32 Fifth Round
The next day, George returned to the Melvinger Arena.
"Today, we will witness a match that will go down History", the knight arbitrer spoke, "John Billing, crowned three times Melvinger Champion, is to face the underdog of this competition: the Golden Lion Villa Owner, who registered as the Golden Lion Knight! Will John Billing's strength and sharp swordsmanship allow him to put the Golden Lion Knight in difficulty, or will the latter's heavy sword style allow him to overwhelm his opponent? THIS IS THE MELVINGER ARENA'S FIFTH ROUND! STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART!"
Both knights moved forward in the arena, and after bowing to the old mayor, they looked at each other.
'He is different', George analysed
George and John have been sparring for the past month, and never once did John managed to land a blow against him, much less threaten to defeat him. Yet, John had not once wavered in front of a stronger opponent. No matter how hard George hit him in spars, John would climb his way up, and show resilience that surpassed both his and his biochip's expectations.
The gap was, however, too big.
[Name - John Billing | Status - Healthy | Knight
Attributes :
Strength - 3.6 | Dexterity - 2.0 | Vitality - 3.5 | Spiritual Force - 1.6]
While John could be considered an extraordinary knight, George possessed superior means of training, extraordinary resources and a regularity in extreme training that allowed him to surpass geniuses. And while John could be considered a genius with potential to become a Grand Knight in the next few decades, he was, in the end, just a genius among others.
[Name - George Lionheart | Status - Healthy | Title: Knight, Rank 2 Acolyte
Attributes :
Strength - 4.2 | Dexterity - 3.9 | Vitality - 4.3 |
Internal Energy - 6.5 | Spiritual Force - 7.3
Knight Killing Technique: [Lion Beheading - Deals [Strength*2 + 3] degrees of damage]
Knight Secret Technique: [Lionheart Strength - Increase Strength and vitality by 30%]
Perk: Sword Master
Spells: Underworld Hands, Shadow hands]
George squinted as John started to focus. The man was activating the Billing Household's secret technique.
[Red Skin - Knight Secret Technique
Increase the dexterity of the user by 40% for as long as the user possesses internal energy]
It was the rumoured Red Skin Secret Technique, which allowed Frederick Billing, the current head of the Billing Household, to be crowned as the strongest being in Melvinger City. Not only did he possess Grand Knight cultivation with physical attributes far surpassing his peers, the secret knight technique allowed him to best his opponents with speed and accurate strikes.
As strong as the other Grand Knights were, they could not best him in a duel due to his ability to dodge and thrust lightning fast. John was Frederick Billing's legacy, a genius who would catch up to him in a matter of decades, if not less. John was personally trained by his father, and showed tremendous potential as he possessed resilience in addition to his talent in swordsmanship.
However, George was just a different kind of breed.
John charged forward, thinking that his secret knight technique would allow him to gain the initiative in the fight, as the 'one who strikes first will prevail'. Unfortunately, this gain of speed ultimately made him predictable.
[Beep! Probability of the John Billing move in a front charge: 88%]
*CLANG*
Although John possessed more speed than George at the moment thanks to his secret knight technique, George had already began to swing his Great Sword before John entered the range. As a result, John was sent flying, his sword being nearly disarmed from the impact.
For the very first time since he entered Melvinger City, George had unleashed a strike with his full strength. Surprisingly enough, John had rotated his body to disperse some of the kinetic energy, and held onto his sword as if his life depended on it. Thanks to his resilience, he was not disarmed.
*CHEER*
The crowd was jubilating. The strikes and footwork were so refined and fast that it all seemed magical. To those merchants and artisans who hardly knew anything about knighthood, this looked like a scene that came straight from a fairy tale.
"GOLDEN LION KNIGHT!"
"BILLING HOUSEHOLD PRODIGY"
Merchants twice the age of the participants were encouraging their champions. Their victory entailed a tremendous amount of gold coins.
It was quite ironic for Emma and Frederick to cheer on their son's opponent, since their household's fortune accumulated over several decades depended on it. Melvinger City possessed roughly 130 000 inhabitants, 80 000 of which lived in the inner or core area. It was a massive city, and the arena now hosted 30 000 of the wealthiest.
Yet, instead of a refined atmosphere, people were very crude.
After regaining his footing in a flash, John was already panting. His hands were sweating, to the point that he was starting to fear his opponent.
'What a monster', John thought
Thinking about his honour, his glory, and the effort that he poured in his training, John tried to stay calm.
Unfortunately, this was enough distraction to allow George to grasp this opening. George charged John with all of his might, and once he was in range, aimed at John's sword. He tried to parry, but the blade broke, and George's great sword cut through John's armour.
It was a shallow injury. Although there was a lot of blood splashed, George had accurately avoided putting too much strength at the very last moment, while avoiding any vital organ. Still, John's belly was quite nasty, and he would most likely be forced to stick with a porridge and soup-diet for a while. Just thinking about this made George chuckle.
In this kind of fight, injuries were frequent. Seeing that his son was not crippled in the slightest in spite of not having resigned after fully knowing that his defeat was near, the Viscount Frederick Billing nodded to George in acknowledgement. He most likely did not expect George to see him.
George smiled.
It seemed like the Billing Household truly was a fitting tool.
