Chapter 35: What an interesting boy....

As Oswald spoke, his green eyes seemed to flash with an unsettling light as they narrowed at Kellen, causing him to feel an uncomfortable sensation.

'Tch!' scowled Kellen

'What's that last sentence supposed to mean? Is that bastard threatening me?!'

Realising this, Kellen turned to glare at Oswald but was only met with a chilling green gaze.

'Damn it! So what if he's talented? He's only an intermediate apprentice, whilst I'm a peak one. I can still beat him!'

Seemingly sensing the vicious aura between the two men, the referee for the duel, a rank 1 Transcendent priestess from the Church of Dawn, spoke up.

"Are the two kind sirs ready to begin?"

"Ready?" Asked Kellen, turning towards Oswald Coldly

"Ready." replied Oswald with a cold smile.

Seeing this the priestess raised a handkerchief into the air and swung it down.

"Let the duel begin!"

The instant duel was confirmed, Kellen's figure flickered as his body instantly appeared in front of Oswald in a dazzling show of golden radiance!

"BOOM!"

As the burst of golden light faded away, Kellen was shocked to find Oswald standing his ground, only taking a slight step backwards.

"How?" asked a puzzled Kellen. There was a whole minor realm between them, so how could Oswald now match him for strength?

"Talent," replied Oswald with a smug smile.

Kellen just scowled as he dismissed Oswald's and raised his warhammer once again.

"Bang!"

Kellen's warhammer came crashing down again with the sound of thunder.

But Oswald didn't falter and quickly brandished his sword in defence to block the blow.

Sparks flew as the two titanic forces collided again, but to Kellen's further annoyance, Oswald remained just as steadfast as ever.

Angered, Kellen unleashed a flurry of blows.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Sparks flew as sword and hammer clashed.

But suddenly, in the midst of the heated exchange, Oswald quickly noticed something odd.

Oswald could feel a strange feeling around the aura of the warhammer approaching him.

Just as Oswald was about to act, Kellen's warhammer quickly flickered with a golden flow as Kellen spoke.

"Radiant burst!"

With that loud cry, a thunderous explosion of golden light blasted out, sending Oswald's body rolling back across the floor.

Standing to his feet Oswald looked at his shirt that had been slightly torn and scowled but before he could recollect himself, he saw Kellen raise his warhammer as a ray of light shot into the sky.

'Shit!' thought Oswald.

Oswald realised something he had almost forgotten.

His fierce melee fight with Kellen had almost let him forget that the paladin was a hybrid Transcendent pathway between the Spellcaster and fighter!

Before Oswald could react the giant beam of light split into countless branches as a cold voice seemed to spread out throughout the battlefield"

"Glory to the Goddess of Dawn! Smite!"

Instantly a rain of countless golden beams fell from the sky, hurtling towards Oswald.

Seeing this sight, Oswald's heart began to beat like a furious engine as his blood surged to his feet, causing Oswald's agility to explode!

With his now increased agility, Oswald sidestepped and flickered past the falling beams of light. But even the increased speed from his physical outbreak state wasn't enough to completely avoid Kellen's attack as Oswald suddenly found himself surrounded by 5 beams of light all approaching him at the same time!

In response to this, Oswald coated his sword in his Steel Knight battle aura and slashed out, completely destroying two of the approaching beams.

Despite destroying two beams, Oswald quickly realised he won't be able to cover all other areas with his sword in time.

In a fit of pure desperation, Oswald's heart began to beat furiously as he could hear his blood surge like a raging river. As a result of this, a familiar heat began to radiate from his body once again as his arm turned completely blood red!

Oswald's bloody arm then lashed out, colliding with the beams of divine light.

"Boom!"

A large explosion of light encased Oswald causing all the onlookers to hold their breath, all but one.

Amongst the crowd of onlookers, a pair of blue eyes quickly flashed with a strange look.

"What an interesting boy…" mumbled Priestess Celestine

In that brief instant, the aura around Oswald greatly changed.

Instead of the cold, rigid feeling of his steel knight Transcendent technique, for a brief period of time it became completely chaotic, bloody and brutal. Some would even consider it a little…. Demonic.

The second that thought appeared in her head, Celestine quickly got rid of it.

Throwing out baseless demonic accusations was not something that could be done lightly, especially at a time like this.

Besides, in this world, there were countless types of strange Transcendent techniques. Just because one was brutal and bloody did not necessarily mean it was demonic.