Chapter 42: My Defeat

Thousands of pairs of eyes surrounding the field widened in shock.

Almost no one even dared to blink as Arthur’s ultimate slash came hurtling forward and struck Kael squarely in his broad chest.

SRAAAK—STAB!

Fresh blood sprayed into the air.

In the front row, Lizzy immediately covered her mouth with both hands, her pupils trembling violently with overwhelming concern.

Cherry, standing beside her, also let out a muffled scream, equally shocked by what she had just witnessed.

The entire arena suddenly fell into absolute silence.

Was this truly the end? Would the highly acclaimed Orc Slayer really have to swallow a bitter defeat at the hands of a young Knight?

Arthur himself stood frozen in astonishment for a full second, feeling his sword blade pierce its target.

However, that silence was shattered when Kael showed absolutely no signs of collapsing.

Rather than falling to his knees, the man remained standing firmly, his breathing steady.

Although his entire left chest was drenched in fresh blood, the gaping wound only seemed to amplify his wild, heroic aura and overwhelming resilience, sending chills down the spines of everyone who witnessed it.

To everyone’s astonishment, Kael suddenly threw his head back and burst into loud laughter that echoed across the entire field. He raised his left hand and casually wiped away the blood running down his chest, showing no sign of pain.

"Hahaha... Magnificent! That was an incredible attack, young man!" Kael praised in a loud voice that broke the tense atmosphere.

Rather than feeling pleased by the compliment, Arthur narrowed his eyes, his expression turning suspicious.

In the final moments of that slash, his combat instincts had caught something unusual: Kael had actually twisted his body slightly to the side, deliberately allowing himself to be wounded so the strike wouldn’t hit any of his vital organs!

"???????? ????... ???????? ?????? ????????’?? ???????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????!" Arthur growled inwardly, feeling as though his pride and efforts had been thoroughly toyed with.

With a mysterious smile on his lips, Kael briefly glanced toward a corner of the crowd where Loyd was standing. There, Loyd winked at him and gave him a thumbs-up with a wide, triumphant grin.

Of course, this entire scheme had been planned between them beforehand: they would let the opposing side’s bets increase dramatically by making Kael appear cornered and on the verge of death during the latter half of the match.

Seeing that the accumulated wagers from the citizens backing Arthur had now reached their peak, Kael flashed a broad grin.

He laughed even louder before deliberately shifting the conversation to draw the spectators’ attention.

"I acknowledge your abilities, young Knight! You’re certainly worthy of being my first warm-up opponent... before I officially set out to undertake the great mission of serving Princess Elara!" Kael shouted, deliberately raising his voice so that as many people as possible could hear him, especially Velde.

As Kael once again assumed his fighting stance, his posture now completely different from before, everyone in the audience inexplicably felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

The atmosphere around the arena suddenly became far more oppressive and intimidating.

In another section of the front row, the exotic brown-skinned woman widened her eyes as she suddenly remembered something.

"Wait... That stance and the way he’s holding his sword... Isn’t that the technique of that bastard’s friend...?"

"Is he about to make a dramatic comeback?!" a spectator shrieked hysterically.

Arthur, who had previously been consumed by anger over feeling belittled, suddenly snapped out of his daze.

His pupils widened in horror as he watched Kael rush toward him at a speed several times greater than before.

This time, Kael’s movements were incredibly elegant, sharp, precise, and meticulously calculated.

Every swing of his sword flowed so smoothly that it was nearly impossible for a young Knight’s naked eyes to follow.

Before Arthur could adapt or even raise his blade to defend against this new rhythm, he had already completely lost control of the match.

In the blink of an eye, after a rapid sequence of five slashes that tore through the air...

CLANG—BAM!

Kael’s fifth slash struck Arthur’s sword hilt with tremendous destructive force. The young Knight’s prized weapon was knocked straight out of his grasp, flying high into the air before crashing onto the stone ground with a loud clang.

Sreet...!

A thin trickle of fresh blood slowly ran down the surface of Arthur’s neck. Kael’s sword blade had stopped just a fraction of an inch from his jugular vein, pressing against his skin without any intention of inflicting further injury.

For a brief moment, every spectator in the field was rendered speechless, completely frozen as they witnessed such a swift and absolute reversal.

Then, an explosive wave of cheers erupted, shaking the heavens!

"H-he really made a comeback?! Damn it, he won in such an incredible fashion!"

"His movements were so fast! Good heavens, I didn’t even have time to record or remember how he disarmed his opponent!"

"Hahaha! I won a fortune! Take that, you unlucky bastards who foolishly bet on the young Knight!" another spectator shrieked with hysterical delight, laughing uproariously amidst the crowd.

On the platform of honor, Velde ground his back teeth together with a loud, grating sound.

The bureaucrat’s face darkened. He was fully aware that there were no longer any excuses or loopholes in the rules he could exploit to turn the situation around. With a reluctant expression and a heavy, restrained voice, Velde stood up and announced the final result.

"T-the winner... is Kael!"

The cheers and applause grew even louder, celebrating the hero’s victory. Velde’s face darkened further with embarrassment, realizing that his entire scheme to humiliate Kael had backfired spectacularly, striking him like a slap in the face.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the arena, Arthur stood completely motionless. The young man seemed unable to comprehend or process the rapid series of events that had just shattered his pride.

He had lost... and lost so utterly that he had been defeated with astonishing ease, without being able to put up any meaningful resistance in the final moments.

"I... suffered a crushing defeat..." Arthur muttered hoarsely, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his disappointment.

However, rather than feeling burning hatred or envy, a genuine sense of admiration and respect gradually began to grow deep within his heart.

Arthur felt incredibly foolish for having underestimated the mercenaries’ stories and even accusing Kael of ganging up on an enemy Three-Star Knight with his companions.

Today, faced with the undeniable reality before him on this battlefield, he finally understood that the man standing in front of him belonged to an entirely different level of strength.

At the edge of the field, Lizzy let out a long sigh of immense relief, allowing her tense shoulders to finally relax.

Although she was relieved, deep down, she realized one thing: Kael’s combat abilities had now developed far beyond the level she had previously known.

And, of course, the happiest people in the entire field right now were none other than Loyd, Johan, and the entire local mercenary group, who had raked in an enormous fortune in gold coins from their winning bets.

Amid the roaring cheers of the spectators gradually dying down, Kael lowered his sword from Arthur’s neck. The man wore a sincere, warm smile, a friendly expression devoid of even the slightest trace of arrogance toward his young opponent.

Seeing the genuine smile on Kael’s lips, Arthur was momentarily stunned. The young man’s gaze softened.

Suddenly, a realization struck him.

"????... ????????’?? ?????? ???? ????..."

Arthur finally understood that throughout the entire match, Kael had deliberately pretended to be arrogant, wild, crude, and recklessly aggressive in front of the public for one purpose alone: to provoke his anger while sending a clear warning to the other Royal Knights not to carelessly pick a fight with him in the future.

Although he didn’t know exactly what great mission Kael was preparing for behind that elaborate act, Arthur had begun to develop a profound respect for him. He lowered his head slightly as a gesture of acknowledging his defeat.

"I’m still far too weak and foolish to stand against someone as remarkable as you, Sir Kael..." Arthur admitted honestly, his voice trembling slightly. "But... remember this. In the future, after I’ve trained myself ten times harder than I have today... I’ll definitely come back to challenge you again, and I swear I’ll win!"