NOVPUBChapter 535: Sunset Duel ( 535 )
The orange glow of the setting sun stretched across the sky, casting long shadows over Gilikan Town.
Javier stood in the open field near the southern gate, his gaze lifted toward the sky.
“Sunset already, huh…”
A faint grin curled at the edge of his lips.
He reached down slowly, pulling the oni mask back over his face.
Mana surged beneath his skin—subtle, focused.
The air around him shifted.
Quiet tension built as he stepped forward and entered his stance once more.
A flawless samurai form, legs braced, left hand firm on the sheath, right hand hovering over the hilt.
The wind fluttered the hem of his black-red armor.
His voice echoed behind the mask, deep and slow:
“Sunset’s is the hour for demons to rise.”
He slowly drew the blade, metal sliding from the sheath with a whisper of steel.
But then, a blast of mana screamed from the sky above.
A long-range spell. High-speed. Precision-type.
It surged straight toward him, like a flash of silver light arcing from above the hills.
Javier’s eyes narrowed behind the mask.
Without flinching, he raised his sword.
A perfect step.
Swing.
The katana met the spell mid-air, and split it clean in half with a single, clean motion.
The magic burst apart like glass, dissipating into scattered light behind him.
The ground trembled lightly from the shock.
He held his stance.
His ears twitched under the helmet.
More movement.
Soft wind. Armor shifting. Beasts lightly stamping the ground.
From the top of the hill, a figure approached, riding calmly… while soldiers in formation stood still in the distance.
They weren’t moving.
They weren’t attacking.
They were simply watching.
But the rider was coming fast.
She jumped down before her mount even stopped, her boots landing silently.
A flash of silver hair under the setting sun. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Her eyes sharp. Calm. Regal.
She raised her blade, no declaration, no warning.
Just the quiet air of one who had already chosen her path.
But she didn’t wait.
She moved—
fast. Efficient. Her sword drawn in a single breath, her body closing the distance in seconds.
Javier reacted instantly. His blade rising.
CLANG!
Steel met steel.
A perfect angle, both blades sliding across each other.
She stepped back, lowered her center, then swept her blade from the right sharp, flawless control.
He twisted his wrist, deflected with the flat of his katana, then countered with a low sweep.
She leapt back with no wasted motion.
Her expression unreadable.
Her posture, impeccable.
She dashed in again.
This wasn’t a duel of brute force.
It was like a dance.
Precise footwork. Faint attacks. Feints layered inside real ones.
Each move tested the other’s reflexes.
Neither spoke.
Neither hesitated.
Only the sound of steel rang through Gilikan’s southern field.
The wind stirred across the open field as the two figures clashed.
Felicia moved like flowing water—graceful, controlled, unhurried.
Her silver hair caught the golden light, her expression calm, almost expressionless.
She advanced without warning, her blade slicing horizontally, then rising again in a tight spiral arc.
Javier parried every strike.
His feet shifted with precision, one smooth slide back, his torso lowering slightly.
His katana met her blade edge-to-edge, turning each strike aside with only the barest motion required.
No wasted movement.
No extra flair.
He didn’t speak.
Didn’t react.
Only adjusted as needed, like a calm tide that refused to break.
Felicia stepped in again, her foot planting firmly.
And suddenly, a burst of magical force flared from her palm.
She slashed downward with her sword while launching a crescent-shaped mana blade beneath the attack—fast and layered.
A double threat.
Javier’s eyes narrowed behind the oni mask.
In a blink.
He lowered his stance and turned, twisting his katana into a short parry, absorbing the sword strike.
Then pivoted, his blade snapping sideways to cleave through the magic arc in a single, fluid draw.
The spell shattered like breaking glass, the sound rolling through the field.
Dust swirled around them as the shockwave passed.
Felicia didn’t flinch.
She circled to the left, then dashed again, bringing her blade low for a sweeping leg cut.
Javier counter-stepped with a silent iai-style pivot, his katana flashing in a horizontal counter.
Their blades clashed, a sharp ring of steel that echoed across the empty rooftops.
Felicia’s foot skidded back slightly.
Her brow furrowed.
That stance… it’s not normal swordsmanship.
It’s… trained. Disciplined. Intentional.
But she couldn’t see his eyes.
Only the red oni mask, unmoving and cold.
Their swords clashed once more.
Felicia’s downward arc stopped dead by Javier’s perfectly timed block.
The wind danced around them.
Neither moved.
Then.
Her lips parted, her voice cool and quiet, but absolute.
“Surrender.”
Her blade slid back, angling toward his throat.
“So I can present your head to my father.”
She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
No anger. No cruelty.
Just fact.
The mask-covered man before her didn’t speak.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t react.
Just stood, katana held loosely at his side.
Inside Javier’s mind.
This girl’s crazy.
That’s the same thing as saying, ‘Let me kill you politely.’
What a stupid girl.
He shifted slightly, catching the way her foot repositioned,perfect balance, no opening.
But the way she fights…
Those movements, her timing. That speed…
He blocked her next strike again.
She’s on the same level as Liana…
Well..Liana before.
I don’t know what Liana’s like now.
She’s been training every day under Erinette after all.
Another magic arc flashed toward his left flank.
Javier leaned back, rotated his blade, and sliced it mid-air again. No wasted motion.
The clash of steel echoed once more as Javier effortlessly parried Felicia’s descending strike.
His katana slid against her blade with a metallic shriek, redirecting the force cleanly to the side.
He didn’t step back.
He didn’t break stance.
He remained rooted.
Felicia took a half-step back, eyes narrowing,measuring him.
But Javier’s attention flicked briefly to the side.
He noticed them now.
The entire Beastkin army, stationed along the southern edge of the field, wasn’t moving.
They stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Not one drew their weapon.
And among them, one tall warrior stepped forward, then quietly stabbed his sword into the ground, planting it beside him like a marker.
The man stood with arms crossed, silent.
Javier squinted slightly behind the mask.
So they’re not going to interfere.
He turned back just in time to deflect another strike.
He twisted, parried, stepped to the side in perfect form.
Then smiled faintly.
“…Well. This is fun.”
He whispered under his breath.
Felicia said nothing, but her footwork grew more aggressive.
Another exchange. Steel on steel, magic arcs slipping between swings.
Still, Javier’s blade caught every one.
Inside his mind.
It’s been a while…
Since I’ve had someone at this level.
Precise swordplay. Speed. Magic pressure.
He slid back half a step, sword low.
Felicia advanced again.
Why not enjoy it?
( End Of Chapter )
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