Chapter 2045: Worst Fencer

Adam put up a good fight, but Relana was still on an entirely different level.

Unlike Adam, who was still too young to have developed a fighting style he could hone over decades, Relana had long since reached the pinnacle of mastery.

For her, a sword wasn’t just another weapon. It was the weapon with which she was one of the most fearsome fighters in the world.

No matter how well Adam could control his threads, or how skillfully he wielded his needle, all of that was infinitely far from Relana’s level.

Up until then, Adam might even have had a chance of winning. Relana was 10–15% stronger than him, and thanks to constant pressure, as well as his shared will with the Silver Weaver, he had been keeping Relana under constant pressure.

And now… Now he lost in an instant.

SLASH!

All Adam saw was a single swing from Relana, but in reality, it wasn’t the only swing, nor was it the first, but the last. She finished her series of attacks in slow motion, and that was the only reason Adam was able to see it.

Numerous bloody gashes appeared on Adam’s body as he felt waves of pain wash over him. His mouth opened, but he couldn’t say a word, only sounds of pain escaped him.

Thump.

Adam fell to his knees while his whole body trembled.

Relana didn’t just leave him with a multitude of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal cuts. No, her attacks had far more devastating consequences.

His muscles and tendons were severed, but his major arteries were unharmed, so he wasn’t in danger of bleeding to death.

Relana had done all this faster than Adam could even process it.

“No… How is this possible…?” Adam muttered to himself. ‘If she’d been fighting me with the intent to kill, then… my head would have fallen to the floor, and I wouldn’t even have noticed.’

Relana saw the realization and shock in Adam’s eyes.

But despite her crushing victory and the fact that there could have been no other outcome from the start, she had sustained more wounds than she’d expected.

“You know, Adam, you’ve impressed me, truly. I rarely praise anyone, very rarely. And, to be honest, I could have spared your muscles and tendons. I got a little angry that you ruined all my plans, but you’ll be fine, I can guarantee that.”

Step.

Relana stepped forward, stopping in front of Adam, who could only look up at her. He couldn’t get to his feet unless he expended a lot of energy, but he realized it was pointless.

“Before we finish, do you have any questions?”

A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Adam’s mouth as he slowly nodded.

“Yes. Two of them. Did I pass your test?”

Relana nodded deeply.

“You did. What about the second question?”

Adam smiled bitterly.

“The Third Knight? Why not the first or the second?”

Relana’s eyes narrowed as a knowing smile formed on her face.

“Because I’m weaker than Goen and Kamora, that’s all.”

Immediately after that, Relana raised her sword, gripping the hilt with both hands.

“Huh… I see… Well, in that case, I have one more question.”

Adam’s eyelids grew heavy as a chill crept in from the side.

“Goen, he’s also skilled with a sword. Does that mean he’s the better swordsman of the two of you?”

Relana shook her head, her gaze unwavering. Adam deserved honest answers to his questions.

“Goen… He…” Relana smiled sarcastically. “He’s a terrible fencer, perhaps the worst I know.”

Before Adam could say anything, Relana made a final swing with her sword, and a stream of blood gushed from Adam’s chest.

But even though his eyes went blank and darkness lulled him to sleep, he collapsed to the ground with a silly, satisfied smile.

For a moment, Relana stared at Adam while her fingertips trembled and her heart pounded.

She was nervous because she was convinced that Adam was just another talented Phantom, someone who wasn’t worth her attention.

She was wrong, and even now she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“We’ve waited so long, and… It looks like it’s finally going to happen soon.”

Then, her gaze filled with a strange emotion, a mixture of determination and sadness.

“I’m sorry, Adam, but now, sooner or later, it’s bound to happen. It’s necessary for the entire Citadel, for all of humanity.”

Silence.

For a long time, Relana said nothing as she stood alone in the middle of the training hall while the pool of blood beneath Adam grew larger and larger, spreading across the floor.

Tremble.

Her energy quivered as her lips began to move.

“We have to help him. It’s time to end this.”

A figure appeared behind her, it was a man hidden in the shadows.

“Relana, are you sure about him?” the man asked.

Relana nodded deeply.

“Yes. They… they’re alike, and if anyone from the current generation is suited for this role, it’s Adam Vinter. He’s still not strong enough, but given how quickly he’s progressing and how eager he is to get stronger, we won’t even notice how his strength will multiply.”

The man’s eyes grew deeper.

“Now, what do you want to do? He’ll survive even if we don’t help him, it’ll strengthen his body.”

Relana shook her head with a wry smile.

“No, there’s no need for such trials. He’s been through countless grueling battles. There’s no point in making things harder for him now. Besides, we need to pick out an outfit for him for the Radiant Branch.”

She turned to the man as her eyes shone brightly in the soft light.

“This year, we’ll be joining that event.”

The man blinked twice, slightly surprised. Then, he took a deep breath and stepped forward, allowing the light to lift the shadow from his figure.

“Well, now I really believe he’s an unusual guy. You hate events like this. Though, I think this time it’ll be more interesting than usual.” The man leaned toward Adam, extending his hand.

Relana nodded.

“Indeed. After all, I can’t remember the last time so many of us gathered in one place. This is exactly what the final Radiant Branches should be like.”