Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 120 - Dueling Resolve

The sound of clashing steel was deafening.

Even amidst the clamor of battle, Medrauta's parries echoed like thunder as she traded devastating blows with her opponent while soldiers raged around them. While the more braver troops on both sides attempted to aid their allied knight, such attempts were swiftly shut down by the knights through a mixture of bewildering swordplay and lightning-fast reflexes that were interwoven into the rhythm of their deadly duel.

"Not bad for a junior knight!" Medrauta's opponent smirked as she issued her latest attack, the wild look in her eyes a clear indicator of how much she was enjoying the battle.

"Hah! I could say the same to you, Dame Cassandra!" Medrauta returned her opponent's fierce grin as she parried Cassandra's scything blade, causing the massive greatsword to scream as it slid down the length of her slender longsword. "Y'know, I think we could've been friends if you weren't so blind to the truth!"

Without responding, Cassandra allowed her greatsword to drop to the ground, presenting an opening for Medrauta to strike. However, Cassandra had already anticipated this. As the silver-haired knight's blade darted forward to strike, Cassandra flicked her wrist, driving the tip of her weapon into the ground and leaping high into the air. Using her greatsword as a massive fulcrum, the momentum of her powerful jump carried her through the air, sailing above Medrauta and her attack.

"Ugh!" Cassandra grunted as she was sent flying backwards, barreling through the soldiers behind her and sending them toppling to the ground.

Thanks to her lack of heavy armor and unmatched reflexes, Medrauta had managed to twist her body just in time to put her in range for a powerful thrusting kick that she launched the moment Cassandra landed. Although the crushing force of the attack had mostly been absorbed by the thick plate that Cassandra wore, the blow still opened up the senior knight to Medrauta's vicious follow-up attack.

Cassandra winced as Medrauta hammered her blade into the senior knight's hastily raised weapon. "Blind to the truth? I'm not stupid, you know."

"Then why?" Medrauta asked as the senior knight scrambled away rapidly after receiving a particularly vicious side cut from the silver-haired knight that opened a gash in her side. "Throw down your weapon and surrender. I'm sure your men will follow suit."

Cassandra merely laughed, ignoring the blood running down her hip. "As a fellow knight, you should know that's not something I can decide on my own."

Medrauta nodded decisively as she deduced the implication behind her opponent's words. "Very well, Dame Cassandra. It seems that I must decide for you."

"...I invite you to try, Dame Medrauta." Cassandra replied, resting her colossal weapon on her shoulder. In terms of sheer size and weight, Cassandra's weapon was far superior to Medrauta's comparatively delicate longsword, yet the silver-haired knight advanced confidently anyway.

Medrauta launched herself forward without hesitation, her sword descending furiously upon Cassandra who desperately defended herself against Medrauta's rapid assault. As a senior knight, she was far more accustomed to dealing with weapons of similar size and weight due to the fact that most knights gravitated toward large and heavy weapons once they became older and stronger.

Because of that, she had foolishly pressed the attack against Medrauta earlier, believing that her weapon's superior leverage and weight coupled with her impressive strength would soon wear down the junior knight's defenses and smash straight through her blade. Unfortunately for Cassandra, she had sorely underestimated her opponent's mastery of leverage and mobility.

Now with her stamina partially exhausted, defending against Medrauta's unfathomably intricate combinations had become nigh-impossible. Of course, Medrauta had known that she would win the moment their roles reversed, and now that she was on the attack, Cassandra had virtually no chance. In fact, the excitement that she felt earlier from crossing blades with the senior knight had all but disappeared.