abcnovels
Chapter 491
Chapter 491
Chapter 491
Elna and No-Name.
The arena shook heavily from the impact as their swords clashed.
It wasn't any special technique, just a mere introductory strike.
But the power it held was immense.
If it weren't for Silver's barrier, the spectators would have been at risk.
But there was a barrier, and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief, cheering at the duel before them.
Within the jubilant crowd, the serious battle began.
Neither of them moved an inch, just swinging their swords.
Elna launched an overhead strike, which No-Name deflected before swinging upwards from the lower stance.
But Elna took the blow, parrying it back.
Neither of them would give an inch.
As long as they couldn't break each other's defense, the fight would not end with mere tricks.
Both of them were well aware of this.
What they needed was a powerful strike to shatter the defense or a blow that could change the angle.
Yet, neither of them moved.
They kept swinging their swords without taking a step.
It was pure stubbornness but also a sense of danger.
Taking even a single step back against this opponent would be dangerous. Their sense of danger as swordsmen held them in place.
"You truly are an SS-rank adventurer, aren't you?"
"You still have the leisure to talk, that's surprising."
"You look quite at ease yourself."
"Not as much as you'd think."
They continued exchanging blows and words.
The speed of their sword swings gradually increased.
To overpower the opponent with techniques, speed was essential.
Along with it, the power of their strikes also increased.
The arena shook with the after-effects of the missed blows.
If there were no barrier, the arena's walls would've been destroyed by now.
After exchanging several heavy blows, No-Name blocked an overhead strike from Elna.
Unable to completely halt the momentum, No-Name was blown back.
Finally, there was movement.
The crowd cheered loudly, assuming Elna's victory.
Listening to the crowd, No-Name exhaled deeply.
She had always imagined fighting someone stronger than her and had plenty of such battles in her mind.
But this opponent was stronger than her wildest imaginations.
"The child prodigy of the House of Yushaku, the return of the hero. You're living up to your reputation."
"Do you enjoy stating the obvious?"
"Is it so boring?"
"Yes, very. I am who I am."
With that, Elna closed the distance between her and No-Name in an instant.
A thrust augmented with a running start.
The power of it was incomparable to the previous one.
No-Name blocked it but was once again blown back.
Each strike was heavy.
In a duel between swordsmen, if one's strikes outweigh the other, the tide of the battle can turn.
Even if she tried to counter her power with technique, the previous duels had already settled their technical strengths.
At most, they were evenly matched in technique. But Elna was superior in power.
It seemed impossible to win by conventional means.
The word "defeat" flashed in No-Name's mind.
Everyone wanted it.
Victory for the hero who had been protecting the empire.
It was natural for the people of the empire to desire it.
But...
"You can't afford to hesitate, can you?"
A voice echoed from above.
The crowd looked up.
There were figures above the arena.
"My, my, in addition to running errands for Silver, we were delayed by a slow companion."
"Hey, old man. Who do you think made us late? You got lost multiple times."
"Hey, you old fart. Who do you think is responsible for being late? You kept getting lost multiple times!"
"The directions were bad."
"You never listen to others and just rush ahead!"
"It's your fault for being slower than me!"
"That's right. Your slow feet are also to blame."
"It's insane to make it sound like it's my fault here..."
The scene was filled with the pinnacle of humanity's adventurers.
The remaining three SS-ranked adventurers.
They sat on top of the arena as if they were in reserved seats, beginning to watch the one-on-one duel.
"We have some distinguished guests as well."
"No need for greetings, Your Majesty. We are just spectators."
"Then please enjoy the spectacle over there. Elder Egor, would you like to participate if you're interested?"
"Hahaha, I'll step back, old man. I made sure Silver understood. The loss of No-Name is our loss. If you win, you'll become the Sword Saint or the strongest in the continent, I'll give you that. Well, if you can win."
"Seriously, I don't like those guys from the Empire. They all think that as long as they're heroes, they can defeat any enemy. They need to learn that the world isn't that easy, No-Name."
"You stepped on the stage believing you could win, right? Then believe that you can win until the end."
Upon hearing their words, No-Name chuckled behind his mask.
And he turned his gaze towards Elna, who had stopped moving.
"You have good companions."
"Companions... maybe. Elna von Armsberg, I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"What does the Holy Sword mean to you?"
"I don't understand the intention behind the question, but I'll answer. It's just a sword. It's something that has been passed down through generations, and it's important. But a sword is just a sword. What I'm proud of is being able to summon it. Being acknowledged by my ancestors. It's not a Holy Sword."
"I see... It resolved my dilemma a bit."
"That's good. Since we're at it, I'll tell you my secret too. The reason I summoned the Holy Sword was because I wanted my childhood friend to say it was amazing. It's just that much to me."
"So the reason for the youngest Brave summoning the sword is for that... By the way, who is that childhood friend?"
"I was told to stop because it's dangerous. Summoning when my body isn't ready is a huge burden. My childhood friend is overprotective like that. That's the person who's watching me. That's why I can't lose and let him down."
Saying that, Elna swiftly entered No-Name's area.
The sword approached No-Name's body.
But it was intercepted by the sword held in No-Name's left hand.
And No-Name's right hand gently touched Elna's abdomen.
To her surprise, Elna quickly distanced herself and slipped her left hand between No-Name's right hand and her body.
In an instant, No-Name unleashed a powerful palm strike with almost no distance, and Elna was blown away.
"Ugh!"
While thinking it was dangerous, Elna regained her posture.
In her eyes, she slowly saw No-Name removing her mask.
"I also... cannot afford to lose when my master is watching."
"Finally showing your true strength, huh..."
No-Name slowly took off the mask in her right hand and discarded it.
Then she took her stance.
"I am the SS-ranked adventurer No-Name... And my master's name is Linares."
"No wonder..."
"I'm coming."
The previous strike was undoubtedly that of a martial artist rather than a swordsman.
In addition to the sword, one must also be wary of her striking attacks.
Elna raised her vigilance to the rapidly approaching No-Name.
TLs Notes:
I had to work weekends so this would be a scheduled chapter
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