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Thud!
Joshua kicked off against the ground and took off as fast as his legs would propel him. Even the mad Count Arie was shocked by Joshua’s unexpected move; for just a moment, his slit-like eyes widened to show a sliver of white.
Clink!
“Keugh!”
Their first clash made Arie groan a little.
Joshua’s raging spear had been aimed at his face. If it weren’t for Arie’s aura, then his rapier, as thin as it was, would have broken.
But Joshua had no intention of stopping there. He continued to brutalize Count Arie’s blade. Every elegant swing of the spear ended with a tremendous explosion as it struck the rapier.
Arie blocked it and tried to dodge it, but the spear’s assault never stopped.
And that wasn’t even the last of it.
If the spear for some reason decided that his neck was not a worthy target, it would change angles to aim at his heart. Arie realized after a few strikes that the spear was targeting every vital point on his body. His opponent didn’t care if Arie died, if that was what it took to subdue him.
‘This monster… does he intend to kill me?’
Finally, the first blood was drawn. Arie’s cheek was scraped by Joshua’s spear. The battle stopped for a moment. Arie looked at the droplets falling on the ground and licked his lips.
The slightest lapse of attention could be fatal.
Was Arie afraid?
Oh, he was not. This was the pleasure Arie had been waiting for… for a long time now. His wait was finally coming to an end.
Their blades banged against each other. Joshua retreated for a moment. Arie used the recoil to retreat as well.
Arie shook his numb hand, pondered the pain for a moment and then flashed a smile.
“As expected of you, you’re the best, Joshua Sanders!”
Arie screamed in ecstasy and moaned and shivered.
His hand turned the rapier forward. His other hand was positioned oddly—spread wide open and with visibly protruding veins. The nearby energy pooled at the tip of the blade; clearly, he was preparing for something.
Even so, Joshua couldn't move hastily. He glanced around. A strange, out-of-place feeling brought his attention to his left blind spot.
He could tell from just the slightest feeling that there was someone behind him. The energy exerted alone made his hair stand up.
By the time Joshua noticed, Duke Tremblin's saber was drawing a graceful curve toward Joshua.
‘Even though we’re all humans, the difference between a Superhuman and a Star is…’
Joshua let the memories flow as he circulated his mana.
No matter what Berber’s motivation was, it did not change the fact that he sold his soul to the demons. Some might say that he gave his soul in exchange for greater power. But that was nonsense. He lacked power, so he had to borrow from the demons.
But all that power was useless in front of someone stronger. That’s basically why Jerath—Berber—knelt in front of Joshua.
‘But compared to him, Duke Tremblin is a master of swordsmanship.’
As a Star for decades, it was only natural that Joshua found Duke Tremblin a more scary foe than Berber.
A surge of competitive spirit warmed his heart and he gripped his weapon with new strength.
But time was of the essence. He had a feeling he knew what Kaiser was up with.
‘It won’t go your way, Kaiser.’
Bronto took the mana from the air and converted it to its energy, supplementing Lugia.
Duke Tremblin reacted quickly to the swarm of lights gathering around Lugia. But he was very quickly forced to stop and stare.
Joshua threw the glowing spear straight at the Duke—but Joshua himself went flying toward Count Arie. Joshua rushed forward with nothing but his own body like it was a sharp blade ready to take his opponent’s life.
“Your tricks… HAHAHAHAHA!”
Count Arie’s eyes glimmered like a boy in love.
“I love you… You, Joshua.”
Arie's sword fully charged and finally became one with the wind. The Sten family’s secret is an offensive attack that could instantly turn anything into an unrecognizable mess.
Blooming of a Thousand Petals.
Arie's face was beaming with delight as the rapier's razor-sharp tip tore through Joshua's body. He was badly curious now: how bad would the effect be on Joshua? It was something he’d always fantasized about.
Holes and wounds pockmarked every inch of Joshua’s body. The young man slowly died before his eyes.
Joshua’s blood staining the ground, ah, what a high! Higher than the high Arie felt when they first met.
Arie's hopes were, of course, quickly dashed.
A question surfaced in Arie's mind as he raised his sword. There was nothing on his fingertips. It felt like he was cutting through the air. The perforated Joshua he wanted to see…
“...is gone?”
Arie looked dumbfounded. Joshua’s hole-riddled figure was fading away.
As Arie was frozen in place, Duke Tremblin took the liberty to speak his mind.
“This is exactly what a shadow is: an alter ego with a speed that exceeds human limits.”
“Blink?”
“It’s different from magic. That kid’s skills are from sheer physical power.”
“Really? That kid? Joshua Sanders? I guess he’s really his child after all.”
Duke Tremblin’s eyes were locked onto the spear embedded in the ground in front of him as it faded away. Eventually, Duke Tremblin decided to stop worrying about Joshua’s disappearance and examined the stone gate behind them for a while.
He hesitated for a brief moment before instructing the stunned Count Arie.
“I’ll leave this place to you.”
The Duke then commanded the knights. “Half of you stay here to clean up the mess; the rest, follow me.”
“Yes, sir!” The knights’ voices echoed within the space.
***
What was this space made for?
It was a dark room void of any light; a lone glowing crystal ball was the only light source.
Soon, a face appeared on the crystal ball.
“Sir Evergrant.”
“You did well, Your Highness.”
“I’ve done everything you told me to do, sir.”
“Great. Though there were some problems, I’ve finished my work here safely as well.”
“Have the problems been solved?”
Evergrant hesitated. There was one problem that was not on the plan, but it wasn’t the right time to talk about it.
“...Yes. Please do not worry about it.”
“If—”
Evergrant nodded.
“We plan to announce the new Tower Master tomorrow.”
Kaiser sighed in relief.
“There’s a problem. It caused a backlash, and now I feel like I’m losing my grip again—”
“It’s just that running away is the best option right now. Think of it as taking a break for later. In Arcadia right now, your power is just for show—but his power is real. Still, your safety isn’t guaranteed even in the Imperial Palace.
“Especially considering the current Emperor’s temperament…”
Kaiser obviously held no affection for his father, seeing how he addressed Marcus ben Britten as though he was just a stranger.
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“He won’t keep someone around if they lose both their value and his interest.” Evergrant continued Kaiser’s sentence.
“So for now, you should leave Arcadia. You need to leave immediately.”
Despite Evergrant’s words, Kaiser’s expression showed no signs of improving. He was leaving the place where he’d lived his whole life.
“Are you sure you can handle Joshua Sanders?”
Kaiser’s expression hardened as a murderous glint flashed across his eyes.
“Hubalt is, for now, still the biggest obstacle to the war. The Emperor is not one to abandon his dream just for a short amusement.”
“But it’s possible.”
“Even though it was half tainted, the Holy Grail will increase the nobles’ influence even more if it falls into their hands.”
Kaiser fell silent.
“Your Highness, it’s only for a while if you think about it. You can just delegate some of your responsibilities for a while. The best strategy is a full offense. Cause a rift between the two Princes and take care of the biggest hindrance, Joshua Sanders. And then the war will happen. It will last at most ten years… Ten years is too much. I’ll make sure you’re sitting on the throne before that.”
Kaiser’s mind still raced despite being reassured by Evergrant’s words.
“Have you… heard anything from Heimdall regarding Joshua Sanders?”
“Don’t expect too much from the guy.”
“Also—”
“That’s not what you need to worry about, don’t you think?”
There was a long period of silence until Kaiser resolved himself. It was not the right time to think about those things. He knew that if he did not get himself together now, he would eventually lose.
“Alright… I will leave Arcadia… No… I will leave this country. I will leave Avalon.”
Evergrant's expression brightened immediately.
“That’s a good idea.”
“But…”
Kaiser was clouded by his greed right now. A cold light shone from his eyes.
“I will be sure to take it back.”
Kaiser’s murderous-filled voice whispered in the dark.
“Avalon belongs to Kaiser ben Britten.”