Chapter 254 : Chapter 254

Chapter 254

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Ocean Current Nation.

An ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍island nation that, owing to the difficulty of exchanging with the Continent, had developed a closed character, its own culture, and its own swordsmanship.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ocean Current Nation did not refer to Aquares alone.

Though ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍it was an island, its area was equal to one-tenth of the central Continent. As a result, conflicts between the Ocean Current Nations over territory had continued without end.

And ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍among the five kingdoms, Aquares had seized the center of the island through long wars and become the kingdom that displayed the greatest power.

In ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍terms of the Continent, it was an island kingdom possessing an influence comparable to the Heinrich Empire.

But having established hegemony did not mean it knew only peace.

The Aquares Kingdom had a history spanning a thousand years.

Over that period, many kingdoms had challenged it for the position of leader of the allied nations.

Bloodshed occurred each time, and some incidents had even been rebellions by princes seeking the throne.

A thousand-year history stained with blood.

That was what Teruba had told Killian on the road to the capital.

Teruba spoke as Killian kept his eyes on Princess Levia’s duel with Yulian.

“I can say with certainty that present-day Aquares possesses forces worthy of being called the strongest in the dynasty’s history.”

“Is it not rather pathetic for knights with that level of strength to be wiped out by a single monster?”

“As I said, it was an expedition.”

Thinking the kingdom’s strength had been insulted, Teruba continued, stressing the word.

“And 5-star and 6-star are valuable forces even on the Continent, are they not? I am confident that even on the Continent, there are only a handful of countries that possess upper-rank knights comparable to Aquares’s.”

“You recovered quickly for a scholar from an expedition that nearly died.”

“...”

Killian chuckled and soothed Teruba’s wounded pride.

“Aquares is the strongest of the five Ocean Current Nations. And the royal family has not neglected training, so they are highly accomplished with the sword. Have I understood correctly?”

“That is correct. In particular, Crown Prince Marcelo, whom I serve, is called the kingdom’s greatest knight.”

Teruba boasted proudly of his master.

But that was as far as he went in letting information about the royal family slip.

Even to the person who had saved his life, he said, he could not reveal everything and asked Killian to understand his position. Teruba politely refused to answer the questions that followed.

And now—

Killian was confirming the royal family’s power with his own eyes.

‘She uses an interesting technique.’

With blue mana concentrated in his eyes, Killian could clearly see the flow of the battle through the walkers’ primary technique, Hyang.

‘The technique Princess Levia uses resembles the walkers’.’

The fluid movement of mana through points, lines, and planes was not greatly different, but the mana’s center was the eyes rather than the heart. As a result, unlike walkers, who specialized in stealth and surprise attacks, she wielded a power that overwhelmed knights.

Clang. Clang.

The sound of metal resounded through the training ground as the longsword and thin sword collided.

‘I thought she was a hothouse flower raised by the royal family.’

Her sword was sharper than he had expected.

‘Her ability to handle mana is not inferior to the Annihilation Squad’s.’

Female knights were weaker than the men they trained alongside in stamina and muscular strength, and consequently in agility.

Therefore, female knights had no choice but to use mana to compensate for their lacking physical ability. A certain amount of mana was constantly consumed for battle.

Once the difference in rank grew sufficiently large, even that lost meaning. But the gap between Yulian and Levia was not that great.

‘He is going to lose.’

Princess Levia’s skill was on a par with Paian’s.

If Yulian lost as things stood, their plan to make Crown Prince Marcelo owe them a debt would come to nothing.

‘That would be troublesome.’

When he strengthened the mana connected to the magic tool, a Formula activated.

“...?”

After a moment of confusion, Yulian’s eyes widened.

“...!!”

Marvelling at the overflowing power, Yulian unleashed more violent Eurasia Style techniques.

Killian was using the magic tool to provide Yulian with endless mana.

It was virtually the power of reaching Master, beyond simply stabilizing 5-star. Since Yulian held the physical advantage, he should have been able to overwhelm her easily.

But the princess only appeared to be driven back for a moment.

“You are interesting men.”

Before long, Princess Levia began to keep pace with Yulian’s movements.

‘She has drawn out her physical abilities even further.’

The blue-green mana concentrated in her eyes was deeper than ever.

She concentrated mana in her eyes to see through her opponent’s movements and strengthened her physical abilities with mana transformed fluidly.

‘Aquares’s secret technique. It would be useful if it could be applied to the Annihilation Squad.’

With that thought, Killian widened the flow of mana he was sending into Yulian.

Killian was not the only one impressed by his opponent’s hidden strength.

The mana of Julian Eurasia reflected in Princess Levia’s eyes was boiling up at tremendous speed.

“Thorn!!”

Accordingly, the Eurasia Style techniques Julian Eurasia unleashed grew more powerful as well.

“You are using a trick!”

The princess cried out as she received Yulian’s sword.

‘The cause of Julian Eurasia’s strengthened mana is the pendant around his neck.’

And.

‘The source of that mana is Killian Eurasia.’

The enormous mana concentrated in his eyes was proof.

It was insulting for a third party to intervene in a sacred duel, yet Killian Eurasia was not concealing his power.

He was observing her.

His confident attitude, beyond arrogance, was so absurd that—

Boom!

Even as she was pushed back by his sword strike, she burst into laughter.

‘It is good that Eurasia’s royal family is not old-fashioned.’

They possessed a nature unlike Aquares’s conservative, short-sighted knights.

At first, she had merely intended to learn something from him because there was a Superhuman among the foreigners.

Now her mind had changed.

In place of her elder brother, who refused to recognize her as a knight and tried to make her into a woman, the desire to earn Killian’s recognition filled her thoughts.

The man before her, Julian Eurasia, was only an excuse.

‘I will show you, Killian Eurasia.’

Her body trembled with the thrill of facing a Superhuman.

That thrill made her pour out every bit of her energy.

‘This is my swordsmanship.’

Claaang—!!

After knocking Yulian’s sword away, she leaped far back.

“Where do you think you are going?!”

Yulian closed in without allowing her distance, but—

Whoosh.

Darkness descending over the area concealed her form.

Yulian, who had been pressing the attack, stopped moving.

‘The way she handles mana differs, but the result is no different from the Continent’s.’

It did not take him long to analyze the space that had settled around them.

“Even so, it is only a walkers’ technique!”

Yulian shouted and swung his sword wide.

Whooom.

The space shook along the path of the sword, which carried an abundance of mana.

‘Power is overflowing.’

As was true of most things Killian did, Yulian did not know the principle, but his rank had risen by at least one level.

‘No. Two levels.’

At this level, he was virtually equivalent to having mastered 5-star.

Yulian could say with certainty that, in his current state, he was confident he could overwhelm even Paian.

He was competing to become Family Head of Eurasia, a family of knights, and for Eurasia’s throne under the banner of the Kingdom of Knights.

He could not accept defeat at the hands of an island princess who had trained with the sword in a hothouse.

‘That Killian. If he had power like this, he should have used it earlier.’

Slash.

Princess Levia stood where he had cut through the darkness.

‘I will return the discourtesy your elder brother inflicted upon me.’

It was not perfect yet, but she felt that she could imitate Killian’s sword now.

She lowered her stance, filling her sword with the humiliation and disgrace she had suffered when imprisoned, and the sorrow she had endured as a foreigner unable to communicate with those around her.

At the same time.

“Mind’s Eye.”

Princess Levia murmured softly, and her body shot forward like a bee.

“Explosive Flash.”

Yulian thrust out his sword, gathering mana.

***

A female knight’s physical abilities did not match those of a male knight.

But Levia Aquares did not accept the reality of having been born a woman.

Thus, she first changed her weapon.

The thin sword she used covered the weakness of her lacking strength with the advantage of speed. To do that, it was necessary to strike her opponent’s vital points precisely.

Eye, Aquares’s secret technique, suited her perfectly.

“Mind’s Eye.”

The mana concentrated in her eyes became even more active.

It was a technique classified as high-level even among the kingdom’s secret techniques.

Ordinarily, one needed to be 6-star to learn it and 7-star to use it freely.

She could see powerful mana concentrating in Julian Eurasia’s sword.

Julian Eurasia’s movements, which she had gradually begun to lose track of, slowed again.

The imposing man lowered his stance.

‘A thrusting technique. Did he think my sword was so careless that I would be caught by such a large movement?’

Then she held the advantage with her thin sword.

‘To use a technique fit for a monster against me...’

It was not a mistake one would expect from someone who called himself a Knight Order Commander.

‘...’

There were openings throughout his stance.

If she wished, she could evade the thrusting sword, strike his vital point, and knock him unconscious.

‘Is it not too clumsy to be a provocation?’

Her mind grew complicated.

A decisive move in a single strike.

She had sparred countless times with royal knights and gained experience by cutting down monsters in subjugation operations.

Yet even she had never encountered a situation like this, and her judgment was delayed.

As a result—

“...!!”

She reacted to Yulian’s sword a step too late.

His sword, thrust out with his stepping foot planted, was already before her eyes.

‘I will deflect it and attack...’

The moment their swords touched.

Boom!!

Her body was thrown back by a violent impact.

She rolled over the training-ground floor and coughed up blood.

Srrk.

The cold blade of a weapon was held to her throat.

“My victory, Princess.”

“This is... absurd...”

To think it had truly been a thrust.

As backlash struck her, every technique she had deployed through Eye was released.

“Levia!”

Marcelo came up onto the training ground.

“Julian Eurasia! Move your sword at once!!”

Despite Marcelo’s shout, Yulian only looked at the princess.

“How dare you! A third party intervened in a sacred duel, yet you still act arrogantly?!”

Marcelo shouted, glaring at Killian.

He too had realized that Yulian’s sudden increase in mana had come from Killian.

“Is using a magic tool properly not part of one’s ability?”

“That mouth of yours!!”

“Princess Levia. Surely you do not intend to reverse the result now?”

Killian asked Levia, who was controlling the backlash and wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.

She pushed away the mage who approached to heal her.

“Brother, I am sorry.”

“A Superhuman intervened. It was an unfair duel.”

Levia shook her head.

“There was no problem with the duel. Their words are not wrong.”

“Levia!”

Her elder brother was angry, Killian Eurasia wore a calm expression, and Julian Eurasia triumphantly held a sword to her throat.

She examined the faces of the three men in turn, and a smile touched her lips.

“A knight challenged another knight to a duel, and I merely lost.”

“...”

“I overstepped, ruined your plans, Brother, and will accept whatever punishment you give me.”

“...”

“...”

Marcelo and Levia met each other’s gaze for a moment.

“I am not so narrow-minded a man that I would punish my younger sister.”

“I am sorry.”

“Withdraw and rest.”

“I accept your order.”

Glance.

She looked at Killian, then left the training ground and disappeared into the castle.

“Eurasia. You bring me unexpected amusement.”

Killian smiled harmlessly.

“The princess proposed the duel first, and we merely won by luck.”

“By luck, you say.”

Marcelo’s gaze turned toward the other Eurasian.

“As the victor, tell me if there is something you desire.”

Yulian took a breath, and the corner of his lips twitched.

Then.

“Your Highness, please lend your strength to Eurasia’s great undertaking to conquer the Continent.”

He said it with his chest puffed out.