The impact of Leonardo's elbow sent Captain Boros stumbling back. The guards' laughter had been replaced by a heavy, suffocating silence. Even the mist seemed to still as everyone watched the "Mana-less Trash" stand defiantly against a Silver Knight.
"You... you little rat!" Boros roared, clutching his ribs. "That was a fluke! I'll break every bone in your body!"
Boros raised his claymore again, the red mana around the blade flickering violently as he prepared a heavy strike. But before he could move, the blue screen in front of Leonardo's eyes began to pulse with a blinding light.
[Emergency Mission: COMPLETED!] Reward: +10 Strength points applied instantly. Item Awarded: [Broken Hero's Blade] Note: The weapon has been placed in your hand.
Suddenly, a weight appeared in Leonardo's right hand. It wasn't the jagged obsidian stone anymore. Instead, he was holding a rusted, hilt-heavy sword fragment. It looked like junk—cracked and dull—but as soon as his fingers wrapped around the leather grip, a jolt of pure electricity surged through his veins.
[Mana Perception Active: This blade is eating your mana to reveal its true form!]
Boros lunged forward, his claymore coming down like a falling mountain. Leonardo didn't dodge this time. He raised the [Broken Hero's Blade].
CLANG!
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed across the gates. To everyone's horror, Boros's expensive, enchanted claymore snapped in half like a dry twig.
"Impossible!" Boros gasped, looking at his broken weapon.
Leonardo didn't waste a second. With his newly boosted +10 Strength, he swung the rusted blade in a horizontal arc. He didn't even need to touch Boros—the sheer pressure of the swing sent a wave of blue energy that knocked the Captain off his feet, sending him flying ten feet back into the dirt.
[Level Up!] Current Level: 3 Stat Points Available: 5
Leonardo stood over the fallen captain, the rusted blade in his hand now glowing with a faint, rhythmic blue light. He looked up at the High Tower. Princess Aurora was no longer just watching; she was standing at the edge of the balcony, her hands gripping the railing.
"Next time, Boros," Leonardo said, his voice echoing in the silent morning air, "choose your words more carefully."
He sheathed the broken sword in his belt and walked through the gates of Aethelgard. He wasn't just a survivor anymore. He was a threat.