Chapter 34: The Invincible Warrior, Levigdard

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the steel warrior.”

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the proud warrior.”

A chorus of deep male voices echoed across the battlefield.

Surrounded by a solemn military band, a silver-haired old knight marched at the front.

“He… he showed up. That’s Levigdard.”

“I can’t believe he actually appeared…”

The knight who revealed himself before the breathless Saripa forces was none other than General Levigdard, the man renowned as the mightiest in Yaiban.

The sight of him advancing with his silvery battle standard fluttering and both arms raised was nothing short of overwhelming.

Every move Levigdard made sent the Yaiban soldiers into a frenzy.

It was more than enough to cement the impression that a monster had appeared on the battlefield.

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the black iron warrior.”

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the warrior of flashing light.”

“H-he’s getting closer and closer.”

“What do we do? Lord Paulik isn’t here…”

“What is that song?”

The soldiers of Saripa were completely shaken by the bizarre scene.

Precisely because they knew the "monster" named Paulik, they feared Levigdard.

They had heard again and again that the strength of these two titans was evenly matched.

“Uh, General Rouga. Would it be alright if I went and fought that knight?”

“You think you can handle him, Lord Takeru?”

And yet, there were some who didn’t even flinch at the sight of Levigdard.

One of them was Takeru, the rising star of Saripa, the warrior who had defeated Paulik himself.

“Takeru. I know how strong you are, but… don’t let your guard down.”

“But he’s not on the same level as Lord Paulik, is he?”

“That man is the one your father considers the most dangerous being in the world.”

To be honest, Takeru underestimated Levigdard.

After all, at first glance, Levigdard appeared to be a gaunt knight.

His eyes lacked intensity, and his cheeks even looked a bit sunken.

But the magical power radiating from him… was abnormal.

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the invincible warrior.”

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the unmatched warrior.”

“!! Levigdard just raised his scabbard!”

“General Rouga, what does that mean?”

“That’s… a ritual Levigdard performs when he’s about to get serious. It means he’s fully ready to fight.”

Levigdard slowly raised his scabbard to the heavens in response to the chorus around him.

At the sight of it, the Yaiban soldiers roared wildly, practically foaming with excitement.

In Yaiban’s religious tradition, this was a prayer for peace in the afterlife.

In other words, it was an intimidating display—praying in advance for the souls of the many enemies he was about to kill.

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the warrior of tradition.”

“Oh wow… Levigdard, the golden warrior.”

“Wh-what a magical force…!”

“I’m chilled to the bone. My muscles… are trembling in fear!”

The scabbard Levigdard raised wasn't just for show—it was more than mere ceremony.

He greatly boosted the morale of the Yaiban forces, while simultaneously crushing the fighting spirit of the Saripa soldiers.

When a monster displays martial might, the tide of battle shifts.

Levigdard understood his own value on the battlefield better than anyone.

『T-This is bad. And look… Levigdard’s wearing his bronze armor today.』

『Bronze Levigdard!? That’s insanely rare!』

『…General Rouga, what does that mean exactly?』

『It’s his favorite color, apparently. Which means he’s in a good mood. And when he’s in a good mood, he fights better.』

That day, Levigdard was clad in bronze-colored armor.

It was said that he had a preference for the bronze hue, but using actual bronze weakened the armor’s durability.

So instead, he had iron armor dyed blue—but the color wore off easily, only keeping its bronze sheen when freshly made.

It had been two full years since a sighting of “Bronze Levigdard,” making it an exceptionally rare occasion.

────Oh wow, Oh wow, Levigdard, the ultimate warrior.

────Oh wow, Oh wow, Levigdard, the silver warrior.

『That’s not all. Look closer—Levigdard’s got his hair in twin tails today.』

『He usually wears it in a ponytail… We’re doomed.』

『Um, what does that mean, exactly?』

『He normally ties his long hair into a single tail. The only other time anyone’s seen him with twin tails… was during that one-on-one duel with Lord Paulik.』

『So what’s the significance of that?』

He had a habit of tying up his long hair behind him.

Normally, he bundled it into a single ponytail—but today, it was styled into twin tails.

Most likely, he hadn’t gotten a haircut in a while.

────Oh wow, Oh wow, Levigdard, the cheerful warrior.

────Oh wow, Oh wow, Levigdard, the fashionable warrior.

『Be careful, Lord Takeru… Today’s Levigdard looks to be in top form—the kind you only see once a decade.』

『Aged to perfection, like a well-seasoned wine—this is peak Levigdard.』

『That song… it’s been repeating the same phrase over and over.』

Seeing Levigdard’s appearance, Rouga and Paulie couldn’t hide their tension.

But Takeru still didn’t seem to grasp the true threat that Levigdard posed.

『W-Well, I’ll be going then, alright?』

『Don’t die. Promise me… you’ll come back alive.』

『Uh, right. Got it.』

Ignoring the voices trying to hold him back, Takeru kicked off the ground and rushed forward—

—to challenge Levigdard, the warrior considered on par with Paulik, in battle.

---

That day, a light rain was falling.

On rainy days, water magic users become significantly more powerful.

Levigdard, fully fired up, reigned over the battlefield clad in his water armor.

The first to charge at him was a young boy—Takeru.

『Excuse me!!』

Takeru was a soldier of peasant origin.

He knew nothing of the customs of a formal duel, nor of the tradition of announcing one's name before combat.

『I challenge you, Levigdard!!』

『Hm? Who goes there───!?』

In a proper duel, Takeru should have stepped forward, stated his name, bowed, raised his fists, and then begun the fight.

『No hard feelings, but please go flying!』

But Takeru did none of that. No name, no bow, no declaration.

He simply charged straight at Levigdard.

…Levigdard merely glanced at him as he approached.

『Oh?』

Takeru’s right foot slammed into the ground, kicking up dirt.

His left fist shot out through the dust cloud—driving straight into the knight’s midsection.

『…Huh!?』

『To challenge a duel with no name, no courtesy…』

A thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield as the ground tore under the splash of water.

Takeru’s punch sank into Levigdard’s watery armor, creating a violent swirl.

『Such rude conduct for a soldier, boy.』

『My… punch…』

But the swirling water only lasted a few seconds.

With a cute plop sound, Levigdard’s armor quickly regenerated.

Takeru’s blow had been completely nullified by the water armor.

『Still, I commend your courage for charging straight at me, Levigdard.』

『Hmm… now what to do with you?』

『I’ll make you today’s first decapitation.』

Both armies were left stunned by the scene.

The Yaiban forces were shocked by Takeru’s reckless charge at Levigdard alone.

The Saripa forces were stunned by Levigdard’s water armor, which had absorbed Takeru’s punch completely.

『If I’d just had a little more momentum…?』

『It’s useless. So long as it’s a physical attack, no matter what you do, my water armor cannot be broken.』

His water armor had overwhelming resistance to physical damage.

Punches, slashes, explosions—no matter the form, it neutralized them all effortlessly.

If there was any kind of attack effective against Levigdard, it would have to be something like lightning-based magic.

A warrior like Takeru, who relied solely on physical strikes, had no hope of defeating him.

『At the very least, I shall lay you to rest with my ultimate technique. Prepare yourself… for my Explosive Heavy Roar Slash: Shining Overrrrrrr—』

『Let’s see how about… thirty percent power?』

And then, at last, the silver knight Levigdard drew his sword.

It was a sacred blade passed down in Yaiban—the water-forged blade Mikagami, the very embodiment of Levigdard’s soul.

He grinned at Takeru, and his large, bronze-stained knight’s sword appeared in a flash of light—

『Take this!』

『Buberaghh!!!』

A moment later, a tremendous ZGOOOM roared across the field.

Levigdard was blown away, spinning like a top at supersonic speed, water spraying in every direction as he hurtled into the rear ranks.

『…Huh?』

『Was thirty percent too much?』

Takeru stood with his fist still outstretched, looking just a bit confused.

Apparently, his punch had sent Levigdard flying.

『Uhh… he’s not dead, right?』

『Wait—what just happened?』

Yes—Takeru had learned his lesson.

Even Paulik had been rendered unable to fight after taking a single restrained blow from Takeru.

So this time, when facing Levigdard, he held back and only punched lightly.

『NUUURRGHAAAAHHHH!!』

『Whoa! You scared me!』

Thanks to that restraint—

Levigdard, after taking Takeru’s second blow, slowly rose to his feet.

His body was a wreck, and he was barely breathing.

『You caught me off guard… I-I seriously thought I was going to die…』

『Ah, so you're still good to keep going?』

『This Levigdard shall no longer be arrogant! I will face you with everything I have—from the start, with full-force full-armored might!』

Seeing Levigdard rise to his feet, Takeru let out a breath of relief.

But the silver knight, now glaring at him, began muttering an incantation under his breath.

『Lord Levigdard’s about to do a form change!! Hold on, give him like ten seconds!』

『Ah, understood. I’ll wait.』

As Takeru stood by, Levigdard’s water armor began expanding rapidly.

The way it bubbled and bloated around him made him look almost like a giant pufferfish.

Its defensive power now seemed completely ridiculous.

『Thanks for waiting… THIS is my full power!!』

『Oh, okay.』

Yet there was no fear in Takeru’s eyes.

If anything, he looked more concerned about accidentally hurting his opponent too much.

『Um… I think I can probably break that too. Are we still doing this?』

『Silence, you insolent brat!!!』

Levigdard, for better or worse, was a knight through and through.

He detested cowardly tricks and poison—anything dishonorable. He was a straightforward, traditional warrior.

『Try if you dare! Now taste this: Ultra Explosive Heavy Roar Slash Super Megalotic—』

『…Uhh, what do I do now.』

And that’s exactly why—

Takeru, standing before Levigdard, didn’t think for a second that he would lose.

『Alright, that’s enough.』

Just as Levigdard, sword wrapped in a massive whirlpool, prepared to strike—

—a girl’s voice interrupted, cutting cleanly through the tension.

It was soft, calm, and completely out of place on the battlefield.

『Let it go already, Father.』

『Wh-What are you doing here, Levi!?』

Takeru turned toward the voice.

She looked to be about his age.

Wearing an oversized pale blue robe, a silver-haired girl stood there with a cheerful smile.

『Do I really need to spell it out for you?』

『……!!』

『You do get it, right?』

Floating gently around the girl were spheres of water.

Her eyes shimmered strangely as she gazed at Takeru with warm curiosity.

『Mind if I have a little chat with him?』

Her magical aura—its clarity and beauty—seemed even purer than her father Levigdard’s.