Chapter 21

Baris's match was none other than a sparring session with Baltiz Kingdom's prince, Baltian. The draw was quite mischievous, making one wonder how they could meet so directly, but it seemed better than the draw getting tangled and preventing them from meeting. The boy ascended the training ground with a stern face, showing a resolute expression without any signs of fear or terror. The entire arena was brimming with anticipation due to the previous matches. Each of them was outstanding, and their displays of martial prowess were clearly different from ordinary brawls. Baris had a claymore as tall as himself, and as expected for a non-lethal sparring session, the blade was quite blunt. Despite the presence of skilled priests and mages ready to assist, a sharp weapon could easily cause fatal injuries before any healing could be done.

"You don't know if he'll get hurt by acting like a wild calf."

"Baris has a lot of experience. He'll be fine."

"But still..."

Wynry was in the rear support, but Baris, due to his personality, often took the lead when clearing out bandits in the frontier. The knights who tried to protect him were always busy, and it was only natural to feel a sense of loss. Soon, Baltian ascended from the opposite side, holding a longsword. I thought his expression would be poor due to the humiliation he suffered at the banquet the previous day, but his face was eerily expressionless.

"Even though the blades are blunt, no lethal moves are allowed! Do not channel any sword energy into your weapons."

A mage in a robe quietly gave the instructions and set up a barrier around the sparring ground to prevent the aftermath of the fight from reaching the audience.

Baris, who had trained in destructive sword techniques using strength, and Baltian, who used a longsword to toy with his opponents in a peculiar manner, faced each other. In terms of skill and swordsmanship, Baris had the upper hand. Moreover, the atmosphere around him was turning unfavorable due to Baltian's poor behavior. Those who had seen him at the banquet showed no expectations for Baltian.

However.

"Hmm?"

Baltian, contrary to everyone's expectations, went head-on against Baris's sword. He hadn't grown stronger. A strange sense of déjà vu came over me.

Clang! Clang!

Both were expert-level practitioners who had enhanced their bodies using mana. The force of their collision was so intense that sparks flew each time their blunt swords clashed.

Clang! Clang!

The audience, who had been enthusiastic, fell into a stunned silence at the unexpected intensity of the match. They were so engrossed in the fight that they held their breath and clenched their fists.

Baltian, who had abandoned his peculiar sword techniques, used a unique and powerful sword style that seemed to have been learned from somewhere. His physical abilities far exceeded what he had shown the previous day. It wasn't a matter of rapid growth. His swordsmanship was so alien that it seemed like a different person.

If I hadn't awakened Baris's mana the previous day, he would have been in serious trouble.

Clang!

The two, who had been pushing each other with force, simultaneously fell back to create some distance.

"Wow... I've never seen that kid move so nimbly..."

As Wynry said, Baris, who was catching his breath, seemed surprised by his own enhanced physical abilities and by Baltian's use of a powerful sword technique similar to his own.

"You've grown a lot."

The boy who used to swing a wooden sword and boast about becoming a knight had grown a lot. Despite Baltian's strange behavior, I felt a sense of pride in Baris's growth.

"I never thought you'd be so good with a powerful sword."

Baris, catching his breath, quietly asked Baltian. However, Baltian, maintaining his initial expressionless face, raised his longsword and charged at him without a word. The sense of déjà vu hit me again.

"Big brother, why?"

"It's nothing."

While speaking calmly, I immediately focused command mana in my eyes. The magic of the Unseen Blade activated, and things that were invisible in my field of vision gradually became visible. It was a black magic that allowed me to see through the opponent's insides.

At the same time, my expression twisted as I saw the flow of energy in Baltian's body.

"Look at this."

Realizing what was wrong, I stood up abruptly. At the same moment, the sparring match between the two, who were colliding, reached a decisive point. Baltian, instead of dodging, lunged directly into Baris's sword, as if trying to force a gap. Reacting instinctively, Baris tried to alter the trajectory of his sword to attack again, but Baltian did not miss the brief opening and swung his sword. A red energy flow instantly enveloped Baltian's sword, and he thrust it into Baris's heart without hesitation.

Swoosh!!!

At the same time, a blue barrier around Baris's body blocked Baltian's attack and then shattered and disappeared.

11. Let's borrow a sword.

The Continental Swordsmanship Tournament is a competition where outstanding individuals compete, but it is closer to a sport with the principle of not killing the opponent. However, Baltian's sword violated two major rules: using lethal moves and channeling sword energy into the weapon.

The arena, filled with shock, began to murmur.

The blue barrier.

No one who had trained in swordsmanship to a certain extent would be unaware of it. It was a self-barrier used by experts of intermediate level or higher, meaning they had reached the advanced level. It was a phenomenon where mana automatically moved to protect the owner from dangerous attacks. It was also called the advanced level of experts, as it granted strong resistance to magic from the moment the barrier manifested.

Most swordsmen who failed to break through this level were often frustrated, but Baris had achieved it at the age of fourteen. All I did was slightly manipulate the solidified mana in his body, but that alone had already elevated his level by one step.

Of course, the sword energy Baltian displayed was not ordinary but a sinister red energy. Since Baris had just entered the advanced level, he couldn't completely mitigate the shock.

"Cough!"

A small amount of blood trickled from Baris's mouth as he slowly rose with a pale face.

"The sparring is over! Prince Baltian! You have violated two rules and are disqualified!"

The mage's angry shout was followed by knights quickly ascending the sparring ground to subdue him. However, despite the situation, Baltian only tilted his head at an odd angle, maintaining his expressionless face.

And, as if he was about to speak for the first time, he moved his lips.

"Grind, grind."

However, the voice that came from his mouth was not human.

"Prince Baltian of the Baltiz Kingdom! Such a rude act at a tournament held for the unity of the nation alliance can only be interpreted as an intention of the Baltiz Kingdom."

The officials of the hosting Pelisiti Principality shouted in anger. If Baris were to be killed here, it would not be a simple matter. This applied not only to Baris but to all participants. Each of them was a representative of their respective countries, including royalty and famous martial families. Even though they were young, their countries would protest fiercely if they were harmed.

If that happened, the unity of the nation alliance, the purpose of the tournament, would freeze, leading to a "you die, I die" situation. Most nearby countries, ready to participate in any war with a just cause, would jump into the conflict.

However, despite the officials' words, Baltian only tilted his head, offering no explanation.

"The action taken by the prince is seen as a malicious and intentional act of revenge! If no explanation is given, the hosting Pelisiti Principality will formally protest to the Baltiz Kingdom!"

The official shouted as if issuing an ultimatum.

"Wait!"

"Please wait! The prince's actions were not intended to cause discord!"

A formal protest would not be what the Baltiz Kingdom desired. The nobles of the Baltiz Kingdom, rushing to the sparring ground, sweated profusely to defuse the situation.

"Prince! Please, say something... Cough!"

At that moment.

Baltian, who had been silent, tilted his head at an odd angle and grabbed the head of the approaching noble.

Crack!!!

"Crunch! Crunch!!"

The noble's head exploded like a melon hit by a baseball bat in an instant. The faces of everyone in the arena drained of color.

* * *

As if laughing.

The boy, with his mouth wide open, began to emit a strange sound, and red energy flowed not only from his sword but also from his free hand. The red energy, enveloping his entire body like a sticky liquid, made the onlookers shudder.

"Ah!!!"

"Ah!!!"

After a brief silence, screams began to erupt from various parts of the arena.

Again, this was a friendly sparring match with a strong sports concept. It was similar to the chaos that would ensue if a player burst someone's head open during an Olympic event on Earth. The boy's eyes began to move wildly, and his whites turned blood red. At the same time, unknown veins appeared all over his skin, and his fangs, visible in his wide-open mouth, began to elongate like those of a vampire in a horror story.

'Infection.'

And not just any vampire, but one that could create an infected body that emitted sword energy. Realizing this instinctively, I narrowed my eyes. I had noticed that the boy was not the same as before just by observing the flow of mana. The natural flow of mana in a living being was absent, replaced by a strange flow.

Ignoring Baltian, who was being restrained by the knights, I approached Baris, who looked at me with a half-pale face.