This was just a simple probe. Doni had long heard that Seiya possessed a fighting style capable of contending with a Heretic God. Seeing the light condensed from his hands block his own Silver Arm, Doni was somewhat surprised, but he also came to a sudden realization.
So from the very beginning, his opponent's specialty had only ever been his fists. But if that was the case, then he probably held a natural advantage over this friend. Seiya might be a Paladin of exceptional talent, but compared to his own Authority, that alone was far from enough.
"Come, Saint!" Doni laughed wildly, swinging his sword.
The magical power in his body surged forth madly. His entire figure was like that of an ever-victorious god-king. As he charged towards the Saint, the demonic sword in his hand trailed a silver sword-light over ten meters long. It was met halfway by a barrage of oncoming fist-light. The dense fist-light was like a violent storm of pure light, its unending roar shaking the entire ocean.
Meteors, falling like a curtain of rain.
Far away on the Italian mainland, the magicians cheered, praising the scene before them. The reserved witches and the Hime-Miko who had come from afar were no different. The knights, especially, were even more excited, their eyes glued to the scene.
As the King of Swords, revered by all the magicians of Southern Europe, he was also the king the knights were proud of. As for the fact that he had not obtained the rank of knight before becoming a Godslayer—that didn't matter. The current King of Swords, Doni, was the strongest knight, and that was enough.
The knights were, of course, proud that the strongest knight was a Godslayer. At the same time, they marveled at Seiya, who unleashed light and heat. The scene of him clad in his Cloth was simply too stunning, possessing a sacred beauty, like a Heroic Spirit from myth descending upon reality, or an ancient warrior protecting the Earth.
The Authority—the Severing Silver Arm.
This was the Authority that Salvatore Doni had usurped from the Celtic God King, Nuada. It was a terrifying, yet simple and unadorned Authority. It granted him the immense power to create miracles like cleaving the earth, changing the terrain, and parting the seas. It was a demonic sword with the ability to cut through anything.
The moment Doni swung with all his might, the silver that filled their vision swallowed the sky full of light and heat. The demonic sword could cut not only physical objects, but also formless things like gases, liquids, and spiritual bodies with ease. It could even sever conceptual existences.
But when the light dissipated, there was no trace of Seiya. In the next instant, he swung his demonic sword again.
—A fierce wind howled, and a fierce tiger descended from the heavens.
This was the Fierce Tiger Raging Wind Violet Lightning Fist. It was the ultimate technique of Wang Hu, and also one of the combat techniques Seiya possessed after his Pegasus Cloth fused with the Authority of Strong Wind.
Within the white vortex of the gale, a semi-illusory, white-furred tiger with markings on its forehead pounced towards Doni. But Doni, as if with foreknowledge, met the wind with a slash of his own. The all-eroding Silver Arm continued to devour the storm, and Doni, holding his demonic sword, stood in the center of the battlefield, looking up at the dazzling Saint, Seiya, above him.
"Is this the power you relied on to defeat the Eastern war god? Not bad, but if this is all you have, it doesn't even count as a tickle."
Seiya was not angered by Doni's taunt. In his view, his opponent's existence was a whetstone to test the power he now possessed. "Then what about this? Fierce Dragon Blizzard Frost Fist!"
"Sword, shine with light and release flames!" Doni shouted his own incantation in response.
At this time, the magicians on the Italian mainland were stunned. Although both sides were currently evenly matched, anyone could see that the king they were loyal to was on the receiving end of the attacks.
Some of them couldn't help but look towards the other great figures, the Grandmasters. But these commanders remained calm. Because they were stronger, closer to the level of kings and gods, they understood the true situation of the battle.
"His speed is too fast. Is that suit of armor the Authority possessed by the Seventh Majesty?" the commander of the She-Wolves asked in a low voice.
"It is not. At least, from what this old one knows, His Majesty possessed this armament even before his decisive battle with the Eastern war god," the commander of the Old Dames replied.
"An armament capable of rivaling a god. It is indeed quite astonishing," the Great Knight of the City of Lilies commented.
"His movement speed must be at least Mach 3. And from his relaxed demeanor, that's not even his limit," the She-Wolf said again. "Our Lord does not possess any speed-related Authorities or magic. This could be troublesome."
"Neither of them is fighting seriously yet. You could only call this a warm-up. Don't forget what the greatest talent of the King of Swords we are loyal to is," the commander of the City of Lilies said. "That is what can truly contend with a god. Never mind this level of speed; so what if it's divine speed? Why don't we make a bet? When will the King of Swords start to suppress his opponent?"
The commander of the City of Lilies took out his phone and switched to the stopwatch function. Time flew by quickly. The sky was filled with light and shadows falling like rain—hurricanes, lightning, fierce tigers, and raging dragons. Seiya's attacks were like a violent storm, and Doni had yet to mount any effective response.
In the eyes of many magicians, the King of Swords' speed was his greatest weakness. He had to get extremely close to Seiya to land a hit, but Seiya was using a variety of magnificent long-range techniques to suppress him. If this continued, the king they followed could only retreat.
Of course, it would be considered a draw, because the reaction speed of the king they were loyal to was also sufficient to defend against the sky full of light streams.
But the question was, was this level of a draw a situation that either of them could accept?
Just as the stopwatch was about to reach one minute, the situation suddenly changed. Faced with Seiya, who was completely suppressing him with speed, Doni's sword began to swell, to rise, and then to release a brilliant light and flame that engulfed the entire sky.
—It's here! Everyone's spirits were lifted!
A new incantation, a new demonic sword, a new Silver Arm was being forged in this moment.
"O sword that can pierce all enemies with a single swing, for the sake of robbing all of life, be filled with brilliance!" the King of Swords declared.
And then, amidst the sky full of light and flames, his sword hit its target.
This was impossible, completely impossible. But Doni had done it.
It was like a samurai cutting down a speeding swallow in mid-flight. You don't need your sword to be faster than the bird; you only need to slash the path it will travel. This was something that even humans and gods would find difficult to do. But Doni could.
Because he was one who had sublimated his skill to the realm of the gods. He possessed the ultimate mind's eye that could see through even divine speed.
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