"Haa... My bad, sorry, I got a little excited after the shield hit my back." Ryuji wiped his forehead while offering his hand to the fallen knight. The knight swallowed his saliva while panting yet he still took Ryuji''s hand.


    "No problem, we were told of the danger and given enough rewards. Lord Ryuji." The knight spoke with a shaky voice; however, he seemed to be professional enough to hide his current excitement or maybe fear of Ryuji.


    Ryuji cracked his back while feeling the cooling breeze against his warm, sweaty skin, enjoying the moment of rxation while the other knights removed their armour and sat on a nearby bench, looking exhausted; the shield knight''s face waspletely pale as she looked at Ryuji.


    Oh? That knight turned out to be a woman, quite the smart fighter.


    "It seems that C-Rank is a little too easy for you... Why do you have such an unfair amount of power?" n''s lips formed a sly smile while his eyes beamed with amusement. He didn''t seem mad. In fact, it was as if he was observing a rare scene, simr to watching a tiger training with its cubs.


    "n, my abilities are not infinite, and I can''t fight for a long time at that intensity without losing my control."


    Ryuji didn''t want to lie or paint a bigger picture of himself than he could. The moment he felt excited, that would cause him to lose control and fall into a frenzied state. When he was in such a state, nothing other than murder would satisfy him.


    Ryuji himself did not know how powerful he could be. However, he knew it was more than these knights could handle. n''s face seemedplicated as his cheeks became tight, lips pressed together while he looked at the knights, already exhausted after one session.


    "I have some subordinates, quite simr to these knights here... However, they will likely be a little too much for you to handle. Ryuji, you will suffer a lot of punishment if you train with them... Do you still want to ept?" The concern in n''s voice as his eyebrows lifted and the severe look in his eyes became one of worry made Ryuji smile. His brother was too gentle with him.


    "I''ll ept them! If I reach my limit, then I''ll stop, don''t worry." Ryuji''s bright, gleaming eyes seemed to shine like two stars while his lips curled upwards, revealing his pearly whites and forming a handsome smile.


    n thought for a moment, and, after pondering over the options, he sighed, "Alright, I''ll contact them, but it might take an hour, so until then, you should do solo practice. They are not people you should underestimate."


    "Got it!" Ryuji''s face seemed to twinkle with joy; he had never trained with someone his age who could beat him before, and so his heart raced with anticipation. So he rushed to the wooden weight machines and began preparing himself.


    n looked at the tired knights with a bitter smile. "How was he in your eyes? I will make sure to send the payment to your barrackster today."


    "My lord... I believe that if any other knight of our rank were to battle him, they could only run for a minute at most, not to mention the danger that his pure strength would cause." The greatsword knight responded. He looked at the blood on his de with a grimace. "That boy, he allowed my de to cut his flesh so he could gain an advantage... How horrifying."


    The greatsword knight looked to be in his early thirties with light brown hair and an elegant face. He looked down at his de, wondering why his father passed him a family heirloom.


    n''s lips curled into a faint smile as his eyes narrowed at the weapon. "I see. The Weeping Rose is quite famous... to think that you gave Ryuji such praise."


    "Stop it, Duke n... That boy is horrifying, like a beast trapped in a boy''s visage. If he bes stronger there would be almost nobody able to contend with him in our nation... Maybe the crimson witch... ah... forgive me, Duke n, your sister...


    she can no longer fight..." The greatsword knight''s face became pale as his voice trembled.


    "There is no problem; my sister is still alive. She might not fight again, but she is still with us... I won''t let her be like our mother." n''s gentle smile disappeared as he lowered his head and muttered.


    The knights'' faces seemed grim. They knew that the truth was even more severe. n''s older sister had lost all of her power fighting against the demons for the kingdom... How she remained alive was a mystery for those who knew of these events.


    "Forget it. I will help you as promised. I need to stop him from bing like my sister. He is too careless about his own life, especially if it''s to save another... that he cares for."


    The knights hobbled and limped from the arena while n watched Ryuji; his eyes carried a strange, gentle light as if looking at a family member.


    "Ryuji... do you know how much you worry me, you damn fool!"


    Of course I do, n... It''s the most care I''ve felt since my mother would worry about me when sick. Ryuji could only smile as he continued to enjoy the bench press, feeling his muscles pushed to their limits while awaiting his new training partners.


    ***


    The females wore a skin-tight training outfit that clung to their skin but allowed for the best movement; Erika and Yumiko stood side by side while facing off against Kathryn, who held her sword with the tip pointed towards them, her legs parted in a low stance.


    "Stop messing around ande at me already. I don''t have all day." Kathryn''s voice echoed with a light taunt as she lifted her lips, sneering at the girls.


    "Erika, let''s beat her up!" Yumiko''s voice was soft yet violent as she focused her eyes on Kathryn, her icy gaze causing Kathryn''s skin to tingle from the slight killing intent hidden in them.


    Erika''s eyes narrowed as a look of contempt shed through them; she didn''t seem to take kindly to Kathryn''s attitude and red at the armoured female. "Let''s do this."


    Suddenly, the two girls moved forward. Erika held two Elven swords, while Yumiko remained unarmed while looking for an opening to strike. They closed in on Kathryn while moving in a circr motion, yet Kathryn remained rxed and poised.


    Erika swung her des in a straight line towards Kathryn''s waist as if aiming to chop the enemy in half. Yumiko bolted towards the left while performing a feint. She used her small height and speed to try to get in close to Kathryn.


    Kathryn smiled as she held her sword in front of her body in a defensive position. "Is that all you can do?"


    Before Yumiko could arrive in front of Kathryn, her eyes suddenly widened. The female in armour began to blur as her body shed forwards. Her body spun in a circle while her de extended in a sh, her body power and strength allowing for a powerful spin sh that forced the iing Erika to defend with her des.


    *ng!*


    Yumiko flipped backwards to evade the de while Erika struggled to hold against Kathryn''s onught of powerful strikes.


    "Don''t ignore me!" Yumiko shouted as she lowered her body, lunging forward, before sending both fists out, aiming to punch Kathryn in the back and kidney.


    "Who said I was ignoring you?" Kathryn''s voice was calm and steady, as if she had expected this. Before her voice disappeared, she pointed towards Yumiko with her left hand before she snapped. "Wind de!"


    An invisible de formed in front of her pointing finger; it flew as if a small sword had been thrown, aimed at the approaching Yumiko.


    Yumiko''s eyes shed with danger, and her face showed no emotion as she changed her attack. She stepped off the wall, leaping into the air to avoid the long de of wind, before mming down her leg with an axe kick.


    "Nice one!" Kathryn grinned before she leapt to the side and raised her de overhead in a diagonal sh.


    The ground cracked while a shockwave rattled the hall. Yumiko''s face remained expressionless as she slid across the floor, the contact of her kick only shallow, but it caused Kathryn to grimace in pain, shaking her left arm to regain the feeling.


    Yumiko looked at her fist, which was bleeding from blocking the swift counterattack, and her lips curled into a smile.


    "You have tough skin, Beastkin."


    "Is that supposed to be apliment, Knight?"


    Kathryn''s eyes beamed with interest as she prepared to block the oing des. Before she could act, Yumiko dashed forward once again with a feint; her fist clipped Kathryn''s hand, and she smiled at the shriek of pain.


    "Ah! You fucking bitch!"


    However, the moment that Kathryn removed her focus from Erika, her body suddenly became like a flicker of light as she used her skill [de Flurry.]


    Her de began to sh rapidly towards Kathryn''s vital areas, causing the female to widen her eyes in surprise before she took apletely defensive pose against Erika''s seven shes, teleporting her body towards Kathryn''s weak points with each swing, causing Kathryn to feel panicked.


    The skill had already begun! There was no escape!


    source-at-MVLeMpYr


    A series of sparks resounded within the training room, and in the next instant, Yumiko''s body charged at Kathryn using her [Relentless Blitz] attack, mming a powerful kick against her stomach and then an uppercut.


    "Haa!" Kathryn groaned before Yumiko kicked her in the chest with her foot, forcing her to stumble back while gasping for air.


    "Fuck..." Kathryn stumbled to her feet and caught her breath while ring at Yumiko, her eyes filled with frustration at the intense onught of attacks she had endured. "You two are cheating, fighting together like that!"


    Kathryn grinned as she caught Yumiko''s fist. "Let''s take a rest, and next time, I''ll have backup too." She then nced at the pair, who looked winded with a pleasantugh, before two maids entered the room, one with a long de and the other with two daggers.


    "This should even the odds right?"