Chapter 177

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“I seek your teachings.”

Right after Rimer’s short statement, the training ground erupted into chaos.

“What’s happening? Is she really…?”

“Did she just challenge him to a duel?”

“The Wild Sword challenging a Barbarian?”

It wasn’t hard to understand.

Even though Ulan was from a Barbarian background, he had proven his status as a Master during the last mock battle.

However, there was a different issue at hand.

“Is it really okay to duel?”

“Yeah, I heard that battles between Masters are prohibited by international law?”

Fights, duels, and so on.

Masters must never brandish weapons or fists against one another. This rule applied to both the Empire and the Kingdom Alliance.

As concerned glances were exchanged, a bystander shook his head.

“That’s true, but this time it’s different.”

“What? How’s it different?”

“For international law to apply, both Masters have to be affiliated with a country.”

Rimer was a Master affiliated with the Empire.

On the other hand, Ulan was a Master not affiliated with anyone. Hence, it meant that dueling wouldn’t be a violation of international law.

“Well, thinking about it, that’s definitely true…”

“So it should be fine then?”

The commotion quickly subsided.

They realized that Rimer and Ulan’s duel wouldn’t be a problem.

The spectators’ eyes brightened as they continued to watch the training ground. Dueling between Masters was a rare spectacle.

Meanwhile, at that moment, Rimer, who had sought guidance from Ulan, was clearly staring at the Barbarian man before her.

‘Ulan Bator.’

A powerful being that appeared like a comet.

A monster that had defeated two of the Empire’s Five Swords.

A Level 0 target designated by the military, clearly superior to her.

‘I heard from Sir Seoric that he said he would come under the Empire’s flag in the future.’

She heard he made a special contract.

She didn’t know what conditions were exchanged, though.

‘That means…’

For now, he wasn’t affiliated with the Empire.

In other words, there wouldn’t be any issues arising.

Having finished her thoughts, Rimer’s eyes sparkled like stars. She was full of anticipation.

‘Above all, it’s not every day a chance to spar with a Master comes around.’

Rimer didn’t come to the Academy merely to meet Fertisha.

She wanted to face Ulan at least once before Chartang’s move and before he affiliated with the Empire.

‘But it wasn’t easy.’

Unlike Marquis Gorphant, Rimer and Ulan had no points of connection. They had only crossed paths a few times on the streets of the capital.

While pondering how to propose a duel, just then, Ivella came seeking guidance.

‘Perfect timing.’

At the same time, she thought up a plan.

After casually facing Ivella, she would smoothly suggest a duel.

And now, her plan was coming to fruition.

All that was left was waiting for Ulan’s response. With her face mixing excitement and nervousness, she waited for his answer, and then Ulan spoke.

“I understand.”

“…!”

“If it’s okay for a moment.”

He agreed to the duel.

Then, Ulan glanced at the clock tower in the plaza, seeming to check the current time, which made Rimer ask curiously.

“Oh, do you have an appointment?”

“It’s almost dinner time.”

“…What?”

Her face turned blank for an instant.

At that moment, Ulan began to walk.

“Then let’s start.”

Now that they had decided on a duel, there was no need for further conversation. So, as she walked towards the training ground, Rimer suddenly reached out her hand.

“Wait a moment.”

“…?”

“Before the duel, I want to set a condition.”

“Condition?”

“I want to fight without using aura and without expanding our domains, is that okay?”

The reason she set the condition was simple.

She could clearly see the gap in strength between herself and Ulan.

If he used aura and expanded his domain, there was no way she would last even a minute before losing.

‘I want to fight a little longer.’

As previously mentioned, dueling with a Master was rare. Also, she wanted to know just how much pure strength Ulan had.

On the other hand, Ulan tilted his head.

It seemed he didn’t understand why Rimer made this proposal. However, he didn’t provide any opposing opinion.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

“Good. Then I ask you for a favor.”

She smiled as she handed him a wooden sword.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ulan broke the wooden sword in half. Rimer’s eyes widened slightly at this unexpected action.

“What are you doing…?”

“This feels more comfortable for me.”

Ulan held the broken pieces of the wooden sword in both hands.

Seeing this, Rimer finally understood.

He had said he primarily used an axe during sparring, so that must be more comfortable for him than a sword.

Rimer nodded in agreement.

A bit later, a strange silence enveloped the training ground.

With weapons in hand, Rimer and Ulan observed each other like warriors sizing one another up.

“…!”

The tension in the air thickened.

As the spectators nervously swallowed, it was Rimer who struck first, stepping forward.

‘Going on the offensive from the start!’

The unique swordsmanship of the Lapis family.

Her Wild Sword was a flurry of strikes, as Rimer unleashed all of her strength.

‘Reports indicated he is definitely…’

They said he had immense strength.

Yet, Rimer wasn’t worried. She was confident in her own strength.

Back when she was much younger, the previous head of the Lapis family recognized her talent and took her to the Magic Tower.

‘There’s only one reason.’

To prepare her for reaching the level of Master by honing her body to its extreme.

As a result, the procedures were a success.

She overcame the physical limitations women normally faced and gained a physique and strength that wouldn’t fall short compared to other Masters.

‘So…’

No matter how strong Ulan was, she thought she could at least put up a fight. If it seemed hopeless, she could just back off.

With these thoughts, she unleashed her onslaught.

But Rimer overlooked one critical fact.

“Huh?”

Ulan’s strength was beyond common sense.

It was unfathomably powerful.

She realized this right after their weapons clashed. Just as she sensed something was off and tried to pull back her attack—

Wham! Crunch!

The wooden sword shattered in an instant.

Without even a chance to redirect her attack, it was just broken from the impact. Staring blankly at the shattered wooden sword, she heard Ulan’s voice.

“Sorry about that. I held back a bit, but it seems I need to hold back even more.”

“……”

He said he was holding back?

After all, the wooden sword had shattered like a twig?

As she stood there in disbelief, Fertisha handed her a new wooden sword. Rimer collected herself once more.

‘His unexpected strength is impressive, but…’

Combat isn’t just about strength.

Taking a breath, Rimer focused again on the fight. She planned to counter Ulan with speed without engaging their swords.

‘He’s not wearing any armor.’

His muscles looked solid, but he was bare-bodied.

So, targeting that weakness should give her the upper hand. Making her decision, she kicked the ground again and unleashed her attack.

Whoosh! Swish! Swish!

A storm of thrusts.

So fast, it was difficult to dodge.

But inexplicably, Ulan didn’t avoid her attacks. He simply tanked each hit, closing the distance.

‘Why is it…’

There didn’t appear to be any openings?

One would expect him to flinch from the pain at least for a moment, but as Rimer stepped back in shock—

“……!?”

Suddenly the distance was completely closed.

It was already too late to evade.

Recognizing what happened, a massive hand ruthlessly clamped around Rimer’s face. Trying to break free was futile.

‘W-what kind of strength is this…!’

Ulan’s hand gripping her face felt as immovable as a boulder before the wind.

Then, in a fraction of a second, the thick tendons in his hand popped out, and he slammed Rimer’s head into the ground.

BOOM!

A thunderous sound echoed throughout the training ground.

With a sharp pain, her vision flickered.

As if a candle was being extinguished and relit, she experienced that bizarre feeling several times, and through her fading sight, she saw a massive hand reaching out.

Next came Ulan’s voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh, uhh…?”

“You fainted for a moment.”

What? I fainted? Me?

Rimer wore a dumbfounded expression.

Just then, an even more puzzling voice came from outside the training ground.

“You lost by default.”

It was the silver-haired girl, Delia Arpen, who stood outside. At her unexpected statement, Rimer blinked in confusion.

“What do you mean…?”

“You activated your aura just before smashing into the ground to protect your head.”

“……!”

Rimer’s eyes widened.

She realized her words were true.

At the same time, she understood why she had broken the rules and used aura.

‘…Survival instinct.’

Recognizing an immense threat, she had reflexively used her aura without even realizing it. As Rimer belatedly came to this understanding—

“You’re fine.”

A dry voice came again.

It was Ulan’s voice.

“In fact, it was a good thing. If you hadn’t, your head might have shattered.”

“……”

Rimer was left speechless.

Ulan’s words didn’t feel like a joke or a bluff. The lingering pain on the back of her head was proof enough that her aura had barely protected her.

A chilling feeling washed over her.

A bit later, after finally regaining her composure, Rimer stood up. Then she blinked in surprise once more.

“…Huh?”

The reason for her surprise was none other than Ulan’s body. Staring at him, Rimer asked with a bewildered expression.

“A-are you hurt?”

“Why do you suddenly ask that?”

“Well, because I hit you with my sword.”

She had hit him quite a lot, too.

Rimer trailed off her words. Meanwhile, Ulan nonchalantly waved his hand dismissively.

“That was just a graze.”

“……”

She was at a loss for words once more.

It could seem like bravado, but it was far from that. Ulan’s body was completely unscathed.

‘What kind of monster is this…?’

His strength evoked images of a giant that belonged in legends. Additionally, his body felt as tough as being clad in multiple layers of armor.

Moreover, one other insight surfaced during their spar.

‘There are no weaknesses that could be exploited.’

Every opening seemed to be a trap.

No matter how hard Rimer attempted to create an opening by striking, he would simply absorb everything with his body, leaving her no way to compete.

Then came the moment of realization.

Rimer understood.

‘Even without aura…’

Even without expanding their domains, defeating this man was impossible.

When she felt like she had met a Giant Wall, Ulan glanced at the clock tower once more.

“It’s best to wrap things up soon.”

The current time was 5:50 PM.

Only ten minutes left until the dining hall opened. Just as he was about to declare the end of their duel—

“…One last time.”

“What?”

“Just one more time, please.”

Rimer pleaded as she added a new condition.

“But this time, fight with all your strength.”

“So you mean I can use aura?”

“Yes, including your domain.”

She knew she couldn’t compete.

Yet, she asked him to go all out because she wanted to realize just how massive the wall was in front of her.

Facing the seriousness behind her eyes, Ulan nodded silently, and Rimer firmly gripped the wooden sword on the ground.

“Hoo.”

After taking a short breath, her stance shifted.

Not the Lapis family swordsmanship—this was combat style forged through countless actual battles she had crafted herself.

Raising her senses to their peak, she took a single step forward.

Five and a half steps was the maximum range of her sword.

As that aura spread, Ulan spoke in a blunt tone.

“Are you ready?”

There was no reply.

But she knew the preparations were complete. The glint in her eyes, honed like a sharp blade, confirmed it.

Rimer focused her gaze, determined not to miss Ulan’s breath, heartbeat, shudders, or movements.

But in that instant, the world flipped upside down.

“Huh?”

Her serious expression crumbled instantly.

Her lips parted as a dumbfounded voice slipped out, and her body spun half a rotation in the air before crashing into the ground.

BOOM!

With the pain felt in her back, the sky reflected in her eyes.

“……”

A clear blue sky with not a single cloud in sight.

Rimer blinked her eyes in confusion.

And soon, she realized.

‘I didn’t see it coming.’

She couldn’t follow the series of movements at all.

She had no idea how he had closed that distance so quickly or what had slammed her down.

Ulan’s breaths remained calm, his heartbeat and shudders the same as before. Then suddenly, Rimer’s eyes widened in realization.

‘Ah, I see now.’

Now she understood.

From the moment she asked Ulan to fight seriously, she had already stepped into his domain.

As she realized this, the words from Marquis Gorphant echoed in her mind.

“His domain is special.”

Recalling her duel with Ulan, Marquis Gorphant had answered like this.

“The moment you step into that domain, you encounter a version of yourself before becoming a Master. It’s like standing before a Giant Wall.”

At that time, she had thought it was ridiculous.

But now, experiencing it firsthand, Rimer had no choice but to acknowledge Gorphant’s words.

Yet there was one thing that was incorrect.

While the Marquis referred to Ulan as a Giant Wall, for Rimer, it was something else entirely. Even the term “wall” seemed insufficient.

‘…A mountain.’

So imposing and unreachable that she couldn’t even dare to think about climbing it.

Ulan was the very embodiment of a mighty mountain.

‘He’s terrifyingly strong.’

The world was indeed vast.

Who would have expected a monster like this to exist among the “Barbarians” she had dismissed as uncivilized?

‘But…’

That’s precisely why she was even more intrigued.

Realizing that the path of the sword she thought had ended still continued. Shaking off the dirt, Rimer bowed gracefully.

“Thank you for your teachings.”

Her demeanor had transformed significantly from before.

Rimer spoke sincerely, then wore a bright, innocent smile.

‘I can become stronger.’

Grateful for the potential to grow, she laughed heartily, a smile filled with satisfaction devoid of any lingering regrets.

After the overwhelming duel showcasing the vast gap in strength, Rimer left the Academy. She headed towards the Imperial Castle, where her master awaited.

Chapter 42: An Unwinnable Fight

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