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Chapter 74 - Stop Giving Up
Galon swung his sword.
Then everything that was chaining him down was cut down.
Gravity. Flames.
Everything that was clutching his body disappeared in an instant.
Bang!
The Second Prince shouted in surprise.
“Guardian! What are you standing around for!”
“Hmm.”
But the Guardian only waited.
The heart was where the knight engraved the Oath.
The Oath Galon possessed previously began to change into a new form.
The moment Galon was prepared to die and steeled his conviction to be loyal to Ian.
There was a change in Galon’s Oath.
‘A knight is a man who serves his lord by nature.’
There was a time in the distant past when knights also sincerely followed their lords.
And that light was a form that could never be seen in the current knights who had lost their convictions while pursuing personal interests.
At the sight, the Guardian’s eyes were brimming with interest.
‘I guess my eyes weren’t knotholes.’
Galon, who had blown away the flames of death, was completely different from before.
He could tell just by looking at how the person who was unable to move his body under the overwhelming pressure at first could move with ease now.
And although it was only for a split second, the Guardian clearly saw it. The shining thread that connected Ian and Galon.
‘That’s the light of Royal Roader without a doubt.’
The Guardian remembered well.
The progenitor of the Oath. The legend of the First King, who was called the Royal Roader.
‘The knights who devoted themselves to him evolved their Oaths and gained new power.’
It was a power that transcended the Oaths of the existing knights.
Of course, it wasn’t for free. A bond between the monarch and the subject was necessary to obtain a new Oath.
Everyone, not to mention himself, believed it to have entirely gone by now.
But one thing was certain.
‘According to legend, it was called the Oath Enlightenment.’
It was a power that only those who were called true knights had.
If Galon was one of those knights, his defeat was obvious.
Yet the Guardian smiled.
‘It’s not perfect yet.’
Legend has it that the enlightened Oath showed a new form. But Galon was still using his old Oath.
In other words, he could end this before then.
Still, it was true that his heart was pounding as a knight.
‘I didn’t expect to experience what was only a legend with my own eyes.’
At least, it was a skill that undeniably had never been broken by anyone.
But he couldn’t stay still.
“I might have to push myself a little bit more.”
The Guardian slowly began to rouse his Oath more strongly.
The wound from the past throbbed, but it didn’t matter.
But if he stayed like this, he might lose to that greenhorn.
So, it was time to fight seriously.
As everyone waited with bated breath in the still silence, Galon said, lifting his sword.
“Then let’s start over.”
A tremendous force erupted from his body.
***
The Second Prince’s body was trembling.
‘If only Ian didn’t interfere.’
The Battle of Ranking could have ended easier and sooner, and he could take care of the despicable Lavaltor’s blood to boot. He trusted the Guardian and entrusted him with the most important part. And even though there’s only one last match left.
‘How come it comes to this!’
He couldn’t help thinking so.
Not just him; so did the others.
“Oh my gosh.”
Those watching the Battle of Ranking couldn’t close their mouths. The knights were even in awe.
It was incredible earlier, but now it’s on a whole nother level.
Boom! Baang!
As the Guardian swung his sword in the air.
Bang!
An immense gravitational field slammed down and crushed Galon. But he wasn’t the same as before.
“Ha!”
He advanced, swinging his sword as he tore off the gravitational field.
His transformation brought by the evolution of the Oath was enough to bring confusion among the knights.
“What in the world happened?”
“To break through the overwhelming power of the Guardian!”
Galon’s movements were as intense as a typhoon. He was moving forward as if to tear everything in front of him.
He smashed everything standing in his way.
And he swung his sword in front of the Guardian.
Bang!
The Guardian slashed Galon with his sword fiercely. The moment his sword, enveloped with the gravitational field, restrained Galon for a moment.
He began to burn Galon once more.
‘If I drag this on, I might lose.’
There was a glint in the Guardian’s eyes.
‘It’s a shame I can’t witness the reenactment of the legend
 but I can’t lose like this.’
He would lose his face as the guardian of Kaistein.
So.
Blaaarr!
The flames rising from the Guardian’s body turned from red to blue.
The nobles and royal knights shouted.
“It’s
 It’s Annihilation! The Guardian is going all out!”
“Everyone get away from it! You will be burned to death if you stay too close! Run away!”
The spectators scurried away in a hurry as a strong warm wind that seemed to burn their lungs every time they breathed hit them.
The Guardian smiled.
Even Galon’s Oath called [Invincibility] was useless.
Of course, that would be. What he used now was the second phase of the Oath, Transcendence.
In his case, he concentrated powers possessing two or more effects into a single Oath.
It wasn’t something anyone could do.
In fact, Galon could not breathe properly in the face of the overwhelming power.
“Keug
”
Galon frowned. It was not easy to even stand straight under the extreme heat and heavy pressure that melted the rocks of the arena.
In fact, the flames of the new Oath, which was trying to engrave something, faltered in the face of the mighty power.
But he couldn’t let Ian lose.
The moment Galon, with such thoughts in his mind, gritted his teeth as if blood would seep out.
“Sir Galon!”
Ian’s strong voice entered his ears.
It was not just a cry. Ian raised his voice as if he were sending out <Faith>.
And as if in response.
Pats!
The light of the newly born Oath engraved something on Galon’s heart.
It’s letters. It was near the place where the Oath of Invincibility was engraved.
It was an ancient text.
It held the meaning of never backing down in a fight.
Just two letters.
Of course, it wasn’t merely two letters.
“Huh?”
Because things were starting to change. Some knights, who kept watching without running away even in the extreme heat, shouted.
It was no wonder they did so.
“He pierced it!”
The tremendous pressure and flames that descended as if they were about to break the arena were no longer a problem.
Galon went straight to the Guardian.
Rather, every time he approached, the Guardian felt pushed back.
Right at that moment.
“Haab!”
Galon shouted. Then the gravity field and flames vanished in an instant. The Guardian was defenseless for a moment.
Although the startled Guardian invoked the Oath again.
“Victory to the Lord!”
Galon was the first to rush.
The Guardian was surprised and hurriedly lifted the sword to stop it.
Bang!
However, Galon’s power to strike him was beyond ordinary. His power had surpassed the name of “invincibility” with the Oath’s new enlightenment.
The Guardian clenched his teeth. He had no choice but to sink under the strong power outburst.
Boom!
The whole arena was destroyed, and the Guardian managed to parry Galon’s sword.
He flew away like being pushed by a strong force and landed in the smoldering arena.
He broke out in a cold sweat, his heart sinking.
‘I almost lost an arm like a certain someone.’
However, he couldn’t save face to take this lying down just like this.
‘I can’t do it.’
The injury was still not completely healed. That was why he still had one lethal move he saved.
It was the true form of [Annihilation].
It was a combination of the previous powers and the third Oath that had yet to be used.
And albeit still unstable, he could beat Galon, who had his Oath enlightened, with this power.
Thinking so, the Guardian’s eyes gleamed.
‘I’ll show you the meaning of the name Annihilation.’
Soon, the very moment the Guardian brought forth his mana.
“!”
Galon suddenly lowered his sword.
He even turned around.
The Guardian asked in bewilderment.
“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re going to abstain?”
But the answer was jaw-dropping.
“Your knees touched the ground.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you promise? This is my victory.”
“!”
Only then did the Guardian remember.
“Whoever kneels down first loses.”
He had undoubtedly said that before the fight.
But it was ridiculous. He couldn’t believe a word he said in passing determined the winner. Did he really not understand the significance of this fight?
The Guardian wondered if Galon was such an uptight knight.
“Are you serious?”
“Because the Guardian said so first. And.”
“?”
Galon looked at the Guardian’s legs with a sigh.
“You are already out of the arena.”
The Guardian checked the surroundings with a start. The arena had certainly collapsed to the point the original shape was unrecognizable.
However, this kind of thing didn’t count as out.
But it was then.
“What?”
He could see it in his eyes.
The fact that the arena on which he landed after parrying Galon’s last attack was not in its normal position. It was only then did he confirm that he had long veered from the original square arena.
The position of the arena must have been shifted greatly due to Galon’s explosive power.
Of course, Galon was standing in the arena.
“Wouldn’t you regret it as a knight? I’m about to fight seriously now,” asked the Guardian, perplexed.
“Rules are rules. If you don’t like it, I can’t help it.”
Galon raised his sword. But his eyes were sincere.
It felt like he was saying he was confident that he would win even if they fought.
Just like the Guardian who had a hidden move, he seemed to say that he had not yet used his new power properly.
The Guardian burst into a laugh because it was absurd.
“Hahaha! It’s been a long time since I saw a knight like this throughout my life.”
“?”
Galon tilted his head slightly, not understanding what he meant, but the Guardian only laughed.
He stopped laughing after a while.
“Yes, we have to keep our promises and rules. I lost. This is your victory.”
At those words, the Second Prince stood up with a glare.
“What are you talking about! Have you forgotten the promise you made upon your Oath? You will really lose your Oath!”
He screamed at him to take care of Galon, who had turned his back, right away.
But the Guardian replied with a calm face.
“I have kept all my promises.”
“What?”
“To participate in the Battle of Ranking and humiliate the opponent as much as I can. You never said you must win no matter what, right?”
The trembling prince glared at him as if he was joking. What kind of bullshit was that!
But the Guardian only shrugged.
“And if I insist more, I think I’ll really lose face. I’ve done as much as I can.”
“How funny!”
The Second Prince couldn’t even laugh.
After all, he knew the true power of Annihilation, notable during the war against the empire.
‘I’ve never been this much of a loser before.’
The position where the Guardian was standing could be thoroughly invalidated depending on the discussion.
As he was about to yell out to stop talking nonsense.
Tap tap tap.
Someone walked toward the Second Prince. It was none other than Ian. He was waiting for Galon’s fight to end safely.
Ian shouted with a cold stare.
“What are you doing, referee? Do your duty.”
The referee, who was far away, hurriedly approached them and shouted.
“This is Sir Galon’s victory! It’s 2:1, so this Battle of Ranking match is the victory of Ian, the Seventh Prince!”
People who were slowly returning to the scene let out a cheer.
The winner of the first Battle of Ranking match had been decided. In particular, those betting on Ian’s victory began to cheer in exuberance.
The Fourth Prince, who was watching the scene in hiding, could only stand with his mouth agape.
“Did
 the youngest win?”
“What should I do? I’ve bet quite a large amount of money on the Second Prince
”
“Shut up.”
But so did the others who bet on the Second Prince. All of them looked embarrassed. Some who were quick to grasp the situation were preparing to abandon the Second Prince and change sides to Ian.
But Ian’s eyes were not on them.
‘I didn’t know Galon would do it this far.’
Ian obviously told Galon.
He could give up if he faced a tough opponent he couldn’t handle.
And while it was true Ian didn’t want to lose him in this fight, he told Galon he could lose because he had a countermeasure. And yet things unbelievably ended without using it.
But that wasn’t the point now.
Ian raised the royal sword with chilly eyes.
“W-what are you doing?”
The Second Prince was sweating.
He had no choice. It was because Ian had the royal sword on his neck before he knew it.
He looked like he would take revenge on the scoundrel who dared seek his knight’s life.
And.
“Was it three? The claim of the winner.”
“W
 what?”
Ian’s eyes, full of pure wrath, shone coldly.
“Now I must state my conditions. What I want is nothing much. Just
”
Despair began to fill the Second Prince’s eyes.