Chapter 130: Ended
Struggling to rise from the pile of rubble, Jill's consciousness hadn't fully awakened yet. He only felt the pain coursing through his body, instinctively craving blood.
As he raised his body, suddenly, he was locked onto by a terrifyingly intense murderous intent.
The thick and suffocating murderous intent sent shivers down his spine, starting from the soles of his feet and rushing all the way to his crown, abruptly jolting him awake from his trance-like state.
Upon this awakening, Jill immediately saw Riezel, enveloped in raging wind, his robes billowing and fluttering noisily in the gusts of wind. The ferociousness of Riezel's gaze and the constant flurry of lethal attacks he endured till now finally stirred a sense of fear in him.
Despite being influenced by his swordsmanship and becoming addicted to blood, Jill had not completely lost his senses.
Three years ago, when all Demon Swordsmen were besieged by the knights dispatched by various countries, teetering on the brink of life and death, while others seemed to go mad and charge out excitedly to clash with the knights, Jill, subconsciously sensing danger, overcame his desire for blood, and chose to flee in fear.
Because of this, Jill barely survived that massacre, living in the wilderness ever since, adhering to the principle of self-control. He sustained himself on animal blood, battling monsters, gradually satiating his thirst for blood, and slowly getting stronger.
It wasn't until Jill encountered Alderman in the wilderness that he couldn't resist the craving for human blood anymore and decided to indulge. However, he didn't act immediately by killing Alderman on the spot for his blood. Since he had decided to indulge, he naturally wanted to make the most of this opportunity.
Therefore, feigning interest in following Alderman, Jill actually intended to infiltrate the human-inhabited city to hunt humans.
In the week leading up to the War Festival, he often went out at night, seemingly strolling around the city, but in reality, he was secretly hunting humans, reveling in the blood of thugs or thieves lurking in the darkness.
When the War Festival began and the training field was crowded with people, he would unleash his slaughter there, satisfying himself to the fullest, then escape Undine and retreat into the mountains, evading pursuit by the kingdom's knights.
His first targets were obviously the experts who participated in the War Festival.
Like Riezel Brynhart, a Tactical-Class Magician.
Like Yuri Frenzel, a Strategic-Class Magician.
Step by step, by eliminating these experts first, he could eradicate potential threats and strengthen himself with their blood. Following that, he would hunt down the weaker ones, steadily progressing, feasting on their blood, rapidly boosting his own strength, perhaps even ascending to the status of Sword Saint, becoming a Demon Sword Saint.
For this reason, Jill had restrained himself until now.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side.
With his strength, originally speaking, whether facing Yuri, Marilyn, Ain, Ian, or others, he could have found a way to catch them off guard and kill them with a single strike, letting their blood spill on the spot.
However, his opponent happened to be the only one with strength comparable to Level 6, an anomaly excelling in both swordsmanship and magic—Riezel Brynhart.
After being injured by Riezel and instinctively stimulated by his great strength, Jill could no longer suppress his craving for the blood of the strong, descending into a semi-trance-like state of madness.
However, now, faced with Riezel's undisguised murderous and terrifying aura, his rationality instantly returned, and the feeling of fear surged back into his heart.
Unfortunately, it was all too late.
*BANG!*
Just as Jill's heart began to tremble, the ground beneath Riezel erupted, and he suddenly vanished on the spot, disappearing without a trace.
"?!!!"
Jill's heart skipped a beat, but still, relying on his sensitivity to blood, he sensed Riezel's trail.
"Here!"
Without hesitation, Jill swung his sword to the right, letting out a whistling sound of crimson magical energy, disrupting the atmosphere, and aiming at the sudden figure that appeared there.
However, Riezel disregarded this swing entirely, rushing forward at once and lunging straight at Jill.
*DING!*
Jill's forceful swing landed on the whirlwind surrounding Riezel's body, just like before, it was easily flicked aside.
*Pu-chi!*
At this moment, Riezel's slash finally surged from his hand, its speed surprisingly quick, as if it traversed space and time, slicing across Jill's shoulder, causing his flesh to tear and blood to splatter.
'Too fast!' Jill's pupils contracted sharply.
Riezel's slash just now was completely beyond Jill's response, much faster than before. No, it wasn't just his attack speed, even his movement speed had increased significantly.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
Accompanied by the sound of tearing, Riezel's figure seemed to truly transform into an invisible and colorless wind, flickering and darting around Jill's body, unleashing slashes that struck various parts of his body, leaving him covered in wounds and bleeding heavily.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH—!!!"
As Jill roared furiously, he continuously swung his sword imbued with crimson magical energy, creating booming sounds and whistling through the air. Pitifully, despite his efforts, he couldn't land a single hit on Riezel's body, who effortlessly dodged with astonishing speed.
Jill's missed slashes only struck nothing, sending streaks of crimson sword light flying, leaving cracks in the ground and walls.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
The rubble and dust flew up once again, turning the entire training field into chaos, combined with the howling wind, giving a sense of devastation.
It was only then that Jill suddenly noticed the change in Riezel's weapon.
The weapon held in his hand was no longer a bright silver short sword but a somewhat dark silver long sword.
Thin as a cicada's wing, the sword edge was nearly transparent, with a beautiful and noble appearance that did not look at all like a metal product but rather like a crystal so translucent.
Yet, this sword, which seemed more like a work of art than a weapon, exhibited astonishing sharpness and power in Riezel's hands.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
With Fool in hand, Riezel pushed Lightweight to its limit, increased by the enhancements of Ariel and Raumure. His speed had reached a level where even Jill, someone comparable to a Level 6 expert, couldn't react at all.
Even before returning to this main world, Riezel's strength had surpassed that of Ais, who was evaluated as capable of challenging opponents at a higher level.
Such was Riezel's prowess that, if he went all out, even someone like Finn, Riveria, and Gareth at the pinnacle of Level 6 would find him a difficult opponent.
Although he had only recently leveled up to Level 5, the accumulation of SSS basic abilities on every level and the acquisition of various combat-type development abilities allowed him to surpass Ais, a top-ranked Level 5, even without using magic.
Now, with the addition of Raumure and Ariel, even facing Jill was no longer challenging for Riezel.
As Riezel's sword light sped forth with astonishing speed, Jill found himself subjected to a relentless attack, his body seeming to burst open, blood and wounds blossoming continuously, leaving him battered and miserable.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!!!"
Facing dire situations, Jill finally erupted, his crimson magical energy turning deeper crimson, enhancing his strength further, finally matching Riezel's speed and allowing him to react.
However, Riezel disregarded Jill's counterattacks entirely, allowing Jill's crimson slashes to rain down on his body without blocking or dodging.
With the boosted END from Raumure and the wind protection from Ariel, even Jill's powerful slashes were ultimately deflected one by one, leaving only a few shallow wounds on Riezel's body that oozed a little blood, doing little else.
On the other hand, Riezel's slashes became faster and fiercer, not only splitting Jill's skin but nearly stripping his flesh from head to toe, leaving several deep wounds on his shoulders and thighs where bone could even be seen.
Despite this, Riezel showed no signs of relenting, seemingly intent on crushing Jill into a bloody pulp, his speed and ferocity undiminished, slashing relentlessly, again and again!
His merciless executioner-like performance caused many in the audience to show expressions of horror, with some even closing their eyes in fear.
Finally, Jill broke down.
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
*BOOOM!*
Jill roared and swung his sword toward the ground, shattering it and creating a violent shockwave and billowing dust.
In response to this furious attack, Riezel seemed rather indifferent.
As the dust settled, Riezel calmly lifted his hand as a fluctuation of crimson vortex appeared above it.
Riezel's trump card, hidden until now, finally made its debut.
With a thunderous force akin to a storm, the crimson vortex tore through the earth and sky, closing in on Jill as he attempted to flee.
Unfortunately, before Jill could react, it was too late.
*Bzzzttt—!*
The crimson vortex struck Jill, engulfing his body completely.
"NO, NO, NOOOOOO—!!!"
Jill let out a despairing cry before his body disintegrated within the crimson vortex, like a dungeon monster deprived of its core, turning to ashes and vanishing without a trace.
A cruel and brutal battle finally ended.
Riezel dispelled the wind and emerald green membrane around his body.
"It seems you didn't even deserve to become a bloody pulp..." Riezel muttered, watching with cold eyes the spot where Jill's body vanished to nothingness.
With this outcome, the War Festival finally came to a close, with Riezel as the ultimate victor.
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Chapter 131: After the War Festival
The War Festival finally came to an end.
Naturally, the entire process and details of this War Festival spread widely afterward.
Sefaz emerged victorious over Marilyn, telling the world that this Frenzel family's eldest son was still a prodigy.
Since becoming a Sword Master five years ago, his strength had not stagnated but made significant progress instead. He was now considered a powerful Sword Master with the potential to become a Sword Saint.
Yuri, on the other hand, defeated Alderman, showcasing not only her prowess as a Strategic-Class Magician but also her adept use of combat-class magic. She had surpassed her father and was now capable of holding her own in battles.
Of course, the most talked-about event was the third round between Riezel and Jill, which was full of unexpected twists and turns.
Technically, Riezel should have been considered the loser in this War Festival since he killed Jill, which was expressly prohibited by Alderman before the War Festival began. Riezel knowingly violated this rule, which should have led to his disqualification or even his judgment being sought by the Frenzel family.
However, Jill was a Demon Swordsman, a dangerous swordsman proficient in Demon Sword Style. Not only did he attempt to kill Riezel at the beginning of the battle, but he also targeted Yuri, who was not only the head of the Frenzel family but also a Strategic-Class Magician and a Marquis of the kingdom.
Therefore, If anyone had violated the rules first, it was Jill.
Murder attempts against Riezel could be overlooked since Jill hadn't succeeded and had almost been killed by Riezel in retaliation. Furthermore, in a fighting competition, Jill's actions could be seen as a miscalculation or accident in the heat of the moment, a perspective shared by most of the audience.
Apart from Yuri, who sensed trouble early and dispatched people to disperse the audience, everyone else thought like that, allowing the War Festival to continue uninterrupted.
However, Jill's attack on Yuri was undoubtedly a clear violation of the rules, leaving no room for discussion. Because of this, Riezel could be considered the winner from that moment onward. His immediate action of killing Jill on the spot was merely seen as a way to protect Yuri.
Hence, the ultimate victor of the War Festival was Yuri's group.
As for Jill's status as a swordsman who practiced Demon Sword Style, it didn't cause much of a stir.
People were more interested in Riezel, who managed to excel in both swordsmanship and magic, achieving significant feats in both. He was not only a powerful Sword Master but also a Tactical-Class Magician.
"I never imagined there could be someone in this world who excels in both swordsmanship and magic."
"Same here."
"You know, swordsmen typically stick to swordsmanship because their magical energy isn't enough to become magicians. But someone with ample magical energy to be a magician chooses to dive into swordsmanship as well? That's wild, y'know."
"And yet, Sir Riezel not only pursued both but also excelled in them... What a legend."
"Having him join the Frenzel family is great."
People continued to discuss these matters enthusiastically, indicating that this topic would be one of the hottest this time. Even those with ulterior motives couldn't help but join in the excitement.
"Let's head back and report on Riezel Brynhart first. Afterward, we'll find a way to contact him."
"Yeah, we need to find a way to bring him to our country."
"A Sword Master and a Tactical-Class Magician, huh... Tch, tch, makes you wonder how he pulled that off."
"Such a skilled magician, yet still focusing on swordsmanship. First time seeing someone like him."
"Alright, let's stop chatting. Time to head back and deliver the news. I'm sure the higher-ups will want to hear about this."
And so, some were biding their time, others were finding ways to contact their superiors, while some were keeping a close eye on Riezel, attempting something.
Among them was the young nobleman from the royal capital.
"Send an invitation to the Frenzel family." The young nobleman ordered his attendant. "I must meet this incredible guy."
"Yes." The attendant responded immediately.
It could be said that Undine was both lively and filled with hidden movements. Countless people were watching the Frenzel family, watching Riezel, unsure of what action would be taken.
As for Riezel himself, he also sensed the changes happening around him.
===
On this day, the weather was clear.
Even though the War Festival was already yesterday's news, the discussions it sparked remained lively. While Undine was still bustling, the Frenzel family had returned to a brief calm.
Riezel walked through the corridors, encountering many servants, guards, and knights along the way.
"Sir Riezel."
"Sir Riezel."
"Lord Brynhart."
Like this, whether they were servants, guards, or knights, they all stopped in their tracks and respectfully bowed to Riezel as soon as they saw him.
Their attitude and level of respect had undoubtedly become much more intense and sincere compared to a week ago when they treated Riezel as a guest. Some even went as far as to regard him as a noble, addressing him directly as 'Lord Brynhart'.
"Hello."
Riezel nodded in acknowledgment to them, returning the gesture, but inwardly, he felt somewhat displeased.
After all, he didn't like being treated as someone important, respected, or even feared excessively by others. Such situations were something he had had enough of in his previous life, and he certainly didn't want to see them again in this world.
Unfortunately, there was no way around it.
The social class consciousness in this world was deeply ingrained. Given Riezel's demonstrated strength, the servants would undoubtedly worry about being disrespectful to him and whether they would face consequences if they didn't act properly.
Even though Riezel was not a noble and was currently just a commoner, as a Tactical-Class Magician, becoming a noble was just a matter of time. Any commoners in the Frenzel family who understood this point already regarded him as a noble. Coupled with his intimidating strength, they wouldn't dare to show any disrespect.
'Hahh... I miss Loki Familia...'
Riezel couldn't help but think of Twilight Manor.
In there, although he gradually earned the respect of familia members with his growing strength and was no longer treated as a rookie, they never placed themselves beneath him. They simply respected, admired, and supported him as the backbone of the familia, akin to a family member.
He had felt uncomfortable with these displays of respect at times, but it was just that—discomfort. He didn't feel averse to it or reject it.
Members of the same familia were like family, connected by the blood of their god. They didn't share blood ties, but their blessings came from the same god who, like their own parent, inscribed the same sacred text on their backs. Therefore, considering they shared the same blood, it was entirely appropriate.
In such circumstances, familia members respected him but didn't fear him. If they were to sit together at a drinking table, ninety percent of them would dare to come over and toast him until he was flat out.
That was what he had always dreamed of—a true family and home'.
'I've become more sentimental lately...' Riezel chuckled, shook his head, and continued walking ahead.
However, as he walked, he quickly bumped into the familiar boy, who popped out from a bush nearby.
"Teach me magic!"
Isaac blurted out immediately upon appearing, just like before. However, unlike his previous arrogant demeanor, this time his eyes were shining as he looked at Riezel.
Those eyes resembled those of a passionate young man who had found his goal.
Yes, after witnessing Riezel's battle, Isaac also regarded Riezel as his role model and someone to take inspiration from.
Yet, Riezel still had not changed his mind.
"No."
He mercilessly rejected the boy.
"Why not?" Isaac said extremely disgruntledly. "What's your problem with me?"
"It's not that I have a problem with you..." Riezel squinted his eyes. "It's just that I don't want my first disciple to be a dumb little twerp like you."
"Who are you calling a dumb little twerp?!" Isaac exclaimed breathlessly. "I'm very smart, okay?! And I'm not little!"
"Sorry, didn't see that in you..." Riezel said with no trace of politeness. "You seem dumb to me, and you are indeed little, kiddo."
"Don't call me kiddo! You disrespectful jerk!" Isaac yelled angrily.
He was furious and quickly charged toward Riezel.
*BANG*
Isaac was thrown back, landing on the ground.
"..."
Watching him lying there without moving an inch, Riezel didn't know what to say.
"Alright, stop messing around, Isaac." Mediste chimed in as if timing her entrance perfectly. "Don't mind him, he's just fooling around."
She nodded to Riezel and then gave a slight bow. Her gaze, no longer evasive, now sparkled with an inexplicable radiance.
However, this clearly made Riezel hesitant to meet her eyes directly. For some reason, he felt that after the War Festival, something was off in the way this girl looked at him.
Previously, Mediste was a well-mannered, courteous girl, but these past couple of days, she seemed to have become a bit mischievous and would often do things that made him feel awkward.
"Just came out from your father's room?" Riezel decided to change the subject.
"Yes..." Mediste nodded, sighing. "He still refuses to come out of his room... Seems like he took a big blow this time."
Alderman's condition was one of the changes after the War Festival.
After the War Festival ended, he locked himself in his room, refusing to see anyone.
It was understandable.
"Losing miserably to his own daughter with countless eyes watching, while the attendant he favored turned out to be a dangerous man almost destroying his carefully revived family tradition—one blow after another... Considering his overly conservative views and pride, it's normal for him not to cope well."
Mediste explained her father's condition, surprisingly serious.
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