Chapter 131: The Paladin and the Blade Master
"Are you all ready? Ready for this battle?" the emissary shouted.
The crowd erupted, cheering loudly. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Zero stood up, heading toward the back of the arena, while Lucian followed.
"I wonder how this fight is going to turn out," Nolan said.
"Yes, same," Tharion replied. "Who do you think is going to win?"
"I don’t know," Nolan admitted. "I haven’t seen Lucian in battle. But I’ve seen Zero and I can tell you, Zero is really strong. He defeated those twins, Zink and Zion. And not just that, he could have ended the fight the moment it started, but he was holding back for some reason."
"Well, let’s just see how the match turns out," Tharion said.
The emissary raised his voice again. "The moment we’ve all been waiting for! Now step into the ring, Lucian, S-Rank, Top Fighter! He is a master of the blade and his fists. Don’t be fooled into thinking he comes empty-handed. His inventory box is filled with swords, knives, and all manner of blades. He is outstanding at what he does, and his previous match proved it. Step into the ring!"
As the gates slid open, Lucian walked in. The crowd cheered wildly. His long hair flowed behind him, and he wore black trousers and a matching top.
"Now, for our next opponent..." The crowd’s cheers grew even louder. "Zero! You all know him as an S-Rank Knight Paladin, a Royal Paladin of the palace. His last match was nothing short of outstanding. But how will he face Lucian? Will Lucian’s tricks work against him? Let’s find out! Step into the arena!"
The gates slid open again, and Zero entered, fully clad in gleaming armor from head to toe.
Then the emissary raised his hand for silence. "Now, the rules of the game have been changed. No more entering the arena as a team, no more selecting your own members. Team Nolan is no longer allowed."
"What?" Nolan’s thoughts raced. "What does he mean? He even called me specifically. I’m not allowed to fight? So that means if they pair Linda and Kyrion, or even Kyrion and Celia, it’s possible they’ll be forced to face each other. This is what I was avoiding. That’s why I wanted to fight in the same team, so we could choose our battles."
"Master, it seems they’ve changed the rule. Why do you look so worried?" Celia asked.
Linda stood up and sat beside Nolan. "Yeah, they changed the rule," she added.
"Why? This isn’t good," Nolan said. "What if they pair you with Kyrion? That won’t be an easy fight. I’m sure of it."
"You’re right," Linda agreed, "but we’re stronger now. No matter how you see it. And I can feel my power still increasing. Every moment, it grows. My mana circulation is almost complete. Even if I face Kyrion, I won’t lose."
"Yes, same here," Celia said, her eyes steady. "Every single moment, my ability feels sharper. I can feel it in my body."
Nolan looked at them and smiled. "Well, yeah... If you fought Kyrion, he’s faster, but I think you’d be able to keep up with his speed. Still, the one person I don’t want fighting him is Celia. If it were Linda, she could read his movements and maybe defeat him. But Celia, that would be dangerous. Both of you use swordsmanship, but Kyrion has far more experience. His cuts are precise, his style ruthless. It would be hard for you, Celia."
His expression hardened as he thought to himself. No. If anyone should face him, it should be me.
"Master, you’re surely worried. Don’t be," Celia said softly. "You’re strong now. And we want to be strong enough to stand by your side."
"Yeah... no need to worry, no problem," Nolan replied, though his eyes were still troubled. "But still, I hope neither of you are paired against him. Or against that guy named Asta. Or Zevric."
Meanwhile, in the arena, both Zero and Lucian had stepped into the ring. They faced each other in silence, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. The audience leaned forward, waiting for the emissary to announce the start of the match.
"These two are strong," Alaric said, his gaze fixed on the arena below. "This is going to be a tough fight... maybe even like Asta and Zevric’s battle."
"Yeah," Dalvin agreed. "I didn’t expect that fight to end in a draw. No one did."
"The fight begins!" the emissary declared.
The crowd roared, shouting in excitement, filling the arena with thunderous noise.
How should I fight him? Zero thought, tightening his grip on his sword. I’ll just have to stand my ground.
He charged forward, sword flashing as he swung toward Lucian. But in a heartbeat, Lucian revealed two short blades, blocking the attack with a sharp clang of steel on steel. Their weapons locked as the two men pushed against each other.
Then, without warning, Lucian spat something from his mouth—a dart. It shot straight toward Zero’s face.
The crowd gasped.
But instead of piercing him, the dart bounced harmlessly off the steel plating of his helm. Zero staggered back, eyes widening inside the visor.
What the—? How the hell did he hide a dart in his mouth? Zero thought. If I wasn’t wearing this armor, he would’ve taken my eye. I’d be blind right now.
The two men separated, circling each other carefully, weapons raised.
This guy is fully covered in armor, Lucian analyzed, eyes narrowing. If it were ordinary metal, I’d cut through it. But this... no. Cutting it down won’t be easy. The only way is to strike at the weak points—the joints, the visor slit, the small opening he uses to see. If I can aim a dart there, he’s finished and I win.
His lips curled slightly as he reached into his inventory. This time, he pulled out a short blade and slipped thin throwing knives between each of his fingers, his hands turning into deadly claws.