Chapter 114: A Spar

[00 Months: 12 Days: 05 Hours]"Sure. I don't mind. I should be as strong as a Grand Knight."

The words Luke uttered echoed in Drius's mind as if reverberating off unseen walls.

'As strong as a Grand Knight.'

He was a Grand Knight, the fifteenth seat, no less.

He'd climbed the ranks through blood, sweat, and countless battles. And here was a man, practically a stranger, comparing himself to Drius.

Drius stared hard at the man who called himself Luke. The audacity of this stranger was astounding. To make such a bold claim, in the presence of the Lyma sisters, was unthinkable.

The nerve.

"I see," Drius finally said, his tone ice-cold.

He stood up, his chair scraping the marble floor as he did.

"In that case, I would like to challenge you to a spar, Luke. To see if you're as strong as you claim."

The room fell silent. Drius could see the surprise in the eyes of the sisters, but he didn't care.

He was a Grand Knight, the 15th Seat, and he had earned his status through sheer hardwork and dedication. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

This outsider, who seemed to appear from nowhere and claim such strength, had to be put in his place.

But before he could say anything more, Seraphina interjected quickly, her voice laced with anxiety.

"There's no need for this, Drius. It was just a saying, and—" Stay updated via mvl

But Luke interrupted her, a fearless smile dancing on his lips. "No, Seraphina, it's fine. I accept the challenge."

Drius was taken aback for a moment, but then he steadied himself. He looked at Luke, studying the confident smile on his face.

He couldn't deny it; there was something about Luke he didn't like, and he was determined to find out what that was.

"Very well," he said, his gaze not leaving Luke's. "Let's see if your strength matches your words."

**********

The training room was impressive.

It was massive, almost the size of a football field, with tall stone walls that were clearly enchanted.

The air was thick with the scent of iron and magic, a testament to the countless battles that had been fought in this space.

I took a moment to take in the sight, then focused my attention on Drius, who was already warming up on the other side of the room.

We were alone, save for Seraphina and her sisters, who were watching from behind a transparent magic barrier.

They were silent, their eyes darting between Drius and me, as if not quite believing what they were seeing.

I guess it wasn't every day they saw a Grand Knight prepare to spar with an outsider.

I looked over at Drius. He was tall and well-built, with a fierce aura that was unmistakably that of a seasoned warrior.

I didn't know much about him, but I could tell he was the real deal.

'After all… his Danger Level is [Moderately High]'

I smirked, not because I was confident of beating him, but because I was excited about the challenge.

As we took our positions, I couldn't help but think about the implications of this duel.

To the public, I was a nobody. Losing wouldn't really matter much if I was the one who fell. In the worst-case scenario, I would be seen as someone who was overconfident in his skills, or lying about his strength.

However, if Drius lost, it would not only damage his reputation but also cast doubt on the strength of the other Grand Knights.

That's why this duel was kept private.

As the barrier went up, sealing us in the sparring space, I felt a thrill of anticipation.

This was my chance to show them what I was made of.

'If they understand my value, surely the reward would skyrocket… right?'

I squared my shoulders, met Drius's gaze, and prepared for the duel to begin.

Drius eyed me skeptically, his lips curled downward to form a frown.

"You're not going to use a weapon?" he asked, his tone a mixture of disbelief and condescension.

I shook my head. "I won't need one," I replied, a confident smirk playing on my lips.

He chuckled at my response, though there was no humor in his eyes.

"You're too arrogant," he said. "I heard you defeated Fenrir. He was the one who killed Sirius. They were both my students, you know."

He pulled out his weapon, a gleaming longsword, and held it up in a defensive stance.

"I trained them both. If you think I'm going to go easy on you because you're Lady Seraphina's guest, you're sadly mistaken. If you insist on looking down on the Grand Knights, you only have yourself to blame when you get hurt."

I grinned at his words, my heart pounding with anticipation.

"I understand," I said, spreading my arms in a nonchalant gesture. "Let's get started then."

Drius brandished his blade, his eyes glaring at me with an intensity that I hadn't seen before.

A light emanating from the cieling signaled the start of the match, and as I braced myself for his first move, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement.

It was time to show them all what I was truly capable of.

~WHOOOSH!~

Drius charged at me, moving with such speed that for a moment, everything else blurred into the background.

I quickly realized just how fast he was; his movements were a blur, his weapon a streak of silver light in the air.

My mind raced as I acknowledged that if I wasn't careful, I'd get hit.

Just as his blade was about to connect, I utilized <Visualize> to foresee his attack, and with a burst of speed, I sidestepped, the blade passing harmlessly by my side.

That was too close.

I knew now that I couldn't face Drius in my base state. As such, I mentally activated some of my skills. <Turbo>, <Immersion>, and <Elevate>.

As soon as I activated them, I felt a surge of power course through my veins. My body tingled as it strengthened, and I could feel my senses heightening, sharpening.

'Much better…'

My speed increased, a noticeable difference from before, reaching its maximum velocity. A thrill ran down my spine as I realized just how much more powerful I had become.

I looked up at Drius, an excited gleam in my eyes and a grin on my face.

"Your move," I said, my voice echoing through the room.

The real fight was about to begin.

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[A/N]

Ahh… I've missed the action here.

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