Chapter 199
Chapter 199
The emperor's proposal led Logan to accept, setting the stage for what followed.
That stage soon cleared the central courtyard completely, transforming it into a live-blade sparring ground.
"To think such a spectacle would unfold in the heart of the imperial palace..."
"Who dares oppose His Majesty's will?"
"Well, a match between a Transcendent and an ordinary knight won't last long."
"That may be so, but..."
The nobles, clustered together, parted to either end of the courtyard, positioning themselves before the knights as they encircled the two combatants.
Naturally, Logan had retrieved the armor and weapons he'd left at the Star Palace. Now he stood facing his opponent at the very center of the palace's front courtyard.
'To think it would come to this...'
Jerome Dicaid.
A monster who earned the title of Continent's Strongest Swordsman at the remarkably young age of 50 for a Transcendent.
The time when he made his name known across the world was roughly around then.
But for the refugees of Grandia, his significance differed entirely.
Over a decade before receiving that title, in his mere thirties, he became the Transcendent who contributed most to the Grandian Conquest War.
The man who beheaded Juan Douglas - Grandia's sole archmage and most powerful noble - cementing the war's victory.
Naturally, he ranked among the Grandia Liberation Front's primary assassination targets.
'Though in reality, they never dared attempt it.'
Twenty years after the conquest war.
In Logan's previous life, the Jerome Dicaid just before his death had truly become a monster worthy of the name - a Transcendent among Transcendents.
But now...
"Even now, it's not too late to withdraw. At this point, I won't be able to hold back."
The face sneering at him from a short distance bore no resemblance to that monster.
Freely displaying emotions while radiating confidence in his invincibility, yet his actual skill remained...
'Still a fledgling.'
At best, he was on par with Blake, Luther Kyle, or the Wicken Calria of old.
Of course, for Logan - who hadn't even reached Transcendent status in his past life but became a seasoned Aura User by thirty - to disparage him as a fledgling might be presumptuous.
Yet somehow, Logan couldn't imagine himself losing.
When he'd fought Wicken to a standstill by fully utilizing artifacts, and through sheer luck killed Jordan...
He was at a completely different level now compared to then.
Moreover, with his knowledge of Jerome's abilities, how could he lack confidence?
"Don't hold back on my account. I've no intention of doing so either. Shouldn't we properly demonstrate our skills for His Majesty?"
"Hmm. His Majesty has discerning eyes for talent. I suppose you must have lucked out defeating a Transcendent before, but to me, you're just an oddity that caught his fancy."
"Pardon?"
Could the emperor have truly summoned him for so trivial a reason?
The thought prompted internal doubt, but Jerome's expression remained earnest.
"So don't get delusions. Abandon any expectation that such luck will strike twice. For your own future's sake."
The patronizing tone of his pretended wisdom was laughable.
No matter how conventional that wisdom might be.
"Thank you for the advice. Shall we begin then?"
"Heh. Eager for your fate, are you?"
At this, an elderly knight standing between them - his white hair stark against piercing blue eyes - addressed both combatants.
"Are both parties prepared?"
The aged voice carried startling intensity.
This elderly knight, radiating a paradoxical presence, was clearly no ordinary man either.
'The current Continent's Strongest Swordsman - Tris Hornsby.'
Though he'd contributed most to the pressure Logan felt earlier, up close his aura felt subtly different.
A faint discordance detectable only to transcendent senses.
Like water leaking from an overfilled jar.
The vague sense of some imperceptible flaw marring a masterpiece.
From this peculiar sensation, Logan could guess at the famed swordsman's condition.
'Perhaps this explains why he didn't reveal himself during the conquest war...'
While this speculation might comfort Grandians, realizing even this mighty Transcendent was being eroded by time felt strangely unsettling.
Of course, there was no time for reflection.
"Yes, Master. I'm prepared."
"I'm ready as well."
Following Jerome's lead, Logan nodded, prompting Tris to glide backward as if pulled by invisible strings.
Simultaneously, his crisp voice echoed across the courtyard:
"His Majesty observes. Both combatants - demonstrate your utmost skill! However, considering this duel's purpose and risks, artifact usage is prohibited."
Both pairs of eyes ignited simultaneously.
'Jerome Dicaid. Transcendent ability: Absolute Sight - among rare psychic talents, an exceptionally peculiar one.'
The future monster could shatter every incoming attack a step ahead, penetrate every defense a move earlier, and overwhelm all opponents.
Back then, the only ways to defeat him were overwhelmingly superior numbers, or absolute speed/magic he couldn't react to despite foreseeing.
With the inevitable addendum that no speed could overwhelm him at his peak, nor magic he couldn't counter.
But now...
KWA-BOOM!
He was just a fledgling shocked to see a mere "B"-rank Aura User blocking his attack head-on.
"You blocked my aura?!"
From that single exchange, Logan could easily gauge the difference.
'He can't even properly control his ability yet.'
The Jerome he knew would have anticipated the block and countered differently.
The panicked expression only presented Logan with opportunity.
"Hah!"
With a sharp exhale, Logan surged forward. Even seeing his opponent's eyes begin glowing silver, he simply thrust with maximum speed.
Regardless of the sword's visible arc, a golden beam serpentined upward toward Jerome's throat.
"Wha-?!"
Sshhk!
'So close!'
The aimed strike at those glowing silver eyes merely grazed his temple.
Blood streamed down as expressions twisted on both faces - neither pleased.
'This complicates things...'
As feared, a furious shout erupted from the viewing stands.
"Jerome!!"
His master Tris sprang up, bellowing his name as if ready to intervene.
"Not yet! It's not over! I was careless! Grant me another chance!"
Jerome's composed smile vanished as he spasmodically shouted.
Tris frowned, glancing back...
"How intriguing. Continue."
The emperor, wearing an amused smile, nodded approval instead.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As Jerome bowed respectfully, astonished murmurs spread through the noble spectators.
"What? Did the Divine Saint just lose?"
"Not lose exactly. Just slightly injured..."
"Slightly?! He's bleeding buckets!"
"He was caught off-guard."
Amidst the chatter, Jerome pressed a hand to his head, swiftly staunching the blood flow.
'As expected...'
Fledgling or not, a Transcendent remains a Transcendent.
Stopping blood flow from a shallow cut seemed trivial.
"I underestimated you. My apologies. Blocking aura without being an Aura User yourself, plus that peculiar attack... You're remarkable indeed. But from here, it won't be so easy. Be warned."
"I look forward to it."
Logan's terse reply to Jerome's lengthy warning seemed to bruise his pride.
Expression hardening, lips pressed tight, Jerome's eyes turned fully silver as he shot toward Logan like an arrow.
Logan charged forward just as decisively.
Compared to the future monster whose only change was subtly silvered pupils, the current Jerome clearly exerted excessive effort.
'Let's see how much you can block.'
As determination surged, golden Force Blades serpentined from Logan's sword toward Jerome's flank.
The thrusting sword followed its path while the flexible Force Blade attacked from another angle - Logan's counter to Jerome's ability.
A dual assault perfected from Franz's Moonlight Sword technique, eliminating its former weaknesses.
Jerome's response was simple.
Mid-charge, he leaned back, sliding into a tackle, silver aura flaring from his greaves toward Logan's legs.
Logan jumped slightly, dodging the kick while Lux descended like lightning alongside the golden Force Blade, targeting separate vitals.
Yet Jerome, still reclined, intercepted both attacks simultaneously with a single upward slash.
KWA-BOOM!
'Tch!'
Only possible because his aura's power exceeded Logan's divided strength.
In that instant, Jerome's torso snapped upright as he launched toward the airborne Logan, sword point spearing forward with deadly aura.
As the lethal silver aura surged toward Logan's chest, Jerome's silvered eyes narrowed in anticipated victory, a smile forming.
'Still so inexperienced.'
Yet Logan, facing certain doom midair, didn't defend - instead thrusting directly toward Jerome's face while golden beams shot toward his eyes.
Jerome's widened eyes and wavering blade showed his unfamiliarity with such mutually destructive brawling.
But as silver light rekindled in his eyes...
His previously hesitant blade swept sideways without hesitation.
KWA-BOOM!
'Tsk!'
Aura detonation.
That simple move rendered Logan's dual strategy - twisting Jerome's strike with Lux while targeting vitals with Snake Blade - impossible before even attempting it.
Worse, as Logan landed off-balance, deadly silver aura surged toward him.
Yet Logan found himself focusing less on the incoming attack than on Jerome's transforming eyes.
The once fully silver-irised glow had receded, leaving only faint silver luminance in the pupils.
Like a silver moon reflected on a blue lake.
The serene glow of a reaper's eyes.
Descriptions used to portray the signature feature of the 'monster' Jerome Dicaid.
'Hah... How absurd.'
He'd expected difficulty.
But never imagined he'd be the one to trigger Jerome's evolution.
Which meant retreating was no option.
'I'll break him here!'
Absolutely.
As resolve crystallized, Logan vanished like a ghost.
The silver aura sliced only through afterimages as Jerome's eyes wavered again.
One of few ways to counter Absolute Sight:
Overwhelming speed.
At this moment, Logan was far faster than the fledgling Transcendent.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Guh!"
The unprecedented sight of a Transcendent being pushed back by a non-Transcendent left all spectators aghast.
Even the least martial among them could see Jerome being forced into purely defensive maneuvers.
"What's this?!"
"How is this possible?!"
The ministers' clamor grew, but Logan, despite dominating, felt no ease.
'He's blocking everything even in this state?!'
VOOOM.
His Force Core ached from overexertion, signaling its limits.
Moreover, his opponent seemed increasingly accustomed to the accelerated pace.
Grit.
'A young monster is still a monster, huh? Then...'
Only one path to victory remained.
The long scar across future Jerome's face.
So famous was that sole blemish on the monster that its origin became legend:
"In my inexperienced days, I hadn't yet learned to see the unseen."
Recalling those words, Logan abruptly stopped his rapid movements and drove his sword into the ground before Jerome.
A cascade of Force waves.
Sixteen layered Force waves erupted from Lux's impact point, engulfing the entire area.
KWA-BOOOM!
Dust clouds billowed.
Through the haze, silver and gold clashed as every spectator's eyes widened simultaneously.