Chapter 203: The Duel on the Seventais River

Charlot was unwilling to show weakness. With a flick of his Berserker Blade, he subtly shifted his footing, making it impossible for Count Lamorak to lock onto him with his charge.

Their second clash was just as ferocious.

Charlot performed well, but it wasn’t as flawless as the first exchange. His grip lacked sufficient force dispersion, causing one foot to step into the river. However, he quickly struck the Seventais River with his Knight’s Lance, leveraging the water’s rebound force to propel himself back into the air, simultaneously forcing Ban Lamorak to halt his pursuit.

The two of them sprinted and circled around the river three times before launching another charge in unison. Their Knight’s Lances surged forward like dragons breaching the sea, like serpents stirring the tides.

In the blink of an eye, six or seven rounds had passed. Charlot’s grip was starting to weaken. He knew that relying solely on spear techniques would only get him this far—any longer, and he would likely lose. Taking a deep breath, he shouted:

"Count Lamorak's spear skills are the finest in the Old Continent. Therefore, I too have chosen a Knight’s Lance as a sign of respect.

But now that I have witnessed the techniques of the Lamorak family, I request permission to switch to a weapon that suits me better."

The crowds on both banks erupted into cheers. Charlot’s words greatly satisfied the vanity of the Ingrima Empire’s people and even won the favor of some Bledton residents.

Even Emperor Alfred Guillaume, watching from Bledton Bridge, chuckled and declared:

"Permission granted. Charlot Mecklenburg may switch to a more suitable weapon."

The emperor’s decree was quickly relayed to the duelists by the Saint-rank referee. Ban Lamorak lowered his Knight’s Lance slightly and barked,

"Switch your weapon then!"

Charlot spun around and hurled Berserker Blade across the Seventais River. The Knight’s Lance embedded itself deep into the riverbank.

Standing onshore, Julian Arsilo chuckled, pulled the Knight’s Lance from the ground, and, with a casual toss, sent Charlot’s rope dart flying toward him over the water.

Charlot was momentarily stunned. He had assumed Dolores Soumet would throw him his spare Meteor Hammer instead. Even Dolores, who was holding a pair of Meteor Hammers, hesitated before turning to Anastasia and Belisa, commenting,

"This weapon looks so strange!"

Charlot caught the rope dart, and before he could react further, Ban Lamorak attacked again.

With no other choice, Charlot showcased every trick he knew with the rope dart, displaying an array of dazzling maneuvers. Even Emperor Alfred Guillaume, observing the duel, couldn't help but offer praise. Ban Lamorak, having never encountered such a weapon before, found himself increasingly pressured. Each of Charlot’s strikes carried considerable force, and the rope dart's tether had unexpected uses—allowing him to launch twin short blades from unexpected angles, forcing Ban Lamorak into a cautious defensive stance.

After seventeen or eighteen exchanges, Ban Lamorak had finally grasped the mechanics of the rope dart. If it had been a Transcendent weapon, he might have had trouble dealing with it, but ultimately, it was just an ordinary weapon—it couldn’t penetrate his Frost Dragon Battle Energy. No matter how long the rope was, it wasn’t a real threat.

Reassessing his approach, Ban Lamorak adjusted his tactics. He added a rotational force to each thrust of his Knight’s Lance—if the lance ensnared the rope, it would inevitably wrap around and restrict Charlot’s movements.

Sensing the shift in momentum, Charlot quickly discarded the rope dart and called out,

"Ban Lamorak, let’s stop playing around. It’s time to show our real skills!"

He raised his hand, and Dolores flicked a magic card, sending a mysterious force that carried a pair of Meteor Hammers into the air above the river.

Charlot reached out and seized them, immediately transitioning into the Beastman Meteor Hammer Technique—a style known for its unmatched brutality yet intricate precision.

Ban Lamorak countered with masterful responses, dissecting each of Charlot’s moves over twenty brutal exchanges. Finally, he saw through Charlot’s rhythm and unleashed his trump card—his Knight’s Lance pulsed with Frost Dragon Battle Energy, colliding with Charlot’s Meteor Hammers. The resulting impact froze and shattered the Meteor Hammers on the spot.

Though Charlot’s Meteor Hammers were of excellent craftsmanship, they were still just ordinary weapons, unable to withstand the devastating power of the Lamorak family’s battle energy.

Charlot discarded the broken chains and raised his hand once more.

This time, Anastasia tossed two magical rapiers toward him. However, the moment the rapiers left her hands, she suddenly realized—

"Wait! I got too absorbed in watching! Charlot only uses one rapier—I should’ve thrown just one!"

Charlot hadn’t specified beforehand, assuming that Dolores would hand him the Meteor Hammer while Anastasia would provide the rapier—whichever one she chose would be fine. But instead, she had thrown both.

Charlot caught both magical rapiers, unwilling to let these Transcendent weapons fall into the Seventais River.

Ban Lamorak’s expression flickered. Charlot chuckled awkwardly and said,

"Let’s switch weapons once more."

Ban Lamorak didn’t argue—he simply pressed forward. His Knight’s Lance, surging with Frost Dragon Battle Energy, roared like a raging ice dragon as he unleashed his family’s legendary lance techniques in full force.

Now armed with his favored weapons, Charlot, having experienced dozens of exchanges, finally settled into the rhythm of battle. He relied on Swiftstep Technique and Spider Technique, darting across the river’s surface. His twin swords wove intricate patterns—sometimes crossing, sometimes striking separately—showcasing the depth of Arsilo Swordsmanship to its fullest.

Charlot had trained Angel’s Twelve Movements to the eighth movement, Twilight Requiem. Purely in terms of swordsmanship, neither Hughes nor Julian Arsilo could match him. Although his Stardust Battle Energy was somewhat weaker, he had opened seven Blood Vortexes, with six actively augmenting him—narrowing much of the power gap.

In the past, Charlot never thought much about weapon preferences, assuming any blade could do the job. But against Ban Lamorak, one of the most formidable knights of the younger generation, the immense pressure made him realize—his true strength lay in magical rapiers.

All those theories about long and short weapon advantages paled in comparison to the raw power of Angel’s Twelve Movements.

For two or three hundred exchanges, the two warriors battled fiercely on the Seventais River. The nobles and commoners alike watched, enraptured, cheering fervently.

...

Atop Bledton Bridge, Aurora Soumet stood beside her father, watching the duel unfold.

She observed Charlot, who had switched between multiple weapons with practiced ease—each transition seamless. Even against Ban Lamorak, he never faltered. And now, with his twin rapiers, his swordplay was dazzling, exuding an elegance that was almost otherworldly.

A strange sense of jealousy crept into her heart.

"Is Menielman Soumet truly the most beautiful woman in the Old Continent?" she mused.

"First, there was Zimourman Axel Robin, and now Charlot Mecklenburg—how many more admirers will fight life-or-death duels for her?"

"We’re all girls, so why is she so exceptional?"

What Aurora didn’t realize was that this duel had been initiated by Ban Lamorak—for her.

And on this day, at least half the women in Bledton were envious of Aurora Soumet, wishing they too could say:

"We’re all girls—so why are you the one who shines so brightly?"

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