Chapter 292: Do We Have A Deal Or Not?
The Radiant Guillotine came to life around Lancet’s grip as he closed the distance.
"If you don’t know what it is," he said as Renan braced for the attack. "It’s when the main character is forced..."
He drove the Guillotine toward Renan’s chest. Renan blocked it with his sword’s flat.
"...to come to the realization..." Lancet turned the blocked thrust into a cut across his body, then carried the sword through the turn and brought it back from Renan’s blind side.
Renan dropped beneath the third strike and rolled past him, coming up on one knee with Black Gale sweeping wide. Lancet pulled his front leg clear and hopped back before the dark edge could open his thigh.
They faced each other again. Lancet gave him a smile.
"...that they’re not as unbeatable as they thought."
Renan watched him for a moment, his dark hair flowing to the side from the wind. "You talk a lot, Lancet."
Lancet scoffed. He shifted his grip and bent his knees. "You’re such a main character."
He burst forward, leaping through his sprint and charging at surprising speed. Renan spun Black Gale and charged as well.
They reached the center at the same time, and their swords met between them with a crack that sent gold light and silver mist across the plates.
They held the deadlock for a second, gazing into each other’s eyes. Renan at that moment could now see what he hadn’t seen before using Appraisal.
Lancet was still at Level 25, but he had trained so much that he had sharpened the abilities of that level to be almost as similar as the average Awakener at ten levels higher.
Not only that, Lancet was evidently more confident, more assured in his attacks.
Last time, Renan had to force it out of him. He had to instigate him into fighting him with more intent. But this time, Lancet had all the intent.
Did that mean that this was the first time he was truly fighting Lancet Leogardt?
Lancet pulled his blade back and slashed against Renan’s sword, causing sparks of gold to fly into the air.
Renan backpedaled a bit, suffering the short loss of focus but quickly recuperating. Lancet meanwhile kept moving forward.
He struck again and Renan parried it expertly. Lancet stepped after the parry and turned his wrist before Renan could plant his next foot.
The change was small, no more than Kestrel had forced him to repeat on the mountain until his fingers cramped, but it dragged Black Gale away from the line Renan wanted and made him adjust before he could answer.
Renan gave up the ground rather than fight for it. His feet carried him sideways, smooth and quick, then Black Gale cut back toward Lancet’s throat with Winged Blade pulling the steel through the turn.
Lancet dropped beneath it.
His shoulder struck the plate first. He rolled across his back, planted one foot and came up with the Radiant Guillotine cutting from below.
Renan caught the rising blade against his guard, but the impact shoved him half a step backward and lifted his sword above his chest.
"Oh wow! That was the Rising Dragon!" the commentator shouted. "A move made popular by the Dragon Blademaster, Kestrel Highcastle! How does Leogardt, a Summoner, know such a move? And to use it here! Against Falconhart!"
Luke’s eyes lit up as he recognized the move as well. He remembered seeing it in documents and scrolls that taught some of the most unique sword skills.
The Rising Dragon.
It was created by Kestrel Highcastle who is known for her soul eating Dragonswords and her tragic death from the heartless betrayal of the Blaze Family.
Luke looked at Lancet more intensely this time, watching him fight and seeing the difference in his movement. The fluidity.
It was almost akin to a snake dragon.
"Lancet, you bastard," he muttered to himself. "It was Kestrel Highcastle you summoned, wasn’t it?"
Kasto caught Anita by the arm before she could throw herself over the rail again. "So Lancet really did spend 5 days training. He’s fighting like some kind of sword lord. Heck, even a Sword Saint."
Anita slapped his hand away without taking her eyes from the arena. "Stop holding me like I’m your wife, I have to see what’s going on!"
Kasto’s cheeks turned red. "Don’t say that. I was just worried you would fall."
Anita turned and gave me a cute smile. "My hero. Now can we watch the duel?"
Kasto stared at her for a while and sighed. "Alright. Whatever."
Back in the field, Renan lowered Black Gale and studied Lancet who was standing with his right shoulder forward. "You’re full of surprises."
They sped at each other at unnatural speeds.
CLANG!!!! BOOM!!!!
They collided against each other, sword on sword again. Lancet pressed against his guard before breaking away.
"I had a good teacher."
Renan spun his sword. "You summoned a legend to train you?" he asked.
"Ah, Renan you sage! You’ve figured it all out!" Lancet shrugged exaggeratedly. "How could I have ever hidden it from you?"
Renan watched him for a moment, his sharp dark eyebrows hung low above his eyes. He seemed to be considering something and Lancet didn’t know what it was yet.
"Can you do that for someone else?" he suddenly asked.
Lancet paused. "Huh? Do what?"
Up in his booth, the speaker was confused as to the sudden atmosphere in the field. "What’s this? Looks like the competitors have forgotten about their duel and are seemingly conversing casually. Is love in the air, ladies and gentlemen?"
Lancet pretended not to have heard that and Renan was glad that he did.
"Can you summon a legend that can teach someone else?" he asked Lancet directly.
"Why would I—" Lancet paused. "Who is it for? I don’t think you need any training. Do you?"
And even if he did, he would have just asked to train under Kestrel as well, not summon a new legend entirely.
Renan lowered his head. Then raised it up again to meet Lancet’s eyes. "It’s for Frieda. She needs to learn how to regulate her powers. I’m afraid she’ll become really..."
Lancet squinted his eyes. "Dangerous?"
"To herself," Renan specified. "I don’t want her to give up."
Lancet stood still, staring at him. Renan looked back at him as well, his face noble and honest.
He really does care for his girlfriends, huh?
"Alright." Lancet spun his sword and rested it on his shoulder. "Let’s make this interesting then. If you win, then I summon a legend, one of the greatest Fire Mages, even greater than Soros the Great Pyromancer, just to teach Frieda."
Renan made a curious face. "Who’s greater than Soros the Great Pyromancer?"
"You’ll see," Lancet smiled. "But if I win," he continued. "You get me a special family invite to the Grand Auction."
Renan paused, surprised by the offer. "The Grand Auction? Why would you want to go there? The items sold there are—"
"Do we have a deal or not, Ren?" Lancet interjected.
Renan gave it a little thought, then his eyes narrowed coldly. Silver mist swallowed him as he slowly stepped back.
His coat, sword and body faded until Lancet could see the blue plates through him. "Yes, Lance. We have a deal."