Chapter 457
Chapter 457
Chapter 457
The Massacre Duke Saladin.
Zeke knew this name. Saladin was the commander of the Muruk Empire's invasion force that attacked the Central Continent 25 years ago.
Records showed that Saladin had single-handedly faced over a hundred knights.
'The records described him as a monster breathing black flames, with dozens of spikes on his back and wire-like hair covering his body.'
Zeke looked down at Saladin kneeling in chains.
Unlike the accounts, Saladin had an average build and rather innocent appearance.
As Zeke pondered this, Shahrazad ordered the slaves to release the chains.
RATTLE!
The chains binding Saladin's neck and arms were immediately released.
The nobles watched with frozen faces, trembling in fear.
Zeke, who had read about the Muruk Empire through his Clairvoyance, knew why the nobles feared Saladin so much.
'Saladin returned to the Empire as a defeated general. The defeat wasn't his fault but due to inexperienced commanders' mistakes, yet he had to take all the blame.'
If Saladin had led the troops until the end of the invasion war, the Central Continent's landscape might have been very different now.
When their troops were retreating, Saladin sacrificed himself to hold back the pursuing Central Continent Allied Forces to save as many soldiers as possible.
After returning to the Empire through great hardship, Saladin faced death due to false accusations by the commanders who survived thanks to him.
His enraged subordinates broke him out of prison and massacred all the cowardly noble commanders.
The eastern warriors gathered around Saladin and proposed marching on the palace to depose the Sultan.
But Saladin's army couldn't withstand the Sultan's powerful forces.
When captured, Saladin begged the Sultan to spare his subordinates in exchange for his life.
However, the Sultan killed all his subordinates and ended the rebellion by imprisoning only Saladin.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Over a dozen slaves struggled to pull a cart carrying a massive sword that looked like a blunt piece of metal.
Saladin picked up the massive blade with one hand.
WHOOSH!
He effortlessly wielded the executioner's blade that had required over a dozen slaves to carry.
Holding the blade, Saladin emanated a threatening presence unlike before.
The nobles in the audience swallowed hard watching him.
He earned the title Massacre Duke for using that blade to behead corrupt nobles in one strike.
Saladin turned toward Zeke silently.
As he raised his executioner's blade, Zeke raised Leviathan in response.
Zeke spoke to Saladin.
"Here I come."
Both men charged at each other simultaneously.
The executioner's blade and Leviathan collided in the center of the arena.
CRASH!
The mere clash of swords sent shockwaves in all directions.
WHOOSH!
Saladin freely wielded the massive executioner's blade, striking down at Zeke with sword attacks.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The terrifying sword strikes of the Executioner that had cut down dozens of knights in one go were now pouring towards Zeke.
However, Zeke, blocking those strikes with Leviathan, showed no sign of disturbance.
While parrying Saladin's sword, Zeke inwardly admired.
'His skill with the greatsword is remarkable.'
In fact, Zeke was more impressed by Saladin's delicate sword techniques than his amazing strength.
When wielding a greatsword, attacks inevitably become monotonous, but Saladin's attacks were different.
The greatsword drove in instantly, persistently aiming for Zeke's openings.
His movements were so natural that it was hard to believe this was the swordsmanship of someone who had been imprisoned for a long time.
CLASH!
And at one point, Zeke, pushed back by Saladin's attack, retreated to the back of the dueling ground.
Yelin and Hades, who were watching this, tensed up.
Especially Yelin, who was trained in martial arts, became increasingly grave-faced as she sensed that Saladin's swordsmanship was extraordinary.
And then, Saladin raised his greatsword and charged at Zeke.
WHOOSH!
The greatsword cutting through the air howled like an evil spirit.
Simultaneously, Zeke's body, calmly gripping his sword, momentarily flickered and vanished.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Right after, Saladin's greatsword completely devastated one side of the dueling ground.
Then Zeke appeared in Saladin's blind spot.
Leviathan aimed for the completely exposed opening in his flank.
At that moment, Saladin's forearm muscles bulged and his greatsword instantly changed direction.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
His greatsword spun and collided with Zeke's Leviathan.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
BANG!
With a massive explosive sound, both men were pushed back by the recoil.
"HUFF, HUFF."
In the rising dust cloud, Saladin caught his breath.
Zeke, with a composed expression, gripped his sword again and said while looking at Saladin.
"How strange. The famous Executioner is not a successor."
At Zeke's words, Yelin and Hades, who were watching the duel, suddenly realized and were shocked.
As he said, Saladin was not a successor and thus couldn't use sealed magical weapons.
The greatsword Saladin wielded was literally just an extremely heavy and large sword.
Zeke tried to understand how Saladin could possess such power despite not being a successor.
'His entire body's chakras are open. Rather than being trained like Ishtar's secret arts practitioners, it seems innate.'
Yelin's family, the Ishtar, used special training methods to open the body's chakras to increase reaction speed and enhance strength.
But Saladin seemed to be a case like the Battle God Tyr, where his entire body's chakras were naturally open from birth.
Saladin silently gripped his greatsword again and stepped forward.
RUMBLE!
Zeke felt the immense power emanating from Saladin's body.
'He's concentrating all his power into the sword.'
Yelin, who was watching this, was even more surprised than Zeke.
"That's... Tiger Grip?"
Hades, hearing Yelin's words beside him, tilted his head and asked.
"Tiger Grip? What's that?"
Yelin explained to Hades with a stern expression.
"It's one of our family's secret techniques. It's a one-hit-kill technique that concentrates all the body's chakras into the sword."
At those words, Hades showed a surprised expression.
"How does a warrior from the Muruk Empire know Ishtar's secret techniques?"
Answering Hades's doubt, Shahrazad, who had been listening to their conversation, replied instead.
"Holy One, that is an adaptation of the ancient elves' hunting technique. Since the Ishtar family inherited elven bloodlines, the origins of the techniques would be the same."
Yelin, hearing Shahrazad's words, asked in surprise.
"Your Majesty, are you saying the Executioner also has elven bloodlines?"
To those words, Shahrazad shook her head.
"No. That one is purely human."
At Shahrazad's words, Yelin showed an expression of disbelief.
"Those of pure human bloodline cannot learn Ishtar's secret techniques. Their chakra opening..."
"Saladin is a Deviant. In your terms, he would be called an Irregular. That's why he was able to learn the elves' hunting techniques."
At the mention of Saladin being an Irregular, Yelin's eyes widened slightly before showing an expression of understanding.
"Irregular... Being one who deviates from the world's laws, that's why he could open his chakras."
"Deviants are mysterious beings of unknown origin. A martial scholar who once researched under me was also a Deviant, or rather an Irregular. He showed the strange ability to use both magic power and aura together. Though now he has fled to the western lands."
At Shahrazad's words, Yelin looked at the dueling ground with a tense expression.
RUMBLE!
Saladin, gathering energy in the Tiger Grip stance, glared at Zeke with sharp eyes.
And in an instant, his body shot towards Zeke.
CRACK!
The ground where Saladin took his running start completely shattered.
He jumped into the air and thrust his power-infused greatsword down at Zeke.
Zeke also raised his energy while holding Leviathan.
WHOOSH!
Black aura rose from his body and wrapped around his sword.
"HAAAA!"
As Saladin thrust down his greatsword with a battle cry, Zeke swung his Infinite Sword Technique.
Infinite Sword Technique Special Form
Black Sword Technique
Black Wings
Responding to the Black Sword Technique, black wings rose from Zeke's body as Leviathan, the Dark Sword, resonated.
The Black Wings wrapped around Saladin's Tiger Grip, causing a massive collision in mid-air.
RUMBLE!
As Leviathan and Saladin's greatsword clashed, shockwaves rippled through the air.
CRACKLE!
BOOM!
The nobles watching were startled and terrified by the thunder and lightning created by the shockwaves.
"The, the sky is splitting!"
"Good heavens! How can such power exist without using a spirit weapon?!"
It was unbelievable to them that such a sight could be created with human power alone, without using spirit weapons.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Massive shockwaves spread in all directions and the banquet hall's air violently shook.
THUD!
Zeke and Saladin landed on the dueling ground amid clouds of dust.
Zeke stood straight in the same stance as before, holding Leviathan.
But Saladin was kneeling on one knee with his greatsword stuck in the ground, his body trembling.
"COUGH!"
Soon Saladin coughed up black blood.
It seemed he had suffered internal injuries from suddenly drawing out excessive power, causing blood to flow backward.
Then Zeke took out a potion from his inventory, threw it to Saladin, and said.
"Drink this. It will ease your pain."
The Massacre, breathing heavily, stared at the potion Zeke had given him before looking up at the Sultan.
Shahrazad gestured that it was fine, and Saladin drank the potion in one gulp.
"WHEW..."
The high-grade potion Zeke had given him quickly healed his internal injuries.
After regulating his breathing, Saladin stood up again, gripped his greatsword, and took his stance.
It seemed he intended to continue the duel despite his injuries.
'What an incredibly steadfast warrior.'
Zeke realized that Saladin had no intention of ending this duel until death.
Watching him reminded Zeke of the knights of Northern Himonas who had risked their lives with him in his previous life.
Zeke didn't dislike Saladin's reckless yet upright spirit.
Zeke gripped Leviathan again.
A warrior who clashed with true sincerity needed to be faced with equal sincerity.
But then.
BUZZ!
A golden barrier appeared before Zeke and Saladin.
WHOOSH!
Shahrazad, riding on the back of a golden fox in the air, looked at Zeke and said.
"Let us declare your victory for the second trial as well."
Shahrazad acknowledged the Massacre Saladin's defeat.
But as she finished speaking, her eyes turned golden.
Shahrazad smiled seductively at Zeke and said.
"For the third trial, I shall face you myself."