-322- A skill that shouldn't exist

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

In the moment the duel began, Saichou and Hanachou released excited cries and then dispersed to either side, leaving behind long trails of light as they flew toward the outskirts of the battlefield.

Rozen charged forward under the sparkling phosphorescent effects cast by Saichou and Hanachou. The blade of the single-handed sword he held in his hand emitted faint glows that circulated.

It wasn't the unique visual effect that occurred when executing sword skills; it was the radiance signifying the enhancement of the weapon itself.

Four months had passed since he arrived on the 26th floor. Naturally, Rozen wouldn't be wielding his initial "Anneal Blade +8." He had replaced it with a higher-performing weapon.

As Kirito had mentioned before, Rozen now possessed several exceptionally high-performance weapons, each of them comparable to Kirito's primary weapon.

Currently, Rozen was using a weapon he held dear, the "King's Sword of Protection +20."

Rozen had obtained this weapon from a series of quests he completed to acquire flags used to tame Hanachou. It was a royal-exclusive sword received from a fleeing princess, boasting an incredibly high performance that could easily handle up to the 30th floor.

Furthermore, Rozen had reinforced it to +20, raising its performance to a level where it could deal substantial damage even to the 25th-floor guardian boss which had nearly wiped out the entire "Aincrad Liberation Squad,". It was a weapon that far exceeded ordinary quality.

But that wasn't all.

Most importantly, this sword had an effect that boosted both STR (strength) and AGI (agility) by 10 points, an exceedingly rare and valuable attribute.

Hence, among Rozen's several weapons, the performance of this "King's Sword of Protection +20" was arguably the highest.

However, this sword also had its drawback: its durability was relatively low, making it unsuitable for continuous use.

Considering this, Rozen prepared multiple weapons as backups. Otherwise, using only this King's Sword of Protection would suffice.

Now, Rozen drew it for this duel.

Facing Heathcliff, Rozen had no intention of concealing his strength. He intended to use both his familiar and his weapon.

It was as if Heathcliff had noticed this. The leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath raised his cross-shaped shield in front of him, while his cross sword remained hidden behind the shield. With an air of a seasoned general, he advanced toward Rozen with an exceedingly calm expression.

In an instant, the two clashed where the duel window had just appeared.

"Thud!"

At that very moment, Rozen took a strong step to the side, evading Heathcliff's approach.

When facing an opponent with a shield, the first priority was to avoid direct confrontation.

This was because attacks delivered head-on were usually blocked by the shield, so it was best to maneuver around the shield to attack.

Of course, the opponent wasn't a fool.

("It's not hard to guess that I'm trying to evade. Heathcliff will surely attack when he confirms and might even use sword skills, catching me in my inevitable dodge.")

At that moment, Rozen would be able to initiate a sword skill as well, parrying Heathcliff's attack and capitalizing on the simultaneous skill-induced stun duration to have Saichou and Hanachou apply a debuff state skill on Heathcliff.

Undoubtedly, even the guardian boss of the 25th floor couldn't avoid the rainbow butterfly's skill. It should be enough to control and defeat an ordinary player.

By then, Rozen's victory could be almost certain.

Rozen formulated this plan.

Unfortunately, Rozen was wrong.

Heathcliff did indeed initiate an attack.

Had it been an attack using a single-handed sword, familiar territory for Rozen, he would have accurately blocked or even deflected it.

However, at that very moment, Heathcliff's attack was far beyond Rozen's expectations.

"Swoosh!"

The sturdy cross-shaped shield tore through the air and came crashing down toward Rozen.

It was a shield.

Heathcliff hadn't used a weapon; he had attacked Rozen with a shield, leaving Rozen utterly astonished.

(He's attacking with a shield...!?)

This was impossible.

This wasn't the real world. Items used for attack were all strictly regulated, requiring an "attack judgment" feature. Anything that lacked this judgment could not be used for offense.

Naturally, the purpose of a shield was defense. In this world, its function was limited to that; it lacked an attack judgment and was incapable of inflicting damage.

Now, Heathcliff had unexpectedly launched a direct attack using his shield, and it seemed that the system had allowed it. How could Rozen not be surprised?

Caught off guard, Rozen could only raise the King's Sword of Protection in his hand to block in front of himself.

"Clang!"

Accompanied by a ringing clash, a powerful impact transmitted through the weapon and caused Rozen's body to tremble, involuntarily taking a step back.

Heathcliff immediately seized this opportunity.

"Clang!"

The effect light of a sword skill started to glow on Heathcliff's cross sword.

Heathcliff's weapon hidden behind the shield raised elegantly, leaving behind a graceful white trail as he lifted it high toward Rozen.

Seeing this, Rozen halted his step immediately.

Although taken by surprise, Rozen was familiar with sword skills using a single-handed sword. As long as he saw the preparatory motion, he could anticipate the opponent's intended sword skill and predict their next attack trajectory.

However, the issue was...

(Is that really a single-handed sword skill?)

Recalling the previous shield strike, Rozen hadn't chosen to block or use a sword skill to deflect Heathcliff's attack. Instead, he had stomped the ground forcefully, abruptly retreating while holding the King's Sword of Protection in front of himself.

In the next instant...

"Swish!"

With a clear and bright sword hum, Heathcliff's cross sword descended like a bolt of lightning.

The speed and trajectory didn't match any of the familiar sword skills Rozen knew for single-handed swords.

No, it wasn't just unlike single-handed swords; it deviated from any sword skill of all sword-type weapons.

Rozen had memorized all known weapon sword skills, even the hidden special skills like Klein's "Katana" skill and his own "Martial Arts" skill. There was no room for mistaken recognition.

In other words, what stood before Rozen was a sword skill he had never seen before.

"Clang!"

The unfamiliar sword skill landed on the King's Sword of Protection that Rozen held in his hand, creating numerous sparks as it scraped against the blade.

Had Rozen not stepped back and remained in place, even if he had raised the King's Sword of Protection to block, he would still have been struck by the trajectory of the unknown sword skill. This would result in a significant reduction in weapon durability, and Rozen himself would remain in a power-releasing state, opening him up to another direct hit from Heathcliff's shield.

However, with Rozen's retreat, the tip of Heathcliff's cross sword rubbed against the blade of the King's Sword of Protection, generating numerous sparks while also producing a formidable force. This force actually pushed Rozen away.

Rozen seized this opportunity to retreat even faster, putting distance between him and Heathcliff.

"Ho?" Heathcliff's brow arched, a look that seemed like a mix of approval and a newfound appreciation, as he said, "I didn't expect you to dodge that. You thought you hadn't seen my sword skill, and you assumed you'd lose in our earlier exchange."

Hearing this, Rozen didn't respond but kept his gaze fixed on Heathcliff.

An attack with a shield that shouldn't exist.

An unknown sword skill that shouldn't exist.

All of this was telling Rozen that what Heathcliff was using was...

"A special skill..."

A special skill that no one had seen.