kscans

1

The chief referee reported to the organizers’ seats, announcing, “We will now proceed with an exhibition match between the champion, Chantillion Graybuster, and the representative of the Great Lord of Jiguenza, Karz Rowen.”

The announcer called out their names, and the two swordsmen stepped into the arena. Chantillion, who had demonstrated overwhelming skill to win the championship, exuded a unique aura as if bathed in the breath of a war god. No, that wasn’t quite it. Even before showcasing his extraordinary martial arts skills, Chantillion carried an air of “authority.”

Every knight possessed their own “authority.” A lord who stood above a thousand subjects had their own authority. A knight who commanded a hundred soldiers had their own authority. Commoners would not submit to a noble without authority, and soldiers would not obey a superior without authority. From the beginning, Chantillion exuded an authority that made it clear he was indeed a senior knight.

On the other hand, Karz Rowen did not give off any sense of authority at all. He seemed like a man walking with shadows. However, it was precisely because of this that a skilled warrior would realize Karz was no ordinary person. With no sound of footsteps and almost no presence, he walked as if blending into the air.

The contrast in atmosphere between the two camps was interesting, Bard thought. The participants from the Goriora Empire might have heard rumors about Karz. There was a sense of expectation that he might do something remarkable. The participants from the Parzam Kingdom, on the other hand, exuded a relaxed atmosphere. They believed the outcome of the match was already decided. They might think of Karz as a pitiful man who had been forced to fight a legendary swordsman in such a situation.

They would soon realize their misconceptions. However, as to whether Karz would win, Bard honestly had no idea about the outcome of this match. Karz was a man who had dedicated his life to the sword. He probably didn’t consider Chantillion a problem in terms of experience. However, whether he could defeat Chantillion with an unfamiliar sword that had been dulled according to the rules of the match, that was uncertain. For Bard, it didn’t matter whether Karz won or lost. He just hoped Karz would enjoy this match.

Both competitors finished their preparations, and the bell rang.

2

It’s strange, Bard thought. He had thought Chantillion was slender and supple. That was undoubtedly true. It looked even more so when compared to the burly warriors.

However, when facing Karz, Chantillion’s body felt stiff. It was because Karz Rowen was so agile and elusive. This was odd. Karz was taller than Chantillion. He had well-developed muscles, and although he appeared slender at first glance, his skeletal structure was as robust as that of a wild beast. And yet, when viewed from a distance like this, Karz seemed more graceful. Some might see it as a sign of weakness.

The two stared at each other without moving. No, it was true that Chantillion was glaring at Karz’s face, but Karz was not doing the same. His eyes were half-closed, giving off a sleepy look, and his gaze was directed downward, gently capturing the entirety of the enemy.

Chantillion was the first to move. He slowly moved to the right. With cautious footwork, he circled to the right while maintaining a certain distance from Karz. The chief referee, perhaps to ensure a clear view, subtly changed his position while observing the two.

Karz, on the other hand, remained motionless with his sword hanging loosely. Despite appearing to have numerous openings, Chantillion did not strike and continued to circle to the right. After circling around Karz, he reached a position directly behind him. Initially, Chantillion was on the south side, and Karz was on the north side, but now it had reversed. Moving his sword left and right, subtly changing his stance, Chantillion continued his circular movement. When Chantillion completed another quarter turn and arrived at Karz’s right side, Karz swung his sword, emitting a flash of light.

Or so Bard thought, but Karz did not strike with his sword. However, Chantillion evaded Karz’s strike. Even though the sword did not reach him, Chantillion moved as if he had narrowly avoided having his right arm sliced off by the sword, and then launched a counterattack. The distance of five steps disappeared in an instant, and the two engaged each other within their respective ranges. No, “engaged” was not the right word. Chantillion was the one relentlessly attacking, while Karz, who had turned to face Chantillion, continued to evade with his sword still hanging loosely.

Bard couldn’t see clearly what happened in the dozen or so strikes. After all, his position was unfavorable. Most of Chantillion’s movements were hidden by Karz’s shadow. Julelan, who was in the opposite position, was likely experiencing the same frustration.

Chantillion took a step back to catch his breath. Then, he attempted to rotate to the right again, but Karz’s sword moved swiftly, preventing him from doing so. Once again, even though he was outside of striking range, Chantillion moved as if he had narrowly avoided having his right leg sliced off by Karz’s sword, and stopped his rotation.

Bard could see it. He could see Chantillion’s breath. He just inhaled. He just exhaled. But he couldn’t see Karz’s breath. Chantillion intended to catch his breath before launching another attack. Bard didn’t know what Karz was planning.

Chantillion took another step forward. It was a step that seemed to fly just above the ground, closing the distance in an instant.

Chantillion launches a fierce attack on Karz. It is clearly faster than before. Moreover, it is a diverse attack, weaving together thrusts and wide-radius slashes. Karz raises his sword to defend himself. However, there is no sound of swords clashing. Chantillion never allows his sword to enter the position where Karz sends his sword. In the end, Karz manages to withstand this attack.

Chantillion is clearly breathing heavily. His chest and shoulders are shaking vigorously. Karz, on the other hand, remains calm as ever.

Chantillion takes a deep breath and charges forward. Fast, very fast. Despite the small radius of his swings, how does he achieve such speed? It is a formidable attack that seamlessly transitions from thrusts to slashes, from small and quick slashes to larger and faster ones. Karz lowers his body and twists, evading Chantillion’s continuous attacks and maneuvering behind him. Chantillion also turns around and faces Karz. He understands that if he exposes his back to this enemy, the battle will be over.

Bard now sees Chantillion’s back. They have completely switched positions, with Karz now to the west and Chantillion to the east. It is as if they are bound to fight each other from east to west.

Bard suddenly looks north. The participants from the Goriora Empire are watching the match, sipping their drinks. Doriatessa is in the front row. Her gaze is sharp, as if biting.

Ah, so that’s how it is, Bard realizes. Karz is fighting now to show Doriatessa Chantillion’s skills. That’s why he only allows attacks from angles that are easy for Doriatessa to see.

Doriatessa is the runner-up in the fifth division, so she can participate in the sixth division tomorrow. It is a difficult task, but if she can advance there and win, she will have another chance to fight Chantillion. Karz is commanding Doriatessa with his entire being to defeat Chantillion.

Why did Bard think he was a cold man? Despite being such a passionate soul. Why did he think he was a silent man? Despite being so eloquent. However, Karz Rowen does not speak with words. He silently embraces countless thoughts and communicates only through his sword.

Chantillion launches another attack. If one were to watch without knowing anything, it would seem that Chantillion has the upper hand and Karz is barely evading. How many people truly understand what is happening in the arena?

Once again, the east and west have switched. Chantillion’s killing intent reaches even the skin of those watching, making it tingle. He is unexpectedly a passionate man. Chantillion, of course, understands that he is being toyed with by the quiet man in front of him.

Chantillion thrusts towards Karz’s left shoulder. Karz makes a movement with his sword that seems to brush against his own left shoulder. Bard narrows his eyes involuntarily. Karz’s sword looked like a shield.

Karz slashes at Chantillion’s left leg. Although the strike doesn’t actually hit, Chantillion evades by stepping back. Bard narrows his eyes again. Karz’s sword momentarily looked like a hammer.

Chantillion tries to circle to the left. Karz strikes at his left shoulder. Bard sees the sword as a whip.

As Bard watches the exchange of blows between these two masters, he begins to understand the essence of their exchanges. At first, he thought Chantillion’s attacks were diverse, but now he realizes it is not the case. Chantillion only treats the sword as a sword. Karz, on the other hand, does not. He wields it as something more than just a sword.

Chantillion’s strength disappears if he loses his sword, but Karz’s strength does not diminish even if he lets go of his sword. Bard recalls what his mentor, a wandering knight, once taught him: “If you master the sword, techniques become unnecessary.” Bard thought it was strange to learn the sword in order to master techniques, so he asked in his confused state, “If you master techniques, does the sword become unnecessary?”

His mentor, with an unusual smile, replied, “That’s right. You understood well,” he said. It was a conversation that Bard couldn’t quite understand, but now he felt like he understood a little. Karz was trying to master that kind of sword.

There was a sharp intake of breath from behind, and Bard turned his head in that direction. Jurchaga’s usually light brown eyes were shining green. It was a sign that he was extremely excited. Something was about to happen. Bard quickly returned his gaze to the two in the arena.

When Chantillion’s breath settled and his fighting spirit reached its peak, Karz suddenly released his fighting spirit. It wasn’t a killing intent like that of a human. It was as if a giant tiger was there. The fighting spirit captured Chantillion for just a moment and then disappeared.

Startled by the fighting spirit, Chantillion instinctively used his secret move. He pulled his sword to the left and unleashed a deadly slash towards Karz’s right chest. It was fast! Bard could hardly catch it with his eyes. Moreover, it struck as if piercing into the chest. It was a very difficult attack to gauge the distance, and it was also difficult to dodge or defend against. Karz evaded it with a slight movement. It was so close that it seemed like it hit for a moment. Without hesitation, the next slash flew in the same trajectory.

To be able to unleash such a fast and powerful attack in a two-hit combo! Karz also dodged this one, but surprisingly, Chantillion’s sword flashed again. A super-fast three-hit combo! The third slash finally caught Karz’s right chest.

With the sword pressed firmly against Karz’s chest, Chantillion didn’t move. Karz also didn’t move. The two figures resembled a statue depicting a scene from mythology. The arena became as quiet as if water had been struck.

Karz had managed to avoid it so far, but he was finally hit by a deadly blow. Although it was a practice sword that had been crushed, there was no doubt that this extraordinary swordsman had pierced his heart. The spectators would have understood that.

Karz exhaled softly and lowered his sword. As if following suit, Chantillion also lowered his sword.

Cheers erupted from the participants on Parzam’s side and grew into a storm. Karz bowed to the organizers’ seats without hesitation. That meant he also bowed to Chantillion who was in front of him. Then he turned around and walked away from the battlefield without making a sound. It was a declaration that one of the three matches had already been decided. The chief referee understood his intention and declared, “The match is over! Chantillion Graybuster, the victor.” Cheers erupted once again. The cheers were even louder than before. Not only from Parzam’s side, but also from Goriora’s side. Even though he lost, it was a magnificent battle. Half of the cheers were showered upon Karz’s back.

But did the people cheering understand what had just happened? It may have seemed like Chantillion’s sword had caught Karz’s chest, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t the sword that caught Karz’s chest, but Karz who stopped the sword with his chest. Moreover, annoyingly, Karz had pulled back his chest once and skillfully killed the momentum of the sword, then pressed his chest against it. He twisted his body to avoid the tip of the sword, deflecting the blade’s trajectory, and took the sword on the widest area, the thickest part of his leather armor. There, a scrap of fur from the demonic beast, an ear-length wolf, that he had killed at Linz’s request was hidden. Karz probably suffered little damage. In other words, he had already judged that he had seen enough of Chantillion’s technique and decided to end the match. Chantillion, the winner, was staring at Karz in astonishment, his breath rough and his hair disheveled.

Karz returned to Bard without a smile and whispered something to Jurchaga.

3

Doriatessa visited Bard’s room. She was holding a sword with a sheath in her hand. It didn’t look like a very high-quality sword.

“Karz-dono. I heard you called for me.”

It seemed that Karz had summoned her. Karz, unusually, spoke up.

“Chantillion is a swordsman who engages in well-balanced offense and defense, and he has no particular weaknesses. However, he creates an opening when he performs his secret move, the three consecutive attacks. It’s here.”

Karz pointed to Jurchaga’s right chest. It was at the edge of the chest muscles, close to the armpit.

“Thrust through here. But don’t step forward, just shift your weight to deliver the technique.”

It was an absurd thing to say. First, they had to corner Chantillion enough to make him use his secret move. On top of that, they had to defend against the three consecutive attacks in a position where they could counterattack, and at the same time launch an attack. And how could they deliver a powerful thrust without stepping forward?

Karz placed a solid copper bucket on the table. It was a thick bucket with decorations. There was no water in it. Then, he received the sword from Doriatessa and drew it. It was a practice sword. The blade and tip of the sword were crushed. He pressed the tip against the bucket and took a slightly lower stance for a thrust.

“Pay attention to the movement of your hips. If you rotate your hips and send the sharp energy stored in your lower abdomen into the sword, it will naturally become a thrust.”

Karz took a breath, and his concentration could be felt. Then, something like heat ran from his left to right hip like lightning. By that time, the tip of the sword had already pierced through the bucket.