The scene that greeted Ryan and Emilia was an intense duel.
Julius, fully armored in a rune-plated suit forged by dwarves, clutched a beautifully crafted two-handed knight's sword, blessed by the Prophetess of the Lake. Holding the sword that radiated pure light before his chest, he struggled to fend off the ferocious assault of his opponent.
His opponent's onslaught was relentless.
"Purify! Purify! Purify!!!" roared Lorgar, the Gene-Primarch of the Word Bearers, garbed in tattered monk's robes that smelled of earth and ink. His body was covered in numerous religious texts, indicating his current state of religious fervor. "Purify! Purify everything!"
Lorgar wielded a simple iron staff, adorned with the symbol of the double-headed eagle. Although not designed for combat, in Lorgar's hands, it had the power of a divine weapon. Golden light streamed from the eagle's single eye, and golden feathers flickered on its wings.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" In just a few seconds, under this extreme zeal, Lorgar pressed Julius with dozens of wild attacks. Each strike carried immense ferocity and power, giving Julius no chance to counterattack. Ryan's brother-in-law struggled to defend, barely managing to keep up with Lorgar's onslaught.
Lorgar's arms moved so fast they appeared as four, then eight, ghostly images. The air filled with the acrid smell of friction.
Julius was forced to retreat repeatedly. On the simple battleground, the questing knight's face was stern, clearly on the defensive.
"Your brother is incredible, Ryan," Emilia remarked, her long blonde hair styled into an elegant princess bun. She clung to Ryan's arm. "But it feels like he's missing something."
"My brother... believe it or not, I could take him down in five moves." Ryan watched the fight intently, whispering, "Notice, Emilia, how Lorgar's attacks seem fierce, but he's actually in a state of irrationality. The rhythm of the fight is in Julius's hands."
"I am the Word Bearer! I will burn away all impurities!" Lorgar's frenzied attacks continued, his rationality completely replaced by fanaticism. Sparks flew as his staff clashed with the knight's sword, now covered in numerous cracks. Yet, Lorgar's assault showed no sign of stopping.
Julius, in contrast, became slower as Lorgar's frenzy increased. Despite his arms aching from the repeated impacts, Julius remained calm. Trained from a young age by the best, he knew what to do.
His two-handed sword spun in a peculiar arc, deflecting all of Lorgar's wild attacks. Julius's face was cold as he carefully absorbed and stored all the violent force into himself.
After three minutes of continuous frenzy, Lorgar's movements suddenly stiffened. The Word Bearer Gene-Primarch felt his intense emotions waning, his rationality returning.
Consequently, his attacks slowed.
Now! Julius seized the moment. Releasing the pent-up power in his arms, the questing knight roared, "For the Lady's love! Fall!"
His sword gleamed with white light as he unleashed his family's signature sword technique. Three powerful strikes targeted Lorgar's head, arms, and wrists. The final strike aimed straight for Lorgar's head, covered in scriptures.
Lorgar took a deep breath, desperately trying to block the knight's sword with his staff, attempting to reignite his earlier fervor. For him, true power lay in complete fanaticism.
But weakness suddenly gripped him. His weary body and fatigued soul failed to support his fiery spirit.
Damn! This is the weakness phase of the transformation! Lorgar felt a debilitating sense of weakness.
Forced to retreat under Julius's fierce assault, Lorgar shouted, "Praise everything!" His staff erupted in golden flames. Julius swiftly dodged aside.
The golden flames scorched a small patch of ground but failed to bring down Julius. Holding his knight's sword firmly, Julius and Lorgar stared each other down from a distance.
Recovering briefly from his weakness, Lorgar felt his strength returning. Immersing himself once again in his fanatical mindset, he shouted, "For the Emperor! For Holy Terra!"
Golden light flared from Lorgar once more. Rationality vanished, replaced by sheer zealotry. It was hard to tell if Lorgar's expression was one of madness or devout faith. Ryan observed Lorgar's face contorted with bulging eyes and wide-open mouth, bathed in golden holy light.
"In the name of the God-Emperor! Judgment! Verdict! Then Purification!!!"
No wonder they call him a zealot, Ryan thought. Even I find it hard to believe he isn't one.
In an instant, Lorgar moved several meters, charging at Julius. His movements became a blur, a storm of relentless attacks.
Sweat beaded on Julius's forehead. He couldn't fathom how his opponent, weak just moments ago, had regained his strength! Are all of Ryan's brothers monsters?
The questing knight, in his thirties, exhaled deeply and dodged.
"Boom!" Unable to stop his frenzied charge, Lorgar crashed into the arena's stone wall. A nearly three-meter-tall crater marked the impact site. After smashing the wall with his staff, breaking off several chunks, Lorgar realized he had missed. The fanatical Gene-Primarch turned and charged Julius again.
"Kill, kill, kill~ all!!!"
Every move from the Word Bearer Gene-Primarch tore through the air. His sleeves fluttered violently due to his rapid movements. In the first second of their clash, Julius's sword received over a dozen hits.
The relentless barrage nearly overwhelmed Julius. Staggering back, he tried to find a way to escape Lorgar's wild attacks. He knew that such ferocity couldn't last.
Finding a gap in the assault, Julius used his sword guard to deflect Lorgar's staff. The ordinary iron staff couldn't compete with Julius's sword, crafted from fine steel and Bretonnian mithril and blessed by the Prophetess of the Lake. Praying silently to the Lady, Julius twisted his body and shouted, "For the Lady's mercy! Fall!"
The blade aimed for Lorgar's neck. But the fanatic Gene-Primarch didn't care. "Blood is life; the strong shall prevail!"
Lorgar raised his staff high, smashing it against Julius's helmet. Sparks flew, and blood trickled down Julius's handsome face.
Lorgar's wild attack left him exposed. The knight's sword guard struck Lorgar's right temple. The blow forced Lorgar out of his fervent state. With a final roar, the Gene-Primarch felt the pain from the strike. Blood trickled from his nose, and a severe headache threatened to drive him mad. As he raised his staff to continue, Julius raised his hand, signaling his surrender.
Only then did Lorgar remember this was an honor duel. Wiping the blood from his nose, he felt dizzy and sat down heavily, panting. "You could still fight. Why surrender? My wounds are only slightly lighter than yours!"
"I could match you only because of my superior equipment. It feels somewhat unfair." Julius's head was bleeding, and he struggled to hold his sword. Smiling at Lorgar, he said, "You are strong, Mr. Lorgar, indeed very strong. But there's no need to fight until one of us falls. Don't you agree?"
"You are not weak either, Mr. Brother-in-law." Lorgar, pleased with his performance, wiped the blood from his nose and said with a grin, "Thank you. This duel was enjoyable."
I can win too.
See, even Ryan's brother-in-law said I'm strong.
"I agree… After my quest, let's fight again." Julius accepted the bandaging from the Sisters of Mercy, thinking that Ryan's brothers weren't as unbeatable as he feared. As a mid-level Legend, he had fought Lorgar, albeit with better gear. But Lorgar's strength was only around high-level Legend to peak Legend at best.
So, Angron's power shouldn't be too far off either.
Julius felt more confident.
"Brother Lorgar, do you need a towel?" Emilia approached with a towel for Lorgar. He thanked her politely and used it to wipe his nosebleed. "That was exhilarating. It's been a long time since I fought like this."
Ryan: "…"
As soon as he spoke, Lorgar's iron staff, unable to withstand the continuous psychic energy and the damage from the battle, shattered into pieces. The Gene-Primarch shrugged at Ryan. "Ryan, can you convince the dwarven rune-smith in your territory to make me a better weapon?"
"I'll find Mr. Drong for you, brother. You'll get a better staff," Ryan replied with a teasing smile. "I promise."
The duel concluded. Ryan invited his brother-in-law to stay for a meal, but Julius politely declined. After getting his wounds treated, he mounted his purebred elven warhorse and left Ryan's territory.
He had to make thorough preparations for his Grail Quest. Challenging Lorgar was just the beginning.
After the duel, the spectators dispersed. Emilia, holding Ryan's arm, whispered, "It was indeed an exciting duel. We probably missed the best part."
Her small boots clicked on the cobblestone streets of the town.
"The fight exceeded my expectations in every way," Ryan mused, running a hand through his hair. "I really didn't expect…"
"Didn't expect what?" Emilia asked curiously. "By the way, aren't all your brothers demigods?"
"Yes, Lorgar is a demigod, yet he managed to fight Julius, a mid-level Legendary questing knight, to a standstill… I really didn't expect that." Ryan rubbed his forehead in mild frustration. "You know, Emilia, as a beginner in the Sanctuary realm, I could take down either of them in under ten moves in a normal spar."
"Oh, Ryan, stop boasting," Emilia teased, though her face lit up with pride. "If you weren't so strong, why would I have fallen for you?"
They entered the "Grail Tribute" tavern. Ryan suggested sitting in the main hall, but Emilia directed the server, "A private room upstairs, please."
Ryan didn't object. They went upstairs to a private room, soon filled with a sumptuous meal and fine wine. Emilia seemed to relish their time alone. Watching the lively crowd below, she excitedly asked, "Look, Ryan! What are they playing?"
"They're playing cards and some kind of tabletop game with those expensive metal miniatures."
"Playing cards? Can you teach me?" Emilia's interest was piqued.
"Of course."
*...*
Meanwhile, in the Old World, in the southern realm of Tilea, in the city-state of Miragliano.
Miragliano, Tilea's largest city, boasted a population of about a hundred thousand. Renowned as a world city and the capital of the arts, it was famous for its architecture, fashion, art, painting, and opera.
Walking through the bustling streets was Angron, the Gene-Primarch of the World Eaters, leading his Gryphon, Nukelia. He carried a long shopping list. "Hmm~ Top-quality Tilean civet coffee, the best sparkling wine, and the finest Paneer cheese. Father and Guilliman will love these."
Angron moved through the marketplace, merchants crowding around him due to his dislike of haggling and tendency to make bulk purchases. A diminutive halfling, obsequiously guiding him, said, "Mr. Angron, the civet coffee you requested is just ahead. How much would you like?"
"I've got plenty of money, but I need to inspect the goods first!" Angron said impatiently.
"Of course, of course," the halfling grinned. "As a generous and lavish customer, our Halfling Quinnsbury Trading Company will provide you with the finest service!"
Suddenly, Angron noticed a commotion ahead. "Wait… What's going on over there?"
Ahead, a large pavilion was set up, guarded by well-equipped mercenaries dressed in opulent attire. Angron felt a pang of familiarity seeing their banner—a talon reborn in ashes.
"…Fulgrim," Angron muttered.
The mercenary leader shouted to the enthusiastic crowd below.
"Fortune, fame, power! Ladies and gentlemen! Do you desire these treasures? Do you seek ultimate status and glory?"
Crates upon crates were opened, revealing gold, silver, and gemstones. The crowd murmured in awe.
"If you want them, join the expedition! All the treasures are there! At the end of the Grand Line, in Lustria!"
"Citizens! The expedition needs you!"
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