The Rust Copper's life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern: his family's decline, his life on the streets, falling from grace to rock bottom, and finally seeking revenge against all of Kazimierz as an arena knight.
Yes... it was such a cliché and simple story. Yet, at his dying moments, as his story was about to conclude, the Rust Copper felt... his story was too cliché, so cliché that even web novels wouldn't be written that way anymore. Revenge against society? He was still a plaything of society. Some of the knights he had violently treated might have been forced by circumstance, some even like himself...
He was merely... merely venting his dissatisfaction with society on these people.
But now it was too late; he had awakened too late... He weakly reached out, looking at Maria Nearl, whose longsword shattered and turned into light feathers scattering across the arena, his eyes filled with tears.
"...I lost... I've completely lost."
His shattered armor could no longer contain his fragile inner self; at this moment, he no longer cared about the negative impact tears would have on him, but he didn't want to repent, because repentance was meaningless. Before dying, he only wanted to regard this dazzling Knight as the last scenery he would ever see. This Knight who had slain him, this demon, was undoubtedly… excellent, the very image of what he had originally wanted to become…
Only at the very end… did he realize this…
How foolish…
How pathetic…
"…Uncle… how long are you going to lie there? The match is over."
"…Eh?"
Just then, Maria Nearl ran over with a puzzled expression, intending to help Rust Copper up, but his reaction made Rust Copper feel as if his mind had suddenly disconnected.
"…I… wasn't I supposed to die?"
"…" Maria Nearl blinked, first confused, then understood with a sudden realization, slapping her forehead as she said, "My sword isn't that powerful… My sword only shatters armor and can temporarily put people in a dazed state… but it seems to have very little lethal power against people… In fact, after being struck by it, besides losing the ability to resist, there are no other adverse reactions."
"…Huh?"
"That's right, so you're fine. You'll be fine once the effect wears off. At most, you can't walk right now, I'll help you."
"…Then… I'm not dead?"
"…Uh, no?"
"Why… didn't you kill me?"
Rust Copper truly didn't understand. He had already shown his killing intent so clearly, so why would the other party still show him mercy? Was she pitying him?
But Maria Nearl, on the contrary, was a little confused. "Why should I kill you? I've already won, this is a match, isn't it enough that I won?"
"…Never mind, I can't explain it to you." Rust Copper looked at the earnest look in Maria Nearl's eyes and suddenly felt that talking about this with Maria Nearl was meaningless. She truly had no intention of harming anyone, simply enjoying the fun of battle. Compared to himself, she was truly too pure. He reached out his hand, and with Maria Nearl's help, stood up, checking the crack between his chest and abdomen… Indeed, he had just felt as if he had been slain, but the sword seemed to have healed his body at the same time it passed through him.
Leaving behind a not-very-obvious white scar… Besides that, there was nothing else.
"…What kind of person could develop such a unique move?"
Rust Copper couldn't help but shake his head. This kind of swordsmanship that allowed one to experience the feeling of disappointment for a moment, yet didn't truly take another's life… it was simply unheard of and unseen.
"My uncle named this move Repentance Sword, though I don't know why he named it that…" Maria Nearl said a little awkwardly, "But this move is indeed my most powerful special move, and it doesn't hurt others, so I'm very satisfied."
"Indeed… but perhaps it doesn't mean it won't hurt others." Rust Copper grumbled, "Others slay the flesh, but your sword… might slay the soul."
And… even if this sword couldn't truly kill others, when the opponent lost the ability to resist, wouldn't even a child with a small knife be able to take his life? After all, his body would believe it had been slain, so he couldn't resist at all. This sword seemed harmless, but in reality, it was terrifying. Rust Copper couldn't help but start looking forward to Maria Nearl's true growth.
Perhaps… although different from Shining Knight, she could also become a truly great Knight?
"Amazing! Maria Nearl not only defeated Rust Copper but also actively went forward to help him afterward! The two Knights gave us an exciting offense-defense battle, and after that, they also showed true Knightly spirit! We can't help but remember the sponsor of this competition—"
This sudden turn made Noah's mouth twitch, and then she asked Kuro somewhat helplessly. "In short… did she win?"
"Yes, she won." Kuro replied concisely, "It was beautiful."
"For a moment just now… I really thought Maria Nearl had killed someone." Noah rubbed her brow with a headache. "Rust Copper's emotions just now felt completely like he was on his deathbed… like he was about to breathe his last. I was wondering how to clean up the mess for Maria Nearl. After all, killing someone in a match isn't very good, but it turns out… it was just his misunderstanding?"
"Maria Nearl's Stone source art, or rather, the special move she developed herself, Manner and I have both tried it—it has almost no lethal power, but it can make a person's body believe it is dying, losing the ability to resist. Manner and I both believe this is a very powerful move… it's just that Maria Nearl can only use it three times a day at most right now."
"Three times, that's already very impressive." Noah marveled that Maria Nearl had actually developed such a powerful move herself and kept it a secret from her. She couldn't help but feel both happy and a little sad. "My little Maria Nearl is now keeping secrets from me by developing moves."
"Perhaps she just wanted to give you a surprise?"
"I usually call that a scare." Noah said grumpily, "But… as long as everything is good, that's the best outcome."
Maria Nearl developing a new move was certainly a happy event, but this move was also revealed from being a hidden trump card. For Maria Nearl, who was about to enter the official competition… perhaps it wasn't entirely a good thing… Moreover, in that instant, when Maria Nearl struck that sword, she indeed felt something, like something hidden within her body had been awakened, as if she had seen that sword before…
But that feeling was only a fleeting glimpse… Noah didn't even have time to grasp it before it disappeared.
"Never mind, let's go celebrate with Maria Nearl first, celebrate her official entry into the top sixteen." Noah didn't dwell on it too much, simply shook her head, deciding that since she couldn't figure it out now, she wouldn't think about it for the time being.
The important thing was to celebrate with Maria Nearl, wasn't it?
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