Published at 16th of December 2020 09:26:01 AM
Chapter 111
Chapter 111
【”…The fool is being a true annoyance, but in the end, that barron is all my imperial self can think about presently . ”】
If that man had been defeated by an army of a mere 4000, then it would not have been worth it for Skuld to go out of her way to come to Strasbourg while disregarding Gunther’s wishes .
When she heard the report that Kurats had easily defeated the rebellious nobles’ army, Skuld let out a shout of delight in her mind .
Though she was not happy about Albert’s actions, he had still unknowingly managed to confirm her conviction that the baron would be a suitable enemy for her .
【”―― Lord of Bashtar, will you be able to live up to the expectations of my imperial self?”】
Skuld turned towards the terrace, her sight blurring feverishly like she was a maiden in love .
People nowadays referred to her as the war-crazed mad princess .
However, this was not always the case .
Before the death of her father, the archduke of Bewersteum, she had actually been a nice and proper girl who could not kill a fly .
As for how such a change came to be with time, it all started back when her father made a plan to assassinate Heimdall .
His motives had been stuck somewhere between ambition and his suspicion of Heimdall .
But in the end, the one who got killed was the archduke himself . He had been insidiously poisoned .
Skuld thus ended up having to carry the weight of the whole Bewerstein family at the young age of twelve .
To this young girl, Heimdall told the whole truth of the matter .
Moreover, he personally gave her permission to take revenge on him when a chance would present itself .
But skuld could not kill Heimdall .
She was well aware of that .
Both as politicians and warriors, the difference between them was too large . She could not be compared to him .
Of course, Heimdall knew that full well when he gave her permission to turn on him .
Since she could not it, she needed to find someone who would kill her uncle for her .
Someone who could step over her corpse to get Heimdall’s head .
If such a man existed, Skuld would not mind dying to his sword .
Should she be lucky enough to survive after losing to him, she would not even mind becoming his slave .
In order to meet such a man, a man who could defeat herself and even the extraordinary hero that was emperor Heimdall, Skuld had devoted herself to seeking only powerful enemies .
However, a man like the Devil swordsman Gunther would not do .
What Skuld sought in this hypothetical person was not individual strength alone . She was looking for someone with ambition and the charisma of those destined to reign .
There could not be many such people in the world .
But maybe Kurats would meet those requirements .
Skuld had a hunch that was the case .
【”Aaaah, I cannot wait . Come take on all of my power ―― come take my life, lord of Bashtar… Ufufu… AHAHAHAHA!”】
The beautiful woman, who most definitely had many screws loose, kept laughing like a maniac with a pure smile .
There was a reason why the kingdom was letting Kurats charge at the enemy on his own with his army of only a hundred people .
At the north of the kingdom, in the city of Kozun, around 150 kilometers away from the Strasbourg territory, the first army of Asgard had appeared .
Of course, they were led by the Devil Swordsman, Gunther .
However, the only one who could oppose him was the kingdom’s sword, Rosberg, leaving no one else to take care of Strasbourg .
Some voices in the kingdom did suggest sending reinforcements to Strasbourg, only to be turned down by Kurats .
He felt he’d be able to fight more freely without superfluous allies being added to the lot .
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After all, Bashtar’s main fighting force in this battle was made up of Nosferatus, not humans .
【”It’s been a while, sir Rosberg . ”】
【”I’ve been longing for the day I’d be able to face you again, sir Gunther . ”】
Robserg and Gunther both were glaring at each-other as they came closer .
But when their horses finally brought them at the halfway point across Kozun, they actually felt happy to meet .
―― Their last meeting was from roughly ten years ago .
That day, Rosberg had not failed to live up to his reputation as being matchless in the Kingdom .
It was also the day he had acquired his title as the kingdom’s sword .
Gunther, on the other hand, had only been an up-and-coming swordsman who had just made a name for himself in Asgard .
That day, he had been accompanying emperor Heimdall on a visit to Jormungand, while Rosberg had been attending personally to the king as the head of the royal guard .
And so happened their first meeting .
Rewinding back to that day .
One glance was all it took for Rosberg and Gunther to see each-other’s extraordinary talent .
Finding interest in the situation, Heimdall proposed that they have a bout with each other .
A battle between the head of the royal guard and a mere knight .
This should have been an unacceptable proposition given the respective status of both fighters .
However, since emperor Heimdal was the one who had brought it up, and more importantly, since Gunther and Rosberg themselves wanted to fight, the proposition was accepted .
The fight was to take place in a circular training ground called the Colosseum; a building that carried Jormungand’s pride .
And so, the contestants engaged in a face-off destined to still be a topic of discussion in both countries until present day .
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Against Rosberg’s stampede of attacks, Gunther showed the defensive power of an impregnable fortress .
Despite the misleadingly imposing “Devil swordsman” title that would later be attributed to him, his true power lied in his defense .
The fierce fight allowed them both to showcase their techniques to the limit .
It becaùe dizzying clash between offense and defense, lasting for two whole hours .
The sight of it was so captivating that even Heimdall and Christopher’s palms became sweaty by then .
The coming end of the allotted time pushed both fighters to take a breath and ready themselves to deal the final blow at the same time .
Rosberg chose to hold his sword high-up above him .
Gunther, on the other hand, slightly lowered his upper-body, holding his sword down-low .
In an instant, there were two simultaneous flashes . A lighting-fast spark .
Before the audience could understand what had happened, the two contestants had exchanged positions, and Gunther’s sword had been snapped in half .
【”―― Looks like I lost . ”】
Gunther smiled wryly while looking at his broken sword, but Rosberg shook his head .
【”No, I put everything into that blow, and you were still able to block it . I’m the losing party here . ”】
Rosberg had put all his power in that blow .
Although Rosberg had managed to break his sword, Gunther had still perfectly protected himself against the attack .
With his skills at the time, Rosberg would not have been able to break through Gunther’s defense and hurt him .
No matter what anyone else said, Rosberg felt he had completely lost that day .
【”I will state the result of this bout! Both parties have fought splendidly!”】
Heimdall raised his right hand and declared loudly, not hiding his excitement .
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Following his words, both Gunther and Rosberg politely bowed their heads and kneeled .
This was the last time Rosberg and Gunther ever clashed swords .
After that, Gunther earned the title of Devil Swordsman and became the commander of the Asgard empire’s strongest army .
All of this ultimately led to the current situation, in the present day .
【”Don’t think I’ll go easy on you this time . ”】
This was a tacit threat . Rosberg was saying he would be using his magic sword, Gerlach .
【”Neither will I . Prepare to see the quintessence of the Asgard empire’s advanced magic technology . ”】
It terms of pure numbers, Rosberg had the advantage . Gunther’s first army had 40,000 soldiers, while Rosberg’s army was composed of members of the knight order and the royal guard, amounting to 50,000 .
However, when it came to special forces, Gunther had the clear advantage, starting from the Chaos magic riders .
As for whether the kingdom’s mage order led by Mordred would be enough to make up for that difference, it wasn’t clear .
【”We’ll settle that fight today . For good . ”】
【”You can’t count on his majesty’s mediation this time around . ”】
The bout from ten years ago had certainly ended with a draw, but Gunther had still blocked Rosberg’s most powerful attack . Had Gunther been able to use two swords, he would have won .
Or so he was implying .
【”Humph, so that’s what you’re really like?”】
【”The Devil swordsman, willing to use any means to win . That’s my true nature . ”】
The enemies both showed broad smiles .
Despite their difference in character, they were both just men who clumsily threaded their paths through life, with battles being their only true living-ground .
【”I’ll see you later then, on the battlefield . ”】
【”I’ll be looking forward to it . ”】