Chapter 761: Chapter 20 Duel_3

“Woah, is it so bad I can’t even mock it?” Mo Yuankai laughed loudly. “Should I put it this way? Although you don’t want to attack and can’t defeat your opponent, your unyielding spirit is commendable, Knight Orianna. Are you really trying that hard?”

“Ugh…”

The crushing pressure on her shoulders intensified with the verbal attack, while the mass was still playing, adding insult to injury. Orianna clenched her teeth to hold back her tears, thinking she had really misjudged this person; she had never expected this so-called “hero” to be such a sarcastic man.

But she was helpless; the gap in their combat power was too significant. To even temporarily stand on equal footing with this man using her Manifestation Level power, she owed it all to the support of the Bright Flower armor. Her weakness was completely in his grasp, and the Manifestation Method that forbade others from fighting also cut off her own possibility to combat. How could a knight who couldn’t attack win a true victory?

“You are free to think whatever you like!” Orianna, propping herself up with the hilt of her sword, her body close to collapsing, said in frustration, “I am fighting in this way… If you want victory, then crush me completely!”

Boom! Boom! Another two massive rocks fell like a cape of prison, making Orianna almost spit blood. She was starting to lose clarity in her vision, Mo Yuankai’s voice mingled with the mass, agitating her gradually dulled reactions.

“What an eye-opener. Why even be a knight if you don’t want to fight, and even have the nerve to carry a sword. After all, you’re nothing more than a sword rack; a piece of barbecued pork would make a better Seventh Knight than you.”

Her bones creaked under the unbearable load, her muscles ached as though they were being torn apart, and her spine was on the verge of snapping. The feeling of powerlessness brought an overwhelming sense of defeat. It was always like this—ever since she became the glorified Seventh Knight, she never met anyone’s expectations. She couldn’t wield the Final Sword, she never won a single victory, and her strength became an obstacle in her path…

Suddenly, Orianna slipped into a dreamlike state. It was as if her spirit exceeded the confines of her body, drifting above the battlefield. From a bird’s eye view, she saw the disappointed faces of her comrades, the anxious or angry expressions of her friends, her unharmed duel opponent, and her own self, on the verge of collapse under the immense pressure.

What am I even doing? Orianna thought. Why am I suffering like this? There will always be someone better than me with a sword, and I serve no purpose in straightforward fights. The peace I pray for is misunderstood by everyone, the beliefs I adhere to are not recognized by them, so there’s no reason for me to stay here… The Second Prince’s suggestion was right. It would be better to let someone else take my place, to hand over the sword and responsibilities… then I could be free… and no longer have to embarrass myself here…

She thought she had figured it out, laughing with a sense of relief, ready to concede. But in a haze, she heard a voice from reality; that man was still questioning her, incessant like a gloomy henchman.

“——Why did you become a knight?”

As if her soul was pulled back by gravity’s tether, her consciousness, which had escaped her body, plummeted back into her suffering frame. Memories flashed by rapidly, blurring into indistinct swatches of color, and her mind’s eye finally settled on an afternoon from her childhood, watching the glorious knights patrolling the streets. Their armor and blue capes exuded such valor, carrying pride that made onlookers envious.

Pride born of protection.

“I…!”

A breeze started blowing across the field.

It wasn’t an invisible current of air, but a spread of light akin to a Wind Blade, pale gold in color.

This light originated from the other end of the battlefield, from the hands of the nearly fallen knight, whose wind-like radiance caused the blood-red Sealing to tremble.

“I am…!”

The blood-colored fabric entwining the Sealed sword suddenly burst into shreds, revealing the sword’s silver-white body in full view on the battlefield. The silver-white sword light kicked up a fierce wind, tearing the earthen prison apart like a mere cloth!

The golden light rampaged across the duel field, its terrible momentum akin to a true typhoon. The violent force undulated in rings; countless pieces of the torn fabric were swept up by the stream of light, spiraling into a bloody vortex high in the sky. Orianna staggered to her feet, raising the sword high with both hands. The knight’s roar overshadowed the wind pressure, resonating through the center of the battlefield.

“To protect the peace of my homeland! That’s why I became a knight!!!”

The giant sword descended, the flow of light sliced outward, and a blinding burst obscured everyone’s vision. The tremendous force was directed at the superpower user on the other side. The golden sword light split the entire field in two, cutting apart the spiraling air currents released by the breaking of the Seal, a display of grandeur like the miracle of parting the seas found in myths!

Knight Yuliy immediately pointed his sword tip to the ground, and a beautiful frost like crystalline ice extended below him, surrounding the entire field in an instant to serve as the first layer of defense to protect the spectators. Mo Yuankai spread his palm flat, channeling his power with unprecedented focus.

“Hero stance, fully open!”

Dozens of semi-transparent polygonal shields unfurled, directly contesting the Final Sword’s sword light. The stance-like shields were shattered in an instant, only for new power to refill the gap instantaneously. The clashing lights spawned a fearsome explosion. Yuliy’s Ice Crystal defense lasted only a moment before being dispersed by the shockwave; the superpower’s energy collided with the sword light, shooting up into the sky and bursting into fireworks as nightfall approached!