald] 🔻
Age: 13
Level: 5
EXP: 400 / 3000
Aura: 55
Stamina: 60
Strength: 45
Cunning: 58
Charisma: 44
Mental Fortitude: 52
Skills:
[Aura Control Lv.2] – Aura flows sharper, extends sword reach. [Swordsmanship Lv.2] – Intermediate slashes, thrusts, parries. [Leadership Lv.2] – Grants +12% morale to small units. [Tactical Instinct Lv.2] – Reads flow of battle quicker.
Trait:
[Wounds That Shape] – Trauma fuels growth after battle.
🔻 [Enemy Status – Klaus the Iron Fang] 🔻
Age: 36
Level: 8
Aura: 65 (↓ from 70 due to wound)
Stamina: 68
Strength: 63
Cunning: 37
Charisma: 20
Skills:
[Heavy Blade Lv.3] [Aura Burst Lv.1] [Mercenary Commander]
Fenrir grit his teeth. He's still stronger… but I'm closing the gap. If I press harder, I can break him.
Their auras clashed once more, red fire and blue storm colliding. The marsh trembled, mud boiling as if scorched by molten stone.
Both militias staggered back, unable to endure the crushing pressure of the duel.
Fenrir's sword trembled in his grip, but his gaze was unwavering. Klaus bled heavily, his eyes flashing with both rage and dawning fear.
The fight was not yet over—but the swamp had already become a battlefield where Eisenwald's fate hung by a thread.
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