<h4>Volume 3, Chapter 170: The Holy Knight, Gowen Ranid (1/2)</h4>


    Sparks shed as Gowen’s sword met Gi Go’s.


    “KU!”


    “NU!?”


    Both swords deflected off each other, and as if they had both been expecting this result, they immediately took back their swords and attacked once more.


    The two warriors fought fiercely as they staked their pride in this duel. Their battle was so fierce that they left no opening for others to interfere as their weapons shed repeatedly.


    When it seemed they were about to lock swords, Gowen jumped back, causing that careful bnce of power to break in an instant.


    But even as he did, Gi Go did not avert his eyes. That saved his life.


    For when Gowen jumped back, he sent a kick toward him, and in that moment when both he and Gi Go were in midair, Gowen’s arm shed with a precision like that of a master craftsman.


    Gowen had sent an attack toward Gi Go’s neck.


    In order to dodge that, Gi Go used the impact from Gowen’s earlier kick.


    Normally, one would endure when hit. That was even truer when one’s foe was none other than the old veteran, Gowen Ranid, himself. This was a battle were averting one’s eyes for even an instant meant death, yet Gi Go was actually able to make that crucial decision to jump back with Gowen’s kick.


    As a result, Gi Go did not suffer much damage.


    As soon as Gi Gonded, he mobilized all of his duke-ss muscles and closed in on Gowen once more.


    Gowen had forcefully sent a kick and struck out with his sword despite his awkward position. That nearly inhuman movement came at a cost, and it left Gowen with no choice afterwards but to defend. A slight frown could be seen on his face.


    When Gowen came into range, Gi Go released the curved sword he wielded by his side.


    Gowen broke his posture to turn his upper body toward Gi Go, while Gi Go sought to split Gowen’s body in half.


    In the next instant, Gowen used his right leg as an axis and spun.


    “NU!?”


    Though shocked, Gi Go believed this was a fatal error on Gowen’s part, so he continued to sh down with his curved sword.


    The sound of iron shing resounded once more as sparks shed.


    A closer look would show that Gowen had managed to parry Gi Go’s attack by rotating his body and letting most of the strength behind Gi Go’s attack to slide off his de, effectively changing the course of Gi Go’s sword.


    With that exchange Gowen had shown that he both possessed a courage that allowed him to brave the dangers of exposing one’s back during a duel and the skills to make it work.


    If it was a question of pure swordsmanship, that super parry just now would probably rank Gowen in the top 1 or 2 of Germion Kingdom.


    “!”


    Gi Go retrieved his sword as it was deflected, then he started pushing again.


    If one were to calmly analyze the battle, one would see that Gi Go was clearly winning in terms of stamina.


    The reason Gowen executed that parry just now was to conserve his strength and to avoid being hurt.


    All Gi Go needed to do now was to attack.


    But even if he wanted to, Gowen’s Martial Barrier Skill wasn’t something that would fall so easily.


    One step wrong, and Gi Go would very quickly find himself dead.


    That possibility dangled before his eyes as if wouldn’t let him forget it.


    From the start, this duel had been raging on like a man walking on a rope suspended between two valleys, but despite that, Gi Go did not cower, and he valiantly stepped forward.


    “GURUuoGOOO!”


    As Gi Go bellowed out a powerful battle cry, his body shed.


    Gi Go instantly closed the distance between him and Gowen as he struck out toward Gowen’s body.


    That sword of his came thrusting with a power sufficient to prate all the way through Gowen’s armor, but Gowen’s sword came swinging from below, giving rise to sparks once more.


    Gi Go had already expected this situation, however. Long-range and close-range existed even in a duel between swords.


    The more skilled one was the greater his understanding would be in regards to the profoundness of weapon range.


    This dangerous battle made Gi Go understand that.


    He understood that he couldn’t win a long-range battle with this man. Even with the protection of the sword god, even with his heightened physical faculties that a human couldn’tpare to, even with his undying zeal for the sword, he would not be able to win against this man’s sword.


    With iprehensible feelings weighing down on his heart - perhaps jealousy or envy - Gi Go braved through the danger and forced Gowen into a closebat battle.


    As Gi Go charged with his entire body, Gowen passed him by and struck out with his sword.


    Gowen had used his exceptional concentration and insight to see through Gi Go’s move. He met Gi Go’s thrust with a counter and hit Gi Go at the back of his head.


    “GU!”


    Gi Go retrieved his sword at thest moment and swung his sword toward Gowen.


    The two swords shed once more, and the two swordsmen distanced themselves from each other.


    Gowen caught his breath.


    “He really is strong,” Gi Go muttered, then faintly, he frowned. He felt a thin line of heat across his cheeks. He realized he had been cut.


    As one who has received the protection of the Sword God, Gi Go was undoubtedly a master swordsman among the goblins.


    The stamina he had as a duke ss was beyond that of any human’s, and he had with it a strength that allowed him to easily crush any human’s head. He could also leap like no human could ever dream of.


    Gowen being able to fight at or above Gi Go’s level was thanks to none other than the sword he had polished all these years.


    Gowen neither had the divine protection of the Sword God nor of the other gods.


    This was a realm he reached with his efforts alone.


    This was the result of a man who polished the strength of a normal human to its limits.


    This was the knight known as Gowen Ranid.