Chapter 69: The Blood Elpirian

“Shreeeeeee!”

A sharp gust cut through the sky, whistling past Rohan’s ears.

At the same time, a deadly arrow streaked like lightning toward his heart.

Chaeng!

A crisp, piercing metallic clang rang out.

In that split-second, a towering figure in a crimson cloak swept in, blocking Rohan’s path.

A massive greatsword flashed like a bolt of lightning, slicing the arrow’s trajectory clean in two.

The arrow was knocked aside, tumbling weakly to the ground.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

Martin Lonesis.

After deflecting the arrow that had come flying so fiercely, he readjusted his sturdy grip on the greatsword.

Standing beside Rohan, Martin’s imposing presence was like a solid fortress wall.

From one side of the tense battlefield, a shadow slowly began to reveal itself.

Their face was hidden deep within a hood, but for some reason, Rohan could sense who it was.

―If you ever… happen to run into that guy, Shakan, avoid him at all costs. I don’t know about anything else, but in terms of skill, he’s second only to the best in Silvaren.

An archer of deadly precision. A figure cloaked from head to toe in black.

And above all, the chilling name the Marquis had uttered a moment ago.

“Martin, be careful. That one’s Elpirian.”

“Elpirian, you say?”

Martin’s eyebrows flicked up in mild surprise.

“That silent assassin who lurks by the Marquis’s side like a shadow. That’s him.”

“I see.”

A sharp glint flashed in Martin’s eyes.

Along with a subtle intrigue, a burning fighting spirit flared in his heart.

“He won’t be an easy opponent. In fact… you might even lose.”

If even Retina, known for her cold rationality, had warned them to this extent, the opponent was surely no ordinary foe.

During the illegal auction uproar at the Imperial Palace, hadn’t even the sharp-eyed Retina failed to catch him?

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.”

Martin fixed his gaze on the slowly advancing Shakan, gripping his sword hilt even tighter.

Fwoosh!

In that instant, Martin’s greatsword flared with an intense red blaze.

As if it had a heart of its own, fierce flames erupted along the blade, heating the air around it.

A faint smile tugged at Martin’s lips.

“I won’t be easy to handle either.”

Even Rohan, no expert in swordsmanship, could sense the overwhelming power radiating from Martin’s blade.

‘The Awakening of Sunfire! He really did it!’

The legendary weapon, Sunfire—said to double its wielder’s aura at the moment of awakening.

Yes, maybe with this sword…

Perhaps it could overcome that unfathomable assassin.

Rohan pinned his desperate hopes on Martin and his Sunfire.

Upon seeing Martin’s sword, Shakan slung his bow over his shoulder and drew two long curved swords from inside his hood.

The sinister blue curves gleamed with a cold, deadly edge, as if coated with venom.

At last, the distance between the two men closed.

In the suffocating silence, it was Shakan who moved first.

Sreung!

With a sharp hiss, both of Shakan’s curved blades sliced through the air toward Martin.

Their movement was fluid and unpredictable, like a snake.

It seemed a frontal attack, but the blades instantly shifted trajectory, aiming for Martin’s flank and nape.

Chang! Chang!

But Martin was not so easily taken down.

Sunfire burst with fierce flames, deflecting Shakan’s attacks, each impact thundering like a drum.

Every clash of curved sword and greatsword sent sparks flying, and before long, the surrounding soldiers were more entranced by their duel than their own battles.

“For a human, you’re impressive.”

A low, cold voice drifted from within Shakan’s hood.

“That sword—where did you get it? I can feel the magic power in it… Dwarf-made, isn’t it.”

Finishing the words abruptly, he slipped into the shadows once more.

His speed was so great that even his footsteps were nearly silent.

In a flash, he closed in on Martin, aiming for his throat.

Ka-kang!

Martin used Sunfire as a shield, blocking yet another attack.

“Hmph, hot—very hot.”

Shakan frowned as he saw smoke rising from their clashing blades.

The sword’s dancing red flames were a threat in themselves.

“But that’s all. You wield aura fairly well for a human… but you’re still unskilled.”

“……!”

The curved blade slipped neatly into a gap in Martin’s defense.

Shakan’s sword scraped against Martin’s armor, producing a chilling screech.

For a moment, Martin’s face showed surprise.

‘He’s even faster?’

Martin swung his sword to shake off Shakan, but Shakan was already preparing his next attack.

Like a creature with multiple arms, both curved blades assaulted Martin relentlessly.

Chang! Kang! Chaeng!

The shrill clangor of clashing steel echoed without pause.

“Damn it, Martin…!”

Rohan clenched his fist so tightly his palm grew damp.

It was clear at a glance the tide had turned toward Shakan.

‘No! If Martin goes down like this…!’

Rohan was shaken for the first time in ages.

He could not afford to lose Martin here.

Kaaaang!

Martin poured even more of his power into Sunfire’s flames, focusing on defense.

The red blaze repelled Shakan’s approach and tried to disrupt his rhythm.

But Shakan didn’t flinch from the fire.

He moved as lightly as the wind, dodging Sunfire’s attacks by the narrowest of margins.

In an instant, he spun behind Martin and swung his blade.

“That was entertaining, human.”

The blade was aimed precisely at Martin’s heart.

At that moment—

“Ghk?”

Shakan twisted away, startled.

Sssshhh!

With a chilling rush of wind, a fierce blade sliced the air right in front of his nose.

“……!”

Martin, unable to grasp the situation, turned his head belatedly—then his eyes went wide in disbelief.

“Ay, if I’d been a moment later, I’d have lost a precious student.”

Suddenly, Retina stood at the very heart of the battlefield. A sharp dagger was gripped in her hand, and her red eyes glared fiercely at Shakan. She had returned from Silvaren.

“I had a hunch, and I was right. It really was you, Retina.”

Shakan quickly retreated, widening the gap between himself and Retina.

His voice was tinged with both surprise and a strange emotion.

“Shakan. I had a hunch, too. So it really was you? It’s a pity I couldn’t say hello last time.”

Retina’s voice was calm, but a taut tension hung around her.

It was more than just the tension of battle—it was the air of old rivals meeting once again.

Clutched in Retina’s hand was a sleek silver dagger.

Its exquisitely gleaming blade radiated a keen, almost living aura.

Her stance was fluid yet firm.

Like a beast ready to pounce at any moment, her eyes never left Shakan.

Shakan faced her, gripping both blue curved swords.

The brief standoff was broken by Retina.

The moment her feet struck the ground, her body vanished without leaving even an afterimage.

Chaaak!

A sharp dagger cut through the air.

Shakan ducked, barely dodging Retina’s attack.

Chang! Chang!

Two sharp blades collided in quick succession.

Dagger and curved swords crashed fiercely, sending sparks flying.

“What the—what are we even looking at?”

“I can’t even keep up with my eyes!”

The soldiers, having mostly subdued their prisoners, became ever more absorbed in the impossible battle before them.

Sssshhh!

Retina’s movements were razor-sharp and unpredictable, as if she walked upon the edge of a blade.

She drove Shakan back with astonishing speed.

Meanwhile—

Shakan used the long reach of his swords to block Retina’s approach, aiming for any opening.

His attacks were tenacious and snake-like—never missing once he locked onto a target, each strike seeking to be fatal.

Their duel was like a fierce yet beautiful dance.

At breathless speeds, with impossible motions, their blades crossed ceaselessly, showering sparks with every clash.

Not a single soldier dared set foot in their domain.

They could only watch, breathless, as this superhuman struggle unfolded before them.

Kang!

“What is this? Why are you working for that human, putting yourself in such danger?”

Retina shot the question as their blades crashed together.

Her gaze pierced Shakan.

“……That’s none of your concern.”

But Shakan cut her off coldly, shutting down conversation.

His red eyes bore into Retina for a moment, then regained their icy calm.

“Don’t tell me—you didn’t leave Silvaren because your pride was wounded after that incident, did you? I can’t believe the strong-willed you would run away.”

There was a hint of barbed sarcasm in Retina’s words.

“Hah! Ridiculous. Only childish fools care about their pride like that.”

A cynical smile flickered across Shakan’s lips.

He spoke firmly, as if past events meant nothing to him.

Suddenly, Shakan’s blade lunged like the fangs of a hungry beast, aiming for Retina’s side.

Ssssk!

With a chilling sound, the sharp blade grazed Retina’s clothes like paper.

It lasted only a heartbeat, but the attack sent a cold shiver down the spine.

But, to everyone’s surprise, Retina didn’t falter—she used that fleeting opening to slip deeper into Shakan’s guard.

Her movement flowed as naturally as water.

Chaaak!

This time, Retina’s silver dagger sliced sharply across Shakan’s arm.

Red droplets scattered across his hood like falling petals.

“Ghk…!”

A brief, pained groan escaped Shakan’s lips.

He quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and Retina.

His red eyes glinted even more menacingly.

“Oh dear. With a wound like that, you won’t be shooting arrows properly for a while.”

Retina looked down coldly at Shakan’s injured arm.

A proud light glimmered in her blue eyes.

“……Your skill hasn’t dulled.”

Shakan growled, clutching his deeply cut left arm.

His expression was twisted in pain and anger.

“You might be trouble with a bow from a distance, but with a blade, you can’t match me. Still haven’t figured that out?”

“…….”

Shakan only glared at Retina, saying nothing.

His red eyes blazed with fury, but there was an edge of anxiety in them.

Then, as the situation turned against him, the Marquis shouted in panic.

“Shakan! Take me and get us out of here, quickly!”

Seeing the invincible Shakan suffer an unexpected wound, the Marquis was overcome with dread.

Shakan moved immediately to obey the Marquis’s command—but

“Going somewhere?”

With an icy voice, a sharp silver blade hovered right at his throat.

Shakan could hardly breathe.

“Ahh, I surrender.”

At last, in a low voice filled with resignation—

Clatter!

Shakan’s curved swords dropped weakly from his hands.

As he surrendered, the Marquis’s face darkened with despair and rage.

“Waaaaaah!”

The soldiers, who had been watching the suffocating duel with sweaty palms, erupted into wild cheers.