Chapter 34

“Hmm. Since you told me not to spare my strength, it would be rude not to.”

Marina Debius' tone was graceful.

However, her eyes blazed with a dark blue light.

It was because the martial artist's fighting spirit had been stimulated.

The aura of the former Ten Great Generals erupted as if exploding.

It was an aura that seemed to cover the plain.

Those who were watching trembled once more at her aura.

“But don't think that was my full power. If you did, you---”

She spun the iron spear around a few times and then pulled it back.

Though it was a ridiculously large and heavy lump of iron, Marina wielded it like a piece of straw.

Seeing Amethus raise his double-edged sword at an angle, she licked her lips.

“---wouldn't be able to get away unscathed.”

“…Hnngh!”

Amethus' forearm was torn open and his jade-green eyes widened.

The thrust-out iron spear, not satisfied with the wound on his forearm, changed its trajectory and tried to strike him.

Amethus' double-edged sword swiftly rose to meet it, and a clang sound was heard.

He was bewildered.

He had seen her pull the spear back.

He knew she would thrust and waited.

But he had missed it.

The thread of tension had never been loose, but at some point, that iron spear had torn his forearm.

Marina giggled and withdrew her spear.

“Here I go again?”

The iron spear was pulled back again.

Amethus' steps were hurried.

If it was a thrust he couldn't react to, then before she thrust.

The double-edged sword aimed for Marina's wrist, which was holding the spear.

The black-haired Imperial Consort licked her lips, and a crushing sound came from Amethus' wrist.

Amethus stepped back.

Marina did not bother to chase and withdrew her spear again.

Blood dripped from the hand gripping the double-edged sword, but Amethus paid no mind.

“A truly amazing thrust, Your Highness Marina.”

Amethus bowed his head deeply.

“May I ask if that is the renowned Forged Horn of Debius?”

“Yes, that's right. It's too grand a name, so I just call it a horn.”

Forged horn.

When you think it has been thrust, it has already pierced.

The pinnacle of spearmanship, a source of pride for the Cordis' number one martial family, the Debius family.

Marina did not hide her pride and wore a confident smile.

“I lost three fingers to Lord Yosef, so it's not as good as it used to be, but isn't it still quite a sharp horn?”

“I too must become sharper.”

“It sounds as if you haven't used your full strength yet.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Oh my. Is that so?”

Marina gave a faint smile.

She even laughed like a girl and then licked her lips.

“I'll have to check.”

She was not the type to leave a question unanswered.

She wouldn't be satisfied until she had resolved it immediately.

The people of the Debius family were originally like that.

Marina pulled her spear back.

And a thrust that seemed to skip the process.

The Debius Forged horn.

Clang, a sound.

The double-edged sword blocked her horn.

Amethus was unharmed,and his jade-green eyes were strangely deep.

A frown formed on Marina's brow.

The feeling was strange.

It felt less like he had read the spear's trajectory and more like he had known where she would thrust and had placed his sword there in advance.

If so, then she just had to check again.

“Hey.”

Pulling the spear back, while slightly licking her lips.

“The horn of Debius is not just one.”

Three horns thrust in succession.

Debius Triple Forged Horn.

The iron spear thrusts.

The double-edged sword blocks.

The moment it is blocked, the spear is already back.

And the second thrust.

The double-edged sword could not follow in time.

Amethus' cheek was deeply cut.

He tried to block the spear's retrieval, but it was useless, and the spear, pulled back again, was sharp and aimed at his jade-green eyes.

“……”

The third horn finally pierced Amethus' side.

The hilt of the double-edged sword struck the side of the thrusting spear, but it was not a horn that could be deflected by that much.

The horn pierced the side of the jade-eyed man.

A drop of blood splattered.

“Is it alright if I keep going?”

Marina did not wait for an answer.

She retrieved her spear once more.

The Triple Forged Horn, just like before.

Three horns aimed for Amethus.

In order, the wrist, the thigh, and the shoulder.

Not to kill, but to make victory impossible.

A chilling light flashed in the jade-green eyes.

The double-edged sword moved.

Even though the spear had not yet been thrust.

First, the wrist, then the thigh, and finally, the shoulder.

Clang, clang, clang, three metallic sounds in succession.

Marina's eyebrows arched.

All three of her horns had been blocked.

“You're catching on surprisingly fast. Why didn't I know of a kid like you?”

“……”

Amethus said nothing.

His pupils were endlessly deep.

Watching from a distance, I shivered.

Those damned jade-green eyes!

Marina also felt that something was amiss.

She gripped her iron spear tightly.

Marina Debius' horn was sharp.

But it was not all she had.

Pulling the spear back.

Amethus raised his sword to block.

But she didn't thrust and swung low.

The sword was busy following its trajectory.

Marina smiled softly and raised her spear.

The spearhead was aimed precisely at Amethus.

Amethus jumped.

While he was in the air, the iron spear followed, twisting.

The jade-eyed man, as if he had known, stepped on the spear shaft and jumped again.

He fell from above Marina.

But she had already pulled her spear back.

As she licked her lips, the forged horn towards the falling Amethus.

With the momentum to pierce even the sun.

But Amethus was not there.

He had already landed beside her and was thrusting his sword.

Again, he acted as if he had read her movements.

Marina Debius' smile deepened.

‘He's watching my lips so intently. How cute.’

The jade-green eyes were watching Marina's lips from time to time.

It was because she had a habit of slightly licking her lips whenever she used great strength.

‘Since he seems to have been sufficiently deceived,’

But it was all intentional.

It was common for a habit to come out when using strength.

But if she couldn't fix such a common habit, how could she be one of the Ten Great Generals.

It was all a feint.

A smokescreen to aim for Amethus' opening.

‘It's about time……’

Licking her lips, a Double Forged Horn.

Amethus blocked it and the double-edged sword seized the opening.

As if he had grasped her breathing after a few exchanges.

Marina Debius, at that very moment.

With a nonchalant face.

Pretending to deflect the double-edged sword.

Suddenly kicking off with her back foot.

So fiercely that the iron spear bent.

Seven thrusts that pierced an unexpected opening.

Seven horns that could not be dodged.

Debius Seven-Forged Horn.

The ultimate technique that had given Marina the name of the Seven-Forged General and taken Yosef's eye.

The seven horns were aimed at the jade-eyed man almost simultaneously.

When you think it has been thrust, it has already pierced.

“……?”

The spear tip cut through empty air.

The renowned seven horns of Debius had missed.

Amethus was not there.

He had been right in front of her just a moment ago.

Where?

Marina, having missed with her ultimate technique, was perplexed and her eyes shot open.

“Your Highness.”

The voice, from behind.

Suppressing a chill, Marina hastily changed her stance.

But she sensed it was too late.

She regretted her three severed fingers.

“-Forgive my rudeness.”

“……!!!”

A sword strike.

Simply heavy and strangely sharp.

About half of the spear shaft she had raised to defend was cleanly cut off.

Marina's beautiful black hair was also cut at the ends and rolled on the ground.

The double-edged sword did not stop.

It seemed that it could not be satisfied with just cutting the spear and hair.

Marina clicked her tongue and kicked the severed spear shaft that was about to fall to the ground.

Since even the spear shaft was made of iron, Amethus had no choice but to dodge.

After a brief opening, Marina quickly took four steps back.

“…You, you read my feint from the beginning.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And you're still not at full power.”

“That is also correct.”

Amethus gave a slight bow.

Marina felt a chill at those jade-green eyes.

She had tried to deceive Amethus, as if she had a habit of licking her lips.

But Amethus, noticing that she was trying to deceive him, had instead aimed for an opening.

“May I ask your age, Amethus?”

“I am twenty-five.”

“That's not another lie, is it?”

“I do not recall having ever told a lie.”

The jade-eyed man gave a slight bow.

Though it was an ordinary double-edged sword, it was surprisingly threatening in his hands.

Marina's pupils blazed even more.

She felt a heat that she thought had long since disappeared welling up.

“Then, hey, you're a monster.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

***

A thousand soldiers, three hundred warriors, and two hundred young men.

The fifteen hundred youths all watched the duel between Amethus and Marina in silence.

These fifteen hundred were all men who deserved to be called the elite of the elite.

But watching that fight made them feel shabby.

“……”

“……”

The iron spear and the double-edged sword were exchanged.

With a power and skill they could not imagine.

Those who had sneered at Amethus were especially plunged into a heavier silence.

Yosef Haider, seeing the disheartened youths, laughed heartily.

“You're this dispirited? If you had seen Marina in her prime, you would have fainted.”

Marina Debius, it had already been 20 years since she had left the battlefield.

In that time, she had given birth to a child and lost three fingers.

Though she still had a sharp horn, it could not compared to the time when she boasted the name of the Seven-Forged General.

When she had demolished the Bellos Bridge with her bare hands, she was beautifully strong.

“Still, watch carefully, you brats. Though he may not be at the level of the Ten Generals, he will at least be a legion commander. That is the kind of military power that represents a nation.”

You too, watch properly, you brat!

Yosef slapped the back of his grandson, Rene Haider, who was standing next to him.

Though he cherished his grandson, he was somewhat dissatisfied when comparing him to Amethus.

Yosef continued to follow the jade-eyed man with his eyes.

It was swordsmanship so beautiful it was admirable.

“His name was Amethus.”

They say an awl in a pocket will eventually be revealed, but sometimes, there is an awl so sharp that it is surprising why it is only being revealed now.

Amethus was like that.

To have such skill before he was even thirty.

And not belonging to a renowned knight order or the military, no, there were no such youths even there!

“Yes, a guy like that always pops up. Isn't that right, you old Hermai?”

“Why the friendly act, you old one-eyed Yosef?”

“Ah. You're the only one around my age.”

Yosef smiled slyly, but Hermai was blunt.

The old magician stroked his beard with a displeased face.

“I don't recall us being close enough to be friendly just because we're both old.”

“Hahaha. Let's let bygones be bygones. We couldn't help it 23 years ago, could we.”

“How understanding, that Yosef Haider.”

“I have to act my age.”

The cloud Hermai was riding on descended.

The two old men watched the clashing spear and sword at a similar eye level.

The iron spear of Debius was sharp, and the double-edged sword of the jade-eyed man was like a demon.

Hermai stroked his beard.

“It's already been over 100 exchanges.”

“Yes, just now 128, 129, oh my, 130 exchanges!”

“You were counting.”

The duel between Marina and Amethus was neck and neck.

Yosef snickered and scratched the inside of his eye patch.

Marina's spear was still fierce, so much so that his lost eye throbbed.

But Amethus, far from backing down against such a Marina, seemed to be slightly outperforming her.

“One-eye, who do you think will win?”

“That young one.”

Yosef pointed at Amethus.

“Age is one thing, but for a spear user, missing three fingers is a very big weakness.”

“I agree. Even with a weakness, she is still Marina Debius, but that young man's skill is……”

Hermai nodded his head and turned his gaze.

The First Prince with blonde hair and golden eyes stood with his arms crossed, a nonchalant expression on his face.

“Ferbias was hiding a very sharp sword.”

As surprising as Amethus' skill was, Ferbias received looks of respect.

Normally, Ferbias would have enjoyed such gazes, but now he had no time for that.

He had to endure the rising astonishment.

‘…My school days are over and I have changed a lot.’

Ferbias was lost in sentiment.

He couldn't help but think back on the time he had walked.

‘Amethus, was it the same for you?’

He remembered the Amethus from his Sdea Academy days, who had defeated the master from Maesh as a student.

Even then, his end was not in sight, but now it was to the point of being unfathomable.

‘You've really become a monster.’

“Ah. I can't beat a young one.”

The one who raised her hand first was Marina Debius, the former Seven-Forged General.

When she withdrew her spear, Amethus did not chase.

Marina grumbled and tidied her hair.

It had been cut several times by the double-edged sword, so it had become quite short.

“You are two moves above the current me.”

“You praise me too highly, Your Highness.”

“Hey, when an adult praises you, just say thank you. Put away humility.”

Marina waved her hand dismissively.

The spots for her three fingers, except for her thumb and index finger, were empty on her left hand.

She deeply regretted that.

“It would have been more fun if we had fought when I was in my prime, hmm… shall we stop here? Let's say I lost.”

“I have no reason to refuse.”

Looking at his sunken jade-green eyes, she let out a soft laugh.

The match would not be decided unless one of them died.

They both realized that when their exchanges surpassed 100.

“Secundus, is that alright?”

“Hmm. Do as you please.”

The muscular prince shouted back in reply.

He trusted his mother's judgment.

Marina showed a smile to her son and then held out her hand to Amethus.

It was the hand of an Imperial Consort.

He hesitated in confusion and tried to kiss her hand.

Marina burst out laughing, took Amethus' right hand, and shook it.

“Amethus, you may rejoice. You have won.”

Did you hear that, Dean?

Marina shouted so loudly that the plane seemed to shake.

Hermai waved his hand as if to say he had.

“So, hey, deliver the victory to your master.”

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