Volume 6 Chapter 91-2 The Strong Character Feeling of the Sword is Probably Universal
The sound of a bell echoed through the air as Lionel slid across the ground with both feet.
"It won't work!"
Lionel lifted his head to find Alan, crouched low, his right hand and foot forward, ready for the strike.
In the blink of an eye, Alan vanished, only to reappear directly behind Lionel, his sword drawn.
Then, just as quickly, he disappeared again──this time back in front of Lionel.
As Alan zipped back and forth, his blade sliced through the air with a sharp "whoosh," and in an instant, Lionel was surrounded by a storm of flashing sword strikes.
The clash of steel rang out, and Lionel's body was pinned in place, caught by the barrage.
"You're tough, I'll give you that."
Alan let out a wry smile, holding his sword in a mist-like stance before vanishing once more.
Alan passed Lionel again, his movements almost too fast to follow.
Behind him, Lionel was struck by a massive sword flash.
A deep gash tore through Lionel's armor, and blood began to spill as he slowly toppled backwards.
Time seemed to slow as Lionel fell.
Alan sheathed his sword with deliberate slowness.
Lionel's body hit the ground with a soft thud, his form obscured by the rising dust.
Yet, only Alan──still smiling faintly──watched the swirling dust, opening his mouth to speak.
"Man... you're really something."
As if responding to Alan's words, a hearty laugh rang out from the dust.
"I thought I was stronger than back then... but seems like the gap is still as wide as ever."
Alan let out a sigh as he responded to Lionel's laughter from the ground.
"Don't compare yourself to your old, beat-up self."
Lionel chuckled, recognizing that Alan had already seen through him.
He knew that in that moment, the fight was over.
The truth was, Alan was right.
Lionel had been under constant stress: the long journey by ship, naval battles, long swims, and land fights──each of them taking their toll.
Compared to Alan, who had arrived fresh after using a teleportation gate, his fatigue was on a whole different level.
Even so, Lionel smiled brightly, knowing that if he could take that last charge so perfectly, then even at his best, he still wouldn't have won.
With barely a shift of his sword's grip, Alan expertly deflected the incoming mass of metal──a grotesque shape flying at high speed──and killed its power with precise control.
Lionel couldn't help but feel the overwhelming difference in skill between them.
"No regrets. Go ahead──kill me."
As Lionel lay there, arms spread wide, gazing at the rising sun, Alan muttered, "I see," before drawing his sword...
"Sorry. Looks like I'm no better off... My side's down for the count too."
Alan pointed at the sword──its blade chipped and cracked, the damage almost beyond repair.
The blade was so battered, it was a miracle it hadn't broken completely.
There was no way it could cut through anything now.
Even though Lucian had given it to him, the sword clearly wasn't made to withstand Alan's strength.
But to Alan, it was clear: the damage to the blade was nothing more than a reflection of his own inadequacy.
"Seems I was still putting too much force into it... There's more to this than I thought──truly."
Staring at the useless sword, Alan glanced at Lionel, his mind heavy with thoughts of his own limitations.
"Looks like... I still can't cut through you, no matter how strong I am, or how sharp my blade is."
"...Are you... showing me mercy?"
"What are you, an idiot? If I were feeling merciful, I would've introduced you to a woman or 2 back then."
Alan smiled brightly, but Lionel's face twisted into a grimace──the first time he'd ever looked genuinely disgusted.
"Anyway, I'm your backup. Your fate, your future──I'll leave that to your new friends."
After those words, Alan turned his back on Lionel, sheathed his sword, and started walking toward Lucian and the others, who were still observing the situation.
As Alan approached, Cedric and Miranda stepped aside instinctively.
When he reached Lucian, he scratched his head, offering a wry grin.
"My bad. I broke your souvenir."
Lucian couldn't help but laugh──shoulders shaking as he fought to hold back a chuckle.
It was understandable.
The first words from the man who had just taken down the Empire's strongest general were an apology for breaking something.
Overcome with laughter, Lucian shook his head slowly, still grinning.
"I've known you weren't just anyone... but now I see it. You, no──*you Victor* are the most terrifying of all."
Lucian flashed a smirk and gave a command to his stunned Knights and the [Dark Tide] around them.
"Capture the general, raise the battle cry! Push the frontlines back and seize the port!"
At Lucian's order, the soldiers snapped back to reality, roaring a victory cry so loud it nearly shattered the air.
Their morale surged instantly.
Alan, having confirmed it, started to raise his voice with "Victor Knight...," only to quickly trail off.
The knights he was supposed to have brought along were nowhere to be seen.
"Forgive me for asking, but... where are my Knights?"
The presence he sensed was unmistakably coming from the battlefield ahead.
But Alan, unwilling to admit it, forced a bitter smile as he turned to Lucian.
"As soon as you started fighting, they rushed straight to the battlefield..."
"Those guys..."
It wasn't hard to understand why Alan was holding his head in his hands.
After all, he had only sent word back to the homeland as a follow-up report──now, they were here, rushing to his aid.
In fact, he'd sent a letter to the Dukedom Government just yesterday from the island, explaining how the Knight Reserve had ended up caught in the war while on a leisure trip to Braubelg──an utterly absurd story.
It had likely reached the Dukedom Government by now, but since it was all over, there was nothing left to be done.
Of course, the report was just about "being caught up in it" and fighting to protect themselves, so he didn't want them to go overboard with gloating about defeating Imperial soldiers...
"With the cooperation of the Victor Knight Brigade, we've confirmed the neutralization of the Imperial First Division."
The report coming from the cliff above made sure their achievements were known, whether Alan liked it or not.
Alan, shoulders slumped, muttered, "Well, it is what it is..." and reluctantly shifted his gaze back to the battlefield.
The story was a mess, but technically, the reserve had left for Victor days before the war started, so the claim of being caught up in it wasn't a total lie.
The only real problem was...
"Lord Lucian, just... keep it quiet that I joined the fight."
...The fact that he had abandoned his duties as lord to be here.
Alan placed a finger to his lips, and Lucian smiled and nodded.
Relieved, Alan scratched his head with a wry smile as if remembering something.
"Also... sorry about the dock... I didn't mean to destroy it."
The sudden shift to such an ordinary, almost petty apology made Cedric finally realize just how much Alan and Randy resembled each other as father and son.
It was strange how they were alike in such odd ways, Cedric thought, watching Alan, now looking up at the brightening sky.
"The rest... depends on how the kids handle things, I suppose."
Alan squinted, dazzled, at the sight before him──the sun, which should have still been missing from the sky, was already casting its light upon Braubelg.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!