‘Today is finally the day.’
For Lucas, no single day had been more exciting or more anticipated than this one.
Months of relentless training, countless hours spent honing his skills, and unwavering determination had all led to this moment.
Lucas had long sought Riley’s attention, hoping to prove himself worthy in the eyes of the one he admired most.
Despite Riley’s constant indifference, today was different. There would be no escape from this duel.
To Riley, this might seem like just another match, a mere formality in the grand scheme of the festival.
But for Lucas, this was the culmination of all his efforts, the embodiment of his dedication to the knight’s code of honor.
This duel was more than just a fight-it was a chance to demonstrate the true spirit of a knight.
‘I’m sure he’ll see it through my sword.’
Lucas wanted Riley to witness it, to recognize the essence of knighthood in his every move, every strike. He wanted Riley to see the depth of his conviction, the strength of his resolve. “Lucas…”
“Janica.”
Recognizing the soft voice, Lucas turned around to see his childhood best friend, Janica Mortelina. It had been quite some time since they’d had a normal conversation after their brief falling out.
Although they had somewhat reconciled a few days ago, the looming Grand Festival had left them with little time to properly mend their awkward relationship.
“It’s been a while, huh? It was a bit hard catching up to you with all the training you’ve put yourself through… Ah-ah, of course, I’m not blaming you, okay? W-we’re done with-no, I mean I’m done complaining about that part, so yeah, it’s okay for you to train all you want. Of course, I know you-“
“I’m truly sorry, Janica!”
“Huh?”
“I know you were just worried about me that time, and I ended up lashing out at you. That’s why I’m truly sorry!”
“Mm, it’s alright. I understand where you were coming from anyway. After all, I know how annoying I can be, hehe~ and didn’t we already talk about this last time?”
“I never apologized last time.”
“Is that so… t-then apology accepted. Now hurry up and raise your head; it’s embarrassing me.”
It was still very early in the morning, so there weren’t many people around, but even so, Janica felt uncomfortable seeing Lucas bowing to her.
Lucas slowly lifted his head, a mixture of relief and gratitude evident in his eyes. “Thank you, Janica. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Janica smiled warmly, her initial awkwardness giving way to genuine affection. “You don’t have to make it up to me, Lucas.”
‘Just being by your side is more than enough…’
“Did you say something?” Lucas asked, straightening up and looking into her eyes.
“Nn, no,” Janica replied quickly.
As Lucas straightened up and looked into her eyes, Janica smiled, seeing his apologetic look. ‘He’s still the same old Lucas I know,’ she thought.
At first, she had been worried that academy life and Riley’s sudden influence might have changed Lucas for the worse.
But now, after seeing him apologize so earnestly, she realized he was still the same old crybaby Lucas who couldn’t keep himself from feeling guilty.
Although it felt great to be apologized to, knowing that she was partly at fault for their fight as well made her feel embarrassed about all of it. ‘I just wish he wasn’t as stubborn as he is.’ “Now, now, let’s forget about all of this for now and hurry to our classroom, shall we? Professor Ferdinand asked us to arrive early, right?” Janica suggested.
Lucas nodded, finding Janica’s actions a positive sign that she truly accepted his apology. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
As they walked toward the classroom, side by side, Lucas couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over him.
The weight of their previous tension had lifted, replaced by the warmth of their rekindled friendship.
The weight of their previous tension had lifted, replaced by the warmth of their rekindled friendship. As they walked into the classroom, they were greeted by a familiar and bustling scene.
“Everyone sure came here early~” Janica noted cheerfully.
Lucas scanned the room, noting that Riley and Seo were still absent.
Professors Ferdinand and his assistant professor Yuki were already there, waiting for the entire Class S to show up.
Despite the somewhat lively atmosphere due to professor Ferdenand’s presence, Lucas couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the sight of the two empty seats.
The twins were still missing, their disappearance a mystery despite the academy’s profound investigations.
Ignoring such troubling thoughts for now, Lucas mentally prepared himself for the upcoming fight.
Thinking too much about uncertain things would only make him dull in the battle arena. There was only one goal Lucas had in mind when facing Riley, and that was to win.
To some, his overall demeanor might seem like that of a stubborn guy who couldn’t accept the outcome of his first bout with Riley.
But to him, it was more than that. This was about proving his worth, not just to Riley, but to
“Remember, kid, an insult to your honor is an insult to your very memory itself. You must always make sure to reclaim that honor!”
“But how do I do that, mister?”
“Well, of course, you beat the shit out of the one who dishonored it! Hahaha!”
Recalling the wise words of the drunken knights who had visited their village one time,
Lucas’s resolve strengthened.
His eyes locked onto the figure who opened the classroom door, walking alongside their top
classmate.
Riley’s blue eyes were as cold as ever, and his golden hair seemed to shine like a crown in the
morning light.
A person he can’t reach…. That was who Riley was to him.
For his honor.
‘This time for sure I’ll beat you,’
…
“Please welcome Riley Hell and Lucas!”
Hearing my name and Lucas’s name being called out, all the lost nervousness I had felt came
back like the rushing tide of an opened dam.
It was so heavy and surreal that it felt like I was drowning under the intense expectations of
those around me.
But surprisingly, as I took my heavy steps outside the waiting room and onto the stage, walking through the greyish-white stairs, all the pressure disappeared immediately.
The audience went wild, erupting in their own forms of cheers. Some were just excited, while others were genuinely hyped up for the fight.
Is this what professional fighters feel whenever they were stepping into the arena? This felt totally different from the time back in the class evaluation exam.
The pressure from Professors Ferdinand and Yuki was already very heavy at that time, but now, with thousands of eyes locked onto me, I felt like a rare animal in a zoo.
Looking at my side, Lucas doesn’t seem to mind all the gazes as he just kept looking forward,
his hands locked tight to his sword’s handle.
As someone who was essentially him in the game, I knew just what the look on his face meant.
‘He was excited.’ Well, I can’t say I was excited myself since my loss was already probably set in stone.
Lucas may not have improved much due to the number of arcs that were skipped throughout my meddling, but even still, he was the protagonist of this world.
He was meant to be the best, the chosen one. But I’ll make sure I give him a run for his money
at least. This stage sure is large. I already had a pretty substandard idea of just how large the stage was based on the game CGs, but now that I’m actually on top of it, the word gigantic can’t seem to
describe it.
Just how far was the total diameter of this thing? It was like four whole football fields
smashed into one to form a circular stage.
Looking up above, the judges’ podium was located atop a personal platform reminiscent of
the private booths at an auction house.
There, the judges eyed us with calculative measures, probably assessing who would win even though we hadn’t clashed swords yet.
I caught sight of Senior Dorothy, who waved at me with a smile on her face. Although it was hard to hear what she was saying above the constant rumblings of the crowd, it was probably somewhere along the lines of “Good luck” and “Do your best, Junior!” ‘She’s as cute as ever-‘ her smile as bright as the sun as she continued to happily wave at me. She then turned her attention to Lucas, giving him a thumbs up.
‘Looks like her relationship with Lucas wasn’t all too bad either,’ I mused. Since Lucas was technically her savior, the two of them probably maintained a close friendship out of the
public eye.
Though I had never really seen the two of them together, it was plausible that they hung out from time to time when I was busy dungeon hunting or training by myself.
It was his fate to be surrounded by girls, after all.
The duke, my father-in-law, only glanced at me slightly before giving me a respectable nod.
It must be his own way of saying, “Do your best.”
Seeing as how he doesn’t want to bring too much attention to me, it seems he is still making
sure that my relationship with the Heavens family remains a secret-at least until Liyana arrives at the academy.
Though he did give Alice quite a few suspicious glances, staring at both of us for quite some
time.
Rumors about me are bound to reach the duke’s ears soon, so I wasn’t really planning to hide
my close relationship with Senior Alice.
Still, his gaze felt heavier for some reason.
The holographic screen popped up right above us, showcasing our ranks and names for
everyone to see.
[Riley Hell – Knight Department Rank 3] VS [Lucas – Knight Department Rank 2]
Some in the crowd were surprised and in awe, wondering why such highly ranked students
were the first match of the day.
However, their eyes didn’t ask too many questions-the sheer excitement from their gazes was enough to tell us what they wanted.
Lucas and I locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between us.
He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it, deciding to let his actions
speak for him. He got into his sword stance, signaling his readiness for the battle ahead.
“Let the match Begin!!!” the announcer’s voice boomed, accompanied by the rhythmic pounding of drums.
The sound reverberated through the air, heightening the anticipation.
Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before drawing his sword from its sheath. A golden aura enveloped the blade, dancing like ethereal fairies.
Rays of golden energy radiated from his weapon, and the air around him seemed to shimmer
with a threatening density, as if the very winds were converging around his blade, ready to slice through anything in its path.
His energy was palpable, far more intense than I had remembered.
I didn’t need to see his stats to assess his strength; my enhanced senses were enough to gauge
his formidable power.
Shit…
He really got stronger. There goes one of my reasons for participating in this fight. Clenching my fists, I steeled myself for the inevitable clash. My mana began to coat my body,
enveloping me in a protective layer.
My breathing and heartbeat slowed, the heat surging through my veins as I felt my weight
become both lighter and denser. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to spring into action.
The crowd’s cheers faded into the background as I focused solely on Lucas. He stood poised, the golden aura around his sword pulsing with energy.
I mirrored his stance, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline as my own mana flared to life,
surrounding me in a shimmering blue light.
The way Lucas positioned himself was unmistakable-he was preparing to use his most
spammed move from the game.
It was a technique he often relied on, and seeing him adopt this stance filled me with a mix of
anticipation and determination.
[Golden Shower]
A three-step sword strike, essentially a powerful three-hit combo designed to disarm and
end fights swiftly. It was a self-taught technique, one of Lucas’s signature moves.
While undeniably potent, it had its weaknesses.
I don’t know what he’s trying to convey by making this his first move, but it’s clear he means
business.
[Status Info:]
[Taylor Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 79] [Strength: B [0/80]] [Agility: D [0/50]] [Endurance: C[0/60]] [Luck: o [????]]
[Power: C [0/60]]
[Available Status Points: 35]
[Skills Info:]
[Intermediate Swordsmanship (Proficiency 45%)] [Piercing Strike!] [Proficiency (90%)] [Mana Amplification] [Proficiency (80%)]
[Time Dilation] [Proficiency (97%)] [Dash] [Proficiency (55%)] [Heavy Strike] [Proficiency (45%)]
[Thought Acceleration] [Proficiency (18%)] [Flash Step] [Proficiency (10%)] [Blood Rampage (Rare)] [Proficiency (5%)]
[Raging Storms] [Proficiency (1%)]
[Golden Lightning] [Proficiency (1%)] [Passive Skills:]
[Monarch’s Will (Locked)] [Passive Effect: Charisma + EX]
[Current proficiency: 15%] [Influence: 60]
[Presence: 80]
When faced with aggression, the best defense is a strong offense.
It was time to make my move. [Mana Amplification] [Proficiency (80%)] → [Activated] [Skill: Dash] [Proficiency (55%)] → [Activated] [Skill: Flash Step] [Proficiency (10%)] → [Activated]
[Skill: Heavy Strike] [Proficiency (45%)] → [Activated]
[Skill: Golden Lightning] [Proficiency (1%)] → [Activated] Rumble! – Rumble!
My body moved like a blur of lightning, my sword whistling through the air as it aimed for
Lucas’s neck.
The sheer speed of my attack left a trail of golden sparks, illuminating the arena with an
electrifying aura.
Lucas’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t falter.
His instincts kicked in, and he parried my strike at the last moment.
BOOM!!!
The impact of our swords sent a shockwave through the air as a massive explosion of golden
sparks danced around the empty air.