The scorching sun reflected on the cold sword blade.
Gazef and Lock stood in the center of the arena, one with a serious expression, holding his breath, the other composed and at ease.
A sudden gust of wind stirred up dust from the ground, and the moment the dust settled, Gazef moved.
His speed wasn't particularly fast, yet he charged towards Lock with the steady momentum of a mountain, his Royal Secret Treasure, Razor's Edge, slashing at his opponent's neck.
Lock's sword merely extended diagonally, blocking Gazef's first attack.
His arm didn't appear particularly muscular, but the longsword he parried with didn't tremble in the slightest, a stark contrast to Gazef's arm and longsword, which shook uncontrollably from the force of his blow.
Not to be underestimated, indeed!
Gazef sighed inwardly. He hadn't witnessed Lock's battle with Fifee; he wouldn't have been so surprised by his opponent's formidable physical abilities.
Since that was the case, he couldn't afford to be careless.
Gazef didn't get bogged down in a contest of strength; even if there was a gap in physical ability, he could still achieve victory through skill.
Withdrawing his longsword, Gazef wielded the Razor's Edge, which was much thicker than an ordinary longsword, with incredible swiftness, thrusting out several sword shadows in quick succession, attacking Lock's weak points.
Throat, heart, lower abdomen...
Such rapid attacks would be impossible for an ordinary person to block.
But his opponent was no ordinary person; Lock's longsword accurately blocked every single one, and on the sixth parry, he flicked Razor's Edge away and thrust towards Gazef's sword-wielding wrist.
Evade!
Seeing that he couldn't dodge in time, Gazef immediately used a martial art, sliding backward suddenly to evade Lock's thrust.
This brief exchange ended with the two once again creating distance, appearing evenly matched, but Gazef knew he was still slightly inferior.
Before finding his opponent's weakness, it was better to strengthen his defense; a relentless offensive would only drain his energy.
Gazef thought this, his eyes fixed on Lock's every move.
"Warrior Captain, are you not attacking anymore?"
After waiting for a second and seeing no movement from his opponent, a faint smile appeared on Lock's face.
"As expected of you, there isn't a single flaw on your entire body, leaving me at a loss for where to start!" Gazef said flatteringly.
If he could make his opponent careless and reveal a weakness, that would be ideal.
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, such petty thoughts were meaningless.
"Then I'll attack first."
With a light chuckle, Lock raised the longsword in his hand into the air, then suddenly released his grip, and the unsupported sword actually floated in mid-air.
This sword was similar to the Floating Sword Group, an item possessed by Lakyus; it was a magical item capable of automatically attacking enemies, and its rank was Legendary.
Lock then brought his right hand together into a sword-finger gesture, pointing it at the ground, and the sword plunged into the earth like a meteor.
This sudden development immediately put Gazef on high alert.
But seeing that his enemy had no weapon in hand, such a good opportunity could not be given up. After a second of thought, Gazef unleashed his fastest speed and charged towards Lock.
However, the moment he took a step, a cold light burst forth from beneath the ground, flying towards his chest, almost grazing his toes.
In a moment of crisis, Gazef instinctively leaned his upper body back slightly, and a sword grazed the armor on his chest, sparking, then shot into the air.
That was Lock's sword!
In Gazef's career as a warrior, he had never seen such a bizarre method of attack.
But now was not the time for sentimentality; Lock's sword, like a nimble fish in mid-air, quickly changed direction and shot down towards him again.
Its lightning-fast sword shadow forced Gazef to dodge frantically, and the flying sword once again plunged into the ground, vanishing without a trace.
This scene astonished the surrounding nobles, the Old King, and Blue Rose, among others, who couldn't help but look down at the ground beneath their feet.
If they were suddenly attacked like this, they wouldn't even have time to react before being pierced through the heart by a single sword.
A feeling of dread immediately welled up in their hearts.
Within the arena, Lock's lips curved into a slight smile as he watched Gazef, who looked as if he was facing a great enemy.
Relying on the sword's inherent properties, combined with his self-created Sword God Domain, which fused the martial arts of Brain and others, the result was the effect before him.
This could be considered my Sword Control Technique, right?
Indeed, no man could resist such a temptation.
Lock was proud of the skill he had created, as it was truly cool.
Sense Enhancement!
Gazef immediately activated the martial art that enhanced his sensory abilities. Although the sword's attacks above ground were incredibly swift, they could be observed with the naked eye, making them barely manageable for him.
But beneath the ground, he was powerless.
The cunning angles, almost every time, scraped against his armor, sending sparks flying.
While dodging, Gazef glanced at Lock, who stood not far away.
A heart held for too long will eventually be lost. Gazef immediately focused his full attention, and the moment the flying sword shot down from mid-air again—
Flowing Water Acceleration!
Everything around him seemed to slow down; though it wasn't actually so, it was merely that his Brain's reaction speed had increased.
However...
Gazef used all his strength to swing the Razor's Edge in his hand, fiercely striking the incoming sword away, then immediately turned and charged towards Lock.
The spectators' eyes lit up; although Lock's sword control attack was extremely bizarre, Gazef's approach was undoubtedly a way to break it.
Perhaps it could succeed!
The members of Blue Rose secretly anticipated this.
Although they knew Lock was a Magic Caster, it seemed he had no intention of using magic to win at the moment.
Let your carelessness make you swallow the bitter fruit of defeat!
As if hearing their inner shouts, Lock's sword-finger flicked lightly.
As if a signal, a slight tremor emanated from the ground within the arena.
Gazef's charging footsteps immediately halted, his pupils sharply constricting, as a massive swarm of swords erupted from beneath his feet.
For a moment, sword shadows crisscrossed, and even though he resisted with all his might, his armor was pierced by dozens of swords.
Drip!
After the sword swarm dispersed, Gazef's figure was revealed.
At this moment, his body was covered in several terrifying sword wounds; his arms, thighs, and back, even with the protection of the Kingdom's Secret Treasure, could not stop the flowing blood, and even the armor itself was damaged.
Despite suffering such injuries, Gazef's expression remained unchanged as he looked at his opponent.
Lock stood calmly, dozens of sword shadows circling him, gradually converging as they rotated, returning to their original form.
"Warrior Captain, how was that move?"
Lock once again gripped the hilt of his sword, placing it behind his back, his expression relaxed and carefree, and asked.
"Divine skill!" Gazef praised without reservation, as the amulet on his body slowly took effect, his wounds stopped bleeding and began to close. "I have never seen such a skill."
"Sword God Domain. It's a skill I created myself," Lock explained with a smile.
"That's truly an honor."
"So, do you still wish to continue fighting?"
Gazef gripped Razor's Edge with both hands, his face showing no sign of retreat, and said resolutely, "Of course! This battle is crucial for the Old King. I will not stop swinging my sword until I fall!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gazef once again charged at Lock.
"Foolish," Lock raised an eyebrow, the sword behind him flying above his head, and at the same time, he raised his palm, his joined sword-fingers suddenly dropping. "But I don't dislike it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sword above his head split into a surging swarm of swords, like a flood from an opened gate, rushing towards Gazef.
Hah!!!
Facing such an onslaught, Gazef let out a thunderous roar, heavily slashing the unstoppable attack with the Razor's Edge in his hand. "Six-Light Consecutive Slash!!!"
In an instant, the sword swarm completely enveloped Gazef's figure, and the flickering light in the gaps of its movement was the last glimmer of his life.
The sword swarm swept past, leaving behind ragged, honeycomb-like marks on the ground.
Gazef stood rigidly in place, maintaining his sword-swinging posture, with a sword piercing his heart in his chest.
Lock waved at it, and the sword obediently flew back into his hand.
He then quietly turned and walked towards his own camp.
"One death, one transformation. I look forward to your return from death."
As if in response to his words, Gazef's body slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Warrior Captain!!!"
The Kingdom Warrior Troop's camp erupted in an uproar, and the Vice Captain, Gazef's assistant, couldn't help but clench his fists.
"Captain Lakyus, please!"
The Old King said to Lakyus with an agitated tone; Gazef's death undoubtedly cast a shadow over his heart.
Lakyus naturally understood his meaning and immediately had people move Gazef's body from the arena.
As long as she was there, she could revive Gazef, and although this would greatly diminish his strength, it was much better than being buried in the ground.
Soon, the members of the Kingdom Warrior Troop placed the Warrior Captain's body before her.
Everyone around them focused their attention on Lakyus.
Just as she was about to cast the resurrection magic, a voice suddenly interrupted her actions.
"Please wait a moment!"
Everyone looked up at the entrance of the tent.
Vier, dressed as a maid, had appeared there at some point.
"May I ask what you need?" Lakyus asked warily.
Not just her, but everyone in the tent cast wary glances at Vier, clearly not welcoming her. After all, just moments ago, her master had killed the Warrior Captain.
Vier didn't pay much attention to their attitude.
With a relaxed smile on her face, she said, "Miss Aindra, your Blue Rose team should be the participants in the next match, right? My master said it would be better for you to enter the arena at full strength. I'll take care of resurrecting the Warrior Captain."
A hint of displeasure appeared on Lakyus's face, but then it turned to a touch of helplessness.
He probably wants us to lose gracefully, or perhaps, to defeat a full-strength Blue Rose as the absolute victor, leaving no room for hope in the minds of the observing nobles.
What a terrifying man.
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