Chapter 174: True Rivals Emerge
Nadan broke out in cold sweat as he watched Eden's sword swing toward him. He hadn't expected it to be dismantled so quickly.
If he hadn't trained his Whispers of the Stars sufficiently during that time, he would've been sliced by the previous strike.
This guy's no joke...
Nadan was well aware of Eden's reputation. He didn't even need to bring up Ludenberg Lavante. Rumors were already rampant throughout Solemnute Adem that the top students among the first-year knight faculty were on the verge of surpassing the second-years. And Eden was one of the stars of those rumors.
The reason Nadan had joined the friendly match was simple: an order from his older sister, Professor Nah Tes.
In normal circumstances, a bishop issuing commands to a saint was unheard of. But considering their blood ties and the hardships Nah had endured raising him before they joined the Setra order—scraping by through all sorts of trials—Nadan couldn't bring himself to defy her.
Suspecting some ulterior motive, Nadan had finally asked her after the representative selection ended.
"Shouldn't you at least check the level of the guys you'll be fighting alongside in the future?"
"That's it? I thought it was something grand."
"No grand reason, but... it's important. The theology and knight faculties will end up complementing each other on missions later, so preparing ahead isn't a bad idea."
"Sure, but does it really warrant giving me an order...?"
"Otherwise, you'd never show up for something like this."
"Well, yeah, but we could do that kind of training some other time."
"It's different from regular training. Students in friendly matches go all out, so there's plenty to learn."
"...That good, huh?"
"Yeah. No better opponents for testing yourself than ones who's dead serious. With the Salvation Cult up to who-knows-what, getting practice fighting alongside your fellow students now will pay off big later. No one knows who'll end up by your side."
Professor Nah's words made sense. The Salvation Cult had extended its reach from Solemnute to Ortara and even Istallin. It was obvious they'd stir something up soon.
Still, Nadan felt reluctant. The question was whether his peers could even keep up with him.
"Think they'll match my level?"
His question might've sounded arrogant, but Nah knew it wasn't hubris. Nadan was exceptional. He'd mastered Whispers of the Stars—a technique passed down only in Istallin's royal family and among Star Pilgrims—to a high degree, and his saint law prowess was impressive too. Finding a peer match would be tough.
He operated on a different plane from typical theology students. Among them, Seia Shahain might be the only one who could exchange blows with him.
But even so, there were students stronger than Nadan.
"Yes. Or rather, some even better than you. Like Ludenberg."
"Let's leave Ash Heap out of it. He's on another level. Last time I saw, he carved through a high-grade erosion beast without breaking a sweat. Guy's not even student material."
"Then there's Eden Asta, Mion Altis, and Ashytara Solenute. And not just them—the top Ador ranks could give you a run for your money too."
"The first four, sure, but including Ador? That's generous grading."
"You're theology, so you only hear about knight faculty hotshots. I've seen them myself. Joint classes haven't even started, so it's natural you wouldn't know."
"Well... fair enough."
"Especially this first-year batch—their growth in just three months is unbelievable. Some of them I mentioned will probably beat second-years soon. Seems like a bunch of factors pushed them."
"Factors?"
"Ludenberg and the Solenute raid."
"Solenute raid makes sense, but why Ash Heap again?"
"He's one of a kind. Not just first-year knights—hell, drop him in with the third-years right now, and he'd flatten them all."
"Can't argue that."
"Having a guy like that around? And he's not slacking off on talent either. Works harder than anyone, heads back to the dorm later than anyone. Imagine how the knight faculty feels watching that every day at the training grounds."
"Don't they just think, 'Must be tough for him'?"
"That's you. Anyone knight-faculty material's already mentally armored. They'd think: a guy without divine power works that hard and grabs top spot? Maybe I can do it too."
"Yeah, that tracks. A standout in the group pushes everyone to grow. But on the flip side, some might regress. Guys who think even that effort won't cut it."
"There's Cletta Peliche in first-year knights."
"Oh, yeah. Met her last time."
"She was dead last in Abyss. Now she's Ador-level through nonstop grind. Cases like hers are piling up. Forces everyone to scramble. Anyway, first-year knights are full of that type. Plenty at your level."
"What about that Gawin guy you had me team with?"
"Matches you fine. Strong one."
"Got it. Was getting bored anyway—perfect."
"Good."
Nadan snapped out of his reverie. In that instant, Eden's blade rushed at him.
"Whoa."
Damn, spaced out and nearly got cut.
He glanced around. Gawin ramping up his momentum, Mion matching it without yielding an inch. And Eden Asta, eyes blazing, dismantling his saint laws to tear into him. The fight was ferocious.
Alright. What now?
Eden's mounting pressure was starting to weigh on Nadan. As his sister had said, Eden Asta was the real deal. Wielding three divine powers at a high level was one thing; seamlessly combining them was another.
Even when Nadan fooled his eyes, Eden closed in just as fast. At this rate, defeat loomed. Setra saint laws excelled at deception, but once cracked, they lost all bite.
Only future-sight saint law left... but no.
Nadan shook his head. This semester, his new research had shattered a long stagnation. The past-reenactment he was using now was handy enough, but the real breakthrough was applying future-sight to saint laws.
He didn't know why. Maybe glimpsing clearer futures through Ash Heap? Just a hunch.
But he couldn't reveal future-sight now. That sharp kid—and the high-caliber watchers in the stands—would sniff it out. Exposing himself as a saint was inevitable then.
He'd come to Solemnute Adem for a taste of normal youth amid the drab order life. No way he'd waste that.
For now, he'd hold back on future-sight. Losing the friendly match beat getting dragged back to the order.
Fine. Give it my all, and if it fails, tap out.
Relieved, Nadan grinned and poured everything into past-reenactment. Eden's eyes spun again as old histories overlaid reality.
This one's trickier, right? Way back in the past.
Usually, he replayed 1-3 seconds back. Not this time. Channeling divine power, he pulled a farther echo—10 seconds max, but enough.
Eden, habituated to recent pasts, lost his position entirely. Nadan seized that gap.
And in his gained time, what entered his view was Mion.
A fierce slash hurtled at Gawin. He parried and blocked Mion's impossible-angle strike with sword and shield.
As the battle dragged on, Gawin felt it clearly: he could hold.
That alone filled him with euphoria.
Who was she? Mion Altis, vying for Innocence's top. Trading blows as her equal.
All those sessions ignoring everything else for training... paid off.
He couldn't track every arc of her blade, but he reacted to misses, shield up. Far from his initial plan of just pinning her feet—he was enjoying the duel.
He'd touched what once seemed unreachable. That spurred him onward.
Terra's divine power bolstered his shield, keeping him steady against her fluid barrage.
Mion, for her part, marveled at Gawin's performance.
Solid. Won't break.
Her style hunted gaps relentlessly, stabbing to maximize damage. For it to fall flat meant Gawin's skill had skyrocketed.
A smile tugged at her lips.
Impressive.
Right after she'd quit scheming against Ludenberg, Gawin's prowess had surged. It hit her: her past efforts were pointless.
Waste of time. Self-improvement was the answer. Now I get why he never retaliated against us.
She'd wondered why Ludenberg never struck back at her and Eden. Now she knew: he saw it as wasted time. His path too distant.
I was pathetic. But... it's fine.
Her smile deepened. Realizing now was enough. Now, she could reach farther.
Watching Gawin, she was certain.
You're thinking the same, right, Gawin?
Those focused, fierce eyes held no reflection of her. Only the road ahead.
You, me, Eden. We were hopeless. Forgot what we really wanted.
To her and Eden, Ludenberg was an insurmountable wall. They'd obsessed over smashing it.
But no. Dirty tricks left nothing behind.
Keep grinding. Face the wall, climb it. Even if you fail, the effort stays. Like Gawin now. So... I need to change too.
The ideal stance against a wall. Mion finally grasped it.
Of course, Nadan—slipping toward her while fooling Eden—couldn't care less about their epiphany. He focused solely on the fist aimed at Mion, who was locked on Gawin.