Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: A Calculated Duel
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The Julius Allen remembered was akin to the protagonist of a heroic epic.
His personality, character, and conduct.
That wasn't what he meant. The bastard's disposition was far from heroic; it was incomparable.
But his journey.
His adventures—slaying demons, defeating ancient monsters, and thwarting the schemes of dark mages.
‘He was truly like a hero straight out of a fairy tale.’
When he fell into crisis, a powerful figure would appear from nowhere to help him. If he fell into a trap, he would miraculously escape, and he would effortlessly resolve any sudden incident that arose.
He would endlessly acquire precious elixirs from somewhere, growing ceaselessly without ever hitting a wall.
Allen had felt a sense of doubt at such an unbelievable sight.
‘How.’
Why did everything the bastard do turn out so well?
Not everything can go perfectly.
Even a merchant who builds a success story can make small mistakes, and someone who has only repeated major failures can achieve success.
In short, it is impossible to live a life without any failures.
‘So why doesn't Julius ever fail?’
Allen's concerns had begun with that question, and over time, he had reached a certain conclusion.
‘The bastard is under the protection of the world, or some similar transcendental being.’
He didn't know if it was the same being that had given him the artifact known as the System.
But the more he read the black book and recalled his actions before the regression, the more certain he became.
‘Regardless of Julius's will, the world revolves around him.’
The bastard doesn't think deeply before acting. He just acts on a whim, thinking this is how it should be done, without much deliberation.
But the result?
‘Always successful.’
Discovering the divine artifact of the first hero just by carefully examining the remarks?
With no one knowing its identity for so long?
In a corner of the remarks section?
It made no sense.
So Allen created an opportunity to spar with him. More accurately, he guided things that way.
“Are you ready?”
To understand the limits and exact activation conditions of what he had tentatively named the world's protection.
And.
“Yes, brother.”
To grasp Julius's skills and learn his habits and mannerisms.
Allen’s eyes fixed on his opponent.
Shorter than him, yet showing no openings, making it hard to believe he had only trained for a few months.
No openings? No, there had to be some. He just couldn't see them.
‘I didn't think I could win with swordsmanship anyway.’
The titles he would gain in the future were many.
Benefactor of the Great Forest. Friend of the Beastmen. Slayer of Demons. The Lightning God.
And what about himself? His reputation? His abilities?
An idiot who, in despair over not knowing how to find his younger sibling, made a pact with a demon. Was he anything more than that?
‘In the first place, being able to stand on equal footing like this is all…’
Thanks to the regression and the book.
That was all.
Without them, he would never have had the chance to face the bastard again. So was there anything to be ashamed of?
‘Nothing.’
He just had to catch up.
“Brother, I think I’m going to win, so I’ll go easy on you.”
Julius declared confidently, wrapping his hand in a deep blue energy. An aura of lightning enveloped his arm and coated the sword.
“Oh?”
A smile crept onto Allen’s lips as he released his threads of mana. His heart pounded, a low, rough beat.
“I don't think that will be necessary.”
He used a moderate amount of mana, around the 3rd Circle. His physical abilities, too, were slightly weaker than the bastard's. The blunted edge of the training sword pointed toward his opponent.
‘It would have been better if I could use Vestla.’
But it was a spar, so it couldn't be helped.
“No, I will win today.”
His stray thoughts vanished.
His vision filled with Julius, with only the bastard. The mana coursing through his body began to emit a strange pulse and accelerate.
The bastard would continue to grow at a tremendous pace. So what?
In this moment, facing him, Allen…
“Well then, here I come.”
…had no intention of losing.
Allen's threads faintly wrapped around his sword, forming a translucent film. Since he couldn't use sword aura, this was necessary to block the bastard’s lightning.
Allen’s feet pushed off the ground, accelerating powerfully.
The distance closed in an instant. The translucent energy gathered into a sharp point and lunged for Julius’s face.
Julius found himself smiling at his brother's serious expression.
The sharp point seemed ready to pierce his face at any moment, but Julius's smile didn't fade.
-*Fwoosh!*
The tip of the sword pierced empty air. Allen's head immediately snapped down. Julius was there, his body crouched as if ready to spring. It was too late to dodge.
Allen struck the space with his free hand. A shockwave erupted.
*Bang!*
He didn't expect a clean hit. He didn't think Julius would fail to block something like this. A small explosion rang out, and his body was pushed back.
Through the cloud of dust, Julius charged in swiftly.
‘Didn't even faze him.’
He maximized his senses. He could feel every part of the training ground. Where was he?
-*Swish!*
Blood trickled down his cheek. His reaction was a fraction too slow. Though he controlled the surrounding space to detect attacks, Julius's sword strike was even faster than before.
A chill ran down his spine. The 3rd Circle wasn't enough to handle him. Just how much had he grown? At this rate—.
*Zzzzt!*
His thoughts were cut short.
A deep blue current of lightning coursed through his body. Allen immediately shot his leg out into the air. Julius bent over with a surprised look.
The force behind Allen's kick wasn't that strong. However, it was enough to push his own body back. He leaped away, his body quickly gaining distance.
As soon as he was clear, he shook off the electricity clinging to him by adjusting his mana. Again.
‘He’s grown faster than I expected. How disgusting.’
The moment he landed, he immediately lowered his stance and charged. He could see Julius instantly assume a ready posture. Allen immediately threw his sword.
*Whoosh—*
“What?”
A look of surprise on Julius's face. Allen’s specialty wasn't the sword, but magic. With delicate and precise hand movements, Allen immediately formed hand seals.
Countless threads shot out, weaving together in Allen's hands to form a pair of cymbals.
Without waiting for Julius to react, Allen clashed the cymbals together.
*CRASH!*
‘Thunder in the Clouds.’
The unleashed shockwave became a gray spear, piercing through the space.
Julius hastily deflected the incoming sword. But the magic had already entered his range.
As the sharp spear approached with a roar, Julius quickly drew upon his mana and unleashed his sword aura.
*BOOM!*
The magic and sword aura scattered.
Allen, having anticipated Julius's response, moved within his range. He caught the flying training sword with one hand and ducked.
*Screech—*
As a blade grazed over his head, Allen balled up the threads in his other hand and threw them into the air.
‘Hammer.’
The threads transformed into a colorless hammer and descended. Julius had no choice but to block the attack and retreat again.
Allen quickly thrust his sword in pursuit, but when Julius blocked it with a cross guard, he had no choice but to back away.
“…Haha. Brother, haven't your skills improved too much?”
“The same goes for you, Julius. You certainly weren't like this just a few months ago…”
“It’s all thanks to hard work.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
It was an excuse no one would believe, but what could he do?
‘If that’s what he says.’
Allen smirked and took his stance.
It was still clumsy, but perhaps thanks to Vestla’s training, his fundamentals were in place.
“This time…”
I’ll go first.
It was Julius who moved first. He was even faster than before. Julius's sword had no edge. But just because it was blunt didn't mean the blade wasn't dangerous.
Lightning flowed. The blue electricity made the training sword more menacing than the sharpest of blades.
‘I need to know everything about him. His quirks, habits, reactions. All of it.’
Can I take it?
“That depends on what I do.”
At his murmur, a look of confusion appeared on Julius's face.
There was no need to answer him.
Threads of mana coiled around Allen’s sword, enveloping it. No matter how fast the bastard was, Allen could ‘keep up’.
‘To draw out his full power, to some extent…’
I need to play along.
Julius charged, cloaked in lightning, and Allen ran forward to meet him. The vitality of a giant imbued his ordinary steps.
All so the bastard would use his full strength.
The swords moved. Julius’s strikes resembled lightning bolts. In contrast, Allen’s sword was steadfast.
*CLANG!*
“Is that all you’ve got?”
The lightning scattered. Julius’s sword aura was broken, and Allen’s sword barrier shattered.
“No, this is just the beginning.”
Julius’s eyes began to flash with electricity. The mana originating from his lower abdomen transformed into lightning, making him look like a thunder god.
“Oh? Me too…”
Threads of mana shot out. Forward, backward, left, and right. Blocking the lightning, the threads began to weave into sharp blades.
“I’m just getting started.”
The duel resumed.
***
The apprentice knight, Pan, who was refereeing the duel, watched with a dazed expression.
Lightning struck, tearing up the training ground. Where Julius’s attacks were swift and unpredictable, Allen’s were heavy and ponderous.
Overall, it looked as if Julius was pushing Allen back.
“I was told Lord Allen was originally a mage.”
He repelled with magic the lightning that would have electrocuted anyone else and defended against attacks that were hard to follow with the naked eye.
Though he still looked unaccustomed to physical combat, Pan thought it was incredible that he could spar with Julius like this.
His gaze shifted to Julius, cloaked in deep blue lightning.
‘…To think I serve someone like him.’
To serve such a person as my lord.
He recalled the duel he’d had with Julius a few months ago as an apology.
‘I was utterly defeated.’
At the time, he had thought he was just unlucky, that he just needed to grow a little more. But while he wasn't looking, Julius had already advanced to a place he could never hope to reach.
He had become his subordinate after that day, but he had never been summoned.
‘When will he call for me?’
He shook his head.
A knight must always be ready for his lord's call. Hadn't he been called to act as referee this time?
‘It's just that the opportunity hasn't arisen yet. Lord Julius hasn't forgotten me.’
It was all due to his own shortcomings.
If he honed his skills, he would be sought out.
Pan stopped his thoughts and focused on the duel between the strong, a rare sight to behold. Opportunities like this didn't come easily.
***
Allen continued the exchange, which had been repeated dozens of times.
‘Next is… bottom right, was it?’
He brought his sword down a fraction faster than his senses could detect. No sooner had he lowered his sword than he blocked a strike aimed at his lower body.
*Clang!*
‘The next attack is the left shoulder. No, the lower left torso?’
Allen twisted his body according to the information he had gathered so far, but a sharp presence grazed the back of his neck.
He barely managed to duck, but the wind brushing the fine hairs on his neck sent a momentary shiver down his spine.
‘Is this the fifth pattern?’
The more he exchanged blows with him, the more he could grasp his quirks, habits, and attack patterns.
Julius preferred to attack high rather than low, and the right side more than the left. When his attacks were blocked, he had a habit of unconsciously increasing the amount of lightning.
‘A total of 37 standardized patterns.’
Perhaps because he had only been training for a few months, his targets were limited, and he had a habit of always aiming for the head with his stronger attacks.
‘I think I’ve just about figured it all out…’
With this, he had confirmed that he was stronger than Julius and gathered information on the bastard's quirks and habits.
Of course, as he grew stronger, useless habits and quirks would disappear, but the accumulation of all this information would be enough to become the one move that could pierce him.
‘Now, for the final test.’
Will the protection that shields the bastard still watch over him now?
‘I have to check.’
Julius charged again. He seemed to be enjoying this duel, smiling ceaselessly as he continued his assault.
Allen moderately blocked the attacks while moving to the side.
Julius persistently pursued Allen, cornering him. On the surface, it looked like an exhausted Allen was struggling to withstand his attacks.
“Brother, is this all you have? What happened to saying you would beat me!”
Allen said nothing. As if it was too hard to even open his mouth. As if he couldn't take any more.
“The momentum from before is gone…”
To the center of the training ground. Just a little, a little more.
“Brother, I honestly didn't know you’d gotten this strong…”
Almost there. One step to the side.
*BOOM!*
As Julius's sword struck, Allen’s body was sent flying back as if his strength had given out.
The magic he was casting was canceled, leaving him defenseless.
“*Cough, hack.*”
As if from the impact, Allen spat blood on the ground and barely managed to get up, looking as though he could no longer hold a sword.
But as if refusing to admit defeat, he squeezed out his last remaining mana and launched a spell.
A few strands of mana barely wove together and shot out as a small awl.
His face turned white from the effort, but Julius just laughed as if the last-ditch effort was pathetic.
And so.
“My victory…”
The moment Julius, certain of his victory, tried to dodge the magic.
“is mi... huh?”
His body wouldn't move.
“Wh-what?”
When Julius quickly looked at Allen, he saw that Allen also had a surprised expression.
His body wouldn't move.
As if his limbs had cramped up, he couldn't move, and the sharp awl flew toward his heart.
A life-or-death situation.
A situation where one could die in an ‘accidental’ accident during a sparring match between brothers.
Just as Julius was staring blankly at the awl flying toward his heart.
*KABOOM!*
The space through which the awl was passing suddenly exploded.
A mana overlap explosion, something that occurs with an extremely low probability when various types of mana mix, had ‘coincidentally’ happened just as the awl was passing through.
“S-Stop the match!”
While Allen's gaze grew profound, Pan, greatly alarmed, stopped the duel and ran to Julius.
Julius, too, seemed very shocked by what had just happened, his face pale.
“M-My lord. A-Are you all right?”
He quickly knelt and massaged Julius’s arms and legs on the ground. Then, as if uncertain, he spoke in a trembling voice.
“Perhaps… you got a cramp from the intense duel without drinking any water.”
His answer brought Julius to his senses, who then asked Pan back.
“A cramp…?”
“Yes, m-my lo—I mean, my lord. This has happened a few times during training… But to have both your arms and legs cramp up…”
Before he could voice his doubts, Allen, as if just now coming to his senses, rushed over to Julius.
“Julius! Julius, are you all right!”
“Ah, yes. Yes. I’m fine, brother.”
“I’m, I’m so sorry, Julius. No, this isn't the time for that.”
When Allen's face turned pale as if he were genuinely shocked, Julius's suspicion that Allen might have orchestrated this vanished.
‘There’s no way my brother would have done that on purpose.’
From the moment he launched his final attack to cornering him.
He couldn't imagine Allen, who had been scrambling just to block his attacks, could have planned such a thing. There was no motive for it either.
“No, this isn't right. Pan, was it? Quickly, call a priest.”
“Yes, yes. Right away.”
“No, brother… over a simple cramp…”
“It’s not simple! Do you know how dangerous that was!”
As Allen shouted and fussed over him with worry, even the faint traces of suspicion Julius had left melted away like snow.
“Well then… I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll help you up.”
“Yes.”
Pan hurriedly left the training ground to fetch a priest.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes. I think I can walk now…”
Julius beamed, seeming to enjoy his brother’s concern.
“What’s so funny that you’re smiling like that?”
Allen’s tone was gruff, but it was laced with concern for Julius.
“Haha, I was just thinking that you have this side to you as well, brother.”
“Does teasing your older brother make you happy?”
A warm emotion was evident in Allen’s voice.
“When else would I get a chance to tease you, brother?”
“All talk, you are… tsk.”
However.
“I’ll speak to Father. You should rest for a few days.”
“That would be great for me. I’d appreciate that.”
“Alright.”
His eyes, however, watched him without a flicker of movement, devoid of emotion.
Just like always.