Chapter 45
The dark aura emanated a murderous energy that was anything but ordinary. On top of that, the faint protective barrier enveloping the captain’s entire body made things even more ominous.
Elliot, who had come to stand beside me before I knew it, kindly explained.
“That pitch-black energy is a toxin forged through magic. Even the smallest scratch would let the poison enter the bloodstream and attack the heart instantly. We’re dealing with a very nasty sorcerer.”
“Then isn’t His Grace in danger?”
“Well, Lady Gianna, why don’t we place our faith in His Grace’s skill? He didn’t earn the title of Sword Master for nothing.”
Just as Elliot said, Duke Luppelen showed not a hint of agitation as he slowly drew his sword. A brilliant, azure aura flared from the blade.
The two men glared at each other, gauging the perfect moment—then both shouted and charged, their first clash erupting with a fierce cry.
“Hraaah!”
“Hyaaaaat!”
When their blades met with a ringing clang, their auras tangled violently, creating a massive explosion.
With a thunderous boom, a shockwave rippled through the air, forcing even the onlookers who were merely watching to stumble back several steps.
But the two duelists stood firm, unmoving, their swords still locked together.
“Hrgh!”
The pirate captain’s coarse face twisted even more as he gritted his teeth and poured strength into both hands gripping his sword—but Duke Luppelen merely smiled lightly, holding firm against the pressure.
So that’s the Empire’s greatest Sword Master, huh?
Truthfully, this was the first time I’d ever seen the Duke fight in earnest.
When we faced Garri in the Dragon’s Sea, I had stayed below deck, waiting for the battle to end.
And during the goblin subjugation, those creatures crumbled with a single precise strike to the heart, so the Duke hadn’t even needed to exert himself much.
That pirate captain’s no pushover… and he’s even blessed by a mage.
Yet the Duke seemed utterly composed.
By contrast, the captain’s face was steadily reddening, veins bulging as he strained with all his might.
I found myself silently praising my past self for setting up the Duke as the Empire’s strongest character—it felt like I was watching a movie unfold before my eyes.
He looked unbeatable.
And even if he did lose, so what? We’ve got Garri, and me, too.
Everyone aboard the Belltin was a powerhouse. That pirate ship was destined to fall into our hands anyway.
So I simply decided to offer a small prayer for the captain’s soul.
When the Duke stood smiling and unshaken, the pirate captain finally broke contact and leapt back.
He gave a quick signal to the mage behind him, who began chanting another spell. The dark energy surrounding the captain’s sword gathered at the tip, then shot upward.
In an instant, the sword elongated, transforming into something resembling a long spear.
“Heh, let’s see you block this!”
The captain spun the spear deftly above his head and caught it with a flourish, aiming its sharp point at the Duke.
The weapon’s reach was tremendous—far superior to the Duke’s shorter sword. For a moment, it looked like Luppelen had been pushed into a defensive position.
But the Duke only scoffed. He stepped lightly back and tightened his grip on his sword.
Along the sword’s edge, energy surged upward, exploding outward to form an equally long, spear-like blade of pure blue aura.
It mirrored the captain’s weapon exactly—as if mocking him.
A flicker of unease crossed the captain’s face.
Poor guy, I thought, almost feeling sorry for him now.
The Duke raised his voice, taunting his foe with an almost playful tone.
“Tell me, why did you have to start your raids here in the Dragon’s Sea, of all places—and hasten your own death by crossing paths with me?”
The captain’s expression twisted rapidly through shades of red and white.
“Y-you bastard!”
Even the mage behind him flinched in surprise.
There was only one Sword Master in the entire Empire—Duke Nox Luppelen.
Those who hadn’t met him in person had no true idea of what that title meant. They could only imagine, based on rumor and hearsay.
“I’ll tear you apart!”
Unable to contain his rage, the captain roared and lunged forward.
But from that moment on, it was a one-sided spectacle.
Whenever the captain thrust his spear, the Duke would slip past it with ease and smack the weapon’s hilt aside.
When the captain hastily drew it back, the Duke hooked the spear’s tip with his own blade and slammed it to the ground.
Flustered, the captain dispelled the black aura and reverted the spear to its sword form—but the Duke matched him instantly, dismissing his own energy and darting in close.
What followed was a flurry of close-quarters exchanges.
The Duke deftly flicked the captain’s hat off his head with a tap of his sword, then brought his blade to the man’s throat.
Pavabat!
The captain’s body shimmered as his protective barrier activated. The Duke clicked his tongue softly and unleashed another burst of blue energy.
The shield split open with a loud crack—and from behind, I heard the mage let out a pained groan.
The Duke mocked him.
“You ought to crawl back to your Tower and beg for another bowl of porridge before trying to challenge a Sword Master. Your pitiful skill is an insult to my pride.”
The captain and mage had shown decent coordination—but it was obvious even to me that the captain was no match for the Duke.
Losing his temper, the captain charged again. The Duke dodged lightly, hooked his foot, and sent the man sprawling.
He stepped on the captain’s back and drove his sword into the deck right beside the man’s face.
“Now, Gianna—if you would!”
Before his words had even finished leaving his lips, I sent a ray of light flying toward the captain, binding his hands and torso tight.
Garri swooped in at once, grabbed the man, and tossed him unceremoniously into the sea.
A flawless combination.
“T-the captain’s overboard!”
The few remaining pirates began to panic, scattering in confusion.
Behind them, the mage slowly pulled back his hood. With one missing eye and a twisted grin, he gazed at us.
“So that was the fabled Sword Master. Truly a rare sight.”
“Only realizing that now? I can already tell your skill’s not worth mentioning.”
“Heh. That mouth of yours—I’ll make sure it’s gone soon enough.”
Extending his arm over the deck, the mage conjured a black sphere identical to the one that had once surrounded the captain’s sword. It swelled larger and larger in his hand.
As he chanted again, the same protective barrier enveloped his entire body.
With a snap of his fingers, the dark sphere shot straight toward the Duke.
“You think you can defeat me with something so simplistic?”
The Duke sidestepped gracefully, avoiding it with ease.
But the orb, as if mimicking the path of my earlier light beam, suddenly changed trajectory and came whirling back toward him.
Moving as though he had eyes in the back of his head, the Duke ducked—but the sphere’s surface rippled, and a black tendril shot out, grabbing a fistful of his silvery hair before he could react.
The sphere grazed past, and a few strands of his platinum hair sizzled away.
The Duke sneered.
“So you do know a trick or two. I’ll grant you this—you’re stronger than your master, at least.”
“My master?”
“Oh? Isn’t that wretch floating out there on the sea your master?”
“If that’s what you truly believe, I’m disappointed.”
“Whoever your master is doesn’t matter. You won’t be leaving here alive.”
Before the mage could respond, the Duke unleashed a barrage of energy slashes. The mage gritted his teeth and fired back his own dark spheres in retaliation.
It was an exhilarating duel—until the tide turned unmistakably against the mage.
As the Duke’s attacks grew fiercer, the mage suddenly shifted tactics, hurling one of his black spheres toward a nearby fallen pirate.
The half-dead man screamed as the sphere struck him.
“Gaaahhh!”
His body glowed red, burning away until he was completely absorbed into the orb—and then he was gone.
It was a horrifying sight.
