"You said you were good with a sword... So why choose a halberd? Picking a tomahawk or a sword with a shield would be better than a halberd."
"This thing is very heavy; it consumes too much energy when swinging and can easily accidentally injure either a teammate or an opponent." Seeing this, Aytok began a painstaking persuasion.
"Yes, what the captain says makes sense. You can switch weapons..." Fenmeer looked helpless and placed his left hand on his forehead.
Karl raised an eyebrow, not bothering to explain, but turned his head to gently remind Razu.
"Razu, hold up your shield."
Immediately, Karl grabbed the halberd and lightly tapped his shield with it.
BANG! The tip of the halberd struck the center of the shield.
"Ugh... Ah." When Razu heard Karl's reminder, he immediately raised his shield to block, and a tremendous force instantly transmitted to his hands and even throughout his body.
Razu's figure swayed, barely managing to hold onto the shield so it wouldn't be knocked away.
He took three consecutive steps back to steady himself and keep from falling to the ground.
Seeing this, Aytok's eyes widened, and he let out exclamations.
"This... What strength? You can really do that..."
"Razu, how do you feel?"
"Well, I can manage. Karl, it seems you're not using your full strength."
Karl lifted the corners of his mouth and said with a slight smile: "Now, do you believe I can use this?"
The several people looked at Karl with expressions as if they were looking at a freak, and slowly nodded.
They weren't blind. Karl had hardly moved from start to finish and hadn't swung the halberd.
He hadn't even fully extended his arms or moved his body from his spot.
In this case, to generate such force, he could only rely on his own physical strength.
But under these circumstances, he could still knock back Razu, which showed just how strong Karl was.
When ordinary people encountered Karl, even if they blocked with a shield,
there was a high probability they would be forced to release their weapon first, and the person would be directly knocked back by the halberd.
Pole weapons like spears and halberds were never used by weak people.
Especially when riding, they almost entirely rely on arm strength; if not strong, swinging them twice would cause pain.
Soon, horses were brought to the arena, surrounded by the crowd.
Aytok, Fenmeer, and the two Lasu brothers exchanged nods and one last firm look.
The horn for the team combat was about to sound, and the four teams lined up in their formations on the field, the warhorses snorting restlessly and pawing the ground.
Karl calmly gripped the halberd in his hand, the long wooden shaft slightly dampened by the sweat on his palm.
His warhorse, "Cabbage," seemed to sense its rider's nervousness and gently shook its black mane.
Compared to the armor of other teams, the equipment of the Nymphs team was far inferior, except for Karl's.
Rust on the plate armor had barely been polished, still unable to hide the traces of time.
"Remember the plan, guys! Defend first, then attack, conserve your strength." Aytok whispered one last time.
The stands were packed with people, banners waving.
Foltest, as the king, sat under a canopy with the three advisors on either side.
Triss's fingers unconsciously twined around the ends of her fiery red hair, her gaze intently following Karl's figure.
She knew this day would come, and Karl couldn't hide his strength forever, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried.
"Your little friend, I'm afraid he's going to have a hard time today, Triss."
"Hmm, the Nymphs team met the White Rose; they were like lambs meeting wolves."
Keira's voice was sweet and oily, and she fanned herself gracefully even though it wasn't hot.
Triss had clearly told Keira she wasn't optimistic about Karl's words.
She just snorted softly and smiled: "There might be a surprise, Keira. Karl always likes to play against the odds."
"Triss is right, Keira. I think the Nymphs team has a chance. Young people always have unexpected potential."
Fercart brushed a small lock of hair from his forehead, leaned forward, and tactfully interjected.
His gaze followed Karl, carrying a barely perceptible flattery.
Hearing the conversation between them, Keira fanned herself, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she glanced at the two of them.
She seemed to smile and whispered cautiously: "Hmm, is it my imagination? How come you two seem to have gotten significantly closer lately?"
"Especially you, Fercart. Didn't you used to like teasing me and Triss with barbs?"
"Heh, Keira, if you want to find something out, you can say it directly. You don't need to beat around the bush."
Fercart's expression changed; he knew the other party was testing him.
So he pretended to be evasive, his face cold, and replied to Keira.
And indeed, seeing Fercart like this, Keira smiled slightly and immediately fell silent.
Foltest, opposite, did not participate in the advisors' conversation.
But his sharp gaze swept across the arena and finally stopped on the halberd in Karl's hand, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Choosing a halberd in such a contest was quite rare, as it was more difficult to wield than a long sword.
But in the hands of someone who knew how to use it, its power was even more astonishing.
Woo~ The horn sounded.
The four teams surged forward like a tide, and the White Rose team indeed rushed straight for the Nymphs, as expected.
Their captain, Horace, raised his shield, and his blunt sword glinted coldly in the sun.
"Quick! Steady, hold the formation!" Aytok shouted quickly.
In the chaos, each time Karl swung his halberd, his movements were precise and efficient, but he consciously restrained most of his strength and speed.
The halberd blocked a splitting sword, the crescent blade deftly parried a thrusting spear.
Then, with one strike, the attacker lost his balance.
He secretly observed Aytok's position, following the pre-agreed strategy.
The Nymphs team fought and retreated, trying to avoid frontal collisions.
At the same time, boos erupted from the stands, clearly dissatisfied with the Nymphs' conservative tactics.
But there were also attentive spectators who discovered Karl's appeal.
"That boy, the one with the halberd! His moves are quite slick!" someone in the stands commented.
But soon, he was drawn to more exciting battles.
"Triss, it seems your little friend chose to be a shrinking turtle." Keira sneered, the mockery unable to be hidden behind her fan.
Triss didn't respond to Keira and noticed that Karl's movements were unusually fluid.
He seemed able to predict each of the opponent's attacks, which was clearly not a level that ordinary people could achieve.
And indeed, even if Karl consciously suppressed his strength... that powerful combat intuition still couldn't be completely hidden.
The situation on the field changed drastically. The White Rose, Elland, and Maribor teams seemed to have formed a temporary alliance.
They decided to simultaneously attack the Nymphs team, and in less than half a minute, attacked from three sides, and the Nymphs team suddenly found themselves in trouble.
╔══════════════════════╗
📘 Want more?
Join me on Patreon for bonus chapters
and early access!
🔗 https://www.patreon.com/cw/OverlordD
╚══════════════════════╝