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I first held a sword when I was four years old.
50 years since then.
Not a single day has passed without me holding a sword.
Born into a prestigious swordsmanship family.
Following the elite course by the book.
Became an officer in the Imperial Army.
However.
In the unified continent's Imperial Army, there were hardly any opportunities to participate in combat.
The number of Imperial Army soldiers and their military strength grew larger and larger.
But Manuel Iger couldn't tell if this was an army or a camp for training junior swordsmen.
A sword rusts if you don't use it.
I volunteered for the Al-Kancia intelligence organization.
But.
Due to his long experience as an instructor in the army.
Branch Manager Elias Bernin once again assigned Manuel to train the organization members.
Of course, he was mobilized for missions such as assassinating key figures a few times.
Still, he had more opportunities to draw his sword than when he was in the Imperial Army.
Then, he saw Espin Elina fighting.
His heart, which had lived as a swordsman, pounded wildly.
He had a mission to carry out, so he couldn't engage her immediately.
But Manuel vowed that he would definitely fight that muscular female swordsman someday.
Only someone like her could truly compete with him.
He thought it didn't matter whether he won or lost.
If he could just cross swords with a swordsman like her.
If it was a duel where they risked their lives.
He thought that would be the moment when his 50 years as a swordsman would be fully rewarded.
He was even grateful that Al-Kancia had someone with that level of skill.
But.
'This kid...'
Right now.
He can't overwhelm a brat who hasn't even shed his childishness yet.
Of course, Manuel Iger wasn't being pushed back.
But according to his initial expectations, the opponent should have already been a corpse.
But he's still flying around in front of him.
When they exchanged the first few moves, he thought he was just a guy using all sorts of cheap tricks, as he had heard.
But as the exchanges continued.
He could see that what Davian was using wasn't cheap tricks.
The magic he suddenly unleashed was all from a skilled magician.
And his ice-cold swordsmanship was that of a true swordsman.
It didn't matter that he disappeared when he went into the shadows.
And that living fire kept attacking Manuel.
What kept bothering Manuel.
Was the calm look in that brat's eyes.
'His eyes are too calm.'
Who is his opponent?
Isn't it Manuel Iger, who was a swordsmanship training instructor in the Imperial Army?
He's barely holding on.
And if he makes a single mistake, his body will be cut in half by Manuel's sword.
But he still has such calm and composed eyes.
'Is he relying on the spirit called Glacier?'
He had already prepared for the spirit.
Manuel Iger had a potion in his pocket that would send the spirit to another dimension.
It would take some time, but the spirit would eventually return.
But by then, the boy who was the contractor would already be dead.
Then the spirit wouldn't be able to exert any power in the human realm.
They said that spirits don't take revenge when their contractors die.
And it's even more unlikely that they would seek out another strong contractor.
They just bury it in their hearts as sorrow for eternity.
That is the way of the spirits.
'But he already knows about the dimension-shifting potion.'
It means that he also knows that Manuel Iger came prepared for the ice spirit Glacier.
The conclusion is one.
His skills are not befitting his age, but Davian Naone's greatest weapon.
Is his composure.
Clang!
Manuel Iger and Davian Naone's swords clashed violently.
When Manuel pushed the sword with all his might, Davian bounced back.
At the same time, Davian swung his ice sword in the air.
Kwaaaa!
Davians rough mana sword burst forth and struck Manuel Iger.
Swaaak!
Manuel calmly responded.
He cut off Davian's mana sword with a sword that was more darkly dyed with aura.
Crash! Kwaang!
The split shockwave mercilessly struck the trees and rocks behind them, leaving large traces.
"You're quite impressive. Davian Naone."
"You too. More than I expected."
"Cocky bastard."
"But you know."
Manuel waited for Davian's next words.
"It's more manageable than I thought?"
If the academy people or Davian's people like Espin were watching today's duel.
They would probably have their jaws dropped by now.
Davian's performance in the duel with Manuel right now.
Was faster and more powerful than ever before.
Since he had distributed all the mana points he had accumulated, no one had seen Davian like this until now.
Davian Naone was fighting one-on-one with a swordsman from the Imperial Army's training instructor and not being pushed back at all.
"Your eyes are as calm as can be, but why are your words so frivolous and provocative?"
Well.
Of course, it's to shake the opponent.
Davian Naone, who had lived in the Al-Kancia kingdom for over 10 years.
Had never met an enemy who wasn't shaken by words.
That's still the case now.
"Let's end it this exchange. You and I. One of us must die."
"That one is you."
"Cocky bastard!"
Taat!
Manuel moved first.
Orthodox yet overbearing swordsmanship.
Davian quickly created an ice wall.
Crack!
It was a pretty thick ice wall.
But it shattered in one blow.
But that was enough for the ice wall's role.
Whir! Boom!
Davian's fireball, fired at close range, was cut by Manuel's sword and exploded.
The back of Manuel's hand was blackened, but it didn't inflict a fatal wound.
But that was enough for the fireball's role.
Clang!
The ice sword, swung with all his might, was blocked by Manuel's sword.
Manuel's aura gradually intensified, and the ice sword began to chip.
At this rate, the ice sword would soon be cut off.
Davian flew his body back to widen the distance between them.
The ice sword's role wasn't over yet.
Fwoosh, bang!
A lightning bolt was embedded in Manuel's blade.
Manuel didn't even care about the lightning bolt and rushed towards Davian again.
The electric magic, filtered once by the aura thickly draped on the sword, did not cause fatal damage to Manuel's body.
But that was enough for the lightning bolt's role.
Clang!
Manuel and Davian's swords clashed again.
The ice sword, which seemed to have chipped a little while ago, had been restored to its original shape.
Kwaaaa!
The mana sword erupted from the state where the swords were facing each other.
Davian pushed his inner strength and magic power in as it was.
He was so used to the mana sword.
Manuel, surprised, quickly distanced himself and began to swing his sword from below to above to cut off the mana sword.
At that time.
Manuel's eyes caught a glimpse of something sparkling right behind the mana sword.
The ice sword.
The tip of the ice sword was piercing towards him.
Aimed precisely at the heart.
If he cut off the mana sword, the ice sword would pierce through that gap.
'Tch. Kid. There was a reason why you mercilessly mixed and poured out various attacks.'
If this was the first attack, he would have been able to defend on the diagonal by twisting his body.
But in the blink of an eye, five exchanges had taken place.
His stepping foot, the angle of his waist, and the movement of his arm.
Are slightly twisted.
The center of Manuel, which had been twisted little by little.
Could no longer block the oncoming mana sword and the ice sword piercing right behind it.
'Damn it. I'll block the one in front with my body.'
He doesn't know if it's possible to block the mana sword with such a terrifying momentum with his body.
But he can't let the ice sword pierce his heart.
He gathered all the energy in his body towards his shoulder and received the shockwave of the mana sword.
Kwaaaang!
He has to endure it.
If it was just this one attack, it would be more efficient to bounce his body back to disperse the impact.
Then there would be no way to avoid the sword that was piercing in succession.
The flesh, which was like armor, was torn off.
The bones, which were like steel, were crushed.
But Manuel was wide awake.
He can't let his life end at the hands of this brat.
Not Espen Elina.
Not the royal guard captain or the head of the swordsmanship department at Elton Academy.
Dying by the sword of an eighteen-year-old brat is not the swordsman's ending he has dreamed of.
He squeezed out all the remaining strength and held the sword diagonally.
To block the thrusting attack with the side of the blade.
After a moment of time that seemed like eternity.
He completely blocked the mana sword that was rushing in.
Now, if he just blocks the subsequent thrust.
The opportunity will come again.
Then.
Davian pulled back the sword he was stabbing with.
The tip of the ice sword, which seemed about to touch the side of Manuel's blade, moved away again.
Then the ice sword pierced in again quickly.
And at the end of that sword.
He could feel Davian's energy being condensed.
'Could it be...!'
He has spent 50 years only training swordsmanship.
He already knew Davian's mana sword.
They said that in the Al-Kancia kingdom, they call it the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
And in the Marino Empire, which relatively underestimated the mana sword, it was simply regarded as a shockwave technique.
He had already seen Cain's shockwave several times.
Whether it's a mana sword or a shockwave.
To draw out and throw such energy with a sword.
Of course, you have to swing the sword quickly.
Only then will the energy spread out in a fan shape due to centrifugal force.
A strong energy that spreads out in a fan shape.
Therefore, the countermeasure also exists.
Accurately dividing the fan-shaped shockwave vertically.
Of course, it's not easy, but it's not impossible either.
Because of this countermeasure, the Marino Empire regards the mana sword as a technique for wide-area attacks.
Only the relatively low-level Al-Kancia guys say it's the pinnacle of swordsmanship or whatever.
But.
Right now, in front of Manuel's eyes.
An amazing thing was happening.
The mana sword was activated on Davian's sword, which was pulled back once and then strongly thrust in.
'Activating the mana sword with a thrusting motion?'
It's unbelievable.
No, it's impossible.
It's an energy that you can barely release even if you swing the sword with all your might.
With just a thrust?
Kwaaaa!
Manuel's thoughts could no longer continue.
The swirling, sharp energy of the mana sword began to target and pierce Manuel's heart accurately.
Woo웅.
He poured all his energy into the sword to strengthen the aura.
And he faced the oncoming mana sword to protect his heart.
Kwaang!
The mana sword.
Was not an energy that could be blocked by blocking with the side of the blade.
As I said before, it is an energy that can only be countered by accurately cutting the fan-shaped energy vertically.
But he had no idea how to block it when it was piercing in this form.
Besides, time was running out and his posture was disheveled.
'Th, this!'
Kwa-chaeng!
The piercing mana sword completely destroyed Manuel's sword.
Thwack!
The mana sword that struck Manuel's chest right after.
"Keugh!"
It was fortunate that a large hole wasn't pierced through his chest.
Although it was shattered, the sword wrapped in aura seems to have mitigated the impact to some extent.
"Hah, hah."
Thud.
Manuel slumped to the ground.
Although a large hole wasn't pierced through his chest.
He was already in a state where he could no longer fight.
Most of the internal organs in his body must have been twisted or burst.
Manuel struggled to lift his head.
"Davian... Naone...."
Davian's calm eyes were still reflected in Manuel's pupils.
"What the hell are you..."
Thump.
Manuel Iger.
54 years old.
Former Imperial Army swordsmanship instructor and current Deputy Branch Manager of X-4 branch.
His head fell helplessly to the ground.
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