บท 30: The Last Sun Guard

Goleil thrust towards the knight's leg, which he deflected to his left with his shield. He tried to rush in, but Goleil retracted his spear before he could and thrust it at the Adalian's face.

The traitorous knight barely dodged it and got out of range.

Khalid cleared his throat. "I thought all the Vreans were killed, but it appears we didn't get all of thou. How does it feel to know that everyone thou once knew is dead? How pathetic, for a people who pride themselves on thy god of war, thou're all pitifully weak!"

Goleil's eyes burned a little brighter. "You will regret that."

Goleil sent two quick thrusts at the knight, one at both his shoulders. The first was blocked by the man's shield. The second never reached the shield and instead plunged towards Khalid's exposed legs.

The slash would've taken off Khalid's right leg if he hadn't jumped back at the last moment.

Suddenly, Khalid's speed increased, and Goleil recognized the effects of mana circulation. If he also had his mana circuits intact, he could keep up easily, but now he was having trouble.

With every thrust, Khalid only got closer and closer, getting used to his fighting style. He would deflect, dodge, and block to close the gap that the glaive afforded Goleil.

Goleil thrust his spear towards the knight's face, which he knocked to the side with the edge of his shield, and exploded in front of Goleil, his mace screaming towards Goleil's shoulder.

The sun knight dodged to his right just in time for the mace to scratch his pauldron, but Khalid bin Walid was not done. He swung his mace in a savage arc towards Goleil's neck and would have broken it in two if Goleil hadn't dodged under it just time, the strike just barely missing the top of his helmet.

Tyria had her hands to her mouth, Mord was still for once in his life, and Gwen concentrated wholeheartedly on the fight. Even Erikson was enthralled by the performance, the Adalian against the Vrean. Two mortal enemies whose nations were once tenuous allies.

Would the man they relied so much on lose? He still had time to grow stronger, but it would do nothing to repair his reputation if he won later but lost now.

He barely dodged one swing after another, gradually being pushed back.

'This can't go on any longer... I need to show this Adalian that he and his false god are nothing in the face of Vrean might!' Goleil thought and steeled his resolve.

Without mana, he would have to get creative. A knight's mana capacity could easily last an entire battle, for it didn't take much to strengthen the human body. However, it could also be overloaded, which is why the Sun Guard went through so much training to build up a tolerance to the stress of mana circulation.

He ducked under a strike aimed at his throat and stepped back again, swinging the glaive to create distance. Unfortunately, Khalid blocked it with his shield and closed the distance again.

'He can't go any faster, but I can't rely on him running out of steam.'

He heard a familiar chuckle. "Perhaps I can lend you assistance?" Ty'Bral said, and leaned against the edge of the exercise pad. He had two of his arms on phantom swords, the other two clasped behind his head.

'Not a chance. I'll lose control if I let you help me.'

He shrugged. "Whatever."

Khalid swung the mace down at Goleil's head, which he deflected with his glaive. The mace scraped down the side of the spear, almost smashing his hands to pulp. Suddenly, Goleil changed his grip and slammed the shaft of the glaive into Khalid's helmet. His head rocked back upon impact, and he stumbled a few feet back.

At the same time, Goleil jumped back and swung his glaive in a screaming arc towards the Adalian's head. The knight barely brought his shield up before it was ripped out of his grasp by Golieil's strike.

Khalid scoffed. "That's just like thou, Vreans, cowardly!"

Goleil growled as he thrust his spear into the man's right forearm, making him drop his mace. He then brought it down on his shoulder, trying to cut his arm off. Before it could get there, however, the Adalian caught the glaive by the shaft with both his hands, the spear quivering under the struggle of the two men.

Khalid ripped the glaive out of Goleil's grasp and threw it aside.

Both were unarmed and stared at each other for a moment. Blood dripped down Khalid's arm, but he was far from finished.

"I'll show thou the might of the Kraken! Behold, the power of Adal!" He said and rushed towards Goleil.

"Big words for a mere rain god!" Goleil answered and tackled the Adalian when he came close.

He repeatedly slammed his armored elbow into Khalid's helmet, feeling his rage boiling in his gut. Strength filled his body as his hits became heavier, and the Adalian's armor creaked with each strike.

Khalid flipped him over, and the two extricated themselves and stood up, panting heavily.

Bloodlust began to fill Goleil, giving him strength. His golden eyes began to develop flakes of red. It was strange, it felt like Ty'Bral was controlling him, but he had control instead. He had the strength but also the control.

Khalid sent a jab towards his helmet, but Goleil dodged under it and hit him with a powerful uppercut that sent the Adalian stumbling backward.

His strength grew as he got used to the power. Khalid sent a punch toward his torso, which Goleil dodged and countered with a punch to his chin.

As it slammed into his head, he saw that the knight's legs went stiff and his head twisted. He stumbled back a few feet and almost fell to his knees.

"This ends here!" Goleil roared and punched the man in his breastplate, caving it in. The Adalian flew backward to the edge of the ring and crumpled against the barrier.

Goleil stood over him, panting. "Are you finished, Adalian?"

The man didn't move nor say a word.

Goleil picked up his glaive, still bursting with his newfound strength.

"Who's next?"