Chapter 21 | Sparring

"Ina-Yamaguchi faces Your Highness"

"I've been waiting for you, Duke Ina"

The man in front of me is the emperor Clyde that I serve, no, it's just a contract, I'm not bound by any agreement with him, if only that time Asahi had not asked me to join them.

Flashback

"Ina-chan are you okay? Don't worry, they're good to me."

"Are you sure?"

Asahi whispered to me at that time.

"( I found someone who knows how to return us to Earth here, so please, cooperate with them)"

End of Flashback

"Duke Ina, I have a mission for you. In the next month, we will be at war with Cornella at the borders of the Peace Alliance.

I want you to help the Peace Alliance to fight Cornella, and for that I want you to recruit some strong knights with you, You are free to take knights from the royal knight order, or you have your army, it's up to you"

So I was sent to help the Peace Alliance? Alright, I gladly accept, it's a shame that the Shadow Phantom Knight order is back under Duke Orton's command.

"Duke Ina will fulfill the task, Your Highness"

"Alright you may go now, by the way, Duke Orton is waiting for you at the royal training camp"

"Duke Orton? okay I'll meet him, then I'll excuse myself "

I walked out towards the training camp. Several royal knights were training there, but Duke Orton just stood still and watched. I walked over to Duke Orton.

I heard you have something to tell me?"

He revealed and revealed sharply towards me, it seemed I smelled something interesting was about to happen.

"Right, I'll get straight to the point, spar with me"

Woah, that's pretty mainstream, without further ado he immediately invited me to sparring, an interesting person.

"Okay, let's do it"

Duke Orton walked towards the Knights who were training.

"You guys get some rest, I'll be using this field in a minute"

"Yes, Sir!"

All the Knights on the training grounds went to the shore. I stepped up, our eyes met, he wielded a large sword, held it with both hands, and released Sword Aura.

"[Mana Slash]"

Orton's first with Mana Slash, quite aggressive, admits with Dragon Arts - Chapter 7, attacks the mana Slash belongs to.

"Only by hand!?"

"It seems that the rumors of him being a Master are true!"

"But it's not known yet, is it? does that mean he's publicly in the shadows like the Order of Shadow Phantoms?"

Some of the knights who saw us were surprised and started cheering, quite disturbing.

"Duke Ina"

"Just call me Mom"

Duke Orton plunged his sword into the ground.

"Me with a sword and you with bare hands, I wonder who is stronger, you don't even draw your sword.

If you fight me barehanded, please muster all your strength [ Lunaria Sword Art [ Dragon Slayer ]"

Orton quickly stepped onto the ground and ran in my direction very quickly, in a split second I dodged his vertical attack.

Sensing the attack from behind I used my Qi Sword to block the attack. The sword and my mana-coated hands started clashing.

"Hiyaa!"

He added strength to his sword, making me jump backward.

" [ Buddha Step ], [ Dragon-Arts [ Dragon Wrath - Chapter 1 ]"

This technique is a shock attack that I often use on opponents, but he can block it with his sword, there are only 2 chances he can withstand it, the first because he reads my movement which will launch a shock attack the second he moves based on instinct.

The first option makes more sense since he is the master, I drew my sword, and of course, he started to react with that.

"Are you finally getting serious?"

"Who knows"

I unsheathed the Cosmos Sword, while I kept the Moonlight Blade because I didn't feel like I could use it properly. I tried to provoke him a little.

"Go ahead"

"[ Mana Blast ] "

"Hmm?"

"Maximum!!"

An enormous attack was launched at me, if it was the old me, I might have died from it.

"[Lightning Wall]"

Level 9 magic Lightning Wall and Master's advanced Mana Blast skill, which one is stronger?

Mana Blast hit the Lightning wall in front of me, the result was quite shocking, the Lightning wall I created shattered on the left, that's great, even I can't destroy the lightning wall like this, well that makes sense with the amount of Mana he used on Mana Blast.

"Alright enough, I lost

"Hah?"

"That was my strongest attack, you managed to withstand it without getting hurt, it shows how big the difference in our strength is"

"Okay, I understand"

"Duke Ina, actually I was just testing you"

"What for?".

"...We have a Rival from Cornella, he is one of the Masters, but his strength surpasses the master level just like you, he wants to be considered a Grand Master"

"He?"

"Our Rival, Ice Queen Cornella, Fiora Valencia"

Is anyone else like me? Fiora Valencia...

"When I heard Fiora was a very powerful master in Cornella, the future seemed bleak, even I couldn't imagine it.

But now I'm more relieved because I know you're on the same boat."

"So my main mission is to go to Cornella and kill the guy named Fiora?"

"Right"

People, who are equal to me huh? I want to see it.

- - - -

- - - -

Throne Room

The Emperor sits in his room with a few papers on the table, accompanied by Gale.

"Gale, what do you think of Duke Ina?"

"Duke Ina, we have witnessed Duke Ina making the stubborn Shadow Phantom Order submit to you, even in cases before that.

Before she had Dragon Heart, she was already strong, not in terms of strength, but the experience can easily defeat our Elite Knight Order.

She is like someone who has been in Medan his whole life, her conclusions are quick and precise, but she has a prominent weakness, namely the people around her, friends, companions, and others."

"Is that so? when compared to Duke Orton who is stronger"

"I will honestly say it, Duke Ina is currently the strongest in this kingdom"

"You are right"

"Even If Duke Orton and Duchess Charlotte believe their chances of winning are below 20%"

"Did she that strong?"

"Yes, because of the Dragon's Heart, he will continue to develop, biologically he has become a Dragon, a Dragon that is growing rapidly"

"What about his friend?"

"Miss Asahi? Even though she has the skill of having expertise but she is very genius, knowledgeable and amazing, her reputation is huge among the commoners, because she doesn't make amazing things like water, and waterwheels, it makes it easy for a Town or Village to take water without a long journey"

"What?! did she do that?"

"Well, actually Duchess Charlotte just told me"

"Gale, please call her here, they are both important assets of our kingdom"

"As your wish, Your Majesty."