Chapter 41

Their gazes locked.

Roya stepped forward with his right foot, taking a deep breath as the muscles in his right arm tensed. In an instant, both figures vanished from sight.

Ten meters was far too close for the two of them. With Roya and Paul's physical prowess, they closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

The wooden sword clashed against the wooden blade, their first exchange ending in a deadlock.

Roya's expression grew serious. Though Paul usually came off as carefree and boisterous, his fighting style was anything but clean. Time and again, Paul had subtly shifted to the Water God Style, catching Roya off guard and making him suffer for it.

Paul's mastery of the Water God Style was formidable. Once an attack was parried by him, it was followed by a devastating counterstrike.

Paul pressed harder, and Roya felt an indescribable force travel through the blade, spreading from the point of contact.

Physically, Roya couldn't match Paul. Without the enhancement of magic, he was still outmatched and suppressed.

Roya knew he couldn't afford to get tangled up with Paul any longer. To compete with him in raw strength was a death wish.

He took a step back, his wooden sword tracing a half-circle through the air. With a deft motion that felt like redirecting a thousand pounds with mere ounces, he deflected Paul's force. A cold glint flashed in Paul's eyes as he suddenly thrust out an open hand.

Why would someone reach out during a sword fight? According to Paul's shameless explanation, it was just another technique of the Water God Style.

Roya quickly retreated, slashing his wooden sword to the side. Paul's hand grasped at nothing, but a smirk still curled his lips as he closed in on Roya once more.

A swordsman relies heavily on momentum and spirit. In this exchange, Roya had subtly lost ground, making the fight against Paul even trickier.

Paul flipped his wooden sword, swinging it with a force that sliced through the air toward Roya.

Roya stepped back again, his figure retreating further and further.

A sharp gleam flickered in Paul's eyes, and his speed surged once more.

Roya had been wary of Paul all along, and sure enough, the cunning man had been holding back.

This sparring match had been stacked against Roya from the start. Ever since he'd overwhelmed Paul a year ago using magic to dominate every aspect of their duel, Paul had added a new rule: no magical enhancements allowed.

This meant Roya had to outskill Paul entirely to claim victory.

The wooden sword streaked through the air at an unbelievable speed, growing larger in Roya's vision with every passing moment.

If that strike landed, Roya would, at the very least, be down for a while.

Roya swung his wooden sword with his right hand, choosing to meet the blow head-on.

The moment the blades collided, a tremendous force surged through Roya's weapon and into his body.

His grip faltered as pain shot through his hand, nearly causing him to drop the sword.

Paul grew more astonished as the fight wore on. He hadn't expected his son's physical conditioning to have reached such a level.

Nearby, Rudeus watched the flickering figures, the occasional sonic booms in the air signaling that neither was holding back.

Roya grimaced in pain and lashed out with a kick toward Paul. Paul dodged with quick reflexes, sidestepping the blow. Seizing the chance, Roya retreated a few steps.

He shifted the wooden sword from his right hand to his left, gripping it horizontally.

Exhaling sharply, Roya's presence changed dramatically.

His left hand rested on the wooden sword at his waist, poised in the Sword God Style's drawing stance, ready to strike.

His body leaned slightly forward, center of gravity lowered, his entire being radiating focused intent. With a serious expression, Roya said, "Father, here I come."

A torrent of momentum gathered, his left arm trembling faintly from the sheer power building within.

With a sudden step of his right foot, his figure vanished from its spot.

Paul flashed a sly grin. He raised his wooden sword horizontally, employing the Water God Style to end this bout with Roya.

Roya didn't charge straight at Paul. Instead, he darted around him, searching for an opening.

The more Roya circled, the wider Paul's smirk grew.

Paul's battle-hardened experience far surpassed Roya's. He adjusted his stance, crouching in defense, his eyes tracking Roya's every move.

"Left front?" Paul's hearing was razor-sharp, his instincts for danger honed to perfection. He shifted his position swiftly, never leaving his back exposed to Roya.

Roya felt his heart pounding, his blood and magic surging with unusual vigor. His mind was crystal clear, the whistling wind sharpening his senses. Then, he struck.

He hadn't actually been looking for a flaw in Paul's guard. The Sword God Style's momentum wasn't something that could be fully gathered in a short burst. By circling, Roya aimed to build his sword's momentum to its peak. With every step he took, his presence grew more solid.

When that momentum reached its zenith, Roya charged at Paul.

Each step cratered the ground beneath him. His left hand flipped the wooden sword, striking with a force that tore through the air with a deafening boom. Paul could feel the ferocity of the young man's sword intent. His eyes narrowed as the wooden blade loomed closer.

In an instant, Paul countered. The wooden sword and blade clashed again, the ground beneath Paul's feet crumbling under the pressure as he was forced back.

Even Paul had to admit, as he felt the terrifying power of that strike, that the boy was strong.

But this was as far as it would go.

Once Paul absorbed the full brunt of Roya's force, it would spell Roya's defeat.

The Water God Style's counterattack was nothing short of terrifying.

Even Roya couldn't be sure he could withstand it.

But who said he had to take it head-on?

The moment Roya's momentum began to wane, Paul struck back with lightning speed.

His sword moved like thunder, impossibly fast. Paul imagined that if Roya's skill was only at this level, he'd never block this strike.

Yet, to Paul's utter disbelief, Roya shifted slightly to the right—just a small step, but enough to perfectly evade the slash. The wooden sword grazed past Roya's clothes.

[Sword Heart (Level 1): Passive Skill]

[Traits: All sword techniques gain a 10% boost, slight increase in swordsmanship comprehension, chance to trigger Insight during duels]

[Insight: Predict the opponent's next attack]

This skill had emerged six months ago during Roya's sword training, a sudden epiphany.

The skill's description mentioned a "chance" to trigger Insight, but it wasn't purely luck-based.

The closer or weaker the opponent's strength was to his own, or the more intense the fight became, the more likely Insight would activate.

Paul's counter was fast—no one could deny that.

He was certain no one could react in time, least of all the current Roya.

But in the instant Paul attacked, Roya's wooden sword swung toward Paul's back.

And it landed squarely, sending Paul face-first into the dirt.