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The vast and majestic corridor of the palace, stretching sixty meters in width, was enveloped in utter silence, preserving its enigmatic aura. It felt like a secluded realm, isolated from the tumultuous roar and howl pervading the outside world.

Adorning the ceiling, crystal chandeliers hung at equal distances from each other. While hard to compare directly, their size rivaled that of millennium-old canopy trees.

Amidst this magical setting, where the brilliant light from chandeliers clashed with the flickering flames of enchanted fires on golden candelabras mounted on silver pillars, a battle of two against six men erupted.

“I’ll handle him. Master, deal with the rest!”

Maroudo, his sword locked with Bernardo’s twin blades, leapt back to break the deadlock as their swords met, causing Bernardo to slash through the air where Maroudo had just been.

“You make it sound so simple. Please, have mercy on this old frame.”

The Beast King, sounding bored, was encircled by five sacred knights moving in perfect unison. Despite his bulky appearance suggesting otherwise, his movements were agile and precise, evading attacks while exploiting any break in their ranks to deliver swift strikes.

‘Claiming humility, yet confident in your prime,’ Maroudo mused internally with a wry smile, distancing himself by ten meters. He steadied himself, great sword at the ready.

Bernardo faced him, clad in azure-themed Gospel Mail beneath a surcoat, wielding a slender longsword in his right hand, its hilt in the shape of a cross. Uniquely, his left hand bore another double-edged sword instead of a shield, adopting a twin-sword style.

‘The reach of my great sword gives me an edge, yet his twin swords offer superior maneuverability,’ Maroudo deduced swiftly. The initial exchange revealed that Bernardo’s weapon matched his own legendary tier, though his armor fell short by a few grades compared to Maroudo’s legendary Water Dragon King armor. “Yet, his skill with twin swords compensates for this discrepancy. It seems our battle will be decided by skill above all else.”

As Maroudo braced for the clash, Bernardo’s grayish eyes glimmered with fierce determination. Maroudo’s fleeting grin vanished as he acknowledged his opponent’s resolve, proclaiming loudly,

“I am unparalleled and invincible; no foe can stand against my blade. Right here, right now, my swordsmanship will conquer the enemy before me!”

Synchronized with his declaration, a nearly omnipotent power surged throughout his body, heightening his senses to their fullest. Any hesitation, however slight, could be fatal. He faced an adversary he couldn’t defeat without committing fully from the outset.

“Heh, resorting to the language of magic to push beyond limits. Hiyuki has truly found an intriguing retainer.”

The man in the white mask, donning a silk hat and a suit with a bow tie, remarked casually, distancing himself from the unfolding events. He sat in the corridor, watching with interest. A mysterious (; ・`ω・´) expression seemed to float on his mask’s surface.

He had never faced a twin-sword style before, but Maroudo’s stance—right hand forward, body half-turned—felt inherently natural. Anticipating an enemy’s next move was usually simple for him, yet a foe of this caliber demanded foresight of two to three moves ahead. Overcoming his momentary hesitation, he resolved to maintain the advantage, propelling himself forward with a forceful kick off the ground.

“—Haaa!”

Maroudo surged forward swiftly, gliding just above the ground as he twisted his sword for an upward thrust.

Bernardo, expression unchanging, anticipated the sword’s flash—akin to a streak of lightning—and met it with his cross sword style. Sparks erupted fiercely, and for the first time, he found himself pushed back by Maroudo’s superior strength and momentum.

Maroudo pivoted, instantly executing a second maneuver: a direct upward slash.

“Haaa!!!”

Bernardo emanated a murky red-black aura, a stark contrast to his once brilliant golden hue, and deftly parried the attack with his right-hand sword, the True Cross. His left-hand sword swiftly aimed at Maroudo’s blade as a counter.

Maroudo absorbed the blow with his sword’s guard, using the attack’s force to create distance. Bernardo quickly closed the gap, his cross swords enveloped in his aura, delivering a high-speed thrust.

“Kuh.”

Recognizing the danger of a direct confrontation, Maroudo swiftly moved to Bernardo’s blind spot on the left. Bernardo responded by rotating his cross sword, unleashing a tarnished golden aura from the blade.

“Hrrrgh!!”

Maroudo positioned his great sword to withstand the strike, yet the formidable power behind Bernardo’s assault propelled him back as if he were merely a toy.

“Yooou!”

Maroudo spun in mid-air, managing a nimble landing. Bernardo wasted no time in pressing the attack, launching a rapid succession of five strikes. His right hand blurred with speed, launching an all-encompassing assault on Maroudo.

Maroudo endeavored to deflect the oncoming strikes with his great sword, yet Bernardo’s relentless onslaught left scratches and sparks upon his armor. In a fluid motion, Bernardo transitioned from a carte stance to deliver an upward slash followed by a horizontal swipe with his left hand, simultaneously executing a trio of rapid strikes with his right.

“Blossom Barrage—Greatsword of the Cresting Waves!”

Despite Bernardo’s adept execution, his maneuver exposed his wrist. Seizing the moment, Maroudo’s counterattack sliced through Bernardo’s aura and grazed his form.

“Kuh!”

With a slash across the inside of his left hand, Bernardo grounded his foot to widen the gap between them. Maroudo, seizing the moment, lunged forward with a forceful thrust.

“Belfry smash!”

Propelled as though his boots were laced with explosives, Maroudo charged forward, aiming his great sword directly at Bernardo’s heart. Faced with an unavoidable strike, Bernardo quickly countered, crossing his swords to form a protective barrier.

“Moreeee!!”

Battling against what seemed like an impenetrable steel fortress, Maroudo intensified his efforts, sensing the impact of his attack more profoundly than before, even if he hadn’t breached Bernardo’s defenses.

A metallic clang echoed as Bernardo was propelled backward.

“Dark Impulse.”

“Harrrrgh!!!”

Just as Maroudo readied himself to pursue Bernardo, he was abruptly engulfed in a torrent of dark lightning.

“—Crap!”

Witnessing the enemy leader spring into action after remaining a mere observer, Beast King was taken aback. With a swift motion, he launched several hefty, sharp-tipped black projectiles akin to shuriken or darts.

“Dark Shield.”

The ethereal barrier conjured by the man in the white mask effortlessly deflected each projectile.

“—No one asked you to interfere!”

With a glare as intense as if flames might erupt from his eyes, Bernardo fixed his master with a fierce look. The man averted his gaze, the mask bearing a 〈のヮの〉 expression.

Leaning on his great sword for support, Maroudo steadied himself. The air was thick with the scent of charred flesh, yet the protective capabilities of his armor, combined with his vampiric regenerative powers, fortuitously prevented a deadly outcome. But—

“The enhancement’s been nullified, huh? And I’m running low on mana to activate it again.”

He forced his leaden body, weighed down by a mix of mental fatigue and physical injuries, into readiness, his sword poised for action.

Bernardo adopted a stance in unison, though his hardened expression betrayed a flicker of regret and sorrow.

“It’s truly regrettable. That a warrior of your caliber is forced into a duel devoid of elegance and fairness. I lament this indignity.”

“Life seldom follows our desires. Plus, I never anticipated fairness in the throes of war.”