I Became the Descendant of My Favorite Character

Chapter 14 A New Tune (4)

Soler wasn’t looking at me.

But her intentions came through loud and clear.

- The next time we meet, I’ll give you a signal. When that happens, just take my side once.

She was asking me to back her up.

It was a pretty reasonable approach.

She wasn’t demanding I hand over the Tune outright; it would be decided through a duel.

‘Of course, she doesn’t seem to think she’ll lose at all.’

I had no intention of losing easily either.

“I’ll accept your proposal.”

* * *

The duel was decided in an instant.

The participants of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, including me, didn’t even have time to unpack before heading to the training grounds set up within District 3.

On the way to the training grounds, Milias kept talking to me.

“You don’t have to accept my daughter’s proposal. She’s stubborn, but I can talk her into backing down.”

“It’s fine. We’d have to compete at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony anyway, so I’ll just treat this as a preview.”

“Hmm…”

“By the way, may I ask what kind of abilities Soler possesses?”

The single-number districts had likely already analyzed me thoroughly.

In contrast, I had barely any information.

At best, I could only guess who among the procession’s participants stood out.

“Soler is strong. She mastered the essence of Lupandel swordsmanship by age ten, and she has the talent to match.”

I was familiar with Lupandel swordsmanship.

One of Adjak’s comrades was the founder of Lupandel, after all.

It was a style that put significant strain on the body, requiring strength, agility, and even flexibility to master.

“What Tunes does she possess?”

Tunes were akin to a personal cultivation method and closely tied to one’s identity, so asking about them could be considered rude.

But given Milias’s favorable attitude toward me, I figured it was worth a shot.

“Haha, Soler doesn’t possess any Tunes. That might change in the future, but for now, at least.”

That explained the mystery.

Why Soler, who had so easily given up [Intangible Armor], was so fixated on [Severance].

Having many Tunes didn’t automatically raise one’s Rank.

Rank was determined solely by one’s ability to manipulate Mana.

That’s why some could wield power beyond their Rank through exceptional Tune usage.

But Tunes were a double-edged sword.

While someone like me wanted to possess as many Tunes as possible, others focused on mastering just a few that suited them.

Even though Tunes were controlled by intent, handling multiple at once could lead to entanglement.

Even in games with shortcut keys, hands could get tangled—here, where Tunes required physical movement, using several at once was no easy feat.

Of course, I was confident I could skillfully handle however many Tunes I acquired.

Moreover, the more frequently and longer Tunes were used, the greater the benefits.

Proficiency and power increased, eventually leading to what was called ‘awakening.’

It seemed Soler aimed to maximize efficiency by possessing only a few top-tier Tunes that synergized well with her.

‘Still, it’s a relief she has no Tunes.’

I was quietly relieved when Milias added, sounding concerned.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down just because she has no Tunes. Soler has already reached Second-Rank…”

Milias seemed convinced I could never beat Soler.

He might not be wrong.

Even while navigating the rocky terrain of Panata, I hadn’t noticed Soler’s presence until she was right beside me.

Born at First-Rank, I hadn’t yet stepped beyond that level.

The Mana surging from the Dragon Heart was too heavy, making it difficult to circulate within my body.

But I had no intention of going down easily. No, I would win.

‘Now I have [Intangible Armor], and I trust the effort I’ve put in. Plus, Soler is still young.’

Even if Soler was called the greatest talent in the upper districts, her youth meant she likely lacked battle experience.

‘If I can just seize the flow…’

I stepped toward Soler, who was already swinging a wooden sword in the center of the training grounds.

Her deep blue eyes seemed to pierce through me.

Ingelram stood between us, explaining the rules of the duel.

“…That’s all.”

Only wooden swords were allowed.

Victory was achieved if the opponent conceded, was unable to express their intent, or fainted.

Simple and clean.

I took my stance, gripping the Branch of the World Tree.

Its form was indistinguishable from a wooden sword, so District 3 raised no objections.

Ingelram stepped back.

Soler and I skipped formalities and dove straight into the duel.

Soler didn’t charge in with her wooden sword but maintained a distance, circling me.

She was observing, looking for an opening.

But I had no intention of dragging this out.

Taat!

I used [Rush], kicking off the ground and closing the distance to Soler in an instant.

Then I thrust my sword.

It looked like a reckless swing, but it was a strike I’d practiced countless times.

The tip of my sword flowed seamlessly into the next.

The Linked Sword , which never relinquished the flow, hammered against Soler’s wooden sword.

Tung, tung, tuk!

Soler couldn’t counter.

Or rather, I didn’t give her the chance.

She could only block the barrage of strikes.

The Dragon Heart pulsed fiercely.

Supreme Mana coiled around my body, lending me strength.

But then, a single sword slipped into the torrent of my strikes.

Despite its simple motion, it stopped my flow cold.

Soler spun in place and widened the distance again.

“Not bad, huh?”

I didn’t respond and used [Rush] again to close in on her.

Lacking any Tunes, she couldn’t escape my attack range.

Upper, lower, mid-upper.

My sword strokes poured out relentlessly.

Soler’s previously relaxed expression began to harden.

She’d been blocking my attacks well so far, but she must have known she couldn’t win like this.

Once again, she twisted her sword into the path of my strikes.

But I’d anticipated that to some extent.

This time, I withdrew my strength, letting her sword slide off, and aimed for her neck.

Puhk!

It was a sharp attack, but Soler leaped into the air, blocking my sword once more.

Soler frowned.

Her wooden sword, unable to withstand my attacks, had bent.

For an ordinary wooden sword, it had held up remarkably well against the Branch of the World Tree.

“Not bad.”

I echoed her words exactly.

Then I gestured toward the sword rack.

If she wanted to replace it, she should go get one.

“Ha, no thanks.”

With a short reply, Soler grabbed both ends of the bent wooden sword and snapped it in two with her knee.

She then held the two broken pieces in each hand.

The split swords were uneven in length and likely less durable.

But her stance looked far more stable than before.

‘Was she holding back until now?’

Soler no longer kept her distance.

Instead, she charged at me, swinging her dual swords.

The two blades moved erratically.

Their differing lengths and spacing traced sharp arcs.

But I only needed to do my part.

Grip the sword, create the flow.

If the flow wasn’t mine, take it back.

Soler slashed at my upper and lower body simultaneously.

Her erratic movements, never pausing, tried to deceive my eyes.

Her determination to keep the flow was clear.

Despite the crowd gathered in the training grounds, it was silent except for the clashing of swords.

Countless people watched, holding their breath, as the dullard from District 18 faced off against the genius hailed as District 3’s greatest talent.

The relentless clashing of swords paused briefly.

The fight seemed evenly matched, or perhaps I was pressing her slightly…

But Soler, now wielding two swords, seemed like a different person.

It was hard to even count how many times she swung her blades in a single breath.

As a result, my body was covered in small scratches.

Panting, Soler asked.

“Where’s the pebble I gave you?”

“Who knows? Maybe I’m saving it, or maybe I’m already using it.”

“That’s up to you, I guess.”

It seemed Soler was still wary of the Tune I hadn’t used, [Intangible Armor].

Since she hadn’t seen it activated, she didn’t know what it was but likely assumed I had a hidden trump card.

That made her hesitant to go all-in, which was welcome news for me.

And her assumption wasn’t wrong.

Even now, as I crossed swords with her, I was looking for an opening to use [Intangible Armor].

After our brief exchange, Soler closed the distance as if soaring through the air.

I used [Rush] to meet her in midair.

Tang!

Our swords clashed heavily.

The murmurs of the World Tree echoed in my ears.

Before Soler’s feet touched the ground, I chained another [Rush].

No matter how adept she was at erratic movements, she couldn’t avoid losing the flow.

I pressed Soler back.

With each tap in the opposite direction of my sword, she was pushed further.

And finally.

“W-What? What’s this!”

Soler shouted sharply.

Her ankle seemed caught, frozen in place.

With one leg stuck to the ground, she lost her balance, flailing her arms and falling.

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on manipulating [Intangible Armor].

A transparent barrier, visible only to me, trapped Soler’s left foot.

Then I succeeded in binding her right foot as well.

“Your gift.”

I had prepared [Intangible Armor] before the duel even began.

From the moment Ingelram explained the rules, I’d condensed [Intangible Armor] and planted it in the ground.

And now, Soler had finally fallen into the trap I’d set.

“Ugh! Why won’t this break!”

Soler thrashed on the ground, yelling.

She flailed her arms, trying to tear off the [Intangible Armor] binding her feet.

I strode over to her and crouched down.

“Say you lost.”

“No way! You dirty cheat! That’s not a wooden sword, you jerk!”

“No choice, then.”

Kaang!

And so, to ensure the most noble of Lupandel’s ladies no longer rolled in the dirt, I brought my sword down on her head.