Veins popped at the sides of Halphar's head in slight annoyance.

Shouldn't it be him who's doing the looking down part, since he's the S-ranker?

"You sure talk big, A-ranker b–...human bladeborn…"

Daru's brows furrowed.

"I'm complimenting you, what are you saying?"

In the next moment, the battle resumed.

The tall Veshari charged at Daru, opening once more with a diagonal slash, which the latter blocked with a well-timed rising slash.

Stinging clangs continuously sounded from that moment as the two high-rankers of opposing races danced.

Their footwork, sword techniques, and styles were on full display.

The two seemed to be too adept in battle for their age, making instantaneous, appropriate decisions that prevented the sword of their opponents from reaching them.

They danced, chipping away at each other's depth under the dumbfounded gazes of the small Veshari crowd.

Ahfa was the first one to snap out of his awe-induced stupor, breaking into a cold sweat as he thought: 'She's keeping up way too well…'

But Daru was more than just keeping up.

He was beginning to lead the battle, reading Halphar's next moves better and better with every exchange.

The tall Veshari naturally felt that the battle was becoming harder and harder.

However, Halphar wasn't someone who would crumble from this.

His pride wouldn't allow him to lose to an A-ranker, especially one from another race.

Being both genetically and instinctually gifted in battle was one of the main reasons a Veshari was not as smart and cunning as the others.

Of course, there were some who had them all.

The battle raged on at full intensity for two minutes, and to the Veshari crowd's disbelief, their S-ranker was starting to be pushed back.

"What's wrong, Veshari, reaching your limits?" Daru taunted in excitement, fighting spirit ablaze.

"Hmph, I'm just getting started!" snapped Halphar as he stepped back and slashed two times once more, sending the familiar, spinning, gray cross slash flying towards Otsuna, but this time from a tricky descending angle.

But Daru managed to dodge again, this time by somersaulting backward and firing back with a small red crescent.

Halphar easily swatted the sword projectile away, but was annoyed that his recently obtained C-rank sword skill wasn't even giving him an opening to press the attack.

Power dynamics and growth as a novice were systematically different for the gray-skinned race.

So, the tall Veshari was saving up his innate sword skill, unwilling to show it to the eyes of Ae'shkar's loyal followers.

He believed it would lower his chances of successfully obtaining the novice guild from the SS-ranker's hands.

But he also couldn't allow himself to lose here, or he would lose the trust of the ones watching…

How could an S-ranker who lost to an A-ranker be a worthy novice guild master?

"You can consider yourself skilled, A-ranker. Now, off to your continent!"

As Halphar was saying this, his strange greatsword began emitting gray smoke. A pair of rotten wings also appeared on his back.

"Is this Halphar's innate sword skill?!"

"He's pissed, this A-ranker is done for!"

'Finally…I'll make sure boss Ae'shkar learns of this…'

Daru, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, focus on high as he struggled to suppress his excitement.

He knew by instinct that this was the tall Veshari S-ranker's innate sword skill.

To his surprise, Halphar slashed his weapon multiple times, sending out smoky slash marks that seemed to thicken the haze produced by his own weapon and wings.

It soon became difficult to see clearly, and the tall Veshari turned into a mere silhouette, then two, then three as the words drifted coldly into the ears of Daru and the onlookers:

"Shroudborne's Edge…"

The crowd felt uneasy, getting the urge to leave the area.

Had Halphar not been someone they knew since their first week in the Myriad Sword Realm, they would've thought he was some high-level, demon-type Swordspawn and would've actually fled from him, despite being clearly of the same race.

What Daru was feeling was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from them, smiling as his eyes darted about, following the two silhouettes who split up from the one in the middle.

As for which of them was the real Halphar, he didn't know.

'What a difficult sword skill to deal with…' Daru thought inwardly, though his expression didn't match his words.

'They're coming…'

In the next moment, the silhouette from the middle also moved, and all three charged at him together.

But Daru remained calm, eyes focused.

The gray haze had surrounded the entire area. He would only get a short window to react.

Almost instantaneously, he determined that the one on the right would arrive first, followed by the one in the middle, then lastly, the leftmost silhouette.

What he didn't expect, however, was that the rotten wings would suddenly flap mightily, giving the silhouettes a momentary speed boost as they shot towards him.

But he wasn't fooled.

He knew only one was real, and based on their movements, he had already had an idea that the one on the right was but a mere diversion.

It was either the middle one or the leftmost silhouette.

"Hahaha! Teach me a lesson my ass, you human b*tch!" laughed Akri as she watched the scene unfold from the sidelines.

Based on her current combat abilities, she thought it was impossible to deal with Shroudborne's Edge.

But this line of thinking was flawed.

She wasn't as skilled in combat as Daru, and just because she couldn't find a way around the skill, Daru wouldn't, either.

Just as Ahfa was starting to breathe in a more relaxed manner.

They witnessed how Otsuna completely ignored the first silhouette, performing short and strange, zigzagging steps before splitting into two and charging at the remaining two.

The haze completely hid his battle-crazed smile.

"What?!" roared Akri in disbelief, standing up from her leaning position at one of the mangrove roots.

Daru, on the other hand, completely focused on the silhouette in front of him, observing its movements as the distance between them further closed.

And then he murmured:

"Hmm, uncreative…"

There were no changes in the movements of the silhouette in front of him, and so, without hesitation, he turned and charged at the one on the left, exposing his back to the one before him.

Then came the decisive moment.

The silhouette on the right burst out of the gray haze, turning out to be literally empty air as it burst forth.

It was indeed but a mere diversion.

But what the Veshari crowd couldn't believe was the human A-ranker's decisiveness that could've been the end of her.

Was what Otsuna displayed mere combat instincts, or was there reasoning behind her actions?

Ahfa and the others couldn't tell.

The second silhouette then also burst out of the haze half a moment later, turning out to be another empty air that merely brushed on Hal's back while he was dashing for the real Shroudborne.

"I've broken your move, Veshari. My turn!"

In the next instant, Halphar cleaved through his intent mirage, gritting his teeth in disbelief.

How did the human predict which one is the real him?!

Also, the bastard has a sword skill that was similar to his?

The tall Veshari could only charge right back, unwilling to be outdone despite being out of sword skills.

At such an early stage, help from their clans was somewhat limited, so they would naturally only have a few active abilities.

"Like I'll lose to an A-ranker like you!" roared Halphar, slashing forth with his strange greatsword, his speed boosted with a flap of his translucent rotten wings.

"That's the spirit!" Daru responded, jumping and turning into a red tornado to not only dodge his opponent's attack, but also counterstrike at a crafty angle.

"I've already seen this skill of yours multiple times!" snarled the tall Veshari, ducking at the perfect moment to dodge before pivoting his foot, turning, and rushing back at the female human A-ranker.

He then swept his greatsword at Daru's landing figure.

But just a touch on the ground was enough for Daru, transitioning into a smooth, neutral somersault and firing back with a small red crescent.

"Trash!" snorted Halphar as he easily destroyed the sword skill.

However, the moment his eyes and mind shifted their focus back to the human bladeborn, she…had already turned into an azure sword.

"Halphar!!" roared Ahfa, who had seen the skill once, in worry.

But it was too late.

The sword manifestation descended like an azure comet, predicting that the tall Veshari would jump back.

"NO!"

*BANG!*

A small crater formed as the image crashed onto the ground, sending swampwater flying everywhere and destroying a few Coneleaf Mangroves under the gaping mouths and widened, horrified eyes of the Veshari crowd.

Daru still went through with the follow-up attack, but struck nothing but red dissipating particles as a glaring red text floated up:

[-2,000!]

[You've slain a level [35] [Novice] [S-ranked] Bladeborn of the [Veshari] race.]

[You've obtained 1,000 (+500) Experience Points.]

[Your sword passive: [Tainted Enforcer], stole 1 Perception from [Halphar].]

[You've contributed (1) War Medal to your race.]

Acknowledging his victory against a Veshari S-ranker, he smiled and took a moment to swipe through the notifications, turning to Akri in the next and coldly glaring at her.

The female B-ranker Veshari felt a shiver crawl down her spine.

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