In an instant, one man was dead.
"You... you bastard!"
Another man hurriedly raised his sword and swung it at Ghislain.
Ghislain dodged lightly, tapping the side of the blade with the back of his hand.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, the man's arm holding the sword was flung upward, exposing his upper body.
Snatch!
Ghislain grabbed the man's face and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the man's head was half-buried in the earth.
Blood began to seep out as his head started to split.
But Ghislain didn't stop. He kept lifting the man's head and smashing it down onto the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Crash!
After a few repetitions, the back of the man's skull was completely shattered.
Crack!
The front of his face, too, was soon crushed under Ghislain's fist.
Ghislain slowly straightened up.
When their eyes met, Frank's face hardened. It had all happened so quickly that he was left frozen, unable to react.
'What... what is with that look..'
Ghislain stared at him with a blank expression.
A chill ran through Frank's entire body.
He looked like a beast starved for blood. Although Frank had killed countless people, he had never seen anyone with such an intimidating presence.
By the plan, there shouldn't have been any difficulty. He thought that once Jamal and Phillip were dead, no one would stand in their way.
'Tch, our intel was completely wrong.'
For a moment, Frank was sure Ghislain had used mana. Without it, there was no way he could have moved with that power and speed.
'To think he can use mana at that age…'
The difference in strength between those who could use mana and those who couldn't was as vast as the distance between the heavens and the earth.
A blade infused with mana could cut through even the toughest steel with ease.
'Even so, those two were defeated too quickly. Were they caught off guard?'
Frank squinted as he reviewed the information he had versus what he was witnessing now.
'He didn't even hesitate when killing... That's rare for someone his age. Perhaps his nature is truly as cruel as the rumors say.'
It was said that the young lord of the Perdium County had never killed anyone and had spent his life only within his estate. Yet here he was, decisively killing without a second thought.
If this truly was his first time killing, then Ghislain Perdium was a born murderer.
'When I return, I'll need to punish the intelligence department.'
Known for his lackluster skills, Ghislain had just taken down two knights who could wield mana in an instant.
It was absurd, but at this point, the only conclusion was that their information was mistaken.
Elena was just as stunned.
The brutal scene before her made her shudder, but even more shocking was that her brother had such skills.
'Did he become this strong just after a few days of training? Is that even possible?'
Although initially shocked, Elena felt a wave of relief.
'At least... we're safe for now.'
No matter how he had gained this strength, survival was all that mattered right now.
Frank swallowed nervously and slowly opened his mouth.
"Ghislain Perdium. You're different from the intel we received. Have you been hiding your true skills?"
At that, Ghislain fully straightened up and drew his sword.
"Whether I hide my skill or not isn't your concern. I'll ask you again. Who ordered this?"
Frank shook his head.
"You don't need to know. Your skills are impressive, but you'll die here."
Though surprised, Frank needed to keep his composure.
That Ghislain wielded such strength was unexpected, but Frank still didn't consider him an equal opponent.
Ghislain nodded.
"Alright, I didn't expect you to answer easily. Villains usually don't."
"Don't get cocky just because you defeated my subordinates. Your skills may be extraordinary for your age, but your lack of experience means you can't beat me."
Ghislain scoffed. Who was he to lecture on experience and wisdom?
"I've lived more days than you can imagine."
"A foolish jest."
Frank raised his sword and took his stance. Staying here longer would only cause trouble; he intended to finish the job quickly and leave.
Ghislain raised his sword and smirked.
"Let's begin, then."
Whoosh!
Ghislain launched the first attack.
Frank quickly blocked and immediately retaliated.
Crash!
The two swords clashed fiercely.
Elena clasped her hands in worry.
If Ghislain lost, she would be helpless, with no way to help. She could only watch, anxious and helpless.
'Should I... should I run?'
Perhaps calling help quickly would be the wise thing to do.
But leaving her brother behind didn't sit well with her. And she had no idea how many of them there were.
'Moving alone might be even more dangerous.'
With no clear choice, Elena quietly stepped back, intending to call for help if the situation became truly desperate.
Clang! Clash!
As Elena hesitated, the fight between the two men grew more intense.
'Jamal and Phillip must have been easy opponents.'
Frank was a skilled knight, and Ghislain could tell.
The amount of mana Frank released and his skill in wielding it were a cut above most knights.
It made sense; anyone confident in their abilities would go so far as to enter Perdium's territory.
'The longer this drags on, the worse it is for me.'
With only a week's worth of mana accumulated, Ghislain couldn't keep up with Frank for long.
Lacking both physical ability and mana, Ghislain was relying solely on his exceptional swordsmanship to endure.
Frank, too, was beginning to realize something.
'His swordsmanship is…'
Ghislain's swordsmanship was brutal and practical, and beyond frightening, it was almost awe-inspiring.
His strikes were not typical of a knight nor even of the Perdium family style.
They were brutal and unpredictable, targeting vital areas in unexpected ways.
Knights never used such savage swordplay.
'This is not Perdium's swordsmanship. How did he learn something like this at his age?'
To Frank, Ghislain's swordsmanship seemed several steps—no, leagues—above his own. If not for the physical strength granted by his mana-enhanced body, he would have already been dead.
'But I will win.'
Frank gathered more mana, hoping to end the fight quickly.
As time passed, Ghislain's body grew more wounded.
Clang!
As he struggled to block Frank's sword, Ghislain locked eyes with him.
He wanted to see if Frank's superiors were involved.
"Should I guess who's behind this? Duke Delphine? No, perhaps Count Desmond is more likely."
Count Desmond was known to manage the northern territories under Duke Delphine's orders.
While Duke Delphine could send someone directly, it seemed unlikely he would be so fixated on Perdium.
Whether it was one or the other, it didn't matter—they were all part of the same scheme.
Frank's brief look of shock confirmed it. But he quickly masked his reaction.
"You are a dangerous man."
Without further words, he resumed his assault.
But Ghislain's certainty grew from that reaction alone.
"Heh, as I thought. It's you."
"Shut up."
It was becoming clear that his family's ruin was their doing.
All of the schemes likely began with Elena's death.
The confirmation was all he needed; now it was time to end it.
Clang!
As their swords clashed, an unpleasant metallic ring filled the air.
Ghislain grinned through clenched teeth.
"There's nothing more to confirm. Let's finish this."
"Don't be arrogant. Your swordsmanship may be decent, but that amount of mana isn't enough to defeat me. Whatever you think you know, it'll be meaningless once you're dead."
Frank was confident.
Ghislain was already bleeding from multiple wounds. If he dragged this out, Ghislain would eventually fall.
Rumble.
Both men poured their mana into their swords.
Gradually, Ghislain's sword began to falter. Frank was certain of his victory.
But then—
"The fight's not over until the end. Isn't that right?"
A red glow flashed in Ghislain's eyes.
Sensing danger, Frank tried to put all his strength into pushing Ghislain back.
Then—
Vmmm!
A second core within Ghislain's body activated, flooding him with mana.
The red glow around Ghislain's blade was far more intense than Frank's.
"Ugh!"
With Ghislain's sudden surge in strength, Frank let out a pained groan.
"What... what is this?!"
Frank shouted in disbelief.
Ghislain slowly pushed back his opponent's sword, a cruel smile on his face.
"I spent my life regretting my ignorance, never knowing the true villain. If I'd known, I would have found and killed them."
"What?"
"You were one of my greatest regrets."
Frank likely couldn't comprehend these words, but it didn't matter.
Even as the years passed, that day was unforgettable.
Whenever Elena's death resurfaced in his mind, Ghislain drowned himself in drinks, unable to sleep.
The past was beyond redemption, and he'd lived with that regret.
"But this time is different."
Now that he'd returned to the past, all that pain and anger was now ecstasy.
The joy of knowing he could finally sever the root of all those nightmares filled him.
Ghislain activated his third core.
Boom!
With mana several times his normal strength, he forced Frank back.
"Ugh!"
Unable to withstand the brutal power, Frank staggered backward.
"What... is this..."
Frank quickly steadied himself and cautiously stepped back.
No matter how much one draws out mana, it's impossible to amplify power to such a degree. Typically, it only increases one's strength slightly beyond its normal limits.
But the power Ghislain displayed was on a completely different level.
'Did he hide his strength from the beginning? No, if that were the case, why would he endure so many injuries?'
Confused by the inexplicable situation, Frank found himself in disarray.
Ghislain didn't let that brief moment of hesitation slip by.
"Give it your all."
Boom!
In an instant, Ghislain closed the distance, swinging his sword with tremendous speed.
Clang!
Frank barely managed to block it, but before he could even regain his focus, another strike came his way.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ghislain's relentless barrage of strikes poured down on him.
His eyes glowing red, Ghislain swung his sword with a ferocity that forced Frank to give ground, little by little.
'This can't be happening! How does he have such strength all of a sudden?'
Now, Frank was outmatched in speed, strength, and skill.
Boom!
Without pause, Ghislain pressed forward like a storm, giving Frank no time to recover.
Ghislain knew he only had a few minutes to maintain this level of power. He had to end it within that time.
Clang!
Ghislain struck Frank's sword with immense force.
Frank managed to block it again, but Ghislain didn't relent.
Sizzle!
Mana surged wildly from Ghislain's body, forming an aura around him.
Covered in blood from his wounds, a red mist swirled around his figure, making him look like a crimson reaper.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed forcefully again and again.
Crack.
At one point, Frank noticed something was wrong with his sword.
But if he didn't counter Ghislain's attacks, he would lose his head. He had no options left.
Clang!
Once more, their swords collided.
Crash!
Frank's sword could no longer withstand Ghislain's assault and shattered.
Amid the scattering fragments of his broken sword, Frank murmured in stunned disbelief.
"How can this be…?"
Ghislain looked into his eyes and said,
"Don't think you'll die easily."
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]