Warhammer Divine Throne

Laine still did not say a word, merely keeping his attention on the duel.

Vasquez realized how troublesome his opponent was; the Sword Master could no longer afford to be elegant. With a textbook side roll, his exquisite silk formalwear was stained with dust, and using that roll, Vasquez opened up distance between himself and the Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros.

Booing erupted from the stands at once.

"Coward!"

"Spineless wretch!"

"Kill it, kill it!"

The Sword Master was clearly affected. He very deliberately glanced at the noble lady on the stands, then decided to try again. This time Vasquez wielded the red cloth with both hands, taunting the Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros. This Fierce Beast’s rage had not yet faded; seeing its opponent still provoking it made it even more furious. The beast turned around, venting its wrath to the fullest, dragging a large iron ball as it broke into a full run.

At this moment Vasquez showed his true skill. He held the red cloth before his chest; when the Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros’s one-meter-long horn was about to pierce the cloth, the Bullfighter twisted his body sideways at the last split second, side-sliding with his legs. This single-minded creature brushed right past the Bullfighter.

There was not empty air behind the red cloth, but the solid stone wall of the arena. The Fierce Beast rammed headfirst into the wall; fragments of stone flew, the beast was knocked senseless and collapsed to the ground.

The iron chain on the large iron ball shackled to its hind leg also snapped.

Relying on his rich experience, Vasquez felt he had already won this match. Hundreds of spectators in the arena offered him their applause and flowers. The Sword Master was immensely pleased; he took the opportunity to kneel beneath the main grandstand: "I dedicate this victory to the beautiful Miss Elno Salamanca!"

"Ah!" The entire arena fell silent. The Duke’s daughter seated behind the Duke was a little at a loss; she raised a small hand to cover her mouth, not knowing what she should do.

"What a romantic scene." Veronica said with a squint-eyed smile from the stands. "Do all you Knights court noble ladies like this?"

"Not all of us." Laine was about to tell one of his old stories, but the disturbance from the arena cut him off. "Not good! That Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros hasn’t passed out!"

At this moment Vasquez was still kneeling, yet to rise, waiting for the Duke’s daughter’s response. The cries of alarm from the spectators and the commotion behind him made him realize something was wrong. When this Sword Master turned to see what was happening, the rhinoceros had already charged up behind him!

"Boom~" With a deafening crash, the Sword Master shrieked as he was sent flying into the air. His nose was shattered, his half plate armor crumpled from the impact, and with a distinctly unpleasant thud, the Sword Master slammed heavily to the ground.

The Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily. The Fierce Beast once more set its feet in motion, lowering its head to launch another charge. With the shackles damaged, the beast could feel its rage making it even stronger than before; it was like a rolling boulder, ready to crush everything in its path.

Screams, panic, shouts—chaos spread throughout the arena. Women shrieked, lifting their skirts as they tried to flee; men shouted desperately for the guards, shoving one another.

Yes! Yes! Destroy everything! Crush everything!!! The Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros had fallen into utter madness. The two-ton Giant Beast, carrying the force of a landslide, charged straight toward the main grandstand!

However, halfway through its charge, something blocked its way.

The Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros desperately dug in with its hind legs, pouring every ounce of strength in its body into the push; the pain from its wounds fed its rage without end.

Still, it was useless.

On the contrary, the previous chaos and despairing screams had vanished, replaced by thunderous cheers and shouts of acclaim. Men clapped with all their might, women screamed with delight without stopping, and everyone was shouting a single name.

An irresistible force was pressing down along the one-meter horn of the rhinoceros.

Laine’s whole body was taut with strain. Wearing only a Brittania Count’s formal suit, he gripped the Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros’s two massive horns with his bare hands; he had not even drawn any weapon.

The Lake Fairy’s Divine Chosen Champion had pale blue flames burning in his eyes. His teeth were clenched so hard that spittle seeped from between them, his fingers turning white from exertion.

His legs dug hard into the ground, his leather boots planted in the sandy soil of the arena, the heels carving a long furrow in the earth.

His powerful arms creaked with the twisting of muscle. The originally fine Count’s formal suit had begun to tear under its owner’s tremendous strength; through the rips, streamlined muscles could be seen, now drawn taut, the veins upon them knotted together.

Large beads of sweat began to form on Laine’s forehead. His shoulders gave off cracking sounds; Laine panted heavily, and he could taste the tang of blood in his lungs.

It was the taste of capillaries bursting from overexertion.

The Fur-Wearing Rhinoceros’s steps came to a halt; man and beast were locked in a stalemate in the middle of the arena.

How much force did a fully charging two-ton Giant Beast truly have? Laine had not known before, but he knew now. Feeling the alarm bells within his own body, Laine saw from the corner of his eye that the injured and unconscious Sword Master had already been dragged away by the guards.

"Laine! Laine! Laine!"

The residents of the Bilibali Duchy were cheering. The vast majority of spectators were waving their handkerchiefs, hats, and even their clothes.