Chapter 12: ...The Perpetrator?

Soon, the second round of the knight selection was over.

Including Graham, there were only 9 knight candidates left.

Next, they would have another round, eliminating 5, leaving only the top four to become official knights.

This time, by coincidence, Graham drew number 1.

And his opponent was the helmeted man, Aldebaran.

'It seems this match will be worth watching,' Priscilla covered her mouth, showing an interested expression. She had closely observed the helmeted one-armed man's fights.

His moves were clean and decisive, showing no mercy, fighting almost purely on instinct. This person didn't seem like a knight, but more like a natural-born killing machine, a ruthless executioner.

And Graham, this swordsman who seemed to use Spirit Arts, also fought decisively, displaying a peculiar magical swordsmanship. Without a doubt, he was the most suitable candidate for a knight.

Of course, further evaluation was needed, as Priscilla would not easily give her trust.

Entering the arena, Aldebaran scratched his head and made a request, "Hey, little brother, can you go easy on me later?"

To be honest, he felt that fighting Graham would be difficult for him.

On one hand, he felt like he could not win, and on the other, Graham was his benefactor... [T/N: Whose hands?🤭]

If it weren't for Graham, he might still be living a life of slaughter in the Gladiators Arena.

Hearing his words, Graham didn't respond, only giving him a blank look, slowly drawing his blade and assuming a fighting stance.

Why should he show mercy to someone unrelated?

Besides, Graham remembered that this guy had a very powerful Unknown Authority.

If he killed Aldebaran, would he also be able to Seize (Plunder) his Unknown Authority? He was somewhat looking forward to it...

Therefore, no matter what, Graham will not hold back.

"*Sigh...* What a hassle." Seeing his stance, Aldebaran knew the other party wouldn't spare him, as all previous losers had also been killed.

With a helpless sigh, his eyes became determined.

Although he felt he couldn't win, he still had to fight. After all, if he died, he could start over.

At worst, if he really could not win, he would just surrender in the next iteration.

He really did not want to be a wandering warrior anymore, and Priscilla was a super beauty. If there was a chance to win and become her knight, Aldebaran would try no matter what.

With this thought, Aldebaran became fully alert, glaring fiercely at Graham.

Speaking of which, he had won about 90 matches on the Gladiator Island, and he would have eventually faced Graham.

So now is as good a time as any.

"Ha!"

Aldebaran shouted, taking the initiative, raising the sword in his right hand and slashing fiercely at Graham's neck.

This attack was simple and straightforward, a slash purely meant to take a life.

*CLANG*

Graham raised his sword to block, the immense force making Aldebaran's face pale, "So strong!"

'It seemed the Gladiator King's defeat really wasn't just a fluke,' Despite being a slender youth, he possessed such great strength. This was really troublesome. [T/N: Gladiator King sounds much better than 'Sword-Slave King... I think...]

But even so, Aldebaran will not back down. If he died, he could just start over, so there really wasn't anything to fear.

"Brace yourself!"

He even reminded Graham, leaping up, his body spinning, using his body's advantage and gravity to unleash a powerful slash.

*CLANG*

Taking this heavy blow, Graham was forced to retreat quite a distance, showing that Aldebaran indeed had some skills.

Those well-defined muscles were not just for show.

Seeing his attack succeed, Aldebaran gripped his longsword and thrust it towards Graham's abdomen.

"Ha!"

If possible, he really didn't want to kill Graham, as he owed him a debt of gratitude.

However, he was clearly overthinking it.

Graham had just been testing his strength earlier, and now he had a good grasp of it.

Facing the incoming blade, Graham also thrust his sword forward, and following the trajectory of the opponent's blade, he swiftly entwined it.

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

Sweat continuously dripped from Aldebaran's forehead as he began to fall into a disadvantage.

The force coming from Graham's blade was growing stronger, and his hands were already becoming numb from the force of the exchange.

Moreover, what troubled Aldebaran even more was the green glow on the opponent's blade.

With each clash of their weapons, his sword quickly became covered in nicks, while the opponent's blade continued to shine sharply, making his heart tighten.

'No! At this rate, I will undoubtedly lose!' Aldebaran grimaced.

As the helmeted man was being beaten back step by step, Priscilla, who was watching the fight, looked at Graham with even more satisfaction.

The stronger the knight candidates, the more beneficial it was for her.

After all, no matter who won in the end, they would become her knight, wouldn't they.

"Stop, I surrender!" Seeing Graham's blade about to slice his throat, Aldebaran decisively admitted defeat.

*Whoosh*

The green-glowing blade stopped at his neck, emitting a chilling aura, and Aldebaran's face stiffened, cold sweat pouring down.

Although he could start over if he died, who would want to experience the feeling of death? [T/N: lol! It seems his earlier resolve quickly stumbled in the face of death...]

At least he didn't.

Before he could even feel relieved that the opponent had finally stopped attacking, Aldebaran was completely stunned.

"*Oof!*"

"You, you..."

So ruthless!

Even after he surrendered, the opponent still went for the kill.

Aldebaran's eyes widened in anger, sword stuck in his throat, as he glared at Graham, "You... you...*cough* just wait."

"Hmph!" Graham sneered, then pulled his sword, completely slashing Aldebaran's throat, and retrieved his blade.

*...CRACK~*

As Aldebaran was taken down, a strange sound echoed, and the world within a 100-kilometer radius seemed to freeze halfway, with countless black mists enveloping Graham, stopping his time.

Graham's lips curled up, "Is this your Authority? Interesting."

Although his body couldn't move, Graham did not lose consciousness. The overwhelming black mist could not invade his body.

At this moment, Graham's eyes had turned a deep, dark blue, and in his line of sight, there was a pitch-black figure with an indistinguishable face, quietly watching him.

At the same time, it seemed that only he, the fallen Aldebaran, and this pitch-black figure remained in the entire misty world.

Then, the black figure slowly extended a seemingly slender finger towards him.

Graham remained expressionless, directly reaching out to grasp the other's hand. Strangely, he could move.

A cold sensation spread from the other's palm, and before he could react, an indistinct whisper suddenly entered his mind.

"You are... the perpetrator."

When he came to his senses, everything had returned to the moment before the match with Aldebaran began...

...

[T/N: This chapter was a drag and a half I tell you! So many things that didn't make sense, and the messed up context... heck, I'm not even sure if my attempt to 'fix' it doesn't somehow end up with me having messed up a future plot point... Perpetrator? I'm certain I missed something because this makes no sense to me... If you notice anything amiss, please help me fix it. Enjoy.]