Chapter 83: Going to far?
The dust cleared up. Ren looked down and realized that Ken was no longer there at his feet.
"Seems you have more to show," Ren said, and then looked up to the edge of the crater. Ken stood there. He was covered in bruises, and his armour was heavily battered. His breathing was heavy. Each breath sounded like he could collapse at any moment.
"I am Ken Verlocraft, the son of a marquis and a trained royal knight of the sixth star realm." He raised his sword and pointed it at Ren.
"I will kill you and claim the title of Dragon Slayer."
"So this is what it is all about, huh? Your desire to become something," Ren said while looking at him. He smiled. "I respect that. In fact, for the first time since we met, this is the only time that you have managed to make me have some respect for you." Ren took a step forward.
"That being said, Ken Verlocraft, you are not in my league. That is the sad reality of this battle here. I took down that old headmaster when I was much weaker. He gave me a better fight than you are giving me now."
Ken’s face twisted when he heard that. "Do not compare me to the likes of that old fart. He is a disgrace to the entire Kingdom of Vermilion, losing one of our Divine Armaments.
They handed such a weapon to an old fart because he killed a dragon when he was younger. I know it’s a lie because if it wasn’t, he would have been able to take you down, and yet he was not able to do that. He failed.
I will not fail. I’ll take you down on my honor as a knight and under the blessing of Lord Crimson."
’Lord Crimson, is he talking about Vel? I guess Vel is a god. They worship him. Well, I know for one Vel is not on his side.’
"Good, then come and kill me. Let’s see how far your resolve gets you."
Ken gritted his teeth and clenched the sword tighter. His aura exploded from his body. It was not the same as the lightning that he had been using. It was something far more refined.
It was sharp, lethal, like a blade that had been unsheathed.
"If he had something like this, why did he hold back then?" Ren muttered to himself.
Ken focused all that energy and compressed it onto his body, becoming some sort of skin-like energy.
BOOM!
He shot forward, a trail of silver lightning ripping through the air as he slashed down with all that he had. The sword made an arc through the air.
Ren smiled and pulled one foot back. He threw a punch.
CLANG!
The sword and fist collided, and the ground cracked. Another shockwave travelled out. Both parties were knocked back a few feet.
’I have a feeling that you are strong, but not the strongest.
Every strike that you make tells me a story that you want to keep hidden.’
Ren charged in and attacked with a punch. Ken blocked and leaped into the air. He transferred all his lightning into the sword and slashed down. A lightning arc cut through the air. Ren leaped back as the attack hit the ground and blasted a large gash.
’Why do you fight like there is something you have to prove?
Could it be that you are desperate to prove yourself? Aye, Ken?’
Ken shot into the air and unleashed a flurry of attacks. Ren blocked every attack with extreme efficiency. His fist met the blade repeatedly, blocking every slash.
Ren locked onto an opening and landed a punch that hurled Ken back to the ground, and then he flew after him. Ken got on his feet and stabbed his sword into the ground with all his strength. Lightning burst out. It formed into a lance-like shape and slammed into Ren.
The force hurled Ren back.
Ken took that opportunity. He spun around and hurled the sword, lightning coating the blade as it rushed past Ren through the air. Ken leaped into the air, basically turning into a streak of lightning as he reached the blade in an instant. He grabbed the blade and hacked down with all his strength.
Ren crossed his hands at the last moment, and the blade hit him, hurling Ren down.
He slammed into the ground, his eyes locked onto Ken, who was already coming down with a stab aimed right at Ren’s chest. Ren waited, and when he knew there was no way for Ken to stop his attack, he moved. It was so fast he became a blur, getting out of the way as the sword dug into the ground while Ren stood beside Ken, who was about to reach the ground.
Ken realized that he had messed up. His eyes widened. He tried to twist his body somehow to evade the next attack, but before he could make a move, Ren’s fist collided with Ken right in the chest.
BAM!
The collision caused him to arch, coughing up huge amounts of blood. Ren grabbed him before he could get away and proceeded to whip him over his body like he was a rag, slamming him into the ground so hard he bounced, then proceeded to kick him.
Ken shot through the air, slamming through trees. He cleared over ten trees in seconds and finally stopped.
"Did I go too far?" Ren muttered as he started walking toward Ken. He wanted to take down Ken, but not kill him. Ken was to become a message, a message to the kingdom that Ren would not allow any form of bullying from anyone.
"Did you die?" he asked when he saw the body of Ken.
He came closer and stood over the body. Ken’s armour was shattered, his body covered in blood. Ken looked like he could not move anymore.
Then suddenly, the air turned heavy. The blood on the ground turned black.
"Shit."