Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 436 - 293: Duel (2)

Chapter 436: Chapter 293: Duel (2)

"That thing... should be a greatsword, right?"

His Majesty the King, sitting in the viewing stand, looked at the weapon in Malin’s hand and asked the Earl beside him.

The latter was silent for a moment before nodding, "By its length, it indeed qualifies as a greatsword, but given Lord Malin’s current stature, it’s a bit too small."

......

Yes, it was a bit too small. As the referee came up to confirm both parties’ consent, Malin waved the greatsword in his hand with one hand—the World Tree Sapling had formed a greatsword, but in terms of weight, for the current Malin, it indeed felt like the importance of a small branch.

"My lord, you truly intend to duel with Lord Sayer Kayte, correct?" the referee approached Malin.

Malin nodded, "What does Lord Sayer Kayte say?"

"He has also agreed. Since you’ve both consented, then, on behalf of the grand competition organization, I will confirm the legality of your duel," said the referee before looking at both of them, "Now, you have one last chance to back out. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

"No," Malin and the Baron answered in unison.

Thus, the referee left the field, pressing a shell-less mechanical clock on his way out to start the countdown.

Malin adjusted the size of the World Tree Sapling in his hand but discovered that indeed, it couldn’t be made heavier.

Such weight was even considered light for a longsword.

Originally, Malin had asked the Dwarf craftsmen if they could forge a suitable weapon for him. The Dwarves had initially agreed but fell back upon hearing they had to deliver it by the third day—they said that for the greatsword Malin needed, they would use solid materials and then it would take them ten days to half a month just to carve the decor on the hilt.

An entire sword would likely take a year to craft; these three days were indeed asking for the Dwarves’ lives.

It was truly helpless. Initially, Malin had thought himself to be about 1.2 meters, so the greatsword transformed from the World Tree Sapling would have been just right for use.

But now, with his strength having increased by more than half, Malin found even a 200-pound iron bar too light to handle.

If it had not been for a greatsword duel, Malin might have simply let the little branches transform into a mace.

With these thoughts, Malin raised the longsword to block the slicing blade aimed at him, stepped back, turned around, and with a full swing, turned the slash into a smack that forced his eager opponent to retreat three steps.

Only three steps back? This Pale Master was quite formidable.

With these doubts and admiration, Malin felt he had found an opponent truly worth battling.

In his hands, the body of the greatsword became thicker and heavier, not needing a sharp edge; in Malin’s hands, the edgeless greatsword could still kill a man.

The Baron of Silent Hill did not sit idly. He turned around, his greatsword intercepting Malin’s follow-up, forcing Malin to block this sweeping strike with his greatsword. As Malin was pushed back a step by his power, he saw the young man continue to turn around; the greatsword swung fully in his turn. This time, Malin stabbed his greatsword into the ground, forcefully blocking the strike, and then both men came to blows, their clenched fists smashing together without any finesse.

Malin took two steps back, his opponent was sent flying, and, turning in mid-air, Malin saw his greatsword reach his hands.

Then the man launched a thrust at Malin while still in the air, facing an attack that completely defied the laws of physics, and Malin did not need to act, he simply stood there as the World Tree Saplings returned to his hands, both hands raised the greatsword over his head, and Malin’s slash forced the Baron to abandon his thrust. His illusion continued the attack in place of his body, while Malin allowed the phantom to pass through his body, at the same time noting the bonespurs stabbing from the ground, he sidestepped the bonespur.

"I thought this was a real sword fight."

"A real sword fight is both parties drawing their swords at the same time, whereas you threw down a gauntlet; this is just a duel to decide the victor, so do as you please," he said, taking advantage of the momentum to come forth, his greatsword held out flat, seemingly waiting for Malin to make a move.

After a moment of thought, in Malin’s hand, the World Tree Sapling transformed into a longsword and a gauntlet.

The indestructible gauntlet blocked the thrust, pushing him away, as Malin closed in on his opponent, his longsword simultaneously thrusting towards his chest.

The Baron seemed to crumble, turning into gravel just as the longsword would have pierced him. Malin turned around, switching swords hand to hand, and with a war cry, he swung the longsword, fully blocking the incoming greatsword.

The small branch emitted a crackling sound that caught Malin’s attention for the first time—it was the combination of Lorrin and Fio, after all, not a complete longsword.

Moving back several steps, Malin was about to transform the two saplings into a pair of short swords when suddenly, all the transcendent beings present lifted their heads toward the sky.

In Malin’s perception, there were cracks forming high above, two of them.

The next second, two longswords landed before him.

The Baron did not launch an attack; he glanced at Malin: "It’s clear that you are indeed a favorite child; now, what do you plan to choose, Mr. Malin?"

"Children make choices, Mr. Sayer; my choice is I want them all."

After speaking, Malin grabbed the pure white longsword on his left, and with his right hand, he pulled the black and red longsword up from the ground.

The two longswords crossed, and in Malin’s hand, they drew out a large cluster of star sparks.