True Strength Revealed
"He's insane, this player! I never dreamed he'd been hiding power like this!"
"Wow, he's actually forced out the captain of Team 3! Zadan probably never imagined he'd have to step up himself just moments ago!"
"Exactly. Look at Zadan's face right now—he's utterly bewildered!"
"No wonder! They must've thought they'd wipe the floor with him, never imagining they'd be the ones facing a total reversal!"
The commentators' voices were buzzing with excitement. When Aleck took down Conveni, the second-in-command, followed by midliner Gamlin and vice-captain Pitt in succession, their eyes had widened like saucers, nearly popping out. And it wasn't even a grueling fight. Just like Takwin had done before, Aleck had overwhelmingly crushed all three with ease, securing a four-match win streak.
"Oh! We've just received more background on Aleck. Turns out he's more famous than I thought!"
"What kind of history does he have?"
"You all remember the buzz from the recent Mantis Hall survival exam, right? The one where someone caught the Island Heavy Beetle King?"
"Yeah, of course! It was all over the place for a while. Wait, no way?"
"That's right! It was this guy."
Ooooh—!
The crowd murmured even louder at the commentators' words. The freshman who made Mantis Hall history by capturing the Island Heavy Beetle King—a feat everyone had marveled at—and it turned out the protagonist was Aleck.
"And that's not even the end of it!"
"What else is there?"
"Yes! Not long ago, there was that unfortunate incident at the Mantis Grand Tournament. Rumors spread about a Juvenile Stage mantis who subdued a Ghost Ant assassin, and it turns out the star of those rumors was none other than this Aleck!"
"No way! I thought that was just a hoax?"
"Watching his skills now, it really seems plausible! Don't you think?"
That's right—!
The stands erupted in enthusiastic agreement. In this brief match, a huge portion of the audience seemed captivated by Aleck's extraordinary talent.
"Grr, no wonder he was smirking earlier! That was confidence born from true skill—the natural smile flowing from it!"
"Indeed! Now, the big question: can this player take down Zadan and pull off the reverse sweep? I'm dying to find out!"
"But Zadan's no pushover either. This final match is going to be intense—can't wait to see how it plays out. Both players look ready, so we'll jump straight into the grand finale—now!"
Woooaaah———!
The arena was engulfed in hotter fervor than ever. What had seemed like an obvious outcome in the finals had turned into an unpredictable thriller, spreading tension like a contagion through the crowd.
"Impressive. I never imagined you'd been hiding strength like that."
Zadan fixed me with a steady gaze as he spoke.
"You're too kind."
I replied to Zadan with reasonable politeness. Then it hit me.
This guy's Zadan. No wonder the name rang a bell.
Only after facing him up close and seeing his face did I realize why the name felt familiar.
He made quite a name for himself in Mantis Hall.
Despite being a famed genius of the Shield Clan, he'd lived a different life from Ruslan. When the Four Great Lords unleashed their blades of death upon Mantis Hall, countless talents like Ruslan withered before they could bloom. But Zadan, whether by luck or fate, evaded the reaper's visit.
And he rocketed to Complete Body with insane growth speed, right?
Even after devoting himself to Mantis Hall and falling in the continental war, his legend endured. I'd never met him in person, but judging by his reputation back then, he was a true warrior who fought for Mantis Hall with all his heart.
His aura's pure, too.
The energy radiating from Zadan now was worlds apart from Takwin's arrogance and disdain. His eyes were clear and unclouded—a pure martial artist's gaze, devoted solely to the way of the blade.
Maybe that's why my own gaze softened as I looked at him.
But victory's non-negotiable.
I had to crush him here and claim the winner's cup.
"Pleased to cross blades."
I drew my sword and aimed it at Zadan. The signal to begin rang out.
"Hah—!"
Zadan charged like a bull. The instant the match started, he thrust straight at me. From that, I could tell his sword style.
Similar to Ruslan.
A style that leveraged overwhelming physicality to seize and dominate initiative. The difference? While Ruslan favored heavy greatswords, Zadan relied on broadswords and heavy blades.
Boom—!
Our swords clashed, unleashing a thunderous roar. Numbing pain shot through my wrist.
Pure divine strength stronger than anyone I'd faced yet. Power so immense it defied Juvenile Stage limits. Zadan was flaunting the Shield Mantis clan's superiority without restraint.
He's on another level from the others.
The previous foes were top-tier for Juvenile Stage, but Zadan felt fundamentally different.
Boom, boom-boom-boom!
Our blades collided repeatedly. Each time, I was forced back a step.
The gap in strength and speed is clear.
Broadswords and heavy blades were my mains too. Power and speed were key to wielding them, and right now, I lagged in both.
Head-on, victory wasn't guaranteed.
Then...
I began deflecting Zadan's strikes. Like water droplets sliding off a blade, his sword glanced harmlessly off mine, never landing true.
A feat born from enlightenment at the transcendent realm.
"...!"
Zadan's eyes widened in shock. I smirked and stabbed into the opening his swing created.
Thud!
My thrust hit his guard dead-on, eliciting a dull thump.
"Ngh."
Zadan grimaced in real pain, gritted his teeth, and unleashed fiercer attacks.
Thud, thud-thud-thud-thud!
But I kept deflecting, piling damage on him. For Zadan, it must've been maddening—his strengths in power and speed utterly neutralized.
Even with inferior physique, technique could reverse the tide.
This was the power of skill.
Ooooh—!
The crowd roared as I turned the tables, pressing Zadan. No one had predicted I'd dominate even him like this. A bit more, and momentum would fully shift to me.
But Zadan didn't yield.
"Hraaaah!"
With his shout, his skin began mutating.
Crack-craaack!
Hard, shell-like exoskeleton erupted across his body.
What the—?
I retreated a step, recognizing the process.
Juveniles can't form exoskeletons naturally, so that must be... a rune.
Exoskeleton-related, probably.
Normally, body armor came from Maturity partial primalization or Complete Body full primalization.
But with a rune, even Growth Stage can mimic it crudely.
High-grade runes could match primal hardness, especially synergized combos that even Ultimate Bodies struggled to pierce.
At least A-rank?
Judging by the emerging sheen and hue...
'Iron Shell Rune,' high chance.
This complicates things.
Most Infant and Juvenile Stages skipped runes. Once inscribed, they were permanent. Only one slot available then, so players scouted meticulously across Abian Continent.
That's why none of Overlord Club's four—even at Juvenile—used runes.
Won't be an easy takedown now.
My current sword force couldn't pierce that shell. Thrusting like before would just rebound, straining my arm more.
But shattering it? Simple.
I could see the 'grain' in Zadan's exoskeleton. Slash along it, and it'd split like peeling a larva—easy as the survival exam, stripping primal hides off baby eels or Island Heavy Beetle Kings.
But that'd inflict irreversible fatal wounds.
If I had even a fraction of my old power—a tenth, no, a thirtieth—I could've subdued without killing.
Anyway, exploiting the grain was out.
Swoosh—!
As I pondered, Zadan swung at me.
"Impressive, truly. Never thought you'd force me to reveal my trump card."
Admiration tinged Zadan's voice—no shame at being pushed back, just pure awe at my skill. Another glimpse of his upright character.
"Too bad. Against anyone else, you'd have claimed the cup."
Zadan sighed—not in regret, but pity—as he thrust again.
Whoosh, claaang—!
I deflected and stabbed the gap, but...
Won't work.
The rebound jolted my wrist; I retreated hastily.
Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh!
After that, I focused on deflecting and evading. As I fell back on defense, cheers for Zadan mixed with sighs of pity for me from the stands.
If I could outpace him in speed or strength, I could counter.
I let out a faint sigh of frustration. To beat him...
It seemed there was only one way.
"Hmph."
Suddenly, Zadan halted his assault.
"...?"
As I eyed him quizzically, he spoke deliberately.
"No other moves? Then continuing's pointless."
"...!"
"If that's all, concede cleanly. I can't fully control this power yet. Push further, and you might get seriously hurt."
"...Hah."
I smirked at his words. That power was indeed a top-tier rune as I'd guessed.
High-end ones like Iron Shell Rune didn't just armor—they boosted strength, speed, endurance massively.
He'd been holding back, worried I'd get injured.
This is embarrassing.
Being 'spared' by this kid stung.
Makes my iron-weight plan feel pointless.
I resolved to face him as a true warrior. Young, but his martial spirit, passion, and consideration marked him as one in heart.
"Guess I owe you an apology."
"...?"
"Feels like I unintentionally tricked you."
I flashed Zadan a grin. Then.
Clank, clank.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
I released the four iron weights on my limbs. Each over 30 kilograms, they crashed to the arena floor with booming echoes.
"...!"
Zadan's eyes bulged like lanterns. Gasps and cries of shock rippled from the stands.
"Now I'll go all out."
With that, I assumed my stance.
Wind White Swordsmanship.
The supreme art that once elevated me to continental pinnacle!
Its techniques unfolded from my hands once more.