I raised the blade, pointing it towards the heavens, but nothing.
The legendary weapon remained without light, just a common sword in my grasp.
Time stretched, the murmuring knights, their faces etched with suspicion, questioned the assessment.
Their whispers, laced with contempt, escalated into a noise of disbelief.
"What sorcery is this?" one sneered.
"Did he trick the sacred blade with his deceptive magic?"
Another scoffed, "This fraudster always make a mess things!"
The accusations rained down, each syllable a stinging barb.
"The Legendary Sword rejects him! This imposter is unworthy of this hallowed hall!"
The weight of their scorn pressed down heavily.
My bewilderment deepened as Wilder suddenly snatched the sword.
"Done playing, you buffoon?" he roared, his laughter a cruel echo in the chamber.
He then launched into a tirade, his voice booming across the great hall.
"Knights! Behold this fraud! The Legendary Sword reject this deceiver! Knight Association officials, I demand his immediate demotion to F-rank!"
The ensuing jeers and boos were a torrent of hatred, forcing my retreat.
The jeers intensified, a chorus of scornful voices.
"He's an F-rank knight! A sham!"
"Expel this fraudster from the Knight Association!"
"He belongs in a cell!"
The chamber pulsed with animosity.
Despite the torrent of abuse, I remained remarkably calm.
My ambition to ascend the ranks had been solely to gain unrestricted access to dungeons. However, my role as a Crystallice Guild representative granted me that privilege, allowing me to explore any dungeon and assemble my own raid teams despite my low rank.
Even their malicious campaign to strip me of my rank held no sting.
Their insults were mere background noise.
"Return the sword, you imposter! You are not worthy!" Wilder's bellow cut through the loud noise.
The dissonance was unbearable; it was simpler to give up the sword than endure their relentless harassment.
As I reached for it, a chilling shift in Wilder's aura alerted me to his lethal intent.
A surge of murderous rage emanated from him, a prelude to a devastating blow aimed at my head.
"Alstair, beware!" Avyanna's warning sliced through the air.
Her intervention was swift, but Wilder's punch—a brutal force—shattered her protective magic, sending her reeling in agony.
"Avyanna!" I cried, rushing to her side.
Before I could administer aid, thankfully, Lisa arrived, her healing spell a soothing balm on Avyanna's wounds.
A harsh peal of laughter erupted from Wilder – a contemptuous, echoing sound amplified by the chorus of knights who shared his disdain. "Incredible! Defending that fraudster? The sheer absurdity!"
Their amusement was a venomous sting, but their mockery barely registered.
My fury, however, burned white-hot; to see my friend harmed by these villains was unbearable.
Lisa, sensing my silent anguish, offered a reassuring explanation. "The healing spell is works, Alstair. Avyanna requires time, but she will recover."
Avyanna's pained expression tugged at my heart, yet Lisa's skill instilled confidence.
I knew Wilder, an S-rank knight, possessed the strength to obliterate Avyanna, an A-rank knight, in a single, devastating blow.
But that knowledge did not deter me.
"Lisa, take care Avyanna," I commanded, rising to my feet.
Lisa nodded, concern etched deeply on her face, mirroring the rage I struggled to contain.
The jeering abruptly ceased as Wilder registered my presence before him.
His laughter morphed into a sneer. "What troubles you, fraudster? Unhappy about your guild leader's mess? How pathetic, forcing her to shield you!"
But his malicious joy was short-lived.
Our gazes locked, and a palpable tension filled the hall, a suffocating weight of mutual hostility.
Murderous intent crackled between us, silencing the onlookers.
Wilder's voice dripped with arrogance.
"Those hunter's eyes… I recognize you. The merciless predator who stalks the Monster Realm. Such a pity since your cunning fails you in the human world, Alstair."
My response was a chilling whisper, a prelude to action.
"You already crossing the line for make a mess to my friend. You're my prey now," I stated firmly, unleashing a horrifying surge of Magical Magnification spell.
> Magical Magnification activated!
> Triple Magic Damage Output ready!
Wilder's eyes gleamed with predatory intent.
"Me? As a prey? How stupid of you, fraudster! You dare to challenge me?" His fist clenched, radiating a palpable aura of menace, a crushing weight settling over the scene.
In the ensuing uproar of enraged knights, he lunged, his fist a blur aimed at my head.
But I anticipated his assault.
My Return to Earth spell solidified, unleashing a crushing gravitational force that sent Wilder sprawling to his knees.
He struggled against the crushing weight, his fury escalating.
He still not realized, the spell's power had been exponentially amplified by my Magical Magnification, tripling its destructive capacity.
The immense gravitational pressure began to fracture the very foundations of the Main Hall, causing the platform to crack and crumble.
Yet, Wilder, the defiant S-rank Knight, remained stubbornly defiant, clinging to consciousness.
The observing knights were utterly bewildered, oblivious to the magical assault unfolding before their eyes.
They only witnessed Wilder's humiliating subjugation, his proud posture broken, reduced to a supplicant before me just like a peasant face its master.
"Damn you, fraudster!" Wilder roared, attempting to rise, but the spell held him captive.
A crimson aura battled the spell's ethereal mana, but Wilder's power, though formidable, was no match for the augmented magic.
His face, contorted in a mask of rage and spite, revealed his burning desire for retribution.
His resilience under the spell's augmented impact confirmed his exceptional strength, proving his S-rank status.
Should I unleash another spell?
My gaze, fixed on him through the Dragon Scepter's luminescent tip, communicated my intention.
Wilder, a mixture of apprehension and unyielding hostility, met my unwavering stare.
He challenged, his voice laced with both desperation and defiance, "Go for it, fraud! If this arena becomes our tomb, then let it be a contest of annihilation!"
"Very well," I responded, my tone firm, resolute.
"You have sealed your fate, Wilder. I will not restrain myself. You shall learn a harsh lesson for endangering my comrade."
Before the confrontation escalated further, a figure gracefully descended onto the stage: Stella, a renowned S-rank Knight, admired for her unparalleled beauty, strength, and illustrious reputation.
Her arrival instantaneously halted the impending conflict.
"Stella?!" Wilder sputtered, his indignation barely masked.
"What in the blazes are you doing here? This is my duel!" Stella's voice cut through his outburst, sharp and commanding.
"Silence, Wilder! This mockery must be stopped. We are in the midst of a sacred knightly event," Stella immediately took the Legendary Sword from Wilder's hand.
She gradually turning to me, her tone softened, yet remained firm. "Alstair, I beg you, stop this mess. The evaluation is already finished; let us avoid further escalation."
Stella's unexpected civility astounded me.
Our last encounter had been a volatile clash, but her demeanor now was markedly different, a genuine transformation I couldn't ignore.
I see a purple aura instantly enveloped the blade in Stella's grip, a testament to her S-rank prowess.
"Stella! Don't interfere! This fraudster is a menace to the Knight Association, a chaotic disruption!" Wilder bellowed, his challenge interrupted once more.
Stella's face, pale and etched with apprehension, cut him short.
"Silence, you fool!" she commanded.
"Wilder, as a newly-minted S-rank Knight, you may not know about a similar incident. Initially, we attributed the issue to a sword anomaly. However, we discovered that a lack of luminescence upon handling signifies a dangerous abnormality."
Wilder's surprise was palpable, though the nature of the 'dangerous abnormality' remained unclear to me.
A profound realization dawned: my supposed failure, as Wilder and many present believed, should have manifested as a white light.
The Legendary Sword generates this white aura for anyone lacking knightly equipment—even ordinary citizens - but not for me due there's no light whatsoever if I grip the Legendary Sword.
Wilder's initial hostility was replaced by visible concern.
Thanks to Stella's intervention, I saw no purpose in prolonging this conflict.
I disengaged, indifferent to Wilder's continued accusation and the Knights' venomous pronouncements.
With Avyanna on my back, I withdrew with Lisa, leaving the shattered Main Hall stage behind.