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Chapter 179:

The gore on that blade never dried. The people who survived more than three moves from it could be counted on one hand. Its wielder could bury a man’s skull in the ground with a swift kick. He was one of the reasons why Thran had been a vassal of the Swallow Empire for so long and the reason Swallow insisted that Thran would be a vassal once more.

Archduke Lucifer of the Nine Stars.

Ulabis had never seen another blade move that fast—but today, that changed. A new blade was etched into his memory, and this one was even faster than before. It was, incredibly, a spear, not a sword.

Ulabis’s eyes were drawn into the air, towards the lingering afterimage of Joshua’s laser-straight thrust. At the end of that ray was a young man with deep blue hair and a larger-than-life reputation.

“I… still can’t believe it.” The Prince grit his teeth.

A barely audible crack quivered through the air. Ulabis’s beloved lifelong companion, a fragment of the deity that harnessed the fires of annihilation, the medicine for the Prince’s pains… had fractured. It crumbled into dust and disappeared into the wind. His blade, his old battlefield friend, was gone. What else was there to say?

If this were a real battle, I’d be dead the second I lost my blade.

Fortunately, it was not a real battle. It was the Master Battle, which was fundamentally a spar.

Ulabis lifted his head to regard his opponent through the still-rising flames.

Those eyes held nothing but an empty void. Defense had never been a consideration; retreat was an impossibility; a head-on assault was only inevitable. Ulabis had played his most powerful hand against his most formidable foe; what was left to do?

So, I lost.

No regrets. No remorse.

“That was a close call,” Joshua muttered. A razor-thin line on his cheek slowly welled with ruby drops of blood, which he raised his hand and dabbed away. He grinned sourly as he turned around. The future Nine Stars are nothing to scoff at.

As calm as Joshua looked, he was ablaze on the inside. Ever since he learned that the Mercenary King was on the move, a glimmer of worry had sunk into his heart, and it only got worse after he met Lilith.

Ending the fight immediately was a calculated risk. If Ulabis hadn’t reacted in time, he could have been in serious danger.

“Not moving makes you look like the submissive one,” Ulabis mumbled to himself. “You, the king of a nation, got drunk on the moment and said things you can’t take responsibility for…” He shook his head and stared at his empty head.

“I only need one thing from you.”

“I must listen. Anything is better than servitude.” Ulabis laughed. “I have two concerns, however. May I ask?”

“If all you want is words, then yes.”

“You look like you’re only fifteen years old, but on the inside you’re as old as a whole fistful of old men.” Ulabis shrugged. “The spear is a soldier’s weapon, first and foremost. Its reach and power are unmatched, but—given its size and weight—its speed is inferior to that of a sword. This is an undisputed truth.”

Joshua was confused as to why Ulabis would talk about this right after losing a fight. He was certainly much different from the other people Joshua had encountered; instead of being discouraged by his defeat, Ulabis sought to examine his failure and learn from his mistakes. The Prince was not done growing yet; that much was certain.

Is Magma merely a helper, then?

“Luck was on my side as soon as I drew my sword… but how did your spear arrive before my blade? And…” Ulabis hesitated for a moment and then pressed onward with renewed determination. “How could you, in the middle of your strike, aim precisely for my sword?”

Ulabis’s words were surprising. In some ways, they were self-deriding. Joshua had deliberately targeted his sword? In those conditions? Was that even possible?

Joshua grinned. “First of all, I didn’t intend to break your sword… but I had to get it out of the way. The way it moved was genuinely odd. It was incredible—you never knew when, where, or how it would strike. I had no choice but to watch your sword carefully.” His smile stretched wider. “That’s why my spear got there first, though. Isn’t it obvious?”

Ulabis looked perplexed.

“I was stronger. That’s it.”

The Prince was dumbfounded. That was it. What other answer could there be? An artist does not fault his equipment; likewise, it was a battle between humans, not a battle between weapons¹. Joshua’s speed had trumped all other factors—his victory proved that beyond doubt.

What a shame he’s from an Empire. If he was from Thran… no, anywhere else… A bitter smile crept onto Ulabis’s lips. Joshua Sanders is a monster. And he was not a villain like the others; Joshua’s personality was spotless. If he wielded his blade for Thran…

“Hup—!” Ulabis heaved himself up with his aching muscles. “I can’t be weak, even when I’ve lost. The heart of Thran still beats, I say.”

The two warriors shared a smile.

“My second concern: Thran. Are you… our enemy?”

Suddenly, Ulabis was not the Knight of Red Flames; he was Prince Ulabis of Thran, the lord and protector of his people.

“Neither my spear nor my sword will be raised against you unless the sword of Thran is first turned against my people or me.”

Ulabis smiled with relief. He hadn’t lived that long, but he was convinced that he had an eye for people; at the very least, he knew that Joshua didn’t have a dishonorable bone in his body. Even as opponents, he admired that unwavering conviction.

“You’re the best opponent I’ve ever had.” Ulabis turned around with a small grin, donning his confidence once more. “Next time we meet, let’s be friends, not opponents. I acknowledge my loss, Master Joshua Sanders of Avalon.”

The flames flared angrily and then began to dim as if Ulabis had used his last reserves of power. The seemingly unquenchable flames of annihilation shrunk and then began to converge on a single point.

Onto Joshua, who still radiated a wreath of lightning.

[The Primordial Stone establishes a direct link between its will and its user. It is known as god’s treasure and has a sense of pride to match. They’re intolerant of defeat. Soon, Magma will eject itself from that human.]

A blazing red stone of pure power, like a miniature sun, hovered above Ulabis’s head just as Lugia predicted.

[Now Bronto will “absorb” Magma, the weaker Stone.]

The slow-moving currents welled around Joshua, emitting immense torrents of light.

[It may not be such a bad idea to reunite all of the Stones. If only you were capable of…]

The end of Lugia’s sentence was lost to the ether.

I’m absorbing it.

Two apparently opposed auras met but remained entirely distinct. The infinitely powerful force of lightning dominated the power of fire.

A burning sensation engulfed Joshua’s body. Near Joshua’s heart, the apocalyptic power of annihilation had been rekindled.

“This year’s Master Battle has been won by the representative of the Avalon Empire. Your champion’s name is: Joshua Sanders!”

The colosseum rumbled with thunderous applause[^n2].

A new king of Reinhardt had been born.

1. TL/N: i kinda wanna see one now. ️