The Villain Carries the Holy Sword – Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Sincerity and Truth (4)

It didn’t end in one blow.

To be precise, Abel was the one who hadn’t ended it.

Chaaeng—!

Abel and Rinaldo’s swords exquisitely deflected each other’s attacks.

Sparks flew between the two swords as if they were competing with fireworks.

Their faces were illuminated by the sparks.

They were so close that their breaths mingled.

Rinaldo’s bright eyes and Abel’s brown eyes stared at each other without the slightest flicker.

—Deceive your opponent from the start. Thoroughly drag them into your pace. Make them think it’ll end in one blow, but draw it out.

Abel recalled Cain’s teachings.

He believed that in this life-or-death struggle, he would grow stronger with each passing moment.

Swoosh—

At point-blank range, Rinaldo bent his back foot, creating a small gap.

Whiiiiiir—

Cascata di pianto.

Rinaldo’s sword shot up with a whistling sound.

It was a deadly blade aimed at Abel’s lower jaw as he lunged forward. It was a moment of life or death, as if his head would be pierced and he would die.

Wooong—

Beneath the experience etched into his body, the instinct deep within his soul awakened.

Battle instinct!

The reason Cain called his talent the strongest on the continent, the source of Abel’s strength from his previous life that allowed him to defeat even the Demon King, flashed open.

Flick—

Abel effortlessly tilted his head to the side, evading Rinaldo’s sword by a hair’s breadth.

However, Rinaldo was still Rinaldo.

Having risen to the position of Chief Paladin, a feat achievable by only one in a hundred Paladins, he was not surprised.

He simply, calmly, reacted.

Clank—!

He twisted his wrist.

Crack—!

He twisted his ankle like a wing, lowering and shifting his stance once more.

As his body strained under the force, the holy power of ‘light’ flowed through him, healing his injuries in real-time.

Cascata di taglio.

Rinaldo’s rising sword came to an abrupt halt, as if time had stopped.

Shheeee—

And like a waterfall crashing down, it plummeted towards Abel’s white neck, aiming to sever it and create a fountain of blood!

—Ah! Danger, Abel is in dange—━━er—━━

From afar, Baron Moliot’s commentary slowed.

No.

To be precise, it was Abel’s time that was stretching infinitely.

Even with their breaths intermingling, Abel marveled at Rinaldo’s swordsmanship, finding an opening and aiming for his neck.

—No matter how skilled you are in Airian, it means nothing. There are more strong individuals on the continent than stars in the sky.

Cain and Arna’s words about the reality of the continent.

In truth, Abel hadn’t believed them. He was confident that there wouldn’t be many as strong as them, especially considering they were all human.

However,

Now he could somewhat understand.

The Paladin’s sword was righteous and flawless.

Based on the holy power that healed him, he wielded a sword that could never be swung by an ordinary human body.

Furthermore,

With experience honed through countless battles, he calculated impossible angles and thrust his sword.

—But Abel, you can surpass them all.

Cain’s voice.

Never before had Cain spoken with such conviction. It became a pillar of support for Abel’s anxious heart, further awakening his battle instinct.

Kaboom—!

Abel, mere inches away, drove his left fist into Rinaldo’s side.

The force of his rotating waist, his back and arms packed with muscle, resonated like a giant drum being struck, shaking the entire arena.

Shhhk—

In that instant, Abel moved swiftly, dodging Rinaldo’s relentless sword.

And once again,

Kaboom—!

He struck the same spot with his fist.

Abel felt it.

With the second punch, Rinaldo’s ribs shattered.

—Don’t assume swordsmen only use swords.

Cain’s teachings had influenced not only Abel but also Isoel. That’s why she had used her fists in the previous duel.

Kugugung—!

Now, Abel unleashed his third fist!

Rinaldo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

An unimaginable shock surged from his toes to the top of his head.

The first punch could be excused as an unexpected weakness exposed while wielding a sword, but the second and third pierced through his defenses regardless.

Thud—!

Rinaldo tried to retreat.

Despite preferring close-quarters combat, he realized his opponent was even more proficient and needed to create distance.

However,

Crack—!

Abel’s right foot moved first.

—Distance is crucial. Don’t give your opponent the distance they desire. Use any means necessary to maintain a range advantageous to you.

He stomped on Rinaldo’s foot, pinning him in place.

Kaboom—

And the fourth fist landed on the same spot once more.

The armor Rinaldo wore was no longer just dented but shattered, revealing his bruised and battered skin through the torn fabric beneath.

—And strike the same spot repeatedly. Stab the same wound over and over.

Although he didn’t say it aloud, Abel initially found Cain’s teachings to be somewhat dishonorable.

But through hunting monsters with only his fists, he realized it was the most efficient and flawless strategy.

Fwoosh—

Holy power surged throughout Rinaldo’s body. The dark bruise on his side began to heal under the radiance of light, but…

In the split second he channeled his power,

Thump—!

Abel’s fist struck him once more.

“Cough—!”

Finally, Rinaldo let out a gasp of pain.

Thump, thump—!

Seizing the opportunity, Abel continued to rain down blows.

He felt the sensation of Rinaldo’s skin splitting and bones breaking beneath his fists.

Thump.

Even as Rinaldo raised his sword, attempting to sever the leg pinning him down,

Kaboom—!

With a single punch,

Koooom—!

He halted the sword’s trajectory.

—Ah, Rinaldo, Rinaldo! He has lowered his sword!

As Baron Moliot exclaimed, Rinaldo lowered his weapon and turned to Abel, his lips moving.

“This sword …”

His gaze fell upon it.

Abel’s sword, previously knocked away by his left fist, now pointed directly at Rinaldo’s heart.

Had Rinaldo made any other move, it would have pierced through him, ending his life.

“I can’t avoid it now.”

He calmly accepted his loss.

“To be precise, I was already losing from the very beginning.”

The moment he failed to end the fight with his first strike, he was caught in a spiderweb. Slowly, but surely, he realized he had been ensnared.

Rinaldo bowed his head.

Abel kept him pinned, the pressure on his foot threatening to shatter the bones beneath.

“This tenacity, this sense of battle, this venom…… Did Cain Ethelred teach you all this?”

“Yes.”

Abel affirmed without hesitation.

The swordsmanship he had discovered was ‘Cain’ itself.

He sought to absorb everything from him, to become even more like him. That was Abel’s swordsmanship.

Thus, there was no hesitation in his answer to Rinaldo’s question.

Rinaldo nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a moment before raising his arm.

“I yield.”

In that instant, the strange silence that had gripped the arena…

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!

…was shattered by the roar of the crowd.

—Chief Paladin Sir Rinaldo has declared defeat!! The victor is Airian’s future and hope, Abel, Abel Ethelred!

Overcome by a strange sensation welling up from within, Baron Moliot showered Abel with various titles.

A young man from Airian Island had defeated the illustrious Chief Paladin of the Holy See’s 〈Order of Autumn〉.

It was a feat enough to ignite a fire in the hearts of all those living in Airian!

Even those who had forgotten the feeling of patriotism would be reminded in this moment of victory.

That their nation was Airian.

Thud—

Rinaldo turned and descended from the arena.

Abel watched him go, his gaze lingering on the two Paladins waiting below who bowed their heads to him before helping Rinaldo away.

And slowly,

The murmurings of the crowd grew louder.

Oleciren’s side had won twice in the three matches.

Didn’t that mean Princess Oleciren was confirmed as the next ruler?

So why was Abel still standing tall in the arena, and why were the High Nobles remaining silent?

At that moment, Baron Moliot’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker.

—The rules of the match have changed. With consecutive victories now possible, Princess Olivia’s third knight can still claim victory if he defeats all remaining knights of Princess Oleciren!

The audience, unaware of the details, was momentarily bewildered before nodding in acceptance.

After all, the difficult decisions were made by the High Nobles and royalty above.

They were simply…

Content to witness another breathtaking battle between these extraordinary knights!

Cheers erupted once more.

And from the highest spectator stand, Olivia turned to Oleciren and questioned,

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Perhaps.”

“It seems the throne is no longer the priority here.”

The lower-ranking nobles were already racking their brains. They couldn’t fathom why the rules would be changed in such a way when it was clear Oleciren was poised to win the throne.

Olivia pressed further.

“Revenge.”

“…….”

“You desire revenge more than the throne, don’t you, sister?”

“Indeed.”

“But I don’t understand. How does having Abel fight one more time relate to revenge?”

Oleciren crossed her legs, her raven hair swaying as she rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the arena below.

“You’ll understand if you simply watch.”

“I am also a princess. I am also Father’s daughter.”

Swoosh—

Oleciren turned to Olivia, her gaze sharp.

“I never thought I’d hear you say such a thing.”

“And I never imagined you would change so drastically.”

“…….”

A chilling silence fell between them.

The other High Nobles awkwardly averted their eyes from the princesses’ tense exchange.

They would have preferred it if they were the ones crossing swords instead.

Glancing away, Oleciren’s eyes briefly settled on the empty seats of Cain and the Saintess before she spoke.

“This wasn’t my plan, so let’s just observe for now.”

“Cain’s?”

“Abel devised it. Cain agreed to help.”

The two princesses and the High Nobles turned their attention back to the arena below.

Thud—

A man ascended the platform.

He wore somewhat refined attire, but his face remained hidden behind a bucket, earning him the moniker of the ‘Bucket Knight’.

Unlike the previous two knights who wore at least some light armor, he was dressed in simple clothes, the kind worn by commoners.

—Princess Olivia’s final knight is the unidentified ‘Knight of the Bucket’!

Silence met his arrival.

With his identity unknown, the audience was unsure how to react.

With a bow, Abel greeted him.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“I will kill you.”

He raised his sword, a silver word identical to Abel’s.

A smirk played on Abel’s lips.

“That’s what I meant by ‘pleased to meet you’. Be careful, or your life might just end up forfeit.”

“……You resemble him.”

Edmund, the man beneath the bucket, smiled bitterly.

The one before him was undoubtedly Arna’s son, Abel.

However, he could faintly see Cain behind him, wielding his sword with utter disregard for his own life.

Seeing the image of the two men as one, Edmund gripped his sword.

Woooong—

The sword hummed, and in that moment, a brilliant golden aura began to emanate from it.

—Ah, it’s Aura! Aura! And such a distinct one at that!

A Sword Master.

There was no one who wouldn’t recognize a Sword Master wielding a shortsword.

Thud.

Father and son lunged at each other, their blades aimed true.

Their killing intent, palpable and heavy, filled the arena.

And then,

“……Not bad.”

From within the crowd, the robed Apostle, Golden Dawn, smiled.

He knew this was a trap set to capture him, and the bait placed within was simply too tempting to resist.

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