Chapter 8
A radiant red-gold ring shimmered.
Even after seeing the ring revolving at the heart's core, everyone present had to doubt their own eyes.
No one dared even breathe too loudly.
The one most overwhelmed by the shock was Julian, who had just faced the flames before him.
"You abandoned your mana circuits and wove a ring?'
His lips trembled.
It was a foolish, utterly senseless act that went far beyond the common sense of knighthood.
"Did you really abandon Luna and weave Solar?"
"That's right."
"Why? Why spread your wings only to break them yourself?"
Julian was one of those who could not understand the knights of the ring.
Luna's mana circuits were the white wings of a bird soaring toward the moonlit sky.
A Solar ring was the wing of a moth immolating itself in the flames of the sun.
It was not only Julian who thought so. Every knight said the same thing.
"I don't understand. Why would you do something so senseless? Why?"
"Do I need to be understood?"
At Astin's indifferent response, wrinkles formed between Julian's brows.
Everyone knew except the person himself. He had no idea what a foolish act of destruction he had committed.
It was enough to make one feel sorry for him.
"Why would Young Master choose a Solar ring?"
"That makes no sense. He'd already opened two paths, hadn't he? He destroyed everything he'd completed and wove a new ring?"
"More importantly, when did he complete it, and what was he thinking? Does anyone know?"
A stir began to spread among the knights watching.
We thought he'd suggested aura out of nowhere because he had opened a new path.
As it turned out, the truth was the exact opposite.
He had chosen the path of self-destruction—the sort that brought more losses than gains, to put it bluntly.
No matter how fundamental rings were to a knight, it was reckless madness that defied common sense in practical terms.
Furthermore, abandoning two completed mana paths to weave a ring was...
It was a more disadvantageous situation, with better odds of victory if he had simply cut off one arm before fighting.
"Don't tell me it's a handicap?"
"Like hell."
"Then why?"
"Why are you prying so much?"
Astin rested the back of his sword over his shoulder.
"I'm not the strange one. You are. Peace without hardship makes a knight's sword rust. It may look fine on the outside, but inside, it's already rotting away."
"You call that an explanation?"
"It's more than mere words. I have proof. Why do you think there are no more than five Swordmasters during an era of peace, while a dozen or more appear during an age of turmoil?"
Regardless of the era, hard times forged heroes.
The reason Astin had woven eight rings, becoming the first human ever to do so...
The reason Lucia had woven seven rings, then surpassed Deus to reach the Eighth Rank...
When destruction was imminent, each individual at the front lines had reached an unprecedented peak.
That was why knights who walked the safe path were weak.
They could never compare to the flamekeeper knights who wove rings.
"A blade is ultimately forged in the face of death. It is a knight's duty to heat the ring with his life as kindling and sharpen the tip of his sword against it as a whetstone. It's only natural."
"Sophistry. It isn't forged; it's broken. And broken swords are discarded."
"You're all the same. Even when I explain it, you don't understand. Yet you dismiss us as ghosts endlessly circling an infinite ring. You should at least respect knights who endure hardship."
Infinite ring. At least that much was true.
"Every path has an end. The knights of the ring are different. They keep circling endlessly."
"Ha! They eventually stop when they die."
"It's obvious which is the more worthwhile death—the one who stops before dying, or the one who dies before stopping."
"You're impossible to reason with."
Julian gave up on understanding.
Astin gave up on explaining any further as well. It would only make his mouth hurt.
"You know something?"
Solar's pride was the sacrifice of the many to save the world.
Thus, it could be called the sacrifice of the many for the few who would protect the world.
Even if he said that, who would believe him? They would only treat him as a madman.
"I'm the type who shows things through actions rather than words."
Boom-!
The dirt beneath Astin's feet heaved upward, leaving behind a footprint.
Astin's vanished form shot forward like an arrow.
A red-gold streak came rushing in, carrying explosive heat.
"!"
Julian somehow reacted in time and desperately knocked his sword upward.
Kaaang-!!
A cacophonous metallic shriek rang out.
Julian's feet were helplessly pushed backward. Two furrows were carved deeply into the dirt beneath him.
'What strength!'
Astin had woven only a single ring.
By contrast, Julian was an unparalleled genius who had opened three mana paths.
With his overwhelming density, he should have been able to drive Astin's sword back.
Yet the hand tightening around his sword hilt tingled as though it were going numb.
Far from crushing Astin, he remained locked in an even struggle.
Julian clearly held the advantage in physical ability and aura density.
But consumed by Luna, Julian could see nothing beyond that.
Astin's ring contained more than Solar alone.
All the experience, insights, senses, and intuition he had accumulated were condensed within it.
Clang! Clang—!!
Sword strikes tangled fiercely together without giving either side a moment to breathe.
Cold moonlight and scorching hellfire collided, scattering flashes of light.
"Huh...."
Every knight watching the onslaught broke into a cold sweat. They swallowed dryly beneath the heat of Solar.
"They're leagues above us...."
"Hey, someone explain this to me! How can he drive back three mana paths with just one ring?"
"Young Master is a Cardenos. He's the one who will become our lord."
"That alone doesn't explain it! He was a dullard until just the other day...."
Clang!
At a glance, their exchange appeared evenly matched.
Only those well versed in swordsmanship noticed.
Julian was exhausting himself as though a fire had broken out at his feet, while Astin countered with the minimum possible movements, sending sparks flying.
Moreover, Julian's breathing had grown ragged from Solar's heat.
Flamekeepers were unaffected by the heat. If anything, it invigorated them.
As time passed, Julian was the one whose breathing grew disordered from fatigue and heat.
"Julian...."
That was how it appeared to Azeline as well.
She clasped her hands together as though praying.
Please let Julian win. Please let him free me from Astin.
...Azeline had only been thinking those words, but in the end, she could not hold back and opened her mouth.
"Julian!"
Everyone's gaze turned toward her.
Azeline paid no attention to who might be watching and raised her voice.
"Don't lose, Julian! You're the only one I have! How am I supposed to live without you? Please win! Stay by my side and hold me...!"
Immediately after Azeline's cry struck the training grounds...
"Older Brother Astin!!"
A shrill girl's cry burst out from the opposite side.
It was Celine, who had run to the training grounds late and was watching on tiptoe.
"Keep it up, Older Brother! Show them how scary you are—ah, no, I mean how strong you are! And you're sooo much more handsome than that greasy cheese!"
With Celine's cheer as the beginning...
The Cardenos knights, who had been holding their breath, also shouted until the veins in their necks stood out.
"Well said! Young Master Astin! Crush him!"
"Show them the spirit of Cardenos! You can do it!"
"Young Master! Keep pressing him! Don't give him a moment to rest!"
Julian gritted his teeth.
The blatant hostility directed at him, and the overwhelming cheers for Astin.
Unable to bear it any longer, he mentally shut his ears. By then, he could not hear anything anyway.
Julian cast a glance at Azeline, who was watching him anxiously.
No matter what happened, he could not betray her devotion.
'Azeline. For you, I could even give my life.'
He could only hope that his desperate feelings had reached her.
"Aaaaaagh!!"
Clang! Clang! Boom—!
Julian roared and swung his sword without pause.
Sword aura wrapped in blue Luna swept forward like a storm.
Dozens of explosive exchanges passed in a single instant.
At some point, Julian lost his reason.
An irreparable wound to Astin. It did not matter if he crippled him.
He could not bear the humiliation of being made a fool of in front of Azeline.
Clang!
Astin repeatedly parried Julian's sword.
His breathing remained steady. The ring's circulation was still under his control.
To Astin, Julian seemed like a blind man with his eyes open.
Overcome by excitement, each of his attacks was like a blind sword strike.
As a result, the tip of Julian's sword could not even graze the hem of Astin's clothes.
"I'd like to say I have no hard feelings, but I can't lie. I'm a very honest person."
Astin felt no anger over Julian stealing his fiancée, Azeline.
Azeline was someone whose fate meant nothing to Astin.
What disgusted him was not merely that Julian had tried to take a woman who plainly had a fiancé, but that he had shamelessly challenged Astin to a duel.
Even that disgust was malice he kept buried deep within himself.
Astin maintained his composure to the very end.
Unlike Julian, Astin had no intention of letting his emotions consume him.
Clang!
He smoothly tilted the blade and deflected the thrust.
When his most decisive strike missed, Julian's upper body tilted.
Kaaang—!
Taking advantage of Julian's momentarily broken balance, Astin's sword's back edge came crashing down like lightning.
"Aah!"
A sword took flight as though it had wings, then was flung to the ground.
The exact same result as before. It was Julian's sword.
Thud-
Julian collapsed helplessly like a puppet with its strings cut.
He glared at Astin with a face that betrayed his impending defeat.
Dropping his sword did not mean it was over yet.
Just as that thought crossed his mind...
Clang!
Even Astin, who had seized the advantage, casually tossed his sword aside.
Julian's dazed gaze rose upward.
"Pick up our swords? Don't get the wrong idea, Astin! That's not mercy. It's mockery!"
"What are you talking about?"
Astin blinked.
"Did you forget the rules the referee announced? If I cripple you, I lose."
Trying to hold back with a sword could easily result in someone's arms or legs being severed.
The rules said to use only swords as weapons, but a fist was not a weapon. It was part of the body.
"I won't touch anywhere else. Let's just beat the hell out of your face."
Astin's powerful grip roughly seized the collar of the collapsed Julian.
Until that moment, Julian had stared at Astin with vacant eyes. He did not understand what was happening.
Wham-!
The instant he hauled Julian upright, Astin punched him.
"Ghk!"
Julian's jaw twisted grotesquely, spraying blood. His vision flashed white for a moment.
The impact jolted Julian's mind awake.
Julian staggered backward and barely managed to keep himself upright.
"Y-you bastard! How dare you!"
Whoosh-!
Julian's enraged fist shot forward.
Astin merely twisted his head slightly and dodged it.
Then he immediately twisted his waist in the opposite direction and threw his weight into the blow.
Thwack!
"Guhk!"
The heavy fist struck the bridge of Julian's nose with pinpoint accuracy.
Crunch! Thwack! Wham!
There was not a trace of aura or flashy swordsmanship to be seen—a sight that should never have appeared on a training ground.
A crude, one-sided fistfight more suited to a back alley continued.
Thwack!
"Ghk, khhk...! Kheuk!"
Thwack!
Thwack!
Crack!
The sounds of flesh being battered rang out one after another. Bright red blood sprayed as agonized groans burst forth.
A nasty gash had opened on Julian's eyelid, and bloody fluid obscured his vision.
With his eyes half unfocused, he flailed his fists at empty air.
His fists had already been cutting through nothing, but now they could not even come close.
"Starting to think something's gone wrong?"
"Ggh... th-that bas...tard...."
"What? You didn't expect this?"
Thwack!
Bloody fluid streamed from Julian's battered mouth.
The blood pouring from both nostrils blocked his nasal passages, adding a nasal whine to his groans.
"You should have come prepared for this much. You only thought you could win because you mistook me for a damn weakling. This is what happens."
There was no reason for a third party to interfere and cause trouble in an engagement between two families.
How reckless and thoughtless did you have to be to lay a hand on a Cardenos's fiancée?
"You think you're an agent of justice, Azeline is a tragic heroine, and I'm the third-rate villain standing in the way of your love? That's what you've been thinking all this time, isn't it?"
"Ghk... I-I'll kill you... I'll kill you...."
Julian glared at Astin as though he wanted to kill him, his eyes shot through with burst blood vessels.
After taking this much punishment, Astin had expected him to lower his eyes, but the man had a surprising amount of spite.
"Blinded by the hem of a woman's skirt. If you were that desperate for a woman, you should have gone to a brothel. The whores there would have treated you better than that woman."
Astin drew back his fist again.
Thwack!
Julian's head snapped backward as though his neck might break. A cracked front tooth flew from his mouth.
"Clench your teeth. More of them might fly out."
"Stop! Please, stop!"
Even without turning around, Astin knew it was Azeline.
Thwack!
Astin continued punching as though he had not heard her.
Julian was still a long way from being crippled. Until then, Astin was allowed to keep beating him.
"Gurgle...."
At last, blood bubbles formed in Julian's mouth.
A missing front tooth, swollen eyelids, a crooked and sunken nasal bone, and eyes twisted grotesquely upward as blood seeped into them.
Julian's beautiful, sculpted features had been hideously ruined by a few punches.
It had happened in only a few dozen seconds.
"Honestly, even spending emotions on you two is a waste. But why do you think I've gone this far? If I send you back in one piece, you'll never break that rotten habit."
"Stop! The match is over! Stop now, Astin!"
"Don't resent me too much. If it hadn't been me, someone else would have beaten you senseless sooner or later. It ended this lightly only because it was me."
"Astin! I said stop!!"
"Let today's events teach you a lesson. Don't steal and eat someone else's leftovers just because they've gone bad."
Thwack!
"Aaaah! Julian!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Azeline pushed through the crowd and climbed onto the training grounds.
She immediately seized Astin's arm and blocked him with her entire body.
"Julian! Julian! Aah! Please stop! You'll kill him!"
"People don't die that easily. Besides, someone as sturdy as him can take quite a lot."
Julian's collar was in Astin's grip, and his body swayed back and forth. He had already lost consciousness long ago.
Azeline hurriedly looked around with frantic eyes.
Someone here had to help me....
"Knight! The rules you announced! Julian won this duel! You left him with an irreparable wound! Stop this at once!"
"Referee, is this woman right?"
"No. His wounds are fully recoverable."
"There you have it."
"No! No! How can you call this recoverable?"
"Is this your first time seeing blood? You've spent your whole life watching from the sidelines, so you can't tell a fatal wound from a minor injury. If he got off this lightly, you should consider yourself lucky."
"Astin, you monster! How can you say that? Are you even human? How can a human being do something like this...!"
Thud!
The moment Astin released his grip, Julian's body fell to the ground.
"Aah! Julian!"
Azeline caught the fallen Julian.
It would have been fortunate if that had been the end of it.
Astin raised his foot toward the fallen Julian.
"I understand! I'll stop! Please, stop already!!"
"You're so damn noisy."
"Fine! I'll admit it! I admit it! I'll come to you!"
Azeline said it with both eyes squeezed shut.
The outcome was unexpected, but she had to concede.
Otherwise, she had no idea what would happen to Julian.
"Is this enough? It was all because of me anyway. Let's end this now! I'll maintain our engagement!"
"You're making a whole song and dance by yourself. Do you think I put him through this to make you mine?"
"...What?"
"Regardless of who won or lost, we're already over. Why would I cling to your skirt and beg you not to leave? You act innocent and above worldly desires, but you're a cheating slut."
"W-what!?"
"If I had my way, I'd turn your face into mush too. I'm only holding back out of consideration for our past. I'll also hold your family responsible for the breach of engagement."
"M-mush? How can you insult a lady like that...? Apologize, Astin!"
"You really love demanding apologies."
Astin picked at his ear and waved his hand dismissively.
"Take that bastard and get out of here. And don't come anywhere near this place again. If you come back, you'll end up like him."
"Cough! Cough!"
The fallen Julian coughed up blood. Clotted blood spread stickily across the ground.
Azeline looked down at Julian with tear-filled eyes.
It really was over now.
Julian had lost the duel, and the two of them had been saddled with an indelible disgrace.
If she stayed any longer, she would only have to witness more humiliating sights.
Azeline swallowed her tears, helped Julian sit on the ground, then strained to carry his large body on her back.
"Julian, Julian.... Don't worry. I'll take you to my family and make sure you're treated."
No one stopped Azeline as she descended from the training grounds.
Only their icy stares followed the two of them relentlessly.
What a filthy spectacle—dragging an unrelated man into things to break off an engagement, then scurrying away in disgrace.
The knights all wanted to say something, but held their tongues because they could not afford to antagonize House Rosenthal.
"Sister Azeline."
There was only one person.
Someone who stood in Azeline's path.
Her bright eyes glared with an unusually vicious intensity.
Celine planted her hands on her hips and snapped at her.
"You should apologize too. To my Older Brother."
"Who are you supposed to be?"
"Why do you only care about that greasy man and insult Older Brother when you're his fiancée? You know how devoted Older Brother has been to you!"
"Ha, give me a break!"
Azeline walked past without even sparing her a glance.
Celine immediately blocked her path again.
"Apologize right now. I won't let you leave until you do."
"...."
"If you really can't, should I call the lord? Shall we see if you can act this way in front of him too?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"What if I am?"
"You're not even funny. Stop blocking the way and move!"
"!"
Azeline shoved Celine's shoulder with her palm. Celine's body was pushed back helplessly.
"Hey."
Then a voice rang out.
Astin had come down at some point and was striding toward them.
At the sight of him, Azeline swallowed a scornful laugh.
'You were going to act like this from the beginning.'
Just as expected, she knew he would react this way. Astin could never live without her.
See? He couldn't even wait and had come running after her.
Mentioning the broken engagement? Hurling abuse at her? They had clearly been mistakes committed in the heat of anger.
Azeline looked straight at Astin triumphantly.
"Why, Astin? Are you trying to change my mind now—"
Wham!
The sudden impact in her abdomen cut her off.
Azeline toppled backward with an ugly thud, and Julian tumbled across the ground beside her.
Azeline could not get up. She remained frozen in that position.
Did Astin just kick me? Astin? Me, of all people?
Azeline whipped her head around to protest, but after seeing his face, she could not say a word.
"Who did you just lay your hands on?"
His face was twisted into the visage of a ferocious demon.
Even Azeline, who had known him for years, had never seen him this furious.