Chapter 349 : Commander Oliver vs Duke Remy part 2

On the second floor of the academy's central building, the area designated for medical care.

Signs of damage were visible on the walls and floors. In one of the rooms, Queen Kayana lay on a bed, clutching the abdomen that had previously been wounded. Although the wound had been sealed by magic, she continued to hold the abdomen. Nearby, the knightss who had brought her there stood guard. Aside from the knights, several academy students were also in the room, apparently seeking shelter.

"If you wish to take shelter here, feel free. Once Commander Oliver defeats his opponent, Lord Remy, as you described—you must immediately hurry to the first floor and leave this building," one of the knights told the students.

"Understood," the students replied.

Shortly after this exchange, they felt a tremor ripple through the floor and indeed, the entire building. The shaking was brief, yet it recurred repeatedly. With each tremor, they heard the sounds of impacts and violent jolts echoing from below, specifically from the central building's first floor.

"It seems Commander Oliver and Lord Remy are locked in a fierce battle."

"Yes, the impact of their fight is being felt throughout the entire building."

"I hope Commander Oliver wins the duel and defeats Lord Remy."

"Agreed," the knights said.

Meanwhile, as the knights stood guard around Queen Kayana, who had been lying down, slowly began to rise from the bed. Noticing that she was waking up, the knights immediately hurried to her side.

"Your Majesty, why have you risen?" asked one of the knights approaching Queen Kayana.

"I cannot simply lie here. I must go," said Queen Kayana, who had risen and was now attempting to walk away.

However, the knights immediately restrained her as she tried to leave.

"Where do you wish to go, Your Majesty?" the knight asked.

"I must go to fight Lord Remy again. I have to defeat and kill him with my own hands to avenge everything he has done," Queen Kayana declared.

"But your current condition does not seem suitable for fight, Your Majesty. It would be better for you to rest here," the knight said.

"You may think I am unwell, but I alone know the state of my own body. I am fine now, so there is no need for concern. Instead, you should focus on protecting the students still inside this building. I am certain the academy students are not limited to this floor alone; there are others on different levels as well. So, I ask that you protect them all," Queen Kayana said.

"But, Your Majesty..." the knight began.

But before he could finish his sentence.

"No 'buts'. You must all obey my orders. Do you understand?" Queen Kayana asked.

As she asked this, the air pressure in the room suddenly grew heavier. The knight were initially confused by the sudden shift in pressure, but they soon realized that Queen Kayana was the source of the change.

"V-very well, Your Majesty. We will obey your orders," the knight said.

The other knights nodded as well, signifying their agreement to follow Queen Kayana's commands. They decided to obey Queen Kayana's orders because they did not want to anger her further and cause her to increase the air pressure in the area.

"It is good that you are willing to follow my orders. In that case, I shall take my leave; as I said before, there is no need to worry about me," said Queen Kayana.

"V-very well, Your Majesty," the knights replied.

Queen Kayana then began to walk away from the room where she had previously been lying down. At first, she appeared to struggle with her steps, especially as she had to keep holding her abdomen—injured by the spear thrust from Lord Remy. Gradually, however, she regained her normal gait and hurried toward the first floor.

-

On the first floor of the academy's central building.

Commander Oliver and Duke Remy darted rapidly toward one another to exchange blows. Commander Oliver repeatedly lunged at Duke Remy, launching attacks that the Duke managed to evade every time. Meanwhile, Duke Remy also charged at Commander Oliver, striking out with his spear; Commander Oliver successfully dodged these attacks as well. However, Commander Oliver’s evasions were not flawless, as Duke Remy’s strikes managed to graze his body.

For the moment, Commander Oliver had sustained no severe injuries, as none of Duke Remy’s spear thrusts had landed a direct hit. Yet, his body was covered in numerous scratches from the attacks he had failed to fully evade. These grazes marked almost every part of his body. In addition to the scratches, Commander Oliver had also suffered a head injury from a kick Duke Remy had landed earlier.

After a period of rapid movement and exchanging attacks, Commander Oliver and Duke Remy now stood motionless, maintaining a distance between them. Then, Commander Oliver appeared to be preparing to launch an attack against Duke Remy.

~Lightning Sword Art: Great Lightning Slash~

Commander Oliver unleashed a long-range slash at Duke Remy. The strike shot rapidly toward the Duke, who quickly dodged it. Immediately after evading the attack, Duke Remy hurled his spear at the commander. The weapon sped toward Oliver, who swiftly moved to avoid the throw. Although he managed to dodge a direct hit, the spear grazed the left side of his abdomen, inflicting a deep gash. Commander Oliver instantly dropped to one knee as the wound opened up. Meanwhile, the spear continued its trajectory, flying past the commander and slamming into a wall some distance behind him.

Seeing Commander Oliver kneeling and clutching his wounded side, Duke Remy slowly walked toward him.

"I told you earlier that I could defeat you without manipulating the tree trunks in this area, didn't I? Now, that has been proven. While I haven't technically defeated you yet, seeing you so overwhelmed is proof enough that you have already lost, Sir Oliver."

"You had best just surrender, Sir Oliver. You cannot defeat me. My movements are faster than yours; it is impossible for you to land a hit or wound me when I can move quickly enough to evade your attacks," Duke Remy said.

Commander Oliver remained silent after hearing Duke Remy's words, continuing to hold his injured left side. Then, a moment later, he began to laugh.

"Hahaha, surrender? There is no way I would ever surrender to you. I will not yield to someone who has committed such heinous crimes, Lord Remy. To surrender to you would be to disgrace my honor as the supreme commander of this kingdom," Commander Oliver declared.

Meanwhile, Duke Remy had stopped his advance toward Commander Oliver. He watched as the commander, who had previously been kneeling, rose to his feet.

"I must admit, your movements are faster than mine. If I keep fighting like this, I will surely lose. It seems I have no choice but to use *that* technique," Commander Oliver said as he stood up.

He gripped his sword with both hands, then drove the blade into the ground, keeping both hands firmly upon it.

~Oh, blazing lightning, lend me your speed and your might. Grant me all your power to vanquish my foes.~

~Lightning Magic: Deus Fulgur~

Slowly, Commander Oliver’s body became enveloped in a crackling electrical aura. The magic soon swathed his entire form; not only his body but the sword he held was also wreathed in the crackling energy.

He then pulled the sword free from the ground and suddenly shot forward at incredible speed toward Duke Remy. Taken aback by this sudden burst of movement, Duke Remy was caught off guard. As the commander closed the distance, he immediately unleashed an attack.

~Lightning Magic: Great Lightning Speed ​​Slash~

Duke Remy had no time to react; the strike was blindingly fast, and he was still reeling from the commander's sudden dash. The attack struck him squarely, sending him hurtling backward with tremendous force until he slammed into a wall some distance away. The impact shattered the wall, and a cloud of dust and debris billowed up around the spot where he had struck. Meanwhile, Commander Oliver, having just struck down Duke Remy, now gazes toward the spot where the Duke is shrouded in smoke.

"Well, Lord Remy, let us now have a rematch to determine which of us possesses the swiftest movements," said Commander Oliver.

-To be continued