After walking through the Combat Temple for several minutes, the group found themselves surrounded by countless warriors, instructors, and curious apprentices.
The newcors, Jino Britz and Nina Farion, drew attention from every corner.
There were many questions, and most ca from those who had once belonged to the Sword Sanctuary.
Especially those who left the Sanctuary after Gall Farion’s defeat at Rygar’s hands. One third of them decided to follow Clint after the Sword God departed and were now also under the banner of the Kingdom of Gaia.
In the year that had passed since Gall Farion’s fall, the Sword Sanctuary suffered a visible decline.
With Gall out of the picture and Timothy Britz assuming the title of Sword God, leadership seed unstable, and the decisions he made did not please everyone.
Still, it was one event in particular that shocked everyone shortly before Nina and Jino’s departure.
With expressions of resignation and respect, the two reported what had happened. About a month before they left, a wandering knight appeared at the Sanctuary.
His na was Sándor von Grandeur.
It was an unknown na, a figure no one recognized. His goal was to find Gall Farion. But, upon learning that the forr Sword God had left the Sanctuary, Sándor requested an audience with Timothy.
No one ever learned the content of their conversation—and Timothy didn’t tell, even afterward—but the final result was a battle.
Sándor fought using a staff as his weapon.
He truly dared to fight the Sword God with nothing more than a staff.
A simple tal staff, without any nacing aura or visible enchantnt.
And with it, he defeated Timothy Britz, the current Sword God.
The fight was neither close nor hard-fought. It was clear and decisive; Sándor was simply more skilled.
Next, Sándor easily defeated the two Sword Kings whom Timothy had appointed.
Seeing this, Nina and Jino decided to challenge him together. They fought with everything they had, in perfect synchronicity. Even so, they were defeated.
Nina repeated Sándor’s words verbatim:
"How the Sword Sanctuary has fallen in the last century... With all due respect, boy, you are not worthy of the title of God. But that is forgivable. After all, it takes courage to take command of a sinking ship."
Sándor looked at the two Sword Kings and added:
"But you must know how to choose better those who will be your blades. Those two brats who just faced are far more deserving of the title Sword King than those ornants you appointed."
Finally, he approached Jino and simply nad him North King. Then he departed, leaving his last words for Timothy:
"Consider my proposal, Sword God. I’m sure you don’t want the Sword God Style to end at your hands."
Everyone was stunned by the report. Eris, who knew Timothy’s strength well and had so idea of how much Jino and Nina had grown, was impressed.
The idea that all of them had been defeated by a single man wielding a staff seed absurd. But there was no reason for her to lie about such a thing.
Others, on the other hand, were more surprised that they didn’t know the na. Sándor von Grandeur? No one there had heard the na before.
Even the centenary demons and beastfolk present had never heard of him. Who was that man? A recluse? An exile? A powerful being in disguise?
Amid the conversations and questions, the group finally reached their destination: one of the largest artificial arenas in the Combat Temple.
There were natural arenas scattered throughout the Temple—mountainous areas, training forests, sand fields...—and there were also the artificial ones; this one, in particular, was quite special.
It was created to withstand battles between God-level warriors, provided they were not direct assaults. It had been built by Rygar, using his own Earth Magic.
His mastery of Earth Magic was unparalleled. He constructed it both for his own training and for the future combatants of the Kingdom who would one day reach the God-level.
The presence of two Sword Kings in the Combat Temple caused an uproar. Most of the Gaia’s Twelve Kings were there, waiting to see.
Many were veterans who knew of Nina and Jino’s deeds through Rygar, Eris, Ghislaine, and Aisha. Others, however, had never heard of them, as their lives had been spent almost entirely within the Sword Sanctuary.
So ca confident, ready to challenge. Others, silent, simply observed. But all were aware of one thing: underestimating those two was a sure recipe for disaster.
The current ranking of the Twelve Kings was known throughout the continent. Their nas echoed across the Kingdom.
Each warrior had impressive feats and strength capable of turning the tide of entire wars.
The current ranking of the Twelve Kings was as follows:
1. Black Wolf, Ghislaine Adoldia
2. Monarch Wolf, Taes Dedoldia
3. Dragon Hunter, Ornthorn
4. Red Lioness, Eris Adoldia
5. Demon King, Gretta Fowsark
6. King’s Blade, Saint McEarntown
7. Red Ogre, Baron
8. Flash Sword, Leonor Hangel
9. Sword Emperor, Clint Lio
10. Gale Reaper, Kilian Dedoldia
11. Disaster Witch, Verdia Adoldia
12. Hunting Dog, Weys Adoldia
This ranking had undergone so changes since its inception, mainly with the arrival of Clint and Baron.
The reasons that led the Sword Emperor to join the Kingdom of Gaia were more or less clear to everyone.
Baron, on the other hand, was a surprise few expected. He arrived in the Kingdom of Gaia from Begaritt, upon learning that Milis had been destroyed.
His hatred toward Milis ran deep, but he could never do anything against them. He revealed no reason for his hatred; the only one who knew was Rygar.
He regretted not having heard about the war sooner, or he would have been the first to co help. In deep gratitude, he swore loyalty to Rygar for two hundred years.
Upon arriving, Baron did not rest. He challenged every high-level warrior he encountered in the Kingdom of Gaia, one by one, demonstrating his brutal strength.
He fought until he was defeated by Gretta, the formidable Demon King. Although he still had not fought Saint McEarntown, as the latter was frequently away from the Combat Temple.
In any case, each of the Twelve Kings was a power of the highest order.
Even the last-placed, Weys Adoldia—the Hunting Dog—was a Sword King who, forged in brutal and rciless war, was a warrior capable of spreading terror wherever he went.
Being at the bottom of the ranking did nothing to diminish his strength, but reflected the delicate balance among the other mbers.
Nina would be the first to fight. At eighteen years old, she was already a mature, experienced, and strong woman.
She already held the title of Sword King, a recognition earned by her constant effort to keep up with Jino’s teoric growth, whose evolution seed unstoppable.
She had learned much practicing with him, absorbing valuable lessons on how to face different fighting styles, expanding her repertoire of techniques, and her capacity to adapt.
Furthermore, the many battles they had faced during their journey had given her real combat experience—sothing no training could replace.
And thanks to Rygar’s influence, even while they were in the Sword Sanctuary, they would go out to hunt monsters from ti to ti, which kept their skills sharp, their senses alert, and their confidence growing.
Nina was a skilled and determined swordswoman.
All those present—warriors, spectators, and even the Twelve Kings themselves—were curious to know who would be her first opponent in this duel.
Of the Gaia’s Twelve Kings, Verdia Adoldia, Ghislaine Adoldia, and Saint McEarntown were not present.
The latter held an important position as bodyguard and commander of the royal guard of the current king of the Kingdom of Gaia, Gustav Dedoldia, which justified his absence that day.
Nina looked carefully at all the warriors spread across the mountains and forests around the natural arena.
So were sitting on stones by the lake that received the crystal-clear water of a nearby waterfall.
The sound of falling water created a paradoxical atmosphere—a mix of serenity and expectation in the air, as everyone awaited the start of the confrontations.
She had already made her decision—or rather, decided to follow Jino’s advice. His instincts and senses were much sharper than hers, and according to him, none of the Twelve Kings was simple.
Each possessed a unique fighting style, with techniques and abilities that could surprise even the best-prepared.
While she mastered primarily the Sword God Style, most of them already knew that.
It was as if Nina stood in the light, visible and clear, while her opponents moved in the dark, hidden and dangerous.
Following Jino’s advice was, therefore, the most sensible and strategic choice.
Moreover, Nina trusted Jino more than anyone in her life.
She fixed her gaze on her chosen opponent.
With a firm voice, Nina declared so that everyone could hear:
"Weys Adoldia, I challenge you to a duel for your position among the Gaia’s Twelve Kings."
Silence imdiately fell over the place. All eyes turned to Weys.
Weys smiled and replied calmly: "It will be an honor..."
Saying this, he sprang nimbly and walked to the center of the arena under everyone’s gaze.
Until he stopped. Everyone watched with expectation and anxiety.
Nina and Weys faced each other in the center of the arena, about thirty ters apart. Silence filled the air, as if the Combat Temple itself awaited the unfolding of the confrontation.
Nina slowly drew her sword. The blade, of shining curved silver with a single sharp edge, glead under the natural light filtering through the arena’s high arches.
Its hilt was marked by two tal wings protruding on the blade’s unsharpened side, and an eagle was carved at the beginning of the edge.
It was the Whistling Free Soul—the last gift from her father and one of the 48 swords forged by Yulian Jalisco.
Naturally, Nina assud the high posture of the Sword God Style, ready to win by sheer force. Weys, on the other hand, positioned himself in his traditional draw stance.
As a mber of the beastfolk race, his naturally sharpened senses favored him in this combat style. It was the sa style Ghislaine demonstrated when Rygar first t her.
Weys had evolved greatly in recent years.
He had beco a Sword Saint eight years ago, but it was only six months ago that Rygar, with criteria as strict as Gall Farion’s—if not more—recognized him as a true Sword King.
Despite his talent, Weys was already over thirty and would probably never reach the Emperor level. Still, he was elite among warriors.
He was calm, focused, confident of his victory against the young swordswoman. Nina, in turn, breathed deeply.
Both knew that duels between two practitioners of the Sword God Style could be decided in a single move. The surrounding audience watched with full attention.
Eris observed Nina with narrowed eyes, filled with anticipation.
For a few seconds, the only audible sound was the river running beside the arena, the cascades pouring in the distance, and the wind whispering through the trees.
It was in that almost ritualistic atmosphere that Baron, the Red Ogre, grumbled impatiently:
"Why are they staring at each other?!"
This break in silence was the trigger. Nina advanced first. Weys reacted almost at the sa mont.
Their bodies vanished in a blur of speed. In the next instant, their swords collided.
Nina was faster. Her blade stopped a re three centiters from cutting Weys in half, but he managed to block in ti.
Weys’s weapon, surprisingly, withstood the crushing force of Nina’s blade. The tallic ring resonated like thunder.
Weys was under pressure, but it was part of his plan. He slid his sword along Nina’s blade skillfully—a technique he had learned from Rygar himself.
In the blink of an eye, his sword was at the point of slicing the swordswoman’s neck. But Nina reacted quickly.
She knew that trick; Jino used it frequently against her. Her sword withdrew in an instant.
Even so, she was not unscathed. Strands of blue hair floated in the air, and a small cut appeared on her smooth neck. She smiled. Weys, realizing he was at a disadvantage, tried to retreat—but it was too late.
Nina repositioned herself in a fraction of a second and struck again. Her sword described a diagonal arc that tore through Weys’s chest.
He narrowly avoided being split in two, but the cut ripped across his torso.
The fight had lasted just under a second. To so slower warriors, all they saw was the mont Weys was thrown backward, gravely wounded.
Nina remained standing, motionless, as if she hadn’t even moved. She had only a small cut on her neck.
She cleaned her blade with a swift flick in the air and sheathed it.
A loud, feminine voice echoed from the stands:
"Hahaha! Look, she really won!"
It was Gretta, the Demon King. Beside her, a small green-haired child remained impassive.
Reactions were varied: shock, surprise, admiration, respect. Many had already learned not to underestimate won in the Kingdom of Gaia. Of the Twelve Kings, five were won—and three were among the top five. Now, that number increased again.
Nina Farion was officially the new holder of the twelfth position among the Gaia’s Twelve Kings.
Kilian had already taken Weys to receive treatnt. Gretta, smiling, comnted:
"Welco to the group, brat!"
Nina blinked, a bit confused at being called that, but replied:
"Y-yes... I hope to get along with everyone."
With that, she left the arena silently.
The next to enter was Jino. His eyes turned directly to Taes. His gaze was challenging.
Taes returned it with a fierce smile, and for a mont it seed they might start fighting there and then, without even officially declaring the duel.
But then Nina’s voice rang out:
"Jino!"
He looked at her, a bit distracted by the interruption, but noticed her furious expression. She snapped:
"What did you tell five minutes ago?!"
Jino sighed, rembering. Right... He’d told her not to fight the strongest first. To gather information first.
But he really wanted to face Taes. He was Rygar’s current right hand... If he couldn’t even defeat him, how could he achieve his goals?
But she was right—there was sothing mysterious about Taes, not to ntion he exuded a dangerous presence himself—especially in that sword at his waist.
Even sheathed, Jino felt as though a dragon were emanating from it. It was a sensation similar to what he felt before Tsukikage, Rygar’s sword.
Feeling Nina’s piercing gaze on him, he sighed once more. Then he said simply:
"All right. I challenge the Sword Emperor, Clint, for his title among the Gaia’s Twelve Kings."
---
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