Chapter 67: Battle For The First [ 3 ]

The creature emerged from behind the remaining herd, forcing several smaller beasts aside as it advanced.

Its body was covered in thick, dark armor marked by old scars, while two enormous horns curved forward from its skull like black blades.

It stood nearly twice the height of the other mountain bulls, and the muscles beneath its protective plates shifted visibly with every step.

The beast surveyed the carnage surrounding it before fixing its attention on the three children standing near the eastern riverbank. Its nostrils flared, and it lowered its head, scraping one enormous hoof against the ground before charging with enough force to shake the loose stones beneath their feet.

Odin moved forward to intercept it, gathering golden lightning around his spear as he planted his feet and prepared to meet the charge.

Sigurd immediately recognized the danger of allowing the creature to build momentum, so he extended his Gravity Authority toward its leading legs while Odin struck its forehead with a tremendous discharge.

The combined attacks disrupted its advance and cracked several sections of its armor, but the enormous beast possessed enough physical strength to resist the increased pressure and continue forcing its way forward.

Kong used the opportunity to leap onto a nearby boulder, launching himself toward the creature’s exposed shoulder and bringing his staff down with both hands.

The impact shattered another section of armor, causing the bull to stagger sideways and swing its head toward him.

Sigurd slipped beneath the creature’s horns while its attention remained on Kong, his sword moving in a precise upward stroke toward the damaged opening beneath its neck.

Severing Line tore through the exposed flesh, leaving a deep wound that immediately began pouring blood.

Odin followed the attack by driving his spear into the same opening, releasing another violent discharge that forced the bull backward.

The creature roared and attempted to retreat, but Kong had already landed behind it and struck its hind leg with enough force to buckle the joint.

As its enormous body shifted toward Sigurd, he stepped forward, adjusted the angle of his blade, and delivered a final Severing Line across the weakened neck.

The sword passed through the damaged flesh and bone, separating the creature’s head from its body before its weight carried it crashing onto the stones.

The death of the largest bull caused the remaining beasts to hesitate, but their hesitation only gave the surrounding applicants more opportunities to attack.

Tristan descended from the western slope and intercepted two creatures attempting to flee through the rocks, while Astrid drove another toward the riverbank before finishing it with a powerful thrust.

Cassian and his companions continued holding the northern approach, preventing the beasts from scattering into the surrounding forest, and Konrad finally entered the fighting when one of the wounded bulls wandered too close to his position.

His sword flashed through its exposed throat with such precision that the creature collapsed before it could complete its charge.

Within several more minutes, the final mountain bull had fallen, leaving the pass littered with shattered rocks, broken trees, and the enormous bodies of the slain Demonic Beasts.

With the immediate danger eliminated, the applicants began extracting Demonic Cores from their kills, but the temporary cooperation that had allowed them to contain the herd quickly began breaking apart.

Several vassal descendants attempted to claim prizes from creatures they had barely participated in killing, leading to confrontations with the stronger contenders.

One boy reached for a core belonging to Tristan, only to have his weapon knocked aside before he could touch the carcass.

Near the southern entrance, two applicants approached Astrid’s collected prizes, but the sight of her turning toward them with a bloodstained sword was enough to make both reconsider.

Konrad dealt with an attempted thief by disarming him and taking his unregisteredmarkers, apparently considering the exchange reasonable compensation for the interruption.

Kong watched the arguments spreading across the battlefield and burst into laughter, clearly delighted by how quickly the situation had deteriorated.

"Unbelievable! We just finished fighting an entire herd, and everyone’s already trying to rob each other!" he exclaimed, shaking his head as he secured his own cores.

Odin ignored the commotion and continued inspecting his prizes, while Sigurd examined the seven Demonic Cores he had personally obtained during the battle.

Seventy additional points represented an enormous increase to his score, particularly when combined with everything he had collected throughout the examination.

He knew Cassian, Odin, and Tristan had also made considerable gains, however, and he had no intention of assuming that his lead remained secure simply because he had performed well.

Cassian approached him while the remaining applicants prepared to depart, carrying a pouchcontaining several freshly extracted cores.

Despite the blood staining his clothes, his expression remained composed, and there was an unmistakable determination in his eyes as he stopped several paces away.

"Sigurd, how many points do you have?" Cassian asked, glancing briefly toward the pouch secured at his cousin’s waist.

Sigurd regarded him with interest before answering, "Enough to make things interesting."

Cassian smiled faintly at the response and rested his hand against his sword hilt.

"Then we’re thinking about the same thing," he replied, his gaze settling on Sigurd’s weapon.

The surrounding competitors gradually noticed the exchange.

Odin had already secured his prizes and was preparing to leave, while Tristan and Astrid had withdrawn toward the extraction route with their respective groups.

Konrad remained near a broken boulder, watching his cousins with growing interest, and Kong turned toward them after noticing that neither appeared ready to depart.

His grin widened when Cassian drew his sword and Sigurd responded by unsheathing his own.

"Oh, this should be good," Kong remarked, moving toward a nearby rock where he could watch without interfering.

Cassian adjusted his grip, raised his weapon, and regarded Sigurd with a calm expression.

"Shall we settle it?" he asked. Sigurd smiled in response, bringing his sword into position.

"Let’s," he answered.

Cassian initiated the duel with a swift thrust aimed toward Sigurd’s shoulder, advancing with enough speed to close the distance before his cousin could establish a comfortable defensive position.

Sigurd turned his blade and deflected the attack outward, immediately countering with a slash toward Cassian’s ribs.

Cassian withdrew half a step, allowing the blade to pass before bringing his sword down against Sigurd’s weapon.

Their swords collided with a sharp metallic ring, and Cassian followed the contact with another thrust aimed toward Sigurd’s upper chest.

Sigurd intercepted the second attackand shifted his weight forward, forcing Cassian to adjust his footing as the two began exchanging strikes across the broken stones.

It quickly became apparent that Cassian’s swordsmanship was exceptionally disciplined. Every attack flowed naturally into the next, and his movements maintained a careful balance between aggression and defense.

Rather than attempting to overwhelm Sigurd through reckless combinations, he used measured strikes to test his cousin’s reactions, gradually identifying the distances at which Sigurd preferred to counterattack.

Sigurd recognized the approach immediately and responded by increasing the speed of his own attacks, forcing Cassian to defend against a succession of slashes directed toward his shoulders, waist, and legs.

His sword moved with remarkable precision, each strike changing angle just enough to threaten a different opening without sacrificing the speed of the following attack.

Cassian endured the pressure for several exchanges before abruptly changing his rhythm.

Instead of retreating from Sigurd’s next slash, he stepped forward and struck the underside of his cousin’s sword, forcing the blade upward while driving his free palm toward Sigurd’s chest.

Sigurd twisted aside, allowing the palm strike to graze his shoulder, and immediately countered with a low slash aimed at Cassian’s thigh.

Cassian withdrew before the blade could connect, landing several paces away with his sword raised and his breathing still controlled.

He studied Sigurd for a moment before adjusting his grip.

"You’re faster than I expected," Cassian admitted, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Sigurd regarded him with equal interest and replied, "And you’re better at controlling distance than I expected."