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MT - 62 Strong
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 06:27:00 +0000 UTC"Listen to the howling winds of the gods." Roy muttered, exhaling a deep breath, his voice cold and detached.
Ghyslaine's beastly eyes gleamed with interest as she leaned forward. Her muscles tensed, coiling with the energy of a predator. Her already formidable frame swelled as her raw power built up, and with a flash of her gleaming white teeth, she vanished in an instant, leaving only a blur of motion.
The air around her crackled with domineering force as she surged forward. Each step made the ground buckle beneath her feet, the earth sinking and dirt flying in every direction, leaving giant imprints in the grass. Roy's face tightened as he realized how fast she was—he had expected speed, but not to this extent.
In the blink of an eye, the thirty-meter gap between them was closed to a mere ten.
Roy instinctively retreated, trying to distance himself. His sword needed time to build up its power, but it seemed he had miscalculated.
Ghyslaine appeared before him, a mocking grin curling on her lips. Her blood surged, and the flow of energy within her body reached its peak. In a single movement, she swung her sword with the force of a storm. The violent blade of energy surged toward Roy, and with just one glance, Roy knew he couldn't block it.
While he could have endured Paul's strikes with sheer force, Ghyslaine's attack was a different beast altogether—there was no way to withstand it.
The sword's ferocious energy wrapped around the blade, the speed faster than lightning, and in a heartbeat, it was heading straight for Roy.
His brows furrowed, and he didn't even attempt to strike. Instead, he swiftly stepped back, but Ghyslaine wouldn't give him a chance to escape. She reversed her grip and swung again, her blade tearing through the air.
This strike was just as powerful as the first, if not more so. Roy had no time to retreat any further.
Grinding his teeth, he summoned all his strength and met her attack head-on.
The sword now crackled with dark energy, the pitch-black magic winding around the blade. What had once been an ordinary wooden sword was now enveloped in magical tendrils, though the magic only covered half the blade, unstable and still building. Even so, the sword's power was undeniable.
A shadow of darkness flashed through the air, moving with such speed that it was nearly invisible. The sword wasn't just fast—it was swifter than the wind, faster than lightning.
In that tiny space, there was nothing but the clash of swords.
Ghyslaine's pupils narrowed, her body shifting from offense to defense. She raised her sword to block, and the force behind her own sword flared up again, more powerful than before. Her aura was now as heavy as a mountain, unshakable, no matter how swift Roy's strike was.
For a moment, the roles reversed—Roy had never expected Ghyslaine to wield such a ferocious offensive and defensive power.
If she had taken his attack head-on, Roy believed even Ghyslaine would have suffered damage.
The force of the strike was immense, but as the saying goes: "What is done with one burst of energy is often weakened with the next."
If Ghyslaine could withstand this strike, Roy's chances would be slim.
A smile tugged at Ghyslaine's lips, and her beastly eyes sparked with greater excitement. When they first crossed swords, Roy's strike had been able to push her back, but now, as his energy dwindled, his sword's power began to dissipate.
With a sudden forward leap, Ghyslaine's feet cracked the ground beneath her. Sensing Roy's waning strength, she grinned playfully. "Not bad, but not enough." She taunted.
Roy was in a bind. Changing tactics now would be like signing his own death warrant. A duel with the Sword King was no simple matter—at such a close range, she could easily strike him down in an instant.
His heartbeat thundered in his chest as the image of Ghyslaine's fierce expression and the weight of her overwhelming power told him one undeniable truth: she was someone he could not defeat.
Now, Roy faced a choice: retreat.
With a sharp growl, Roy clenched his teeth and let out a cold gleam. He lunged forward, delivering a powerful kick straight at Ghyslaine.
The force was immense, and the speed was blinding. Ghyslaine hesitated for a moment, sidestepping the kick with ease. Seizing the opportunity, Roy quickly pulled back and retreated.
Ghyslaine snorted in frustration. "Just like Paul." She muttered, her voice tinged with discontent. "No wonder you're blood-related."
Roy's lips twitched slightly, but he refrained from saying anything more. He raised his sword in front of him, readying his stance.
However, Roy wasn't in great shape. His right arm ached faintly, and his hand was still numb from the earlier recoil.
As he adjusted his posture, Ghyslaine charged forward once more.
This time, her speed was even greater. Roy barely had time to react. The intuitive sense honed by his swordsmanship vaguely alerted him to Ghyslaine's position, but when he turned to look, she was nowhere to be seen.
He couldn't keep up. Not even close.
It was an overwhelming difference. Their physical abilities were worlds apart.
Pain flared in his abdomen as Ghyslaine's wooden sword struck him. Staggering backward a few steps, Roy clutched his stomach and hastily waved a hand. "Enough, enough! I yield!"
Though Ghyslaine had pulled her blow at the last moment, and Roy had instinctively channeled some magic into his chest and abdomen to reinforce his defenses, the pain was unavoidable. For a moment, he grimaced, clutching his middle as the ache lingered.
Ghyslaine stood still, silent for a beat, before addressing him. "You're strong. Stronger than I expected."
Her words were sincere. For someone of her caliber—a Sword King in her prime—her power was self-evident. The fact that Roy, at his age, had forced her to exert seventy percent of her strength was a testament to his extraordinary talent.
Still holding his stomach, Roy took a moment to catch his breath before muttering, "I thought we were sparring with swords? For a second there, I felt like I was brushing shoulders with Death."
Ghyslaine pondered his words, her face expressionless. "I got carried away. Used a little too much strength. My apologies, Roy."
Roy's eye twitched as he studied her impassive face. There wasn't a shred of genuine remorse in her tone or demeanor.
At that moment, Rudeus and Eris came running up from the distance. Rudeus looked at Roy with admiration, saying, "Big brother, your skills have improved again!"
Roy shot him a sidelong glance and replied in a serious tone, "We'll train later. I want to see how much you've grown."
Rudeus's previously cheerful expression immediately fell. Lowering his head, he replied weakly, "Understood."
Meanwhile, Eris approached Ghyslaine with an inquisitive gleam in her eye. "How strong is Roy? Do you think I can catch up to him someday?"
Ghyslaine gave it some thought, her expression remaining unreadable. After a moment of contemplation, she answered with two simple words: "Not likely."
The bluntness of her response caused the light to fade from Eris's eyes. Her once-hopeful expression dimmed as disappointment took hold.
And thus, the silence grew. Now, there were two more quiet souls in the world.
