Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Chapter 101

The grand finale of the Fight Club.

Each of the heirs of the noble dynasties possessed particular motivations for entering the Fight Club arena. Certain competitors sought to annihilate their direct rivals, others were guided solely by the eager need to measure their capabilities against high-caliber warriors, and finally, there existed the primary incentive above all others.

To conquer the ultimate reward granted to the Fight Club champion.

Whoever emerged victorious would receive the exclusive prerogative to acquire any merchandise from the black market through a direct and fully insured purchase.

Assuming that the speculations circulating through the Guild City were reliable, it was crucial to dominate the tournament and take possession of that coveted prize of which so much was said.

With unwavering resolve, Dale looked up to confront his final rival.

Standing before his position was Mikhail, the second scion of the Lancaster lineage, one of the three most renowned ducal dynasties in the Empire. Despite the notable generational gap between the two, Mikhail contemplated Dale with absolute seriousness.

His aristocratic bearing was completely devoid of any hint of arrogance or disdain.

“It is a true privilege to meet the young heir of Saxon,” Mikhail expressed, executing a bow filled with courtesy.

“I humbly request that you guide me in this confrontation.”

“The privilege is entirely mine, to be able to contemplate firsthand the sword art of Prince Mikhail, who is said to be the warrior closest to the ‘Seven Swords of the Continent’.”

“You shower me with praise,” Mikhail replied, sketching a restrained smile.

“Who would have the audacity to mention ‘talent’ in front of the successor of the Saxon house?”

Emitting a subtle metallic rasp, the crimson edge of Mikhail’s sword was released from its sheath. Dale recalled the dizzying speed and constant harassment that Mikhail had exhibited in his previous bouts. However, in the same way that Dale needed to take care not to severely damage Ray Eurys, Mikhail found himself under the obligation not to deliberately ruin the integrity of the Saxon successor.

In this reality, just as it happens in any other, fairness is a chimera.

The intrinsic value of blood heritage is not equivalent; it is decreed from the moment of birth.

While the accidental death of an ordinary warrior might well be classified as a simple misfortune, an identical scenario would never apply to the successor of a ducal dynasty or the leader of the Red Tower.

The relevance of lineage, which predetermines aristocracy or plebeian status, prevents any type of carelessness.

Mikhail Lancaster represented an extremely dangerous opponent who could not be taken lightly.

Dale increased the revolutions of the four spheres of his heart, imprinting the Peacemaker’s doctrine onto his paladin’s weapon. As a pool of dark tones expanded beneath his feet, the Death Knight under Dale’s command tightened his hands on the hilt of the dark sword.

“Shub.”

Finally, Dale pronounced the name of the mystical tome that resided within his own being.

Having exposed the “Book of the Black Goat” to the eyes of everyone present, it no longer made sense to keep his most terrifying grimoire hidden.

“Of course, brother.”

Shub manifested a smile full of sweetness, causing a look of momentary discomfort to cross Mikhail’s features, identical to someone contemplating an absolute aberration.

The paladin’s weapon, the mystical tome, and the acceleration of the four spheres. Enduring the tide of cold and darkness, Dale prepared for combat.

Mikhail Lancaster imitated the action by tightening his grip on his own weapon, raising it above his forehead.

The Falcon’s Stance (Posta di Falcone).

On his breastplate shone the roses in white and scarlet tones that identified the Lancasters.

That coat of arms projected the concept of “ruthless nobility.”

Analogous to how the raven’s crest belonging to the Saxons projected “the announcement of death.”

In Dale’s thoughts, the experiences belonging to the Knight of Saint Magdalene that he had assimilated began to project themselves once more.

Mikhail Lancaster’s blade, his direct manifestation on the battlefield, and the profound hopelessness caused by his astonishing innate ability.

“… This opponent is on another level.”

Unlike Ray Eurys, who represented a latent long-term risk, Mikhail’s mastery of steel already surpassed the limits imaginable for someone in their mid-twenties.

Executing a swift transition, Mikhail projected his sword upward to let it fall in a vertical path. It was an elemental strike aimed at the skull, a primary technique in sword training.

“…!”

The space separating Dale from Mikhail narrowed in the blink of an eye. The Death Knight’s dark steel directly intercepted Mikhail’s downward trajectory. Mikhail’s weapon moved imitating the gait of a viper, breaking the bone structure of the Death Knight.

Upon cleanly slicing through the shoulder area, the Death Knight’s configuration lost its consistency, dissolving smoothly, and at that precise moment…

The bone fragments detached from the Death Knight exploded at close range to Mikhail.

An elemental spell of necromancy, the detonation of bodily remains. However, due to the destruction charges added to its design, its lethal capacity was vastly different from that of an ordinary practitioner.

As the fragments pulverized and projected, Mikhail executed a new stroke with his steel.

Imitating a mesh spread out to capture multiple prey, crafted with absolute precision.

At that moment, Shub’s limbs descended abruptly. The spine-covered appendages belonging to the 《Shadow Stalker》 burst forth from the shadows.

A relentless offensive that came from every possible direction.

Simultaneously, from the folds of the dark robe, “shadow projectiles” began to rain down from the dark cannon.

Mikhail performed another turn with his steel.

Neutralizing the peripheral siege in a perfect 360-degree turn, the current generated by his weapon expanded imitating a cyclone.

“Currents generated by steel…?”

No, it was not merely reduced to the force of the wind. It was life energy expelled by the weapon, disseminated in the form of kinetic gusts, intercepting every strike that intended to approach from any angle.

Despite this, the scarlet-dyed steel that Mikhail manipulated displayed no hue.

That life energy was undetectable to the naked eye.

A power devoid of physical appearance or coloring.

And that manifestation ended up covering Mikhail Lancaster’s “sword”.

The Invisible Sword.

It did not correspond to the energetic hue characteristic of the “Knight of the Rose Cross” of the Lancaster dynasty. It was the exclusive energy signature of Mikhail Lancaster.

“The most dangerous weapon is the one your eyes cannot identify.”

Wielding that imperceptible edge, Mikhail Lancaster revealed a smile.

“It never crossed my mind that my skills with steel were public knowledge even in the frozen barrens of the northern regions.”

“In this plane, there is no more complex task than trying to hide a gift that shines with such force.”

Appearing totally calm, Dale maintained his composure.

Had he not assimilated the intellectual capabilities of the Knight of Saint Magdalene, he would likely have sustained a mortally serious wound. Even possessing the memories of a previous existence, Dale did not possess absolute knowledge of this environment. The “undetectable power” represented a resource that even he found disconcerting.

But the surprises did not end there.

Mikhail Lancaster rotated the hilt of his scarlet steel, modifying the pressure of his fingers.

Through a dynamic gesture, the segments that made up the scarlet blade separated into individual metallic components, mutating into a kind of whip intertwined by filaments.

The Blood Flower Sword. Named as such due to the way its sections simulated the opening of crimson buds when tearing biological tissues.

Dale possessed full knowledge of the grim fame of such a weapon. However, that articulated scarlet sword…

It lacked visibility.

Hidden by the undetectable energy, the structure of the metallic whip disguised its real trajectory.

Accompanied by a sharp whistle!

Dale was forced to deduce the trajectories by paying exclusive attention to Mikhail’s limbs. However, that did not cover the entirety of the danger. Once again, the undetectable energy, the imperceptible flow of the weapon, emanated from its structure.

It did not constitute a danger that could be evaded and blocked merely by using the sense of sight.

And since Dale was unable to “consciously detect” the offensive, the Peacemaker’s quality, 《Imposed Peace》, lost all its utility.

《Imposed Peace》 required, without exception, that the executor have full awareness of the incoming attack.

For the first time, a gust of unease altered the calm in Dale’s spirit.

“Shub.”

At that very moment, Dale gave the order. The most accurate strategy to confront imperceptible dangers.

“Act without restrictions.”

— Understood.

From beneath Shub’s garments, colossal limbs sprouted, bringing to mind creatures of the oceanic depths.

Boom, crash!

Imitating a creature of titanic proportions devastating a settlement, the colossal limbs began to fracture the surface of the entire combat structure. The pool of dark tones increased and the 《Shadow Stalker》 released its spike-covered appendages.

Sheltered by the infinity of appendages that served as environmental protection, Dale looked up.

Accompanied by a sharp whistle!

An immense death impulse manifested, forcing Dale to structure a defense using his shadow cover.

Clang!

In the clear space, the shadow defense collided heavily with an element, generating a metallic crash. However, the object that had impacted against Dale’s shadow cover was far from a conventional weapon.

The whip-property steel impacted, and, deducing the parabola of its undulating advance, Dale erected an additional defense.

Clang!

The segmented component located in the terminal zone of the whip struck Dale’s defense for a second time.

“…!”

Upon noticing this event, Mikhail experienced intense internal surprise.

A simple mystic, containing an undetectable articulated sword based entirely on his primary reflexes? And deducing with total accuracy the path of the articulated weapon?

There was not the slightest trace of “the desperation typical of a mystic upon being cornered by a warrior” in the posture adopted by Dale.

Simultaneously, an uncountable number of filaments fell upon Mikhail’s position from multiple angles. Retracting his articulated weapon, he began to disperse gusts of cutting energy in all surrounding directions.

Dale compacted his intangible energy in order to model an isolation barrier, protecting himself from Shub’s limbs and the dark fluid. At the same time, he projected his energy in the form of ballistic gusts, slicing the limbs with great skill.

It constituted a masterful display of offensive and withdrawal, perfectly coordinated with each other.

Zas!

Subsequently, the subtle articulated steel identified as the “Blood Flower Sword” began to live up to its name, resembling the opening of crimson buds. A flow of blood gushed from Dale’s shoulder.

The blade grazed his chest area, marking another crimson line on its path. The relentless harassment caused by the metallic whip began to dye Dale’s body surface a reddish color.

Enduring the punishment of his lacerated tissues, Dale barely eluded the lethal impacts, pressing his lips firmly.

“This is becoming crazy.”

It was useless to deny the reality: his rival possessed capabilities immensely superior to those of a newcomer like Ray Eurys.

“Should I opt for withdrawal?”

He weighed the idea, but immediately dismissed the option with a shake of his head. If the prize possessed the relevance that the Black Duke claimed, other factions would strive to obtain it.

Although the leader of Saxon figured as the most relevant duchy within the imperial structure, its economic reserves were not infinite. In a capital dispute against the wealthy Lancaster dynasty, the frozen domains of Saxon would lack an advantage. If a financial dispute were to occur, Saxon possessed no certainty of success. If Mikhail Lancaster claimed the prize, the defeat would be total.

It was mandatory to take possession of it: the reward destined for the monarch of the Fight Club.

He required a disruptive alternative.

“I need to find a way to neutralize that invisible energy.”

However, if he increased Shub’s potential further, the Fight Club’s defensive framework would collapse.

Added to this, fracturing the defensive framework prior to the surrender of any of the contenders would entail automatic exclusion.

He was prevented from releasing Shub’s absolute potential or entering the mental plane.

“This situation is far from ideal for a mystic, is it not?”

As if interpreting Dale’s internal dilemmas, Mikhail broke the silence.

“No, analyzing it well, it is not unreasonable to catalog it as the ‘worst of scenarios’.”

“……”

“Ensuring that a warrior suppresses physical separation and maintaining this range of hostility at such short distances…”

Manifesting real appreciation.

“You have left behind the capabilities of any conventional mystic.”

“……”

“To be honest, it is impossible for me not to contemplate with admiration your innate ability, Lord Dale.”

Mikhail Lancaster continued his speech.

“The dimensions of this arena are too small for a mystic to confront a warrior, and the context benefits me excessively.”

His statements were accurate. Evaluating the facts coldly, the conditions were totally adverse for any “conventional mystic,” and the exclusive presence of Dale and Eurys within the Fight Club validated that reality.

“Therefore, there is no reason for dishonor.”

There is no dishonor in accepting defeat.

“This constitutes a confrontation that a mystic was never destined to lead.”

A warrior who manifested nobility while recognizing the virtues of his counterpart.

“Therefore, I request that you evaluate the option of laying down your arms.”

Mikhail returned his weapon to its sheath and reiterated his request.

—You have already upheld the value of your lineage, Lord Dale.

“……”

“Even if you suffer a defeat against me, that will not diminish the legend of the ‘Black Prince’.”

“What gives you such a level of certainty?”

“The fact that I myself will be in charge of preventing it.”

Mikhail Lancaster expressed himself with a distinction that contrasted sharply with his lethal handling of steel, projecting the pure nature of the order of the knights.

Dale remained silent for a few moments.

“Would it not cause you dishonor to be surpassed by me, Prince Mikhail?”

After an interval, Dale questioned. He lacked the need to await a reply.

“The same thing happens to me.”

For a fraction of a second, Mikhail’s features turned rigid.

“I do not harbor the slightest desire to capitulate.”

Dale added, while his dark blue mystical energy began to fluctuate strongly around his figure.

“To your misfortune, I do not fit the definition of a ‘conventional mystic’.”