"Is that magic?"
"It's possible the prince plans to use magic at the start of the fight to weaken Elion, but that idea is quite bad since the Water God's fighting style is prepared to counter any type of magic."
"What kind of magic could that be?"
This was the first time the Babylon Gate would open in a fight in this world, but he didn't want to attack at least at the beginning of the battle. At least Elion wasn't worthy of making him use his precious weapons, so he only opened his Babylon Gate to draw a weapon.
A golden ripple soon revealed the hilt of a crimson sword, this sword was Cursed, and its magical ability was to release a blood slash at regular intervals. When Gilgamesh drew this sword, the golden ripple behind him eventually closed, and everyone felt that what they had just witnessed was something incredible.
Gilgamesh ignored the commotion around him and looked towards Elion, who hadn't moved an inch since summoning a weapon.
"When someone shows me a bit of respect, then I'll treat them the same way. But if someone dares to disrespect me, believe me, I'll repay them tenfold," Gilgamesh said with a calm gaze.
"You arrogant bastard!"
In the battlefield, surrounded by spectators, Elion was determined to crush Gilgamesh. He wanted to tear him apart in front of everyone, even if it was the last thing he did in this life.
Simon and many others wanted to believe in Gilgamesh. Although the chances of winning were slim, he seemed to have some skill with the initial display.
"Hmm, can the fourth prince really defeat Elion?"
Since the rumors that the prince Gilgamesh had eliminated dozens of men, killed someone close to being a Sword Saint, and then displayed that strange magic, the disciples of the Water God Style academy considered him a worthy opponent.
An older man in the crowd said with absolute certainty, "The difference is still colossal. Prince Gilgamesh is just a child of no more than ten or eleven years old. He wouldn't be able to win unless he's extremely proficient in magic or has some kind of blessing, but that's not realistic. Even if he's the reincarnation of some kind of legendary hero or warrior, he wouldn't have enough strength to defeat a Sword King."
"That's right, a child can't beat an adult in swordsmanship, as that's something unheard of considering these kinds of strength disparities. The Water God Style is known for not bestowing many Sword King titles, unlike the Northern Style, so we can imagine how difficult it is to attain that rank and how strong Elion must be."
"I agree, a life-or-death battle with an opponent like Elion is a guaranteed defeat. However, we shouldn't dismiss the fact that it was the prince Gilgamesh who challenged a Sword King; he must have something hidden up his sleeve to have that kind of confidence."
A disciple who had witnessed the battle between Arturo and Gilgamesh said, "When he fought against Arturo, someone close to being a Sword Saint, he restrained his strength, and we all saw a golden fighting aura enveloping his body."
Those who were speaking fell into contemplation. A fighting aura at such a young age was something no one had ever achieved, an accomplishment that would grant the prince Gilgamesh an irrevocable title. If the prince continued to train, he could easily aspire to become a Sword God.
Fighting aura, at the age of ten or eleven, as a prince of one of the most powerful kingdoms, possessing the aptitude to learn swordsmanship and the will to confront enemies no matter how strong they are—Gilgamesh had now demonstrated something that many deemed impossible in life. That's why many of those who wanted to see him suffer fell silent.
Most people respect the strong and talents that would become pillars of humanity in a short period of time, so it wasn't wise to act that way now.
"If you don't attack, I will!" Elion roared as a sinister fighting aura enveloped both his sword and body, rising up like an arrow, pointing toward Gilgamesh, who seemed to be underestimating his opponent's strength. This kind of battle aura could serve as both defense and offense, and he was now ready to move.
"You will die by my hands!"
Elion's battle energy seemed to take shape, and several knives flew out of his body, hovering in the air, all aimed at Gilgamesh. In total, there were twelve blades, all controlled solely by battle energy, ready to be launched at any moment.
"The Twelve Nail Technique!" Someone who had heard stories about Elion exclaimed with absolute surprise.
"Elion's battle energy is so unique that if he concentrates enough, he can manipulate twelve daggers and attack the enemy. But the most impressive part is that these daggers are not meant to kill; their real purpose is to torture the enemy."
Witnessing that they were facing a predator who had killed countless people, Elion displayed his full strength from the start because he didn't want to underestimate a demon like Gilgamesh. By using these skills, even Ragnar would find it difficult to evade all the dagger attacks. After launching the twelve daggers, Elion would switch to an offensive battle style to end his opponent's life.
Elion was ready and shouted at Gilgamesh, "Move now, little devil, I'm going to destroy you!"
"Hahaha!"
Gilgamesh held his head and mocked Elion's words, as he could crush him in a hundred different ways without even moving a single muscle. However, as he wanted to leave a deep mark in the hearts of all those present and also had other plans in mind, he chose to use a sword.
"Are you going to destroy me?"
Gilgamesh shook his head and said, "You, by yourself, are not enough. Let me beat you with this dull sword until I disfigure your stupid face, and no one will recognize who you are after this fight."
With that said, he raised his Cursed crimson sword.
Simon and everyone present saw the sword, which occasionally gleamed. Wasn't that sword infused with some kind of magic? Everyone had expected Gilgamesh to use magic at the start of the fight, but they were all surprised when he pulled a sword seemingly out of some strange storage magic.
Therefore, Gilgamesh, who wasn't using magic at the beginning of the fight, left everyone wondering what to think. Elion's daggers would incapacitate the prince in just a few seconds.
Simon and Ragnar's only thought was to save Gilgamesh's life the moment he was on the brink of death, no matter the cost or the consequences that might follow.
"Using a sword instead of magic? Isn't that just asking to die without a complete body?" Elion squinted his eyes, and under his initial observation, he didn't discover anything more than a slightly glowing sword. Indeed, he was concerned that this might be a special magical treasure.
However, despite his highly trained senses and vision, he found nothing more than a dull blade in Gilgamesh's hands. There were no magical enchantments, no hidden weapons. Just a blunt red sword against Elion's daggers and sword.
Gilgamesh pointed his sword at Elion and said, "Come at me, dog, allow me to crush you in front of everyone present and be my stepping stone to a future of greater glory."
"I'll kill you!"
Elion shouted as the twelve daggers moved into the sky, covered in a battle aura, all of these daggers dancing in the sky heading toward Gilgamesh. Their paths traced arcs of violet light.
"The fourth prince will be killed!"
Many averted their gaze as they didn't want to witness such a bloody scene. It seemed as if Elion wanted to eliminate Gilgamesh in a single strike since this would be his only chance, considering that someone else might intervene.
"Hahaha, that's it!" Gilgamesh shouted with a satisfied smile upon seeing the attack. He yelled and rushed forward, swinging his sword.
The scene everyone had been expecting didn't unfold.
The twelve daggers met a crimson energy from Gilgamesh's sword along their path. Elion's battle energy dissipated, and the twelve daggers fell to the ground one after another, as if these daggers had collided with an energy so powerful that it prevented their advance.
Elion had not regained his composure upon seeing how his attack had been stopped in this manner, but Gilgamesh, who had advanced at a terrifying speed, was already in front of him. The golden sword passed through his guard, and dozens of blows struck his body.
"Boy, I'll pound you into pulp!" Elion didn't retreat but instead advanced quickly towards Gilgamesh, condensing his battle energy around his body once again.
"This time, I'll succeed!"
However, it was in vain; his battle energy dissipated as soon as it appeared around his body. After seeing how the sword in Gilgamesh's hand shone, he understood one thing: it seemed that the sword absorbed any type of energy. So, he opted to move his sword and respond to the attacks, but the distance had closed so much that his best techniques were useless at this point.
Gilgamesh's sword struck the weak points of the Water God Style technique, and because Elion knew nothing of his opponent's movements and fighting style, he found himself at a disadvantage. Whenever Elion tried to move his sword, Gilgamesh attacked in the open areas, nullifying his enemy's attacks.
Finally, a blow was delivered to Elion's face. Because Gilgamesh's sword was blunt, it left a reddened mark with crushed blood beneath his skin. Feeling disoriented, Elion felt his head throb, and the vision in his eye blurred.
"You're mine!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
In the blink of an eye, Elion was overwhelmed and used more force than he intended in this battle. As a result, dozens of strikes flew towards Elion's body. All these blows targeted joints, vital muscles, and the most effective areas to cause damage and slow down his opponent's body.
Dust billowed, and the ground began to shatter due to the relentless attacks resonating throughout the Coliseum. Elion appeared like a practice dummy in Gilgamesh's eyes, attacking without pause.
Elion was incapable of counterattacking; his battle energy, battle technique, and everything he should do were in disarray. In less than two minutes, he fell to the ground with numerous broken bones.
Gilgamesh's sword, though blunt, could unleash waves of attacks that could cut through more than a hundred sword strikes if needed, and its cursed ability was to absorb any type of energy it came into contact with, whether from its owner or the enemy. Unless Gilgamesh's opponent was a Sword Emperor or a mage, the sword in Gilgamesh's hands was more than sufficient to overpower any Sword King.
One of the prerequisites to becoming a Sword Emperor in this world was advancing in the technique they used and increasing their battle aura along with their strength.
It's worth noting that Gilgamesh was constantly regaining all of his true strength, so these simple battles were merely part of his entertainment.
The sword in his hand also had a unique specialty due to its curse; it was that it couldn't kill its enemy. No matter how many times you struck, as long as the sword's internal energy wasn't used, the opponent wouldn't die.
This was highly suitable for Gilgamesh, which is why he had taken this sword and stored it among his treasures.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After Elion had fallen to the ground, Gilgamesh showed no mercy. He continued to strike the most vital and difficult-to-heal bones over and over again. Elion's body was now covered in wounds, his bones began to turn to dust, and his muscles were severely damaged.
This scene shook the hearts of the spectators. Ragnar looked at Gilgamesh and furrowed his brow; this strength was by no means something a human child could possess. But no matter how he observed, he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary aside from the fact that this strength belonged to Gilgamesh.