314 Year , 1 August , Midday
Arena of the Imperial Capital.
Three days before my birthday, I will fight with my father in a duel. And this happened because I challenged my father, but instead of the usual duel that I had with the knights and their captains, as well as the commander of the Knights Order of Aquos, my father decided to arrange a duel in the arena of the imperial capital, which is now was packed with people.
- Son, are you ready? - Asked my Father, who was standing opposite me - If you are chickened, we can cancel everything - He added with a smile.
- No Father, how can I cancel our duel when so many people I care about are rooting for me? - Smiling at his words, I ask.
- Ha - ha - ha - ha, and that is true, even my wife is a fan of you, what to speak about Emily and Roxy ... Yes, even the Emperor's family is a fan of you . - Having scratched his chin and looked in the direction of the Imperial box, the father said.
- I can't let them down! - Having said that, I drew my swords. Two iron short swords were now in my hands, in contrast to this, my father took a two-handed sword.
- I'm sure you can use two swords at once? Can you change your mind? - My father asked me absolutely seriously. In some ways he's right, practicing skills with twin guns, I started only two years and ago and this style, I still have never fought against a man only my opponents were the Goblins and Orcs.
- It's all right Father, I will not change my mind . - Having said that, I looked at the Imperial Box. The entire family of the Emperor — Egert Kraus, Sirena Kraus and Alice Kraus — and my family — Roxy, Emilia, and Julia — sat there. They are all rooting for me, especially the emperor who first before the fight came to me and put his hand on my shoulder, he said .
- Esh, heaping on his father, he deserves it! - Looking into his eyes, I realized that he was not joking, he really believes that I can do it. How can I lose after this?
- Attention! - Getting up from his seat and climbing to a small platform, said Egert Kraus. All people were silent, and looked at him - Today will be a historical duel! Such a duel , we will not see for a very , very long time! Esh Rise, heir to the Duke of Edgar Rise, has challenged his father for being better than the swordsman of the Empire! - Looking at my father, and then at me, he nodded and began to announce the rules . - Offensive and defensive magic is prohibited! Opponents can use only magic gain! - Having said this, he took a scarf from his breast pocket. - Victory is assigned to the one who incapacitates his opponent , breaks the enemy's weapons, or forces him to surrender. As soon as this handkerchief touches the ground, the duel will officially begin! !
When he finished speaking, he showed a handkerchief in his right hand. As soon as he let him go, I filled my body with pure mana and dark energy that no one sees except me. The handkerchief touched the ground and the Emperor shouted
- Let the duel begin! - After his words, I immediately rushed to my father.
Strengthening my body, I became equal to him, but that's not all I can apply, in case my first plan fails, I use my trump cards. Father, having seen the confidence with which I was running towards him, immediately took up a defensive stance, by sheer strength, I still give in to him, so it is useless to attack against the forehead. My tactics are quick and not very strong attacks , I will try to exhaust him, I will repeat my tactics from my other fights, as I did with the elite knights and the captain of the knights themselves.
Having reached my father, I, using my advantage, namely my superior dexterity, began to make weak lunges from all sides. They may be weak, but very fast, with such tactics, I plan to exhaust him and make him a little confused, although I do not hope that this will work, it's still worth a try. Yes, and you need to get used to the battle against people using paired weapons.
For five minutes, I just did that I got used to dual weapons, at that time I applied thirty blows to my father per minute, of course he couldn't block all these blows physically, but this was only because he he didn't even strengthen his body with mana, if he does, he can even block them with a two-handed sword. Apparently he realized that without amplification he loses, he began to increase his body mana, it's the first I waited. As soon as he strengthened his body with mana , I immediately created a distance between us.
Having caught my breath, I used one of my trump cards, [ Air Tread ] - a spell that I invented solely for the fight against my father . It makes my body lighter, thereby reducing my fighting power, but thanks to this, I become many times faster. And now even taking into account the fact that he strengthened his body with mana, he will lose to me in agility. And since by the amount of mana he is not my opponent at all, I can easily exhaust him.
Apparently realizing my intentions, Edgar himself ran to me, strengthening his body with mana, even in heavy iron armor, he was fast enough. So fast that all the rest of my opponent didn't even stand close to him, but to me, it still seemed slow. My Sensorica, with my body gaining mana and dark energy, exceeded two hundred and fifty units, as opposed to its one hundred and fifty units of agility with gain.
Arriving at me, he began to attack me, I, not worrying about this for how much, calmly countered all his blows with my swords. Evasion, Parry, Evasion, I tried to exhaust him, and after three minutes of such attacks, he slowed down. Seeing this, I evaded his next attack, began to attack him himself .
Kick, Kick, Dodge, Kick, Kick, Kick, Parry, Kick, Kick.
Quietly dodging his blows, I delivered two or three retaliatory blows. This is the advantage of twin blades, if you dodge an enemy attack, you can calmly inflict two to three blows on the enemy. Perhaps a professional will be able to more, but with my meager practice, I just do not have time to make more than three punches , well, do not forget that my opponent is - the strongest swordsman Empire .. Kraus .
After another three minutes, on all my father's heavy armor , it was possible to see abrasions and scratches from swords, in some places I completely pierced the iron armor, but there were very few of these places. Realizing that my father could no longer resist my blows, I bounced off him and began to use another trump card of mine.
[ Lightning Coverage ] - This is a complete spell, of the magic that I used ten years ago when hunting goblins. Now, at any moment I can use [ Lightning Jump ] , what I just did is completely cover my body with a lightning element, thereby increasing my speed and breakdown power. By canceling the [ Air Tread ] , on the contrary, I weighted my body with the spell - [ Earth Force ] - thereby increasing my weight, with increasing my weight, I also increased the power of my blows. Covering the blades with lightning, so that they would not break when hit, I slowly went in the direction of my father.
The distance was only twenty meters, step by step, I approached my father, all the spectators, seeing my resolve, fell silent in anticipation of the finale. For a moment, I looked at my sister and Alice, they all no longer sat in their comfortable chairs , but stood at the partitions and looked at me, now I just could not lose.
Having reduced the distance to ten meters, I turned to my father ...
- You can surrender, and we will finish, I see that I have already exhausted you, the victory is in my pocket. - Having said that, I stood in the fighting stance.
- No son, to bring the matter before the end, I all still have a chance ! - Having said this, he took a deep breath and stood in a protective stance .
Hearing his words, I began to be even more proud of my father, even before an adversary who was several times stronger than him , he did not give up, but calmly accepted his fate as a loser. Looking into his eyes, I decided not to hold back, and show him my strongest attack at the moment. Pouring even more mana into the [ Lightning Coverage ] skill, lightning started to come from me, which, when in contact with the ground, raised dust.
- I'm starting ! - I cried out.
Having said these words, I instantly reduced the distance with a flash of lightning and struck him in the forehead, it was an honest attack, forehead in the forehead, whose sword could stand, he won. It all happened in seconds , two of my short swords collided with my father's two-handed sword.
* CIN *
There was a loud metallic sound, a giant layer of dust rose from this collision , and as soon as it sank back to the ground, all the spectators stood up and started screaming.
- "YOUNG SWORD MASTER!" - I heard one of the screams .
My father's two-handed sword was cut in half, and my father stood on one knee. Putting the swords in the scabbard, I, not paying attention to the cries of people, held out his hand and said .
- It was great, you forced me to use all my trump cards, perhaps if you took a one-handed sword and a shield, you could have held out longer. - Having said that, I smiled and helped him get up .
Standing on his feet, my father shook off the dust and straightened me.
- Even if I used the shield, you would have cut it, one of your lightning attacks. - I had no chance against you from the beginning, I realized this as soon as I heard a report from the captain of the knights . - Taking a deep breath, he continued. - This duel was organized only so that people would recognize you. - Having said these words, he smiled with his warmest smile and, crying, finished his thought . - I am glad that such a wonderful son has grown up with me!
To the cries of the fans, I again drew my blades and raised them up, thereby making it clear to everyone that from this day on, I am the strongest swordsman of the Kraus Empire. And that the Empire is under my protection.
As soon as I went into my locker room and took off my armor with swords, the door opened and three girls immediately jumped on me. Alice, Emilia and Roxy, she all shouted just one word.
- Well done!! - Having said that, they unfastened me from sweaty and began to talk about how cool I was in the arena.
- BROTHER SUCH STRONG, HE COULD BEAT THE PAPA !!! " My little sister said ."
- Well done, brother, he defeated my father at thirteen , I'm no match for him even at seventeen ... With a sigh , Emil praised me.
- Congratulations Esh ~ . You looked so cool during this duel. - Blushing, and clenching his fists, said my childhood friend Alice.
- Thank you very much, if it were not for your support, it would be harder for me . - I answered with a smile.
After that, they left the locker room, giving me a chance to change my sweaty clothes. Unlike my father, I put on my usual fabric clothes and on top of them, leather armor that does not impede movement. Having rinsed using the magic of water, I wiped myself and changed into my official costume. As soon as I entered the Imperial Box, Uncle Egert and Aunt Selena congratulated me.
- Well done Esh, I knew you would win. My bid has gone! - Uncle Eger said patting me on the back .
- What!! Did you bet on Esh winning!? - Hearing the words of her husband, Aunt Selena hit him on the head and turned to me and said . - Congratulations Esh, at such a young age to defeat his father, the one who is considered to be the strongest swordsman of the Empire, this is an outstanding achievement! - Having said this, she hugged me, and added in a quiet voice that only I could hear - I agree, if you really are !
Having said these words, she let me go and pointed to the platform with which Uncle Egert had announced the duel rule. Having risen on it, I began to wave to the people who came to see my duel today. The men shouted something , the children simply waved at me, and the girls of my own and a little older, looked at me in love with eyes. Alice, who by this time had already returned, having noticed the reaction of other girls, came up to me and took my left hand. All the girls who had looked at me with love eyes before, love gave way to jealousy.
Looking at Alice's face , which grabbed my hand, I immediately noticed that she was all blushing and of course I understood the reason.
" Is she really in love with me? I wonder when this happened? "
[ The owner, I dare to suggest that this happened at your first meeting, but then, she still did not fully understand what these feelings were. ]
" Hmm, everything is possible. "
On this first lovely note ended the official part of this duel, but rather a simple hand waving to the audience. The next day, the whole capital and nearby cities and settlements knew that the fourteen-year-old heir of Duke Edgar Rise, Esh Rise, defeated the strongest swordsman in an honest duel one on one, and in my status, in the title bar, something new was added.
[ Empire's strongest swordsman ]