Chapter 81: I’ve Been Waiting for This Day (4)
“You filthy scum!”
Viktor ground his teeth as he rose to his feet.
His face and body, covered in burns, felt unbearably hot and painful.
His armor had heated up so much that it was now more of a hindrance than protection.
His sword, too, seemed like it might bend with just a little more impact.
He was using mana to suppress the heat but couldn’t hold out for much longer.
He had to deal with this bastard quickly and get out of here.
“I’ll kill you, then I’ll cut the throats of the others too.”
Viktor glared at Ghislain as he reached for his waist.
Ssssk.
Without hesitation, he drew a dagger and began cutting through the joints of his armor, tossing the pieces aside one by one.
Clang. Clang.
Viktor, now lighter after shedding his armor, smirked.
“You waited, huh? At least you’ve got some manners.”
“If I just killed you, you’d make excuses even in the afterlife. You’d claim that you were defeated while taking off your armor because I had no sense of honor, not because of my skill.”
“You arrogant bastard...”
Mana surged into Viktor’s sword as he released his killing intent.
In the crimson-lit space, a refreshing blue light enveloped the blade.
The brilliant light that radiated out was proof of Viktor’s exceptional skill.
“Yeah, you’ll need at least that much.”
Seeing this, a crimson blaze ignited in Ghislain’s eyes as well.
“That way, it’ll be more fun to crush you.”
Rumble!
As Ghislain unleashed the power of his three Cores simultaneously, a heavy pressure spread throughout the area, and his sword was dyed a deep red.
Viktor’s face twisted in disbelief.
“How the hell do you have that kind of power... Just how wrong was the information we got?”
“You can ask your master in hell. Ah, your master will arrive there after you, so you’ll have to wait. It’ll be boring, I bet.”
“I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Boom!
In an instant, the distance between the two closed.
The shock from their swords clashing distorted the surrounding flames, sending them scattering.
“Is this all you’ve got? Come on, put in some effort, you dog of Harold.”
“Shut up, you filthy bastard!”
Grkkkkkk!
Viktor withstood the mana from Ghislain, who had fully unleashed the power of his three Cores.
To endure this after being burned so severely—his mana reserves were genuinely immense.
Indeed, his skills were worthy of someone aiming for the title of the greatest knight in the North.
While Ghislain was inwardly impressed, Viktor remained confused.
‘If he wasn’t hiding his abilities, then... there must be another way he’s able to wield this kind of power.’
Raising someone to this level while keeping the world’s attention deceived—this wasn’t something that could be done in some backwater territory like Ferdium.
Viktor assumed that Ghislain had temporarily grown stronger through some kind of magic or trickery.
“What did you do?!”
Swish!
Ghislain raised his sword upright, blocking Viktor’s strike.
Clang!
For a moment, his body lifted off the ground and slid sideways. His hands tingled from the shock.
‘As expected, this guy isn’t easy.’
Ghislain had trained and accumulated mana whenever he could, but it couldn’t compare to Viktor’s.
The sheer amount of Viktor’s mana was astonishing.
That he could rival Ghislain, who had amplified his power by fully unleashing all three Cores, was a testament to Harold’s care in nurturing this talent.
Whoosh!
Before Ghislain could regain his stance, Viktor closed the distance again, swinging his sword.
Clang!
Ghislain barely raised his sword in time to block it.
His feet dug into the ground as the pressure drove him back, his body aching from the strain.
But he bared his teeth in a grin.
“I always thought you were pretty decent when it came to brute strength.”
“What?”
“I enjoy fighting with strength, too.”
Ghislain spun his body rapidly and brought his sword down.
Clang!
This time, Viktor found himself blocking from below.
In an instant, their positions in the fight had reversed.
Boom!
Once again, the two swords clashed.
Unlike Ghislain, who focused solely on attacking, Viktor concentrated entirely on defending.
His wounds gradually increased, but he managed to endure, narrowly avoiding any fatal blows.
When he couldn’t dodge, he allowed his non-vital areas to take the hit.
“Hahaha! You idiot! How long do you think you can last like this?”
Despite being covered in blood, Viktor couldn’t stop laughing.
In contrast, the smile had long since disappeared from Ghislain’s face.
Grit!
Ghislain clenched his teeth.
‘Is this the end?’
The tip of his sword began to waver uncontrollably.
Viktor didn’t miss the opportunity.
“You’re finished!”
Boom!
Viktor launched his counterattack.
Ghislain hastily retreated, but his body pushed to its limits and couldn’t properly absorb the shock.
Blood began to trickle from his eyes and ears.
“This is the end, you piece of trash!”
Boom!
Once more, their swords collided, and Ghislain, unable to withstand the force, staggered backward.
He finally slumped halfway to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Blood gushed from his mouth.
“Dieeeeee!”
Swish!
Viktor’s sword came slicing toward Ghislain’s neck.
At that moment, Ghislain extended his left hand, the one not holding a sword, forward.
Thunk!
“Huh?”
Viktor’s attack halted for a moment. An unknown force seemed to bind his body.
“A cheap trick!”
Crack!
Viktor channeled his mana, breaking through the mana threads that had restrained him.
Swish!
His sword once again tore through the air.
It was a perfect strike—no flaw in his form.
But then, Ghislain’s left hand twisted slightly, turning just half a rotation.
Boom!
Viktor’s sword missed and struck the ground instead.
“Huh?”
He had clearly aimed for Ghislain’s head, yet some mysterious force had disturbed his stance.
It was a weak interference, barely enough to alter the angle of his strike.
But that minor disruption kept Viktor’s sword from reaching Ghislain’s body.
“Damn it!”
Panicking, Viktor tried to regain his stance and pull his sword from the ground.
Thrust!
A cold blade pierced his thick neck.
“Grrrk... Krrrk!”
Blood and foam gushed from the wound and around the embedded blade.
Viktor’s eyes were filled with nothing but confusion.
Squelch!
Ghislain pulled the sword free, and Viktor, spewing blood from his neck, collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Ghislain gave Viktor’s twitching body a light kick, flipping him over.
“Krrk... How...?”
Whether it was his stubborn will to live or pure frustration, Viktor continued to cling to his last breaths.
Ghislain staggered to his feet and looked down at Viktor’s face.
“What, did you think you’d win every fight? You didn’t even know who I was. That’s why you lost, you bastard.”
Covered in blood, Ghislain grinned, baring his teeth.
His entire body screamed in agony, his muscles strained to their limits, but the thrill of victory far outweighed the pain.
“I’m going to keep winning. Come at me as many times as you want. I’ll devour every one of you.”
“......”
“You should consider yourself lucky. At least you get to die cleanly.”
With his blood-stained hand, Ghislain gripped his sword once more and brought it down in a swift, final strike.