Chapter 473 - 384: The Holy See’s Dragon-Slaying War Begins
Chapter 473: Chapter 384: The Holy See’s Dragon-Slaying War Begins
During his rare moments of leisure, Raylo dedicated most of his time to training.
Aside from the two hours he unfailingly set aside each day to handle his duties as Lord, he spent nearly all his remaining time training.
Dusk fell, the setting sun like a pool of blood.
In the plaza, two figures were locked in combat. The clang of metal on metal was incessant, sparks tracing brief arcs of light in the deepening twilight.
CLANG!
Their Refined Steel Long Swords clashed again. Ed, relying on the immense Fighting Spirit of a Tier Four Knight, steadily kept Raylo on the defensive.
The Giant Strength transmitted through the blade made Raylo’s hand go numb, but he didn’t resist it head-on. Instead, he spun with the momentum. A flash of lightning sparked at his feet, and he slid back several meters like a phantom, dissipating most of the force.
"You’re getting faster, my Lord,"
Ed said in admiration.
But his assault didn’t let up in the slightest. He closed the distance with great strides, his Long Sword relentlessly pursuing its target, its tip aimed straight for Raylo’s throat.
Ed was a Tier Four Sky Knight, and in terms of pure Knightly Skills and Power, he was a cut above Raylo, who was a Tier Three Earth Knight.
An ordinary Earth Knight would have been utterly defeated by him in fewer than ten exchanges.
But Raylo was no ordinary Knight.
Facing Ed’s powerful and heavy thrust, Raylo advanced instead of retreating. A silver-blue electric light suddenly flared in his left palm, condensing into a crackling Thunderball that he sent to meet the tip of the blade.
FZZT!
The Thunderball exploded the instant it touched the sword tip. A violent electric current surged up the blade, and Ed felt his arm go numb, causing his attack to falter.
Raylo seized the fleeting opportunity. He ducked low, swinging his Long Sword upward from a tricky angle, aiming straight for Ed’s armpit.
Ed grunted, twisting hard at the waist. He forced his body to turn, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.
The two separated again, facing each other from a distance.
On a flight of steps nearby, Moonlight lay sprawled out lazily. It would occasionally lift its pale golden eyes to glance at the fight before yawning, as if watching two ants scuffle—utterly boring.
"It’ll take more than cheap tricks to beat me, my Lord,"
Ed said, flexing his still-tingling wrist.
"Then let’s try something different."
Raylo grinned. A dull thud, like a drumbeat, echoed from his chest.
"Heart of the Giant Dragon!"
In an instant, an aura far more tyrannical than before erupted from Raylo. A faint golden light flashed beneath his skin, and his eyes blazed.
Ed’s expression grew serious.
He knew this was one of the Lord’s true trump cards.
THUD!
This time, Raylo didn’t use Magic Techniques to evade. Instead, he chose the most direct option—a head-on collision.
The Stone Slabs beneath his feet cracked instantly. He shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow, his Long Sword whistling through the air as it slammed violently against Ed’s.
CLANG!
This clash was far louder than any before, ringing painfully in their ears.
Ed felt an irresistible wave of Giant Strength surge through his blade, forcing him to take an involuntary step back.
He was horrified. ’This Power... it’s not the least bit inferior to the full-force burst of a Sky Knight!’
Pressing his advantage, Raylo gave no quarter. His assault was like a raging storm, each strike faster and heavier than the last.
With "Heart of the Giant Dragon" active, he seemed to have transformed into a tireless Human-shaped Giant Dragon. Every swing was immensely powerful, both violent and swift.
Ed was driven back step-by-step by the sudden onslaught. He could only rely on his superior experience and skill to barely hold on, all the while cursing his predicament.
’To double his combat power in an instant... it’s simply inconceivable.’
However, the toll of "Heart of the Giant Dragon" was equally immense.
After more than thirty high-intensity exchanges, Raylo’s breathing grew ragged, and his explosive burst of Power began to fade.
Ed keenly seized this opportunity.
’Now’s my chance!’
He suddenly unleashed his Fighting Spirit, a golden aura flaring to life around him. He swept Raylo’s Long Sword aside with one strike, then followed with a seamless barrage of Sword Techniques, flowing like quicksilver to instantly reclaim the initiative.
In an instant, the tables had turned.
Raylo was forced back step by step until his back was pressed against the hard wall at the edge of the plaza. He had nowhere left to retreat.
Ed took a deep breath, gathering all his Fighting Spirit into the tip of his sword, preparing to end the match with a finishing blow he had been charging.
The very instant Ed’s attack was about to be unleashed, a sharp glint flashed in Raylo’s eyes.
He actually let go of his sword. Two thick bolts of Lightning erupted from his open palms, crossing as they blasted toward Ed.
The sudden attack brought Ed’s charged move to an abrupt halt. He had no choice but to bring his sword across his chest, channeling his Fighting Spirit to disperse the two bolts of Lightning.
But it wasn’t over.
The instant Ed was halted by the lightning from Raylo’s palms, Raylo opened his mouth. A more condensed and much faster bolt of silver-blue electricity shot out, flying straight for Ed’s face like a long-plotted arrow.
"What?"
Ed’s pupils contracted. He never would have imagined an attack like this.
In his haste, all he could do was wrench his head to the side.
The Lightning bolt grazed his cheek, the scorching energy leaving a blackened streak across his face and causing the hair on one side of his head to curl up.
The intense pain and numbness inevitably forced him back several steps.
A single misstep made all the difference.
Raylo seized the opening, pushed off the wall with his left foot, and launched himself three or four meters into the air like a great bird. He executed a graceful flip and landed lightly back in the center of the plaza.
He grabbed another Knight Sword from a nearby weapon rack and pointed it at the still-dazed Ed.