N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 317
Raon smiled calmly, feeling the gazes of people shooting from all directions.
"They're looking at us with amusement."
Although momentarily taken aback by the madness exuded when the Light Wind squad entered, there was a brief hesitation. However, the audience's eyes held blatant indifference. They looked down on the Light Wind squad members, assessing them lightly based on age, experience, and reputation.
"Of course, it's to be expected."
The Light Wind squad members were younger than the unmanned members of other factions, the youngest here. It was understandable that they were underestimated due to the differing durations of training caused by the age gap.
"But it's not just about age."
Because the intensity of experience differed.
The battles and training the Light Wind squad had undergone were on par with the experiences of any other faction. If there was a year's difference, they had traversed enough training fields to easily catch up.
"But age isn't the only factor."
Because the depth of experience was different.
The battles and training that the Light Wind squad had gone through were no less than those of any other faction. They had traversed fields of training that could easily be caught up to by a year's difference in time.
"And now you're trying to become scary."
Wrath, coming up over the ice flower bracelet, raised his eyebrows and scowled.
"Even the king doesn't make things easy for his subordinates, but you're something else. Even the Enbi guy, known for being the toughest on subordinates in the demon realm, would stick his tongue out at you!"
Having observed the Light Wind squad's training for two days, Wrath trembled as if overwhelmed by fear.
"Is that so?"
Raon smirked as he looked at the quivering Wrath.
'We seems to have undergone training scary enough to make him quiver, but we can't afford to lose.'
Despite the limited time, the Light Wind squad had intensified their training beyond what they had done within their family. Yet not a single member had fallen behind. They had unearthed latent abilities buried beneath their bodies and minds.
Underestimating the Light Wind squad, who could unleash madness and exert full power, could lead to an instant outcome.
"Hmm."
Raon looked at the Light Wind squad with a satisfied smile. A yellow madness was subtly embedded in the center of their pupils.
"I wonder whether I should be laughing or crying when that madness is directed at me."
The Light Wind squad seemed as if they wanted to beat themselves up for enduring the suffering they had gone through for the past two days. Not to mention the members of the Six Kings they were about to fight.
"From now on, I'll reveal the tournament bracket!"
As the announcer gestured on the dueling grounds, magicians projected the expert-level tournament bracket in the air. Due to the large number of participants, an astonishing 128 matches were created.
"Wow!"
"The Third Prince is the sixth! He's fighting against the Beast Union!"
"Princess Jaina! Please win!"
"The reputation isn't just for show. There's not a single uninteresting opponent!"
Since most of the participants were renowned unmanned warriors and magicians, the audience cheered in anticipation of the tournament's start.
"Our first match on our side is..."
Amid the cheers, Raon quickly found the Light Wind squad's name, the first to fight.
"So it's Burren."
As the eldest of the Light Wind squad, it was a satisfactory match for their first battle.
"And his opponent is Rikel Robert."
Although not directly from the Robert family, he was a swordmaster in his early twenties who had gained some reputation with his flashy swordsmanship. Originally, Burren might have had a hard time against him, but after this training, he had grown enough to hold his own.
"Um..."
"That person looks much stronger than me..."
"Eh..."
"Well, I'm done for."
Members of the Light Wind squad stared at the tournament bracket and checked their opponents, their expressions frozen. They seemed to have already given up, as if they had already lost, and the audience's reaction, treating them as losers compared to prestigious senior warriors, further dampened their spirits.
"Pay attention, everyone."
Raon clapped his hands to gather the Light Wind squad's attention.
"You must all know, right? There's no one here who predicts Zieghart's victory in this arena."
"Um..."
"Damn it..."
The Light Wind squad took the bait, even in their half-mad state, their expressions revealing wounded pride.
"Why get angry?"
Raon shrugged at the Light Wind squad's frustrated expression.
"What's with that talk?"
After two days of training, Burren's face had become more chiseled, and he grinned.
"This stage is for you."
He spread his arms, pointing at the crowd of spectators filling the seats.
"Wouldn't it be fun to shock those arrogant faces that look down on you and already predict defeat?"
"Ah!"
"That's...!"
As Burren's words reached the eyes of the Light Wind Squad members, madness faded from their pupils, and enthusiasm surged. They clenched their fists, looking at the audience.
"Right. It sounds fun."
Martha, with dark circles under her eyes, licked her lips as she looked at the audience.
"After seeing those fools' jaws drop, we won't need dinner tonight."
"I really want to see that."
"Is your heart racing?"
The Light Wind Squad looked at the spectators, biting their lips. Their expressions showed more excitement than madness.
"The temperature is a bit low."
Their current state wasn't bad, but to show proper performance, a bit more madness seemed necessary.
"In my view, all of you have met opponents you can surely defeat."
Raon looked at the Light Wind Squad and raised his chin.
"Unless it's Light Wind Squad members facing each other, you better not lose, even for a moment...."
The Light Wind Squad's eyes blazed with more madness than ever, and they clenched their jaws.
"As soon as we return to the house, we'll continue the training we've done until now for a month."
"Ugh!"
"Ugh...."
"Argh...."
The Light Wind Squad let out a wheeze that sounded like their breath was leaving them. The madness that had sunk into their pupils flared up like a wildfire.
Kukukukuk!
Facing the eerie madness more than the liveliness, Raon smiled.
"It's the perfect temperature."
"Victory for Charlie Wibin of the Owen Kingdom!"
"Wow!"
The young knight from the Owen Kingdom, who had defeated a knight from Varkar, raised his hands in response to the cheers of the audience.
Enjoying the moment of victory for a while, he descended from the arena with a smile. The fallen knight, however, bit his lip with a pale expression.
"We will now begin the next match. Burren Zieghart and Rikel Robert!"
"Whoa! Zieghart versus Robert!"
"A showdown between swordsmanship house!"
"But the match won't be easy, will it?"
"True. Rikel reached the expert top tier quite some time ago. He's even known as the 'Backswing Sword."
Even before the match began, the audience predicted Rikel's victory. With most of the renowned individuals having won so far, their judgment was unwavering.
"Phew."
Rikel Robert ascended the arena and let out a short breath.
"Burren Zieghart, huh?"
Seems like an easy opponent.
He was a 19-year-old kid he had never properly heard of. Although he was the leader of a swordsmanship house, he was by no means Rikel's equal.
"After all, it's Zieghart. There's only Glenn here."
Until recently, Glenn was the only person in the Six Kings that could stand up to the White Blood religion leader and Tacheon. It wasn't that others were strong; it's just that Glenn was overpowering, leaving no room for comparison.
"I should finish quickly."
Since it was a tournament, it would be best not to waste time and energy on Zieghart's young apprentice. He didn't want to spend any more time than necessary and needed to prepare for the next battle.
Thunk.
On the opposite side, a child referred to as Burren stepped onto the stage. It had been a while since his name was called, and seeing him now, it seemed he had some nervousness.
"If he's already nervous, it might make things even easier."
With a faint smile, Rikel observed Burren as he ascended. The gaze in his eyes... Why is his gaze like that?
"His eye color seems to have changed completely?"
Burren's pupils were blazing with even more intense madness than when he entered. This wasn't just a training match, but a real battle. It gave the feeling of a life-and-death battle, the kind where one's life hung in the balance.
"Um, hey, are both sides ready?"
Even the announcer sensed that something was amiss and swallowed dryly.
"Yes."
Burren nodded his head as if under the influence of something.
"Alright, I'm ready."
Even Rikel Robert, narrowing his eyes, nodded his head. With that, the announcer stepped down from the stage.
"Then, we shall begin the sixth match!"
As soon as the announcer lowered his hand, Rikel Robert struck the ground.
"Let's end this swiftly!"
A shiver ran down Rikel's spine at the intensity in Burren's gaze. To finish this quickly, Rikel sidestepped and brought his sword down diagonally. The fierce strike of the Backwave Sword, resembling waves, descended diagonally.
Swoosh!
However, to Rikel's surprise, Burren easily parried the strike by deftly redirecting the trajectory of his sword, deflecting the force of the Backwave Sword.
"That's all?"
Rikel spun his wrist, unleashing a second strike. This time, it was a more powerful and fluid strike—the Backwave Flare.
Ching!
Yet once again, Rikel's strike failed to breach Burren's defense and dissipated.
"Not bad!"
Rikel calmly exhaled, raising his sword more than halfway in preparation for a sudden strike.
"Try to block this!"
Rikel lunged to the left and brought his sword down. A faster and more forceful strike targeted Burren's waist.
"Ugh!"
Despite the sword's slightly altered trajectory, Burren wasn't flustered. He sidestepped slightly and countered with a sword strike that emitted a cold breeze.
Swoosh!
The power of swordsmanship was intense. Burren stared at Rikel without yielding an inch.
"What's going on...?"
Rikel's jaw trembled. Even though he had unleashed more than 60% of the Flare's power, Burren hadn't budged. Rikel couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"I'm sorry, but..."
A smoky substance akin to mist flowed from Burren's mouth.
"I have a very good reason to never lose. Especially to you..."
With a determined glint in his eyes, Burren charged forward.
"You arrogant brat!"
Rikel exerted all his strength, channeling the full power of the Flare as he thrust his sword. The silver blade created ripples, generating waves of formidable sword energy.
"You won't be able to block this!"
The technique of the Backwave Sword was one that grew stronger and more powerful the more the opponent dodged or defended. The vegetarian move that had been saved for the next opponent was not meant to be withheld any longer.
"It's over now... huh?"
Rikel opened his eyes. Buren didn't evade or retreat; instead, he pierced through the formidable sword energy and charged forward.
"Huh, how do I counter this sword technique?"
"Counter? I don't know about that!"
A fierce determination erupted from Buren's lips.
"It's kill or be killed!"
With that, his sword fell.
Kwaaaang!
The immense determination and energy embedded in his sword shattered Rikel's technique and struck his shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Rikel cried out as he fell to the ground. Having lost his sword, he looked at Buren with eyes shaking like a sailboat caught in a storm.
"Huh... huh?"
"Rikel lost...."
"Does this even make sense?"
"I'm not just a year or two older than you!"
"Well, this is unexpected...."
The spectators shivered in astonishment at the unprecedented scene. Wide-open pupils were fixed on Burren.
"You, who on earth...."
Rikel called out to Burren while trembling, but Burren only stared at his own hands.
"What's this? How did this happen?"
Rikel was quite a renowned swordsman. Even though he wasn't considered a top contender for the championship in this tournament, he easily defeated someone who had been thought to breeze through the quarter-finals.
"The victory goes to Burren Zieghart!"
Hearing the announcer declare Burren's victory, he turned around. Raon was smiling faintly as if acknowledging his performance.
* * *
"What's with you again! You little devil!"
You damn child of a demon!
Kwaaaang!
Unlike Burren, Martha rushed at her opponent from the start, raining down sword strikes. Balkar, the knight known as the best in defense even compared to the Beast Union, found his armor torn apart as he fell to the ground.
"Does this make it 10 wins out of 10?"
If Martha also wins, then the Light Wind Squad would have achieved 10 victories in 10 duels. So far, the Light Wind Squad was the only one to have achieved a flawless record.
"Is this for real?"
"Wha, the Light Wind Squad is being counted like this?"
"They're still young kids, how can they...?"
"We, well, the wording might be a bit much, but the Zieghart Swordsmen are crazy!"
"So, it's not the Light Wind Squad, it's the Light Wi...."
The audience was left speechless, unable to even let out gasps.
Hmm.
Seeing Martha, who had torn open the knight's breastplate, Wrath narrowed his eyes.
Originally, the power cultivated through training and battles doesn't instantly convert into skill; it lies at the foundation of the body and mind, slowly rising.
"Right. Since the growth of physical strength is step-like."
Raon nodded. For those without inherent abilities like himself, most warriors' growth was step-like. It wasn't an immediate rise; there had to be a period of adaptation for growth to occur.
However, you forcibly applied plaster to the incomplete steps and pulled yourself up. It's something that others know is difficult, yet this persistent guy…
"I'm not the persistent one here; it's all thanks to the kids keeping up with me."
Unleashing one's skill isn't something only instructors do harshly. It was possible because all the members of the Light Wind Squad were following along.
"Kept up? They almost died!"
Wrath trembled as he looked at Martha, who was still in the training grounds.
"The beef girl might have been feisty originally, but not to this extent! Is that a wild beast or a human!"
Observing the training grounds, he noticed that despite her victory, Martha's dark eyes were still flickering with a yellowish hue.
"That's just perfect."
Raon chuckled and nodded.
"Actually, a bit of madness is necessary for humans."
"A bit?"
Wrath shook his head with a shiver.
* * *
Owen Kingdom Royal Palace, highest floor.
Five transcendent beings gathered in the conference room meant for discussing important matters related to the Six Kings.
"They said the quarter-finals will take place today?"
Chamber, the Archmage Kingdom of Balkar, tapped his finger on the table and made a face while sampling the flavor.
"Yes. The semi-finals and finals will be held tomorrow. We will also be present there."
Derus offered a faint smile and nodded.
"Duels are meaningless. Whether they are Experts or Masters, all our kids will be up there."
King Ogrem put down the wine glass from the table in one gulp, revealed his teeth, and laughed.
"It won't be that easy. We weren't idly playing around like the others."
King Leckross lightly waved his hand. Confidence overflowed from his gaze.
"Your place has always been our haunt."
Chamber mocked Ogrem with a smile.
"Are you going to be humiliated again this time?"
"Shut up."
Ogrem crushed the wine glass he held in his hand into powder and glared.
"Our swordsmen won't be pushed back easily either."
Derus smiled faintly and tapped the table with his finger.
"Recently, there are some who have gained insights."
"Insights? Petty insights won't pierce a well-trained body."
Ogrem twisted his mouth while looking at Derus.
"The well-trained body is pierced by our magic every time."
Chamber grinned at Ogrem.
"You, shut it!"
Ogrem raised his hand, holding only the lid.
"It might be possible. But when it comes to the Master level Duel, I'm confident."
Derus's clear eyes radiated a clear trust.
"Talking about the Blue Sword, right? Indeed, his growth was blinding. However...."
King Leckross nodded his head slowly and continued.
"Borini Kitten has also reached a new level. If those two go head-to-head, it'll be an interesting match."
"Hmph. Those brats aren't bad. But if Garaona gets his hands on them, their limbs will be twisted like wrung rags. He ripped apart Drake with his bare hands."
Ogrem raised his single hand, boasting.
"Age doesn't seem to make a difference. Aren't you all tired of this?"
Chamber brushed back the strands of hair that had fallen onto her forehead and smirked. She turned her gaze to Glenn, who had remained silent so far.
"What about you, sir? The Light Wind Squad, right? How far do you think those kids will go?"
"...."
Glenn didn't answer, as if he had no interest. He rested his chin on his hand, staying still.
"Anyway, it's uninteresting."
Chamber clicked her tongue briefly and turned her head.
"Of course. It's natural to not have much hope when you know there's no chance of winning."
Ogrem smirked coldly at Glenn.
"That boy named Raon, who went into the Master level duel, was also kidnapped. If I were in his place and got kidnapped by non-humans, I'd bite my tongue and die. There won't be a single Zieghart name in the quarter-finals. Even their appearances are immature."
"Well, that was an unavoidable situation, it was Merlin and Tenth Apostle, nobody would find it easy to escape."
Derus sided with Glenn and took a sip.
"Of course, it's a bit challenging for the current Raon and the Light Wind squad to make it to the quarter-finals. Maybe in a few years, but...."
"Cough, my perspective might be a bit different, but let's discuss the duel later."
King Leckross raised his hand and looked to the back. The attendants, who had been waiting, brought documents and placed them on the table.
"Quarter-finals? Nonsense."
As the documents were laid out in front of the leaders of the Sicx Kings, and the attendants left, Glenn spoke for the first time.
"Raon and the Light Wind Squad have gained experiences that transcend their age. The determination of the kids who have experienced defeat once burns thicker than before."
His chilling voice, laden with intensity, silenced the other leaders.
"Both physically and mentally, they won't be easily surpassed. And above all else...."
Under Glenn's eerie gaze, the leaders' fingertips trembled slightly.
"Our kids are the cutest."
“…?”
