Chapter 73: Understanding

When a seemingly unremarkable [Hook Punch] appeared in Suya's vision.

Visibly, six interwoven currents of air coiled before the fist.

The explosively thrown punch instantly ignited the air!

Sparks flew, and a booming sound flashed by!

"Nnnngh—!"

Suya didn't hear an explosion; in the next instant, he only felt a sudden pain in his ears, his eardrums wildly vibrating in his ear canal.

In a silent world, he only saw that sparking fist brutally tear through the scarlet magic coiling around him.

Then, it smashed against the shuttle-shaped light membrane generated by his Noble Phantasm!

The next moment, Suya was sent flying by the recoil.

He swung his shoulders in a sideways flip mid-air, crouching with his toes pointed to the ground, using one hand to brace himself as he dragged back over ten meters, finally stopping his momentum.

Just as he looked up, he saw—

On the other side, the thrown Hector had landed steadily, frowning as he looked up at Suya. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then transformed into a savage killing intent. His lips barely moved.

"Overconfident."

Whooshing winds, a monotonous hum like an old radio malfunctioning, mixed with several inaudible words, rumbled in his ears.

Immediately after, Hector gripped his lance, his sabatons grinding against the ground. Boosted by [Charge], he lunged towards Suya like a full-speed lion!

That was a speed no less than Lucan's!

But strangely, compared to the battle between Lucan and Seleucus, where only afterimages of the two could be seen, Suya's vision at this moment was remarkably clear, even to the finest detail.

He could even clearly see the subtle movements of Hector's body slightly swaying in coordination with his footwork during the charge.

But just as Suya intended to dodge sideways and then draw his sword for a counter-slash, he found that his body, with only an F-rank Agility, couldn't keep up with his judgment.

So, Suya chose to draw his sword!

He drew the magical sword at his waist, named [Poison of Unnamed Envy and Hatred], gripping the hilt with both hands and raising it high into the roof guard position common in German sword fighting, which facilitates striking—raising the sword above his left shoulder, his feet crossed, his back heel digging into the ground to steady his body.

Facing Hector's sweeping lance, he calculated the timing and swung it horizontally to the lower right in advance!

A slash!

"—Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sword edge scraped against the lance's conical tip, sparks flying. With the force of the slash, he tried to parry the spear, then stepped forward with his right foot, extending the sword tip towards the ground and placing it by his side, turning the false edge towards the opponent, changing his stance to an upward sweeping slash aiming for the throat!

However, this series of attacks encountered problems in the very first step.

"Foolish."

Hector had no intention of changing his move. He glanced at Suya mockingly, his lance sweeping in, directly deflecting Suya's sword slash. The lance pressed against the blade, cutting into Suya's shoulder and drawing a spurt of blood.

Then, he delivered a flying kick!

[Flying Kick]!

"—Thud!"

Suya felt as if he'd been hit by an ox, losing his balance and flying back three meters!

Their Strength stats were on completely different levels. If Suya's Strength was E at this moment, Hector's Strength was at least D-, or even D.

Suya immediately gripped the sword that had slipped from his grasp and scrambled back to his feet with an arm roll.

However, the next moment, a figure appeared before him. Hector glared savagely at Suya.

Staring at this brat who had played him for a fool, forcing him to swear an oath of loyalty.

He showed no mercy, flipping the lance in his hand and thrusting it straight towards Suya's heart!

Suya had no way to dodge this attack. In fact, a Demi-Hero fighting a High Swordsman was no different from mowing down grass in Dynasty Warriors.

Moreover, this series of exchanges happened incredibly fast. Lucan, despite wanting to rescue Suya, who had suddenly leaped into such a lopsided battle, simply had no room to intervene.

Suya could only widen his eyes in vain.

Watching the lance, inch by inch, approach his heart!

Until the lance tip, with immense penetrating power, pierced through his breastplate and broke his skin.

Finally, the lance tip stopped just before piercing his heart, trembling wildly within his flesh.

The enemy suddenly stopped!

"—Damn the oath!"

Hector gritted his teeth, his face contorted in a savage struggle against the oath he had sworn—an oath almost identical to pledging loyalty to Suya—and desperately tried to break free momentarily to seize the chance to kill Suya outright!

Thanks to this brief opening.

Lucan, not far away, instantly leaped, his figure flickering like a ghost to Suya's side. He grabbed Suya's shoulder and stomped his feet, rapidly shifting both of them backward with a swift step.

"Are you insane?!

"A guy who isn't even a professional—hmm, promoted? A High Swordsman, trying to fight a Demi-Hero!?"

Lucan couldn't help but curse loudly:

"Idiot, get out of here, I'll hold him off a bit longer, you—"

Suya, however, frowned, as if he hadn't heard Lucan's agitated curses. His mind quickly summarized and calculated the information revealed during the recent battle, roughly estimating the numerical values of a Demi-Hero level strongman. He then looked up at Lucan, stating firmly:

"We can fight!"

Lucan was momentarily stunned, suspecting he had misheard. He thought, this kid just got beaten to the point of barely standing, and he's still not giving up?

"What?"

"We can fight, just as you mentioned before, several Masters working together can fight a Demi-Hero."

"But you're just a High Swordsman!"

"Then I'll masquerade as a Master Swordsman!"

Lucan felt as if he was listening to gibberish and retorted exasperatedly, "But I haven't even taught you how to masquerade yet!"

Suya glanced at the three new combat techniques on his panel and immediately said:

"I've already learned them!"

He looked at Lucan and quickly said, "But—Dagoth isn't here, we're still missing a Lancer, and the Companion Cavalry are also a problem; the Royal Guard Cavalry can't defeat them."

Lucan forced himself to calm down, narrowed his eyes, and thought along Suya's lines.

Soon, he blinked, realizing that all the necessary elements were already in place!

Lucan couldn't help but curve his lips, immediately replying:

"Then there's nothing left to miss."

"Good!"

Suya didn't ask why; instead, he immediately turned his head and looked towards the north side of the hills.

There, Merlin, who arrived slightly later with the Royal Guard Cavalry, saw Suya successfully rescue Lucan, and then Lucan narrowly rescue Suya from Hector. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.

At this moment, her gaze met Suya's.

Almost without any reason, she understood the meaning in Suya's eyes—

[I'm going to smash him!]

Merlin immediately nodded, making a 'crossed swords' gesture to Suya, then opened her palm to him, her slender fingers spread.

Three inhuman fakes, in a mere twenty-second interval, synchronized their capabilities.

The next moment, a clear chant immediately resounded—

"Second Restriction, Release!"

"This battle, is the Battle of Heroes United!"

"Acknowledge—Merlin!"

And before Suya's eyes, a fresh line of subtitles immediately appeared.

[Panel Updated.]

[True Name: Suya]

[Class: Swordsman (Saber).]

[Strength: D-, Agility: E, Endurance: E (?), Magic: D-, Noble Phantasm: C (Cooling Down)]

[Combat Techniques: Roll, Swift Step, Throw, Dirty Tricks, False Clock, Hook Punch, Flying Kick, Charge.]

Feeling the surging, wild power within his body.

This time, Suya, who had already become a professional, had manifested sword energy, and had personally witnessed what 'aura' was from Hector's fist, no longer struggled to control this extraordinary power as he did when he killed Hammond.

He raised his palm, and strands of nascent sword energy intertwined, weaving together. Finally, they gathered on the back of his hand, illuminating the dragon-shaped mark that was both an emblem and a magic crest!

[You have mastered: Sword Energy (Initiate)]!