"Not bad, Julius. You actually managed to block that strike of mine."
Natsuki Subaru looked at Julius, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
As expected of the man called "The Finest Knight"; he's even stronger than I estimated.
That last strike, although I only used less than fifty percent of my strength, was still several times the power of an ordinary person.
For Julius to block it was indeed unexpected.
"Natsuki Subaru, you are also very skilled."
Julius nonchalantly flexed his numb wrist, but his heart was in turmoil.
The force of that last blow felt as if I'd been hit head-on by an Earth Dragon.
If I hadn't preemptively reinforced my body's defense with Iku's earth-attribute magic, my entire arm might have been crippled.
This brute force completely exceeds what a human should be capable of.
It was worth noting that as a Spirit Knight, Julius had contracts with six elemental quasi-spirits: Iya (Fire), Kua (Water), Yaro (Wind), Iku (Earth), Nesu (Yin), and In (Yang).
Among them, Iku's earth-attribute protection magic could significantly enhance physical defense, which was key to his emerging unscathed from Natsuki Subaru's terrifying strength.
Clang, clang, clang!!!
As sword lights crisscrossed, the two figures clashed violently once more, the sound of metal striking metal echoing across the training grounds.
As the battle continued to heat up, the shock in Julius's heart grew ever stronger.
He had thought he had grasped the limit of Natsuki Subaru's speed, but with each new exchange, his opponent would always display even more exquisite movement techniques.
Those seemingly impossible evasive maneuvers made Julius's vaunted predictive abilities miss time and again.
"His speed... it can still get faster...?"
Just as Julius adapted to a certain offensive and defensive rhythm, Natsuki Subaru would suddenly change tactics, completely disrupting his plans.
The Finest Knight's understanding was being refreshed again and again.
He stared intently at Natsuki Subaru's composed expression, alarm bells ringing wildly in his mind: "Not only is his speed astonishing, but his sword skills are equally sharp. What's even more terrifying is... he clearly hasn't used his full strength yet."
Julius forced himself to calm down.
He had to maintain absolute focus, both to find a way to win and to avoid revealing any openings due to overthinking.
"As expected of the kingdom's finest knight. Although he can't compare to that cheat Reinhard, this strength indeed befits the title."
And on the other end of the exchange, Natsuki Subaru was also calmly assessing the battle situation.
Just as Julius suspected, he was indeed holding back.
After all, the opportunity to fight a top-tier knight like this with all his might was incredibly rare; how could he end it so easily?
Of course, there was another point: Natsuki Subaru could clearly sense that Julius was also testing his limits, similarly not going all out.
When the battle between the two had been going on for two and a half minutes, the entire training ground was in an uproar.
Although the spectators couldn't understand the exquisite swordplay, they were completely ignited by this exhilarating duel.
The noble young ladies had forgotten their composure, the young knights stared wide-eyed, and even the most composed elders of the Sage Council couldn't help but lean forward.
"That black-haired kid... he can actually fight evenly with Lord Julius..."
"It's truly unbelievable!"
"Look! He dodged The Finest Knight's attack again..."
Amidst the rising gasps of amazement, the image of the obscure knight Natsuki Subaru fighting on par with the kingdom's finest knight was reshaping everyone's perceptions.
"I can't take his attacks head-on. I must find an opening. His combat intuition is almost like a wild beast's." Julius's expression was grave, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
He constantly changed tactics, sometimes attacking like a fierce storm, sometimes striking with the cunning of a viper.
And Natsuki Subaru consistently maintained astonishing calmness, his black eyes seemingly able to see through all feints.
Every parry was perfectly timed, every counterattack aimed straight for a vital point.
Clang!
The two swords collided, erupting in dazzling sparks.
Unlike Julius's elegant and standard knightly swordsmanship, Natsuki Subaru's sword technique had no set routine—it was pure, savage, violent aesthetics.
Each strike carried a terrifying force beyond that of an ordinary person, making Julius's arm numb.
In the next instant.
"Dangerous!"
Facing a fierce horizontal slash from Natsuki Subaru, Julius leaped back lightly.
Swish—!
The dagger cut through the air, leaving a three-meter-long deep gash on the ground, the kicked-up debris and dust filling the air.
This wasn't a simple contest of sword skills.
In this duel, strength, speed, stamina, reflexes—every factor was tilting the scales of victory.
Natsuki Subaru's physique, enhanced by the system, had long surpassed that of an ordinary person by several times.
Coupled with the hundred-percent damage bonus from Advanced Dagger Arts and the combat experience accumulated from fighting countless Mabeasts in dungeons, he was now fully qualified to contend head-on with The Finest Knight.
"Now!"
A sharp glint flashed in Natsuki Subaru's eyes, and the sandy ground beneath his feet exploded.
In the instant before Julius landed, his figure had already transformed into a black streak of lightning, moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye to circle behind his opponent.
Swish!
The dagger, with a piercing whistle, mercilessly slashed towards Julius's back.
"This speed...!"
Julius's pupils contracted sharply, the hairs on his body standing on end.
In that split second, a knight's instinct made him grip his knightly sword tightly with both hands, assuming the most standard defensive posture in front of him.
Clang!
The moment the dagger and the knightly sword collided, Julius felt his hand go numb.
"In a pure contest of strength, you're still far off!"
Before his words had even faded, Natsuki Subaru's free left fist had already shot out like lightning.
This punch solidly struck Julius's unprotected abdomen, the muscles beneath his uniform instantly caving in.
"Bang—!"
A dull impact sound echoed throughout the training ground.
Julius's slender body flew backward like a broken kite, tumbling several times on the sand before he barely managed to stabilize himself.
Then, he knelt on one knee, his left hand unconsciously pressing his aching abdomen, his right hand still gripping his knightly sword tightly.
The training ground instantly fell silent.
The spectators' mouths hung open, their faces filled with disbelief.
Even Reinhard in the stands couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"So strong..."
Julius gritted his teeth and stood up, his mind reeling.
In the previous exchange, he had used everything he had learned.
From exquisite knightly sword techniques to battle-honed killing moves, all his maneuvers were deployed in turn, yet all were neutralized by his opponent with almost predictive accuracy.
What was even more terrifying was that after such an intense exchange, Natsuki Subaru's breathing was not disordered in the slightest, and not a single drop of sweat could be seen on his forehead.
"Julius, there's no need to keep probing like this anymore." Natsuki Subaru didn't continue his attack.
His dagger pointed diagonally towards the ground, his black eyes shining with anticipation. "Let me see your true strength as a Spirit Knight."
It's known that Julius, in his fight with me just now, deliberately held back from using his more powerful spirit magic.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru's favorable impression of Julius increased somewhat.
However, the completion condition for the system quest is very clear.
I must defeat a full-strength Julius head-on.
A battle where he holds back like this doesn't count.
"I understand." Julius slowly rose, brushing the dust off his white uniform, an unprecedented fighting spirit igniting in his amber eyes. "My previous restraint was discourteous of me. From now on, I swear on my knightly honor to fight with all my strength!"
Through the previous exchange, Julius had clearly realized that he could never defeat Natsuki Subaru with knightly sword skills alone.
As a knight, he had to defend the honor of the Knightly Order!
And as a warrior, he also yearned to fight a strong opponent like Natsuki Subaru with all his might.
"Now you're talking! Let's have a good fight!" A grin of excitement spread across Natsuki Subaru's lips as he twirled the Kasaka's Venom Fang dagger skillfully in his hand.
"Yaro! Iku!"
Julius raised his left hand high, and green and yellow spirit lights bloomed in his palm.
The wind spirit and earth spirit responded to his call, forming a brilliant elemental vortex around him.
The ground of the training field began to tremble slightly, and the concentration of magical energy in the air rose sharply.
Gasps of astonishment erupted from the spectator stands.
"Be careful."
Julius's figure suddenly blurred.
Enhanced by the wind spirit Yaro, his speed increased dramatically, and he instantly closed the distance to Natsuki Subaru.
His sword moved so fast it almost left afterimages, the rapier weaving a dense, inescapable silver net in the air, sealing off all of Natsuki Subaru's escape routes.
Fast!
Faster!
Extremely fast!
Every thrust was precisely aimed at a vital point, every strike carried a deadly elegance.
"Although his sword speed is astonishing, it's still within manageable limits."
However, facing this torrential assault, Natsuki Subaru remained as composed as a reef in a storm.
The Kasaka's Venom Fang dagger in his hand seemed to have a life of its own, its movements creating streaks of afterimages.
Every swing accurately struck the weak points of the sword net, skillfully deflecting force, neutralizing Julius's offensive.
A glint flashed in Julius's eyes as he seized the moment Natsuki Subaru retracted his move: "Iya, Flame Impact!"
Boom!
The ground suddenly cracked, and a pillar of scorching fire erupted, charring the very air with its heat.
"This is bad..."
Natsuki Subaru's eyebrows shot up.
He retreated explosively, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow, but the cloak on his back was instantly scorched by the high temperature.
That terrifying heat was enough to carbonize flesh in an instant.
"Kua, Chains of Water!"
Julius gave him no respite.
Several whips formed of high-pressure water currents lashed out from different angles, tracing bizarre arcs in the air.
"Ranged magic is too troublesome... I have to get in close!"
In a flash of thought, Natsuki Subaru's figure transformed into a black streak of lightning, executing an S-shaped movement pattern, perfectly evading all the water whips.
In an instant, he had closed in on Julius, his dagger striking towards Julius's chest like a viper's fang.
"Nesu, Weaken!"
Julius suddenly unleashed Yin-attribute magic.
Dark, gloomy energy coiled around Natsuki Subaru's limbs like venomous snakes.
"My body suddenly feels heavy... but I can still take it." Natsuki Subaru had a flash of inspiration and deliberately made his movements sluggish.
As expected, Julius immediately seized the opening, his rapier whistling through the air as it thrust forward.
"Now!"
The instant the sword tip was about to hit, Natsuki Subaru suddenly unleashed his full power.
The dagger swung upwards at an angle that defied human ergonomics, a cold light flashed—
"Rip!"
Julius's white uniform was slit cleanly, and a lock of purple hair slowly drifted to the ground.
In the spectator stands, Felt watched, dumbfounded. "This... isn't this too exaggerated?"
"Julius is about to use his full strength..." A rare look of gravity appeared on Reinhard's face.
Indeed.
On the training ground, Julius suddenly leaped back ten meters, and six-colored lights converged madly at the tip of his sword: "Be careful, this is my ultimate move—"
"Al Clarista!"
A rainbow aurora, like a bursting dam, poured out, instantly covering more than half of the training ground.
The dazzling light forced everyone present to close their eyes; even Reinhard raised his hand to shield his.
"It's over..." Julius panted, sweat trickling down his cheeks.
No one had ever taken this move head-on...
However—
"What?!"
When the dust settled, Natsuki Subaru's figure had appeared behind Julius like a ghost, the Kasaka's Venom Fang dagger held steadily at his throat.
In truth, when the aurora struck, Natsuki Subaru had indeed been severely injured.
But relying on the status recovery from his daily quest rewards, he had healed his injuries in the nick of time and then used his Sprint skill to execute an extreme flank.
"But honestly, that was terrifying just now. I almost had to reload a save..." Natsuki Subaru complained wildly in his mind, yet maintained a composed smile on his face.
Julius stared blankly at the unharmed Natsuki Subaru before him, a complex emotion flashing in his amber eyes.
After a moment of silence, Julius sighed in resignation and frankly admitted defeat. "I lose... I never thought you could emerge unscathed from my ultimate move. I am thoroughly convinced of my defeat."
Although a sense of loss was inevitable in his heart—not only had he failed to reclaim honor for the Knightly Order, but he had also been defeated in full public view—Julius had to admit that the strength of the black-haired young man before him was truly admirable.
His speed, strength, and sword skills were all impeccable.
Why had he never heard of such a strong individual before?
The entire field fell into a brief silence, then erupted in deafening gasps of astonishment.
"Lord Julius actually... lost?!"
"That black-haired knight, who on earth is he?"
"It's truly unbelievable..."
Although the outcome was unexpected, everyone was shaken by this spectacular duel.
The members of the Knightly Order looked at each other; they had wanted to witness The Finest Knight teach this overconfident Natsuki Subaru a lesson, but instead, they had witnessed The Finest Knight being defeated.
However, admiration soon replaced their disappointment.
In this world where the strong are respected, true strength always deserves reverence.
[Notification: Hidden Quest, Clash of the Strong. Completed.]
Natsuki Subaru let out a long sigh of relief, looking at the system notification that popped up before him.
Then, he looked at Julius with a sincere gaze. "Julius, you were strong too. I was almost done for by you."
"Knight Natsuki Subaru, you are even stronger than I imagined," Julius said, looking at Natsuki Subaru.
"Actually, it's not that exaggerated. I was just lucky," Natsuki Subaru said, scratching his head, somewhat embarrassed.
"No, this was by no means luck." Julius shook his head, his eyes shining with admiration. "I have never seen anyone completely evade within the range of Al Clarista—"
That's because I didn't evade it at all!
It was all thanks to status recovery saving my life, okay...
Natsuki Subaru complained wildly in his mind but maintained a humble smile on the surface, engaging in some commercial flattery. "Julius, your sword skills are also incredible. Those combos and spirit magic almost left me breathless."
"To be praised by a strong individual like you is my honor." Julius paused, his tone becoming serious. "Honestly, where did you learn your swordsmanship? I've never seen such unique footwork and power generation methods in the Royal Capital."
"Ahaha... well, about that..." Natsuki Subaru rubbed the back of his head, chuckling evasively. "Just something I figured out on my own..."
I can't very well say I learned it from the system, can I...
"Knight Natsuki Subaru." Julius solemnly gave Natsuki Subaru a knight's salute. "I hope to have the opportunity to spar with you again in the future."
"No problem..." Natsuki Subaru replied with a dry laugh, already mentally calculating how to avoid such a deadly ultimate move next time.
On the other side, in the spectator stands.
"No... impossible, meow! Julius actually lost?!" Ferris's cat ears twitched violently, his golden pupils wide and round. "But that's Julius, one of the Royal Capital's strongest knights, meow..."
"It seems we all underestimated Natsuki Subaru. To defeat a Spirit Knight with pure combat skill, his strength is certainly commendable." Crusch crossed her arms, an unusual light flickering in her emerald-like eyes.
"Oh no—I'm doomed, meow!" Ferris's face suddenly turned pale, his entire body freezing as if struck by lightning.
"What? Did you also arrange a fight with Natsuki Subaru?" Crusch glanced sideways at Ferris.
"It's worse than that, meow..." Ferris wailed, his ears completely drooping. "I made a bet with Subaru-kyun just now... I said if he won, then, then..."
"Then what?" Crusch asked curiously.
"He gets to rub my ears for a whole day." Ferris covered his blushing face. "And, he also said he wants to try different cat-petting techniques, meow~"
Hearing this, Crusch couldn't help but chuckle, lightly coughing to cover her amusement. "Ahem... Honesty is the foundation of integrity."
"Lady Crusch!" Ferris suddenly grabbed Crusch's arm, his eyes welling up with tears. "Could you perhaps issue a temporary decree, prohibiting cat-petting or something, meow?"
"Since a bet was made, the promise should be kept. This is the knight's code," Crusch said somewhat sternly, crossing her arms.
"Wuuu... my ears are going to suffer, meow..." Ferris said, hugging his pair of cat ears in despair. "I hope Subaru-kyun will be gentle then, meow~"
Meanwhile, in the center of the arena, Natsuki Subaru suddenly sneezed. "Achoo—Strange, who's talking about me?"
He scratched his head, then broke into a radiant smile. "Still, winning the duel just feels great!"
Thus, this duel that shook the Royal Capital concluded with Natsuki Subaru defeating the kingdom's finest knight.
And the name Natsuki Subaru began to spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys of the entire Royal Capital.
_
Greetings! ✨ Walnut here!
🔥 AN INCREDIBLE OFFER IS ON THE TABLE! 🔥
We're only 17 members away from our 65-member goal! 🎯
The second we hit it, 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for ALL STORIES will be released to everyone. No exceptions!
🪦 Your membership is the key. Let's make it happen!
100 powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone! 5 reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
Secure your early access before it's too late!
👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan