I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 38

“Oh! The student ranked fourth?”

“That friend is really suited for broadcasting.”

“Hah, these days, even eloquence is considered a skill among the Sabers.”

Jerome and Selfis spoke carelessly, but Zien paid them no mind.

* * *

– Dueling Ground No. 1. Chris Arun. Daven Storm. Enter.

– As per the rules, a mana shield is applied.

– If the mana shield takes a certain amount of damage, it will be considered a disqualification.

A duel with magical tools and real swords.

For safety, a high-performance mana shield was granted to the participants.

“Hello?”

Chris greeted with a sly smile.

“……”

Frowning, Daven summoned his magical greatsword instead of replying.

“Why so serious?”

At Chris’s teasing smile, Daven’s eyes flashed.

“Shut up.”

Daven didn’t like this duel.

He had joined because of Selfis’s offer to award SP points for a victory, but it hurt his pride to be matched against Chris instead of Gian.

– 3 seconds before the start.

As the countdown began, Chris sneered.

“You seem confident. You might lose, just like that time.”

– 2 seconds before.

Daven’s face twisted frighteningly.

A humiliating duel where he had drawn his magical tool and still lost to Gian. Knowing it was a taunt, Daven trembled with rage as he looked at Chris.

“…You b*stard.”

– 1 second before.

“Hey, getting angry already?”

– Start!

Daven swung his greatsword mightily.

The magic of the greatsword was somewhat predictable.

Different types and concepts, but the effect was mostly the enhancement of destructive power.

“It’s over.”

Selfis spoke calmly, watching Chris cornered.

“What a waste of time. To think I considered letting such a student participate in an off-campus event.”

Jerome sarcastically remarked to Zien in a subtle tone.

Moreover, Jerome did not forget to flatter Selfis.

“It was truly a masterstroke for the principal to suggest a personnel change.”

“Hah! I wasn’t worried about the other two students at all. They are the proud number ones of our Arcana.”

Pleased with the flattery, Selfis laughed contentedly, while Romina looked on with a grim expression, as Chris, cornered like a mouse, was pushed to the edge.

“It seems the result is clear. Shouldn’t we stop the match?”

Cassian shook his head at that suggestion, pointing at Chris.

“No. Look closely.”

Though it seemed he was being pressed, not a single effective strike had touched him.

Chris’s weapons were two daggers.

It was impossible for him to resemble Zien, who wielded a long sword.

Yet, with minimal movement, Chris was deflecting Dayven’s greatsword, prompting Cassian to recall Zien’s swordsmanship.

‘Similar to Zien. Taught in such a short time?’

How could it be?

Cassian couldn’t shake off his astonishment as he watched Chris narrowly evade the greatsword by a paper-thin margin.

Then, mana was bestowed upon Chris’s eyes.

Clash!

Simultaneously, Chris’s dagger grazed Dayven’s wrist.

Unlike the flustered Dayven, Chris swung his dagger with confidence, his attack predicting not only the offense but also the evasive positions.

“What?”

“Huh?”

Selfis and Romina, too, felt the dissonance, watching the duel with serious expressions.

“He used a magic device.”

Admiration laced Cassian’s words.

And rightly so. Cassian was a sparring instructor and knew Chris’s abilities better than any of the professors.

‘I wanted to break such prejudices, yet I am the one… How shameful.’

Even Cassian had thought of Chris as merely the 97th-ranked student. But Zien had improved Chris’s skills to this extent in less than a month. It was about recognizing and believing in Chris’s essence, regardless of rank or current skill. Cassian felt ashamed for even doubting Zien for a moment.

“Chris is.”

Zien, who had been silently observing the duel, finally spoke.

“Not without talent.”

As if responding to Jian’s words, Chris continued to press on Dayven.

Cheers erupted from the stands where the students were.

“It’s not that I lack enthusiasm.”

Romina also let out a short exclamation of admiration at Chris’s well-polished movements.

“I just didn’t know the way.”

It was probably the slump that most students experience.

It was Jian who had presented the possibility and direction to such a Chris. But the effort was purely Chris’s part. Fortunately, Chris lived up to Jian’s expectations.

“Chris will win.”

It was the same thing he had said before, but now it carried more weight.

The moment Chris’s remarkably improved skills were proven. No longer were Jian’s words mere bravado. Even the professors who had predicted Chris’s defeat wore surprised expressions.

“No?”

“This is really embarrassing.”

There was no professor who did not understand the ’embarrassment’ Kashen spoke of.

Teaching, believing, those were originally the roles of a teacher. But Jian, who was merely a student, had fulfilled that role splendidly. He had polished a rough stone into a gem.

“Exactly…”

Embarrassed, Romina averted her gaze,

“…”

Jerome’s face turned red, and he said nothing,

“Haha, you are… truly remarkable in many ways.”

Selfis simply wore a satisfied expression.

* * *

Clang! Chiang! Chaeng! Tukang!

In the sparring ground, Chris was like the wind.

A flurry of strikes as if dancing.

The twin daggers wrapped in mana left countless trails of light as they surged forward.

“Argh!”

Feeling that even shielding was now at its limit, Dayven lowered his stance, aiming for a single strike.

Swoosh!

Magic technique, Gust Strike.

The great sword’s weight was reduced to that of a mere branch, yet its destructive power was amplified.

“Eat this!!”

Dayven swung the lightened great sword with one hand.

The great sword defied all laws of physics, shooting forth viciously.

Its target was Chris’s head.

If it connected, the shield would be completely obliterated by the sword’s might.

But.

“I’ve seen it already.”

Chris swiftly ducked his head.

As long as the Insight Eye, a magical device, was activated, such attacks would not reach Chris.

It wasn’t truly seeing the future, but.

Muscles.

Expressions.

Posture.

Every action of Dayven’s was a hint to Chris.

Swoosh!

Dayven’s great sword cut through nothing but empty air.

Chris did not miss this fleeting mistake and lunged.

With just enough force to shatter the shield, Chris thrust at Dayven.

Crash!

With a loud noise, the thin barrier surrounding Dayven’s body shattered.

-Dayven Storm. Shield remaining: 0%.

-Winner: Chris Arun. The duel is concluded.

Cheers erupted from the student stands as the announcement sounded.

“I, I won…”

Chris murmured with a face filled with emotion, as memories of past hardships flashed by.

There were many handicaps. Non-combat magic tools, a difference of 50 ranks, and even weight classes, but Dayven’s great sword had never once touched Chris.

A true, complete victory.

“…I really won. The tournament should be for the original members to participate in, right?”

As promised, Selfis declared, and Romina nodded in agreement.

“Yes. With that level of skill, I can trust you.

In fact, Romina felt embarrassed to say such things. Today was the day her prejudices against Gian were shattered.

“Gian? Let’s pretend I didn’t hear the earlier talk about the magical tool. I misspoke.”

Romina’s words were rational, and she had no intention of badmouthing Chris.

In battle, the difference between combat and non-combat magical tools was significant.

It was just that Gian’s education and Chris’s growth were exceptionally rare cases.

“Not at all, Professor Romina.”

Kashen smiled contentedly at Gian’s humble reply.

‘Gian sets a good precedent.’

Gian rose from rank 162 to number one. An orphanage alumnus, he became the most promising Saber among the nobility’s children.

‘How far will he grow? To the 6th grade? Maybe even the 7th?’

Of course, it wasn’t just a matter of watching. Gian’s rise to number one and his subsequent achievements owed much to Kashen’s unseen support.

“You’ve done it.”

“What do you mean? Chris is the one who did it.”

At Gian’s response, Kashen laughed and left the sparring ground.

The now-empty sparring ground. Chris, sheathing his dagger, glanced slyly at Dayven.

He wished Dayven would curse and charge at him instead of leaving with that empty look. It wasn’t as satisfying as he thought it would be.

“Tsk.”

* * *

At the exit of the sparring ground.

“Is the 97th that strong?”

“Hey, he must be skilled to be included in the party.”