Chapter 11: Knight Competition II (part 2)

And two days later, I defeated my quarterfinal opponent, Ad Craft, with a single blow.  

In the past, they were opponents who would have put up a considerable fight.

Body strengthening magic—  

It spreads mana throughout the body to significantly boost physical performance.  

It was the most basic yet essential type of magic.  

But it had one critical flaw—continuous mana consumption.

For example, take Fireball, the basic fire attribute magic.  

It converts mana into fire, shapes it into a sphere, and launches it.  

The amount of mana needed is only what’s required to create and cast the flame.  

In contrast, physical enhancement consumes mana continuously to maintain the effect on the body.  

Mana to cast it, mana to sustain it, and stamina to support movement while enhanced—It was a type of magic that consumed everything to improve the body’s performance.

The masked man once told me that the constant drain on mana and stamina was wasteful.  

But once I learned the solution, everything changed.

Physical enhancement magic typically releases mana outside the body to achieve the effect.  

So, naturally, it needed an external supply of mana.  

But if the flow was twisted and circulated within the body before releasing it, the story changed.  

Mana consumption dropped dramatically.  

And as the body adapted to the circulating mana, performance improved significantly—As if it had become an entirely different spell.

The problem?  

It was incredibly difficult to master.

I understood immediately why this technique wasn’t written in any textbook.  

It required a continuous and complex circulation of magical energy— Like writing with your right hand, drawing with your left, and reading a book with your eyes at the same time.

At first, I couldn’t maintain the flow except while stationary.  

So, until the finals began, all I did was train myself to get used to this internal flow.

And once I had it down, I realized something for certain:  

This level of magic was unnecessary—unless you were a knight or a wizard.

***

“Thank you very much.”  

“In a general dueling tournament, to cross swords with the son of the Duke of Axus—it’s an honor.”

My opponent in the fourth round was a woman with striking, obsidian-black hair.  

Was it pure luck that she made it this far?  

At first glance, she looked so delicate that one might easily underestimate her.  

But I knew exactly who she was.

And I also knew she was not someone to let your guard down around.

Helen Oberon.  

The opponent of Class 4.  

Daughter of Count Oberon.  

In Arcana, she becomes the heroine’s only true friend and plays a significant role in the story.

“May Eos bless us!”

She was an aspiring knight.  

Her gender was irrelevant— 

To a knight, only one thing mattered: How strong are you?

Helen was one of the few who answered that question more definitively than anyone.

“Ha!”

With a sharp cry, Helen launched herself at me.  

She didn’t run.  

She flew at me at an astonishing speed.

Then, the sound of swords and fists colliding echoed through the arena.  

Unbelievably loud and intense.

Helen didn’t wield a weapon.  

One of her signature traits from the original story: “My body is stronger than any weapon.”

And it wasn’t a bluff.

Helen was the only character whose mana surpassed even the prince’s.  

She didn’t use weapons.  

She didn’t use elemental magic either.  

Instead, she poured all her mana into pure body strengthening, to an absurd degree.

In battle, her calm demeanor transformed completely.  

She became reckless—wilder than anyone—an aspiring knight unchained.

I couldn’t let her win.

The moment we clashed, I understood.  

Even with just one hit, I knew—my sword had already reached its limit.  

It wasn’t some cheap blade either, and she had been holding back.

She was simply a master at overwhelming her opponents with brute force.

Helen briefly stepped back, looking at her right hand—the one that had struck my sword.

“Keep going!”

Brushing off her hand, she charged at me once more.  

Her attacks were relentless—sharp, fast, unyielding.

I had only one sword to counter her.  

She had two fists, two legs—four limbs to strike with.  

It was like fighting four attackers at once.

Helen understood this better than anyone.

With one swing, she blocked my strike with her left hand, then landed a double blow with her right.  

And if someone tried to create an opening, she would use her legs to redirect their sword and counterattack.  

It was an art form.

Anyone watching could see the gap in our capabilities.  

If I hadn’t somehow managed to keep the distance in my favor, the match would’ve ended in moments.

***

“Amazing! Truly amazing!”  

Helen grinned as she backed away, keeping a careful eye on me.

“Usually, the sword breaks right away, and then they just stare in disbelief before falling into despair.”  

She smiled brightly, showing no signs of stress or struggle.

She was clearly superior—undeniably so.

“But in the end, it’s always the same…”

“You sure talk a lot. I won’t fall for a knight’s empty words.”

“Hah?!”

I sneered, cutting her off with mockery.

Her expression, cheerful until now, shifted instantly.  

Her eyes narrowed, sharp with killing intent.

She lowered her stance, her whole demeanor changing in an instant.

And when she charged again—it was on a completely different level.

***

So far, I had managed to hold on despite my disadvantage.  

I hadn’t given up.  

And that was all for this moment—  

The one flaw Helen showed in the original story.

The person who told me about it? 

The original prince.  

You could call it underhanded, maybe even cowardly.

But I didn’t have the luxury of pride.  

From the beginning, I knew—A head-on clash against Helen was never an option.