Chapter 108. < 42. You're Not Human >
Two people stood in a clean location with no Domain of Dawn or cracks in the ground.
Their gazes toward each other were intense. Philip III spoke first.
"Come to think of it, it hasn't been long since you fought Sir Shinshi-eo. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. We didn't talk for very long. I've already recovered. It wasn't that long of a fight, either."
"Then that's a relief. You can unleash your power without holding back."
Woooom!
Woom!
The Knight King infused aura into his sword, then withdrew it as he spoke. Rumian's eyebrows twitched.
Words that implied he was completely above him.
No matter that he was his former liege, it was irksome.
Yet at the same time, tension began to rise as well.
'I never saw Your Majesty's sword, but Your Majesty saw my sword. Only for a brief moment, but...'
Even so, to show such leisure.
Rumian let out a faint laugh.
It was a smile completely different from his usual one, fiercely aggressive.
'I'm not that easy to deal with, you see...'
Expectation rose.
Ten years ago, he and his liege were perfect equals. A perfect balance where neither could be said to be superior.
But what about now?
If both he and the Knight King had grown since then...
"Are you prepared?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Philip III's voice pierced through his thoughts. Rumian erased his smile and focused his mind.
Right, there was no need for thoughts.
First, they had to clash.
He drew his sword and infused aura into it.
Ziiiiing-!
The sword that had grown high into the sky rapidly shrank again. Following this, another rain of flowers scattered.
The Knight King, who had been preparing his combat stance exactly like Rumian, burst into incredulous laughter.
"I was curious earlier too, but what is that? Sir Rumian."
"...It's the effect of a magic sword I obtained by chance. Different illusions manifest depending on the nature of the aura infused."
"I see. A very interesting sword. Of course, sparring with you will be even more interesting."
"I look forward to it as well, Your Majesty."
"Then, shall we begin?"
"Of course."
Both men tightly closed their mouths and nodded simultaneously. Only the sound of wind spread through the quiet plain.
And after a moment.
Kwang!
Kwaaaaaaang!
The two, appearing as if they had leapt through space, collided at the midpoint.
Paaaaat-
Jejejejejejeok!
At a glance, it seemed similar to the clash between Shinshi-eo and Rumian.
But it was different. A much larger shockwave than before spread out in concentric circles.
It was only natural. Unlike her, who excelled in light and irregular movements, both were men for whom strength-versus-strength confrontations suited them best!
They poured their full power at each other without any consideration for retreat.
Neither seemed to have any intention of backing down.
Both Philip III and Rumian Calad swung their swords with full force, clenching their teeth tight. It looked as if they would shatter each other's swords.
"......"
And exactly after three exchanges, Rumian retreated.
His initial resolve was nowhere to be seen.
It might seem like a cowardly action, but he was in no state to even think such thoughts.
'I'm being pushed back in a head-on strength contest?'
He couldn't believe it.
This was Rumian who had even blocked Shinshi-eo's sword within the Domain of Dawn.
Yet his will to fight head-on was broken after just three exchanges. The Knight King's sword was that heavy.
Rumian, retreating quickly, frowned.
'Something changed. He's not the liege from before!'
It wasn't a major change.
He was still solid and heavy. At a glance, it felt like facing a giant boulder.
But it was subtly different.
As Rumian racked his brain to figure this out, the Knight King's pursuit continued.
Kwang!
The sight of him charging in a straight line was truly terrifying. It was like a meteor flying in.
Rumian dared not think of receiving it and changed direction. The Knight King, having shattered the spot where he stood, moved his feet again.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll organize my thoughts for a moment. Let's postpone the sword and match feet instead, Your Majesty."
A chase of pursuer and pursued continued.
Rumian was fluid, the Knight King was fierce. His pride was hurt, but there was no helping it. In a contest of strength against strength, no chance of victory was visible.
He utilized his water and light aura to the maximum, showing light, fast, and flowing smooth movements. It was a technique the Knight King could never imitate.
The problem was that despite this, he couldn't shake off the pursuit.
'His movements are smoother compared to before.'
The Knight King was someone who had cultivated Xenas's Rock Cultivation Method to its limits. That's why he was more solid and heavy than anyone. The power of each sword strike was enough to shatter castle gates.
But he was that rough. As the price of wielding tremendous power, he had no choice but to somewhat give up delicacy and precision.
However, that wasn't the case now.
He chased Rumian's back with much smoother movements than ten years ago. Though he was showing difficulty with the current situation, he was somehow keeping up with his movements.
Kwang! Kwang!
Kwaaaang!
Of course, since the power he wielded itself was so heavy and crude, he couldn't show a flawless appearance like Rumian. As he forced his feet to change direction, ugly craters formed here and there.
But it was much better than ten years ago.
Just because someone can't perfectly handle a round boulder weighing thousands of tons, does that mean their ability is lacking?
No.
Quite the opposite. Just moving it is amazing, and if they can roughly guide it in the desired direction, they deserve praise.
The Knight King of the past was the latter.
And the current him had far surpassed this.
Drops of sweat began forming on Rumian's forehead.
'At this rate, I'll just keep running away until it ends. The moment I make one mistake, it's over!'
Looking at the Knight King who had chased him to his chin, Rumian ground his teeth.
He didn't want to lose.
The relationship between subject and liege?
It meant nothing. At least right now, the two were facing each other as knight versus knight.
He had to show something. No, he had to win!
Sparks flew from Rumian's eyes.
The ignited will awakened the cells throughout his body. The aura circulating through his body gradually grew hotter, then transformed into a completely different nature.
The blue mountain floating in his mind turned red.
Hwarurururuk!
His body heated up like an active volcano.
Hormones released from his sympathetic nervous system stimulated his entire body. Rumian, consumed by anger and fighting spirit, put strength into his lower body.
His thighs swelled like those of a feline beast.
Peeeeeong!
Accumulated power exploded at once.
Tremendous speed. Seeing Rumian shooting toward him like a meteor, Philip III wore a flustered expression.
'This is bad!'
Coincidentally, he was about to change direction. Therefore his stance was unstable.
It was an exquisite timing. Rumian's experience and instinct had snatched away the only possibility that had been open.
A smile formed on the Knight King's lips.
'As expected, you always surprise me.'
Until just before fighting, he had expected an easy victory.
It wasn't that he was underestimating Rumian. It was because he believed in the ten years he had that Rumian didn't. Today's him was armed with steel-like confidence.
Of course, even if his expectations were shattered, there was nothing to feel bad about. Rather, it was good.
Competing with a strong opponent is a great blessing!
"Haaaaap!"
A shout that would shake the world burst from his mouth. Following this, the black aura sword was slashed upward to the upper left.
This time Rumian didn't pull back either. Naturally. Even if they fought again several times, it would be hard to gain an opportunity like now.
His sword slashed diagonally.
From upper right to lower left. It was the most powerful path of sword a swordsman could unleash.
Their gazes, mixed with ecstasy, excitement, and anticipation, collided in the air.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
Following this, their swords created a tremendous roar.
It was as if thousands and hundreds of thunderbolts struck at once. An enormous energy wave spread out centered on the collision area.
Hwiririlik!
Shinshi-eo Ainsword, who had quickly drawn her sword, created a barrier of aura. Stones, wind, and shockwaves were blocked by this and disappeared.
Bucal also received her help. With his skill, it was difficult to block such power, so it was unavoidable. Therefore he should have expressed gratitude.
But he couldn't do that.
Because an amazing sight he was seeing for the first time in his life had captured his gaze.
"......Both are monsters."
Shinshi-eo didn't blame Bucal.
She didn't even pay attention. She thought with a bitter expression.
'Sir Rumian is half a level above me, and the Knight King is half a level above him.'
She had confidently believed she wouldn't lose to anyone on the continent, but it was arrogance.
Shinshi-eo decided to remember today's events forever.
There was nothing better to whip herself for becoming complacent.
Thud, thudud
Hwaruruk...
A brief moment passed. Then the chaos that seemed like the world would crumble soon quieted down.
Though stone fragments that had shot high into the sky fell and flames burned in various places on the scorched ground, it was a much more stable state compared to right after the collision.
Fortunately, the two who had been at the center also appeared unharmed.
Rumian Calad and Philip III, facing each other with hardened expressions while keeping their distance.
The silence didn't last long. Rumian lowered his head and spoke.
"I have lost, Your Majesty."
"Hahaha. A good match."
It was strange.
Though both had poured out extraordinary strikes, that didn't mean they had no strength left. Both Rumian and the Knight King could have fought much more. Moreover, neither had suffered any significant loss.
Nevertheless, Rumian admitted defeat, and the Knight King accepted it.
Because they all knew.
That if they continued the sparring any further, the Knight King would unconditionally be the one to win.
'Every favorable situation overlapped for me.'
He used the subtlety of surprise to dig into his opponent's opening.
Was that all? While his sword was swung from above to below, his liege's sword was slashed upward from below. Not only was his stance broken, but he also went against gravity.
Yet he couldn't win. It only ended in an even match.
Rumian shook his head back and forth.
"What on earth happened in the ten years? To be able to maintain center even in that situation... I have truly opened my eyes today."
"I feel the same. I thought it would be much easier before stepping into the sparring... One misstep and I would have suffered great disgrace."
The Knight King also praised Rumian's swordsmanship.
It wasn't empty words. Actually, just before, he had felt a chill run down his spine. He continued speaking.
"Surely in the past, you had a similar tendency to me, but how did you come to handle such diverse aura in that short time? Especially at the end, I was surprised. That was the first time I've experienced such a destructive charge."
"You praise me too much. It's simply because I was reborn in a young body, I merely gained the opportunity to challenge paths I hadn't traveled."
"Heheh... As I said earlier, your humility is excessive."
"Compared to Your Majesty's achievements, I am still far lacking."
"Hahahahaha! Enough, stop."
The Knight King burst into laughter.
He felt good.
He had continued training alone without a rival for a long time. The more he did so, the greater his longing for Ryan Promhart, who had left the world first, grew.
That's why today's reunion felt even more meaningful.
Sheathing his sword, he spoke.
"If it were up to my heart, I would want to ask about your free-spirited aura utilization first..."
Psht, the Knight King let out a laugh.
Looking at Rumian's eyes, he absolutely couldn't do that.
His fervor looked twice as large as his own curiosity. He looked like his eyes were about to pop out.
'Is it because the body became younger? The person has become a bit lighter.'
He didn't mean it in a bad way. Rather, vitality could be felt, making him look much better.
He spoke again.
"Since Sir Rumian seems much more urgent than I, shall I speak about my achievements first?"
"I am overwhelmed with gratitude, Your Majesty!"
Rumian, bowing his head deeply, sent bright eyes.
Bucal and Shinshi-eo were the same. They concentrated all their nerves on the Knight King's words without even swallowing saliva.
This was advice from the continent's strongest knight in name and reality.
Every single word would hold value greater than gold.
If they could understand even a little of his words, they would gain effects equivalent to obtaining a fortuitous encounter.
'I hope that happens.'
The Knight King thought inwardly.
He didn't feel any regret at all.
All three gathered here were knights with excellent character. Enough to stake even their lives against the demon tribe invasion that would begin at any time.
Why would he hesitate to share realizations with such people?
With an even deeper smile, he gave his gaze to Bucal, Shinshi-eo, and Rumian in turn.
Finally, words about the realizations of the past ten years began to flow from the Knight King's mouth.
"Sir Rumian probably knows as well. The fact that I have been trying to contain an even larger rock in my heart all this time."
"That is correct, Your Majesty."
It was an obvious statement.
All the knights of Xenas were like that.
To exert more powerful strength, more aura was needed, and for this, containing a larger rock was the standard method.
Rumian was the same. Though it changed from rock to mountain, he was making efforts every day to create an even larger mountain within his body.
However, completely different words flowed from the Knight King's mouth.
"I realized about five years ago that that thinking was wrong."
"......."
"There was no need to obsess over size. To put it more precisely... I belatedly recognized that there was no royal road, that is, no predetermined path, and there was only the path that suits oneself... Sir Rumian?"
The Knight King, who was continuing his explanation, let out a surprised voice.
Immediately after, Shinshi-eo and Bucal also turned their heads toward Rumian. And they widened their eyes.
They had grasped that Rumian's condition was unusual.
'I only threw out a topic...'
'Does this mean he's already obtained something?'
It wasn't simply an appearance of understanding with his head.
Like someone who had already embodied it deep in his body, aura was felt wriggling around him. The earth around him trembled at the energy swirling like a typhoon.
Seeing this, Philip III let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, haha......."