Zeke knew that name as well.
Twenty-five years ago, the commander of the Murk Empire's legions that had invaded the Central Continent was none other than Saladin.
The records from that time included testimonies that Saladin had faced over a hundred knights single-handedly.
'It was said he was a monster who spewed black flames from his mouth, had dozens of spikes protruding from his back, and was covered in bristles like iron needles.'
Zeke looked down at Saladin, who knelt with his wrists and ankles bound by chains.
Contrary to the testimonies, Saladin had an ordinary build and an almost innocent appearance.
As Zeke thought it was unexpected, Serazade ordered the slaves to release the chains.
Clang!
Immediately, the chains binding Saladin's neck and arms fell away.
The nobles who watched stiffened, fidgeting uneasily with fear in their eyes.
Zeke, who had read information about the Murk Empire through his Clairvoyance, knew why the nobles feared Saladin so much.
'Saladin returned to the empire as a defeated general after the invasion war. The defeat wasn't his fault but due to the blunders of inexperienced commanders. Yet he had to take all the blame.'
If Saladin had led the army to the end of that invasion war, the balance of power on the Central Continent might have shifted dramatically.
The Murk forces that had entered through the desert region had occupied Jupiter and Venus in the south of Rom and were pushing toward the Midlands.
But inexperienced noble commanders ruined the groundwork Saladin had laid.
Taking advantage of the invaders' hesitation, the Draker knights and Nirvana mages struck, ending the invasion in failure.
Even during the retreat, Saladin had sacrificed his body to save as many soldiers as possible, blocking the pursuing Central Continent allied forces.
After untold hardships, when he finally returned to the empire, the commanders whose lives he had saved pinned false charges on him, putting him on the brink of death.
Enraged, Saladin's subordinates rescued him from prison and slaughtered all the cowardly noble commanders.
The Eastern warriors who had gathered around Saladin then marched straight to the imperial palace, demanding that the sultan step down.
But Saladin's army couldn't withstand the sultan's powerful forces.
Captured, Saladin discarded his sword and begged the sultan to spare his subordinates in exchange for his life.
Yet the sultan executed all his subordinates and imprisoned only Saladin, thus quelling the rebellion.
'In the end, Saladin and his men killed all the noble commanders, only strengthening the sultan's power.'
Zeke speculated that the sultan's reason for starting the invasion war wasn't just to conquer the Central Continent but also a scheme to eliminate internal rivals.
If that speculation was correct, Saladin had been the perfect pawn, moving exactly as Serazade intended.
As Zeke gazed at Saladin with sunken eyes, Serazade spoke to the slaves.
"Bring the Duke of Butchery's weapon."
As soon as she finished speaking, another cart rumbled in.
Rumble rumble rumble—
A massive sword, shaped like a blunt lump of iron, lay on the cart that more than a dozen slaves struggled to pull.
It was a Colossal Cleaver so enormous that one wondered if it could even be called a sword.
The dozen or so slaves labored to lift the Colossal Cleaver onto the dueling arena.
Then Saladin approached and lifted it with one hand.
Whoosh!
He swung the Colossal Cleaver, which required the strength of over a dozen slaves, as if it were weightless.
A threatening aura emanated from Saladin as he wielded the Colossal Cleaver, a stark difference from before.
The nobles in the spectator seats swallowed hard as they watched him.
The reason he earned the epithet Duke of Butchery was that he had severed the necks of corrupt nobles in a single stroke with that very Colossal Cleaver.
Because of that history, every time Saladin swung it, the nobles broke out in cold sweats.
Regaining some sensation, Saladin turned toward Zeke.
He raised the Colossal Cleaver wordlessly, and Zeke likewise lifted Laevatein to meet him.
Zeke said, looking at Saladin.
"Here I come."
At the same time, the two charged at each other.
The Colossal Cleaver and Laevatein clashed in the center of the dueling arena.
Boom!
The mere collision of swords sent shockwaves radiating outward.
The nobles in the spectator seats recoiled in horror from the incoming shockwave.
"Eek!"
"Sitting here, we're not going to get butchered for nothing, are we?"
Since the sultan herself was hosting the banquet, the nobles couldn't leave even if they wanted to.
Serazade watched the duel intently with sharp eyes, surrounded by her three spirit beasts.
Whoooosh!
Saladin swung the massive Colossal Cleaver freely, slamming sword strikes down at Zeke.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fearsome strikes of the Duke of Butchery, which could cleave through a dozen knights in one blow, poured toward Zeke.
But Zeke, blocking them with Laevatein, showed no disruption.
Zeke inwardly admired it as he parried Saladin's sword.
'His skill in handling a greatsword was impressive.'
In truth, Zeke was more focused on the finesse with which Saladin wielded the greatsword than on his surprising strength.
Wielding a greatsword inevitably led to simplistic attacks, but Saladin's did not.
He relentlessly targeted Zeke's openings, the massive blade darting in an instant.
It was hard to believe this was the swordsmanship of someone locked in prison for so long; his movements flowed naturally.
Clang!
At one point, Zeke was pushed back by Saladin's attack, retreating to the edge of the dueling arena.
Yellin and Hades, who watched, tensed up.
Especially Yellin, trained in martial arts, sensed that Saladin's swordsmanship was no ordinary thing; her face hardened further.
Then Saladin raised his greatsword and charged at Zeke.
Whoooosh!
The greatsword slicing through the air howled like a demon.
At that moment, Zeke's body, calmly gripping his sword, shimmered and vanished.
Boom boom boom boom!
Immediately after, Saladin's greatsword devastated one side of the dueling arena.
Zeke reappeared in Saladin's blind spot.
Laevatein aimed for the exposed side where Saladin's guard was open.
In that instant, Saladin's forearm muscles bulged, and the greatsword swiftly changed direction.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
His greatsword spun, clashing with Zeke's Laevatein.
Boom boom boom!
With a massive explosion, the two were repelled by the rebound force.
"Huff, huff."
In the rising cloud of dust, Saladin steadied his breathing.
Zeke, with a calm expression, gripped his sword again and said to Saladin.
"Impressive. To think the famous Duke of Butchery isn't the successor."
At Zeke's words, Yellin and Hades, who watched the duel, finally realized it and were startled.
As he said, Saladin was not the successor, so he couldn't use a spirit-bound weapon with its spirit sealed.
The greatsword he held was just that—a tremendously heavy and large sword.
Zeke sought to understand how Saladin could produce such power without being the successor.
'All his chakras were open. It seemed innate rather than trained like Ishtar's mystics.'
In Yellin's family, the Ishtars opened the body's chakras through special training to enhance reaction speed and strength.
But Saladin appeared to be like War God Tyr, innately with all chakras open, not through Ishtar methods.
Saladin wordlessly gripped his greatsword again and stepped forward.
Rumble rumble rumble—
Zeke felt the enormous power emanating from Saladin's body.
'He was concentrating all his power into the sword.'
Yellin, who watched, was even more startled than Zeke.
"That's... Tiger-Catching?"
Hearing Yellin's words beside her, Hades tilted her head and asked.
"Tiger-Catching? What's that?"
Yellin replied to Hades with a grave expression.
"It's one of our family's secret arts. A one-hit-kill technique that concentrates the body's chakras into the sword."
Hades looked surprised at her words.
"How does a warrior of the Murk Empire know Ishtar's secret arts?"
To Hades's question, Serazade, who had overheard their conversation, answered instead.
"O holy one, that is an application of ancient elf hunting arts. Since the Ishtar family inherited elven blood, the origins of the techniques are the same." Yellin, hearing Serazade's words, asked in surprise.
"Your Majesty, does that mean the Duke of Butchery also has elven blood?"
Serazade shook her head at her words.
"No. He is purely human."
At Serazade's words, Yellin looked incredulous.
"A pure human bloodline cannot learn Ishtar's secret arts. They cannot open their chakras..."
"Saladin is a deviant. In your terms, an irregular. That's why he could learn elven hunting arts."
At the mention that Saladin was an irregular, Yellin widened her eyes slightly before nodding in understanding.
"Irregular... Because he deviates from the world's laws, he could open his chakras."
"Deviants are mysterious beings of unknown origin. One scholar who researched under me was also a deviant—an irregular. He showed the curious ability to use mana and aura together. He fled to the western lands, though."
At Serazade's words, Yellin looked tensely at the dueling arena.
Rumble rumble rumble—
Saladin, gathering his energy in the Tiger-Catching stance, glared at Zeke with sharp eyes.
In an instant, his body launched toward Zeke.
Crack crack crack—
The ground shattered completely under his leap.
He jumped into the air, slamming the greatsword loaded with immense power down at Zeke.
Zeke too raised Laevatein, drawing up his energy.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom—
Black aura rose from his body, enveloping the sword.
"Haaaa!"
With a shout, Zeke swung Infinite Sword Art at Saladin, who was bringing down his greatsword.
Infinite Sword Art Special Transmission Form
Black Sword Qi
Black Wings
Laevatein reacted to the Black Sword Qi, and black wings sprouted from Zeke's body.
The Black Wings wrapped around Saladin's Tiger-Catching, causing a massive clash in midair.
Whoooong—
Laevatein and Saladin's greatsword collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Crackle crackle— Rumble rumble!
The nobles who watched recoiled in fright at the thunder and lightning from the shockwave.
"The heavens are splitting!"
"My god! How can he produce such power without a spirit-bound weapon!"
To them, it was unbelievable that a human could create such a spectacle with pure physical strength, without a spirit-bound weapon.
Boom boom boom boom boom—
The massive shockwave spread in all directions, shaking the banquet hall's air violently.
Thud!
Zeke and Saladin landed below the dueling arena amid the dust cloud.
Zeke stood straight, holding Laevatein in the same pose as before.
But Saladin, with his greatsword stabbed into the ground, knelt on one knee, his body trembling.
"Cough!"
Soon, Saladin spat black blood from his mouth.
It seemed his internal injuries from drawing excessive power had caused his blood to reflux.
Then Zeke took a potion from his inventory and tossed it to Saladin, saying.
"Drink this. It'll ease your stomach."
The Duke of Butchery, panting, stared at the potion Zeke offered before lifting his gaze to the sultan.
Serazade gestured that it was fine, and Saladin downed the potion in one gulp.
"Hoo..."
Drinking the ultimate-grade potion Zeke gave him quickly soothed his internal injuries.
Saladin rose again, gripped his greatsword, and assumed his stance.
Even with his injuries, he intended to continue the duel.
'A warrior with unyielding integrity, to the bitter end.'
Zeke realized Saladin had no intention of ending the duel until death.
Watching him, Zeke recalled the knights of northern Himonas from his previous life, who had staked their lives alongside him.
Saladin's reckless yet upright spirit wasn't unpleasant to Zeke.
Zeke gripped Laevatein again.
A warrior clashing with true intent deserved an equally sincere response.
But then.
Ssssh—
A golden barrier appeared before Zeke and Saladin.
Whooo!
Serazade, riding on the back of the golden fox, looked down at Zeke from midair and said.
"The second trial shall also be your victory."
She acknowledged the Duke of Butchery Saladin's defeat.
But as she finished speaking, her eyes turned golden.
Serazade smiled seductively at Zeke and said.
"For the third trial, I shall face you myself."