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Chapter 33: A Parting Gift (Part II)

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Those tentacles of mana flying around, condensed around him. From that of a monster, the aura turned into human form.

Consolidated.

From afar, Kristine gasped, the sight took her by surprise.

By her side, her uncle and aunt, as well as other audience, stood up. Many took off their sight from the orbs, instead turned to the field. Though far, they could feel it better this way.

Fighting spirit.

Clearly so, even average person could sense it, vibrating.

The candidates witnessing this, shivered. Similar thoughts crossed their mind.

Just how the hell, what the hell did he go through, to achieve this?

Krone’s body was trembling, he had let out his real Aurelian Arte.

A basic Arte, converting mana into Aura.

Yet his body could not bear his real power, he had to reduce its might. Even then, it was way beyond what a youngster could achieve.

Since that guy Arren Logansha no longer here, he did not feel compelled to hide it anymore. Granted, people would report it to him, but right now he did not think much.

Aside from, facing his opponent.

He saw him.

Stepping forward to face him, Padre had his mana turned into aura, green light enveloped his body. His powerful life force, covered his spear.

Spears swung.

Clashing, sparks of mana came out. Padre was stronger, so Krone reduced his force with The Flow, moving slightly backward. In response, Padre swirled his spear, going for his chest.

Krone jumped, making a round in the air, his spear swung onto him.

Padre stepped aside, the attack brushed by. He flipped his spear, the lower shaft hit Krone’s, knocking him away, many metres.

‘Heavy!’

Just one hit, his hands were stinging.

He stepped backward, putting some distance between them. As he did, Padre covered his spear's head with green mana, swinging it.

In response, Krone swung his.

Yet the distance between the two, was still over twenty metre. The spears did not meet.

A wave came out.

A wave of mana, white against green, clashing.

SHA!

As the waves clashed, both kept swinging their spear.

Waves upon waves of mana, kept coming.

SHA!

SHA!

SHA!

SHA!

Splashes of aura reverberated through the air.

The sight around the clashing point turned distorted, light was distorted.

Krone did not continue.

He left his position, rushing to the side. More mana waves kept rushing, brushing by him.

With his meagre mana pool, he could not compete with Padre for long.

“Air Sliding,”

His bad habit.

His boot, barely over the ground, slid through the air. He moved in an arch, closing in.

Padre changed his spear’s position, making it fully horizontal.

His sharp eyes, locked onto Krone’s position, calculating. The boy was really fast, but he did not bother being surprised. By heart, he knew where he would end up.

Clad with green mana, he swung his spear.

SHI—

A large arch came from him, covering many metres.

As it closed in, Krone jumped. Yet another came toward him.

And another.

At the time, similar thoughts crossed the audience’s mind.

Those sheer amount of mana waves, coming out from that one squire, in such a short amount of time?

Was he really, a mere squire?

Those who knew, had no doubt.

He was at a knight’s level.

‘That Padre! I knew it, learn to hold back, damnit!’

Natalia gnashed her teeth, her heart was pumping.

She had concern, exactly because of this. The knights were harsh when it comes to one on one, thus they had a rule; not accepting any challenge from any non-enemy, who was not a fellow knight or at least a squire. Looking at the rules for one on one, for people who did not know, they would think they were soft-hearted.

Wooden spear? No fatal attacks?

Ha!

Forget the wooden spear, or no fatal thingy, that was of no concern. One mana wave from a knight, could rip to shred dozens of people, at once! That was how brutal knights did, their one on one.

And Padre, being Medron’s squire, was exactly like them. The only one soft-hearted there, was probably Natalia.

She had concern.

Yet Krone had none. His feet left the ground, evading the first.

His eyes kept a look on the incoming attacks, as well as anything hidden. It was tricky, but some attacks could be hidden behind incoming mana waves, due to their vibrant colour.

He knew there ought to be some, since Padre did extra moves.

He saw them.

Two smaller mana waves, hidden.

Aiming right into the two possible positions he could take to evade, the above and the lower. Padre’s control was superb, beyond a squire. He did this instantly.

In that split second, Krone did not evade. Instead, he activated his Arte. White Mana turned into the form of a hexagon shield, supported by his hands and spear.

And another one formed, complementing the first layer.

Ein Gard.

A Mana Shield Arte, focusing mana for defense.

The moment the first layer fully formed, the wide mana waves slammed.

The layer broke instantly, yet by that time, the second finished forming.

PAH!

The second layer of mana cracked, Krone felt pain in both hands. His spear cracked, the second layer of Ein Gard disappeared.

The residual force, hit.

He felt it all over his body.

Heavy.

Damn heavy!

His body turned into silhouette, flying through the field.

He was sent tumbling down, for many metres. Dusts flew as the force dragged him over the field.

Seeing the attack slammed him head on, the audience gasped.

Seeing the attack connected, Padre stopped his offense.

Seeing her friend tumbling across the field, Julia covered her face.

Seeing her brother not moving, Kristine turned pale, almost fainting.

Medron sighed, signaling medics to attend to the boy.

Natalia beside him, protested;

“Sir, that attack was just overboard! That’s a heavy injury,”

“Hm, about one, two weeks, but oh well. At least he learned his lesson.”

“Sir!”

To their back, Krone’s teammates looked at each other. The twins ran towards him, Doran and Athea followed suit. Yet Natalia, to their front, raised her hand, blocking them.

“Where do you guys think you’re going?”

“He’s hit! Where do you think we’re going?!”

The twins answered, simultaneously. Their eyes shimmering, as if about to cry. Doran and Athea were silent, simply looking at Krone, not moving.

Looking at them, Natalia bit her lips, turned her eyes to him.

She felt something.

From afar, her sense told her what was happening.

It was weird, as if mana kept being busy with work, but within his body. Moving, as if ants working on their colony, repairing their nest. What she was sensing was tiny sensations, had she not paid even a little attention, she would have missed it.

‘The hell’s this? This,’

It stopped after a moment. It was her first time sensing such a thing, but she drew her conclusion.

The boy, had something inside him.

She turned to the twins;

“I share your concern, but let the medics do their work first. We have yet announce the result,”

“What there to announce, eh?”

As they asked, the figure from afar moved.

Everyone shuddered, they saw this;

He sat, dusting off dirt from his head.

Kneeling, he pushed his legs up, then dust off the dirt from his clothes. He checked his spear, confirming his fear. The spear was cracked, not combat-worthy anymore.

With a little force, he split it into two.

“It’s a shame,”

In a fight like this, weapons were crucial.

As crucial as them, was mana. After healing, his mana already reached rock-bottom. He wished to at least hit Padre once, yet that seemed too much a task, considering his current body.

And weapon, because of Medron’s meddling, he could only use one.

He sighed.

Then, his sight noticed the incoming medics and healers; their face.

Dumbfounded, as if seeing the dead reviving by their very eyes.

Similarly, Medron and the knights trembled.

They did not expect this, more so than others. It was because they knew a fact; having received that kind of mana wave, how could you stand up just like that?

That one was enough to destroy building walls!

Even with Ein Gard, for Krone or anyone his age, they ought to be on bed, for days!

For him to stand up, as if it was a simple throw?

Preposterous!

Krone walked towards the medics, he was thrown so far away from his opponent.

Seeing his current condition, he could only lament his current limitation.

A shame!

“Oi, you shouldn’t stand up,”

“Lay still, let us check you first!”

“Thanks, but no thanks,”

Krone brushed off the medics.

The audience gulped as they saw him, walking past the medics, as if he had fully recovered.

“The hell, he’s knocked so far away, and he’s,”

“He’s fine? Did that mana wave not packing any punch?”

“I know. His Ein Gard must be quite good,”

“Or that squire was quite a pro, he held back,”

“That must be it!”

While the audience only had speculations, the knights had trouble stirred within them.

The views between amateurs and experts, in this case, were vastly different.

The knights were expert when it comes to this kind of damage, so what they witnessed troubled them. Their experience clearly told them, a boy like him, with that kind of body, could not possibly stand up.

Not within a day, no.

Now, what they knew was turned upside down.

“…That boy, just what is he?”

“What kind of body is that, I thought it was, just above average.”

“His mana control was superb, but still,”

“…This doesn’t make sense. Did we miss something?”

“That attack should be around my level, so, ugh,”

…

The two’s short clash sent shivers to all witness.

It was really short, yet the knights were kept on edge, while everyone else was left astonished.

Julia, on her bed, thought the same as everyone;

Just where in the world, did this one come from?

Krone walked, finally stopping five metres before his opponent.

Padre was a bit troubled as well, to witness this one standing up, just like that? Was he just putting a show, while his innards were rebelling?

Or did he, the attacker, unconsciously hold back?

As he was asking himself within, he heard Krone’s voice;

“…It’s an honour, to have been your opponent, Sir Padre,”

He was holding his fist on his chest, nodding. It was a gesture of acknowledgement.

His voice was calm, collected, glad.

With a bit of regret.

“…Should you really stand up?”

“...I’m fine, but I can’t fight anymore. It’s my loss,”

“Mm,”

‘Your loss? Hm, you made me lose myself for a moment. What loss?’

Padre shook his head, sighing. It had been a short fight, yet it was a valuable one. Both walked to the near audience; the candidates, soldiers, squires, and knights.

At the back, magicians from the academy, all mesmerized.

They sensed his mana control, a level they never imagined a boy his age could achieve.

Krone turned to Medron, with Natalia and his team behind, concern on their face.

Yet the old knight had no concern, instead, his face clearly full of pride.

“It’s my loss,”

“So it seems. How was it?”

“Valuable, truly. Worthy of a parting gift,”

“Parting gift, so your mind is set?”

“Apologies. I’ve things to do, I cannot join,”

“I see, I have no right to force you, I’ll just let you know it’s a shame. A true loss.”

“Not necessarily,”

He took out something from his tunic, a thick envelope. He had it on his chest all this time, so it was all crumpled.

From it, he took out a letter, opened it, checking the details.

Everyone could see him, nodding through as he read silently.

“Hm, alright,”

He put it back, then handed it to Padre.

“This is?”

“It’s the gift I mentioned before. You win, it’s all yours.”

“The one you said from your Master?”

“Yes, my writing though,”

Padre turned to Medron. With him nodding, he accepted it.

The knights had pondered what thing a top Grandmaster would consider a gift, yet it turned out it was a letter. However, that just made them all the more excited.

A Grandmaster who could train such a boy, a village boy, into such a monster at such a young age?

What kind of message could there be?

“Sir Medron, I have a final request,”

“Hm, you made a lot of requests, what is it?”

“I wish to address the audience, with a simple message.”

“…If it’s within reason, go ahead,”

“Thank you.”

Medron signaled the magicians at the back, with his hand pointing to one hovering crystal. Realizing what he meant, one of the magicians sent the observation crystal near him, hovering in front of Krone.

Soon, they gave a signal, Medron nodded to him.

Standing straight in front of the head-sized crystal, he was solemn.

He breathed in, then;

“Everyone, my name is Krone Kozak,”

His voice echoed throughout the base, reaching everybody’s ears.His team, Julia's team, Kent and Natalia, all pondered; What kind of antics he's pulling this time?

“I’ve something to say, something to ask,”

He was silent, for quite some time.

Closing his eyes, taking a deep, stuttered breath. The breath, as if it was heavy, signified his message.

His demeanor, attracted people.

A boy who could compete with a squire, a boy who was named number one among the candidates, acting this way?

All eyes on him, people could not avoid giving him attention.

Standing straight. All tattered, yet imposing.

Kristine gulped, for he resembled his father, their late father.

Krone remembered Shurran’s style.

Not rushing, deep voice, clear message. In addition, gave enough time for them to be ready. For some time, the surroundings had an eerie silent.

As he opened his mouth, air rushed into his belly and lungs.

Firm voice echoed;

“What would you do, if your family, your people, were attacked?”

...

==== Chapter 33 A Parting Gift (II) End ====