-‘Sena, why don’t you wield a sword?’
Chris had asked one day.
-‘You’re incomparable to others.’
He didn’t know what Chris saw in him to say that.
But he clearly remembered what he replied.
“Chris, I’m afraid of getting hurt. So, I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
**
Whish.
The wind blows.
In the Colosseum, where sandstorms rise, Sena stood holding a single wooden sword.
‘…Why am I here?’
Sena pondered deeply.
It is said that gladiators entering the Colosseum usually have at least committed one or two crimes.
They fight to the death to atone for their sins.
…Then why was he here?
He hadn’t done anything wrong.
“You seem completely clueless as to why I asked for you.”
“Ah, yes. I really don’t know.”
Garumel aimed his sword at Sena.
The fortunate thing was that it was also a wooden sword.
“I do not serve those weaker than myself.”
“Oh, I see.”
It was truly a grand mindset.
A perfect line for a supporting character in a movie.
…But why to him?
“Prove that you are someone worthy of my loyalty.”
Garumel was smiling as if he was enjoying himself, but Sena’s already pale face became even paler.
No, he didn’t want to do this.
“Do I… have to?”
“You don’t think like you’re going to lose.”
“…”
That’s true.
During his time at the Academy, he had countless sparring sessions.
Nothing has changed. It was still a wooden sword like back then.
Magic usage was forbidden.
Under these rules, Sena…
Had never lost even once.
“Alright.”
Sena let his arms drop.
Garumel smirked at his unique stance.
‘It seems full of openings at first glance.’
But he did not let his guard down.
Since magic usage was forbidden, she couldn’t use the same kind of flash techniques as before, but she was someone who had once nearly cost him his right hand.
“Please, make the first move.”
“I refuse. I’m a knight candidate being tested.”
Wow, so petty.
No matter what Sena thought, Garumel leisurely moved forward.
“I’ll make the first move.”
‘Even though you’re within my range, you show no reaction.’
Moreover, that unique stance.
Seeing the sword pointing downward, he guessed it was a defensive technique.
‘A straightforward strike won’t reach.’
He planned to feint with his right hand and target his abdomen with his left arm.
Garumel executed his plan immediately. He lowered his stance and thrust his wooden sword towards Sena’s head. It was a sharp thrust by any onlooker’s standards.
‘Dodge it.’
But it was a feint. The sword wasn’t meant to hit from the start.
Instead, Garumel watched Sena’s movements closely. Dodging a thrust is easier than blocking it.
If he dodged, he planned to punch with his left hand. He thought he could win with just this move.
But Sena showed no movement.
‘…Did he fail to react?’
The sword was still pointing to the ground, and he remained in the same position, just staring.
Garumel’s sword, which was a feint from the start, stopped in front of Sena’s eyes. His long hair brushed against the wooden sword. Even then, he remained still, and Garumel felt something strange.
‘Damn it.’
He hadn’t blinked even once. Sena knew from the start. This sword wouldn’t touch him, so there was no need to dodge.
‘Unbelievable reflexes.’
Garumel retrieved his left hand and twisted his body to defend. At that moment, Sena swung his downward-pointed sword upward. It was a movement as swift as lightning.
“No way!”
Garumel swung his sword down with all his might, aiming to intercept the incoming attack and create a brief opening.
But his sword sliced through empty air. It should have met the opposing blade midway.
“…!”
Garumel broke into a cold sweat as he watched the shadow of Sena’s sword approach.
It was a misjudgment. He thought he was swinging quickly, but his slower pace caused their swords to miss each other entirely.
He lost in the timing battle. With their swords crossed, it was impossible to retract and block in time.
Garumel made a bold choice. Using the rotational force of his body, he ducked and rolled.
Thud!
Garumel tumbled awkwardly across the Colosseum floor. After rolling a considerable distance, he finally used his sword to get back on his feet.
He took a tense stance and looked at Sena. Sena stood in the same position as he raised his sword.
Sena turned and tilted his head. Unlike Garumel, covered in dirt, his white robe was spotless.
“What are you doing?”
Garumel grinned.
“And you demanded to make the first move with such skill? You have no shame.”
“There’s such a difference in our builds…”
There was a height difference of at least 30 cm. Sena felt it was unfair. In a fight without magic, physique mattered a lot. To be fair, Garumel should be fighting with a reed instead of a wooden sword.
“It’s frightening to think how many people have been deceived by that innocent face of yours.”
“Innocent?”
Sena looked at him, clearly offended, and coughed a couple of times.
“For your information, I was the top graduate of the Larden Academy. I’m not an easy opponent.”
Sena felt a bit proud.
Garumel circled around Sena.
“Did you know? Many knights from that esteemed Academy have knelt before me.”
“Top graduates are a different level.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Garumel dashed forward, quickly closing the distance and aiming a strike at his abdomen.
‘Block this.’
Sena was right. This fight was mismatched from the start due to their physical differences.
No matter how skilled he was, the difference in strength was undeniable.
Even if he blocked this strike, it would be disadvantageous for him.
Whish!
Garumel swung his sword wide. But Sena was no longer there.
‘Blind spot!’
He had stayed still for so long that he couldn’t imagine him moving quickly enough to get out of his line of sight.
Instinctively, Garumel turned his head. Sena, who had crouched, was about to swing his sword upward again.
‘Not this time.’
Garumel opted to block rather than deflect. This time, he managed to meet his sword head-on.
‘A feint?’
But the force behind his wooden sword was very weak. This was an attack designed with the next move in mind.
Anticipating this, he assumed a defensive stance. But Sena did not continue his attack.
‘Is he waiting for a counter? You’ve made a poor choice.’
Combos were Garumel’s specialty. Seizing the opportunity, he prepared to swing his sword.
At that exact moment, Sena’s sword came flying in.
‘I was caught. But how did he know when I was going to attack?’
He aimed for his left side. Garumel positioned his sword accordingly. But Sena’s sword was incredibly slow.
Slow enough for him to adjust his angle.
Wham!
“…”
Garumel took a hit. One or two hits could be tolerated.
Grinding his teeth, he prepared to counterattack. But Sena swung his sword in the same manner at the same time.
‘Your speed is unreasonable.’
He was confident. He had gauged Sena’s range, speed, and timing.
Garumel believed his sword was faster. However…
This time, Sena swung his sword with unbelievable speed. Feeling a sting on his wrist, Garumel stepped back to distance himself from Sena.
‘Damn furball.’
He was about to explode with rage. As he retreated, Sena didn’t let up and chased after him.
Typically, one would take a moment to catch their breath. Not Sena. Garumel attempted to ward him off with his sword. But again, Sena’s shoulder moved first.
He extended his sword to block. This time, his strike was slow and deliberate, catching him off guard as Sena adjusted his angle for another strike.
Wham!
“…”
Garumel took another hit. He clenched his teeth and thought.
‘I’ll have to get serious.’
And it continued. Not once could he break Sena’s timing. Every time he tried to swing, he attacked first, and when he tried to block, he was out of sync.
His timing was so uncanny it seemed like he could read his mind. Enraged, Garumel resorted to a reckless barrage of powerful strikes, as if hoping to win by sheer force.
At that moment, Sena’s eyes gleamed.
Garumel’s strike, though powerful, was straightforward.
Sena seized the opportunity.
He deflected his blow diagonally and spun his wooden sword in an oval arc before striking it down onto the ground.
As Garumel’s wooden sword hit the ground helplessly—
Thunk.
Sena stepped on Garumel’s sword with his foot.
‘What just happened?’
It was like his sword moved like a snake, as if it were alive.
Garumel was in a daze, staring at his wooden sword pinned by Sena’s small foot.
He raised his eyes only to see his face.
“Do you surrender?”
Whack, whack, whack.
Sena lifted his sword high and repeatedly smacked Garumel on his head with the flat side of the blade.
After about fifteen strikes, Garumel yelled out.
“F*ck! Stop that!”
“Don’t use bad language!”
“You’re driving me crazy!”
Garumel, now indifferent to the test, swung his sword wildly at Sena, intent on hitting him at least once.
**
Astria watched the ridiculous scene before her with a bemused expression.
“What am I witnessing right now? He’s completely toying with him.”
“That clumsy-looking swordplay hurts more than it seems, Your Majesty.”
Chris gave a withering smile, recalling his own past PTSD.
“It hurts more in the heart than the body. It feels like your entire existence is being denied. The problem is, once you feel that way, you’ve already fallen into Sena’s trap, and you end up getting hit even more. Just like that.”
“…”
Garumel was being thoroughly pummeled, illustrating Chris’s point well.
Despite his rugged, battle-hardened swordsmanship, Garumel now looked like a novice.
“The reason I chose defensive swordsmanship was to avoid getting hit by Sena’s strikes.”
“…Chris.”
Astria glared at Chris with a stern look.
“Don’t go around telling that story. It undermines my dignity.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Chris quietly retreated.
The duel still wasn’t over. Sena was running around the Colosseum floor, laughing, like a little devil.
Astria, watching Sena’s antics, suddenly recalled something and spoke softly.
“Chris. You were part of the 17th class of students, right?”
“The most troublesome class in the history of Larden.”
The 17th class of Larden was infamous for being the most challenging. It had an unusually high number of outstanding talents. Typically, only two or three graduates would join the elite knights, but that class had seventeen.
“Yes, and Sena was the strongest knight among the 17th class. No one could match him pure swordsmanship. He is truly a natural talent.”
“A child who is called a saint managed that?”
Chris, who had been quiet, folded his hands behind his back and watched Sena with a nostalgic smile.
“Indeed, Sena’s nickname was the Saint of Larden.”
“But before that, he was called something else.”
Chris looked at Sena’s flowing silver hair and murmured softly.
“Invincible Sena.”
Clang!
Sena held his sword unwaveringly at Garumel’s neck.
