Chapter 97

Chapter 32. The Arena of Cosmos (8)

One step forward.

Jin closed the distance in sync with Dante's movements. Then, Dante took another step, and Jin followed with another. The two carefully probed each other's attack range.

'This is more nerve-wracking than I thought. If I take about five more steps, Dante's attack will start...'

Startled!

Jin unconsciously stopped in his tracks.

He halted due to a strong intuition that Dante's attack would start sooner than expected.

'Left? Right?'

His eyes darted reflexively. Left, right, and then back to the center.

Dante was nowhere to be seen.

Whoosh!

And then the familiar sound of wind rushed past his ear.

"Thud!"

The sound of a sword slicing through the air. Startled, Jin raised his Bradamante, and Dante, already lunging with his sword, was grinning.

Clang!

The impact transmitted through the blade was considerable. It felt as if an explosion had occurred near the blade.

However, within that heavy attack, there was a sharp energy, like shattered obsidian.

If his waist and leg strength had been slightly lacking, he would have lost his balance immediately. Jin let out a sigh of relief and calmly stepped out of Dante's right side.

"I thought I'd give it a try, just in case. As expected, it doesn't work on you."

Dante, looking disappointed, smacked his lips. Jin responded with an awkward smile.

'He's faster than I thought...'

He almost lost the match in the first exchange. His back tingled, but Dante looked relaxed.

'This speed is on par with Lady Alisa's top speed. If I hadn't sparred with her over a hundred times, I wouldn't have been able to block this. What kind of probing attack is this, crazy guy? He tried to end it in one go.'

Although he was a bit flustered, he could also feel that he had grown remarkably.

Moreover,

'If this is Dante's top speed, there's still plenty of potential.'

He felt confident about this. However, if Dante could attack even faster, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance.

Just as Jin was about to extend his sword,

Rumble!

A deeper aura enveloped Dante's blade.

"If speed doesn't work, I'll use strength."

It was exactly what he wanted!

There was no time to respond. Dante had already started his attack, and Jin was a beat behind in gathering his strength.

Bang! Boom! Clang!

Each time the swords clashed, a loud noise echoed. It sounded more like two massive blunt weapons colliding.

"Wow...!"

"Is this really a kids' fight?"

The audience erupted in amazement. They had expected a great match, but they didn't anticipate it would be this exciting from the start.

Especially Veradin, who was clenching his fists so tightly that his hands were sweating.

At first, Jin was completely on the defensive.

But as each second passed, Jin began to match Dante's tempo. By the 20th exchange, it seemed they were evenly matched.

'That was his top speed!'

After properly engaging in the fight, he was confident.

Even if Dante was an extraordinary genius, it was unrealistic for him to have more power and speed than a 19-year-old veteran of the Viment Special Task Force 2.

So, Jin's task was to endure.

'Dante only speeds up when necessary, conserving his stamina. I just need to keep up with his tempo.'

Until Dante tires out.

Jin's plan to defeat Dante was simple and clear: to leverage his only superior attribute.

Stamina.

'From the moment he first came to my room, I could tell. Dante has impressive skills, but his stamina is somewhat weak.'

If Dante's stamina had been as outstanding as his skills, he wouldn't have needed to spend the night in the arena or seek Jin's help.

At 19, he looked like he was barely 13 or 14, with an unusually small frame.

This was Dante's weakness. While he could enhance his strength with aura, endurance was a different matter.

Unless his body could keep up.

In contrast, what about Jin?

The robust body of Runicandel was a blessing. His strength, endurance, immunity, and resilience far exceeded what people called "boneless."

Even without Dante, Jin could have endured the entire night in the arena before the final match.

Dante, however, couldn't.

'The key is how quickly Dante realizes I have better stamina.'

Dante's poor stamina,

is only relative to Jin Runicandel's standards. Dante had also worked hard every day, sweating and bleeding to overcome his innate weaknesses, training more intensely than anyone could imagine.

Thus, it was difficult for Dante to realize.

That he had a clear disadvantage in one area compared to the 16-year-old in front of him.

"You're holding up well! If you have any hidden tricks, it's best to use them now. I'll push you even faster from now on."

"If I use all my hidden tricks, you'll be depressed, man."

"Your jokes are top-notch. I like that about you."

Swoosh!

Dante's blade grazed Jin's thigh. It was a shallow wound, but it was the first time blood was drawn, and Jin gritted his teeth.

It was a close call. Naturally, if it had been a bit deeper, it would have been a fatal wound.

'Giving a few light injuries is inevitable.'

The problem was that he had to avoid fatal wounds each time. With the tempo increasing, Dante's stamina would deplete faster, but Jin would also tire more quickly as he accumulated more injuries.

Bleeding meant a decrease in stamina.

'On the other hand, it's difficult to injure Dante before he tires out.'

Still, he gritted his teeth, knowing that if he could just endure, he could win. Jin judged that if this speed was maintained, Dante wouldn't last more than an hour.

'But the guy will also play his trump card eventually.'

Dante isn't stupid.

Although it might seem like Jin is only on the defensive and Dante is relaxed, a seasoned fighter like Dante wouldn't fail to see through Jin's plan.

In the end, Dante would have to come up with a way to break Jin's defensive stance. Successfully navigating this one move would be crucial.

Another wound on his shoulder.

While blocking a downward strike, his knuckles were cut, and for a moment, Jin almost dropped his sword.

After tearing his coat sleeve with his teeth to wrap his knuckles, Dante tilted his head, looking puzzled.

"Finish it, end it!"

"Push harder, Paul Mix!"

By then, the audience who had bet on Dante were all standing, urging him on. They saw Jin as powerless and thought the match was about to end.

But Dante was starting to realize.

'He's intentionally dragging time, judging that he has a stamina advantage over me. And now I understand. You also had a pseudonym...!'

Jin Runicandel.

If Jin wasn't Runicandel, his body would possess a durability that Dante couldn't comprehend.

Setting aside the cuts on his thigh, shoulder, and knuckles, if Jin had a normal human body, he would have been shattered by the shockwaves from the sword clashes.

When Dante mouthed Jin's real name, Jin smiled.

'You figured it out now?'

Huff, huff...

Jin was just noticing that Dante's breathing had become rough. Although Jin's breathing wasn't as steady as at the start, he still had more stamina left than Dante.

"It's about time for me to take a turn."

Amid the audience's cheers and excitement,

Jin started to charge at Dante. The spectators who had bet on Jin leaped to their feet, shouting.

"Go! Go!"

The moment Jin, who had been on the defensive throughout the match, suddenly launched a counterattack, Dante began to reflect.

Where did it go wrong?

'Damn it, I should have pushed with full power from the start!'

It didn't take long to realize. If he hadn't been cautious due to the "unease" he felt when facing Jin, Dante would have already secured victory.

'What was that unease? My whole body was sending danger signals, telling me it was risky to attack recklessly.'

Dante couldn't grasp this for a while.

The intense unease that had enveloped him was due to the two powers Jin had sealed: spirit energy and magic. Using both, Jin was an opponent that the current Dante couldn't handle.

It was an instinctive fear of a "stronger being."

Bang! Bang!

As Jin swung his Bradamante with all his might, Dante took a step back, looking flustered.

Jin's movement was one.

Every day.

The willful downward strike he had practiced ten thousand times, now able to perform three thousand times as he did at the start.

'Jin Runicandel, you're a monster. You still have this much strength left...! Moreover, how can such a simple sword be so heavy?'

Only the downward strike continued, but Dante couldn't easily escape from Jin.

Each time Bradamante fell, it felt like being crushed against a wall, making it impossible to move.

If this continued, he would experience a humiliating defeat in a few minutes.

So, he had to make a choice.

'Hiran's... secret technique.'

Should he use it?

Compared to Jin, who hadn't learned any family secret techniques, Dante had already mastered several of Hiran's secret techniques.

Each of his secret techniques had the power to turn the tide of the battle in one move. Moreover, he could use them without much difficulty with his remaining stamina.

However, Dante was hesitating for a reason.

'I don't want to kill you.'

The certainty that using a secret technique would result in killing Jin.

This was what made Dante hesitate. Although they had only known each other for a few days, Jin had already become a significant figure to Dante.

A savior who saved his life. A worthy opponent he hadn't met in a long time. A giant mountain that Hiran would have to surpass one day, the youngest son of Runicandel.

Or a friend.

As Dante's expression twisted with conflicting emotions, Jin saw through his thoughts.

'You're hesitating because you don't want to kill me. If not, you should have used your trump card earlier.'

Click.

Jin suddenly sheathed his sword and met Dante's eyes.

And he said,

"I am Jin Runicandel. So don't go easy on me, Dante Hiran."