Joshuas eyes slowly passed over the three unconscious men. He knew their facestheyd been judges at the Master Battle. Most kingdoms had no more than three Masters, and these men were all marquises or higher. All of them had important positions and contributed unique skills to their countries.

And all of them were lying in front of a single man.

HEHEHEHE! Arie strode down the path and lightly flexed his wrist. A thin, delicate, and very sharp blade appeared in his hand. The blood speckling it was splattered all over the ground.

Joshua listened carefully for a moment and let out a small sigh of relief. He could just barely hear their breathing. Still, they obviously werent in good shape. Many of their injuries looked like they would be fatal if not treated soon.

Count Arie bron Sten Joshua knew he deserved some respect. Not just anyone could lift his family to power singlehandedly. His exploits in Joshuas past life were nothing short of heroic. He may be an Imperial master, but regardless of his origins he could take down three Masters at the same time while suffering nothing more than scratches. practically godlike.

Joshuas hooded eyes glimmered subtly. Why, with his skills, didnt Count Sten try to go further rather than hiding in the back?

Quit worrying about silly things and just enjoy the moment, Arie interrupted. The last time we talked was five years ago in Arcadia, no? Oh, dont worry. Arie smiled bitterly. Im not trying to lay blame now. Ive already said this, but all I want to do is show you that rapiers arent as bad as you think.

They locked eyes.

Ugh. I just cant take it anymore. Joshua Sanders, no more talking.1 Arie licked his bloody palm2 and pointed his rapier at Joshua.

Are you crazy? No matter how smart you are, even you cant handle the fallout of kicking off a war, could you?

Traces of sadness could be seen on Aries facebut only for a moment.

HAHAHAHA! These scumbags arent good for shit. Theyre drunk on the prestige of being a Master. They dont know what theyre talking about. And dont even get me started on the ones wholl die anyways while their country burns.

Aries last whispers were only audible because of Joshuas superhuman senses.

What does that mean?

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Didnt I say no more talking? Light flashes, and then a beautiful old tree next to Joshua sported a large hole through the center. The force of Aries sword had crossed at least ten meters, almost like magic.

Joshua just stood there, unperturbed.

Perfect. Arie gripped his sword and straightened, adopting a stance that would allow him to attack or defend at a moments notice. If you beat me, Ill share a little secret with you. Itll be good, so do your best, okay?

When the last word rolled off his tongue, Arie disappeared. Joshua had his spear ready. He didnt even flinch, but he did take a step back. Arie was suddenly in front of Joshua, his silver tongue waving3.

One of the reasons why Arie was so successful on the battlefield was because he could keep a secret. Another one was his fast-paced attack. Half of his skills relied on feinting, fooling his enemy into creating an opening where he could level a hundred strikes on vital points of their body.

They called it the Dance of the Butterflies.

Count Sten closed in on Joshua in one swift motion. Sparks flew in a constant shower, and steel clashed.

Dont let those beautiful movements deceive you.

Dont even try to see whats going on.

Use your sense to feel it. Just stab where your instincts guide you.

There was a small swish, and the flashing attacks halted. The combatants watched each other intently.

AHAHAHAHAHA! Arie examined the severed end of his sleeve with delight. The fruit was just as sweet as he expected. Joshua was the perfect opponent to cool his excitementindeed he was the only thing that could make Arie happy right now.

UOOHHH Arie turned around, making a strange sound somewhere between a moan and a scream. Hngh. Youre the best! The Count shivered as he reached the peak of pleasure4. His body was overtaken with bloodlust.

For Joshua?

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No.

The worms thrashing around on the floor?

Yes. The idea that those fools had tried to steal the finest prey hed ever seen made him so mad he wanted to tear them limb from limb.

Arie looked at Joshua and suddenly smiled. And then his laughing figure vanished once more.

Their weapons slammed into each other. For a moment, the air rang.

Lugia was so powerful it could pulverize rock with every strike. Even a glancing blow could do the same to bone. The amount of energy flying through the air was incredible.

An artifact that destructive would not have an ordinary master. Joshua was pretty strong, but Lugia thought he might actually be scared.

Joshuas perception of time slowed down as Lugia spoke.

[Are you frightened?]

[Dont worry!]

[Cant you feel the power in your body!]

Lugia moved. It flashed with bright red lightsbut they werent afterimages. Each of the numerous lights was an attack in its own right, and they met Aries power head-on.

Ugh! Windmill was roused by the violent vibrations transmitted through the ground and groaned like his head was being bashed in.

He forgot the pain as soon as he saw what was happening.

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Joshua Sanders Count Sten!

Two monsters grinned at each other5.

Joshua didnt wield a swordhe had something better.

Two of the strongest beings in the world fought, but they wielded their weapons almost casually.

Are these Masters, like us? Windmill shuddered. He wanted to pretend it was all a dream, a pain-induced mirage. It was too much to believe, even if he saw it with his own two eyes. What kind of madness inspired him to try to take on such monsters?

Joshua and Aries battle raged.

AHHHH! Aries teeth were bared with pleasure. Joshuas defense could stop any of his attacks with no apparent effort. His cold, unshakeable eyes seemed to find all of Aries flaws.

How would it feel if that red spear went right through my heart? I want to see everything.

The Count took five steps back, trembling with excitement.

Mmmm, Joshua His voice was friendly, almost loving. Does it upset you that you were born to a concubine?

Joshua stopped.

A sad life filled with insults and lies. You pushed past all those things and rose to your position in just a few short years. Before you got here, you did everything you could to hide the power you had. Once you got there, you left your family without regrets. It made me very curious. But You know whats more exciting? Arie licked his lips. YouDuke Agnus, your entire familyYou never wanted for anything.

Joshua remained stoic, but that only set Arie off harder.

KEHE. PWAHAHAHAHA! His laughter held a note of madness. Yeah, thats it. Thats my Joshua. Everything goes just right for you! He raised both hands like he was asking for a double high five. Does he know? Does your father, the Sword God, know?

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That made Joshuas eyes widen, ever so slightly. Aries lips curled upward.

Give me a little more fun, Joshua. The tip of his sword pointed at Joshua. Come with me. Lets see how this ends.