Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

The moment Aldren’s footing faltered, Maverick did not waste even a heartbeat. And for the first time since the spar had begun, he exploded into motion...

His feet scarcely seemed to touch the arena as he sprinted forward, his movements astonishingly light for someone wielding a heavy broadsword. Every step was measured, silent, and economical, giving the uncanny illusion that he was skimming across the polished stone rather than running upon it.

Distance vanished in an instant...

The moment he entered striking range, Maverick planted one foot firmly against the ground before launching himself upward and executed a tornado kick.

His body spun through the air with astonishing fluidity, momentum gathering around his waist before being transferred perfectly into his right leg.

The spinning kick descended like the swing of a pendulum.

It was an utterly unorthodox technique.

Not because it lacked refinement, but because no swordsman in the middle of a weapon exchange would willingly abandon both feet to execute such an aerial attack. It was a move that preyed upon the opponent’s expectations...

And Aldren certainly hadn’t expected it.

Reacting entirely on instinct, he threw his left forearm across the side of his head...

BANG!

Maverick’s heel crashed into the guard with frightening force...

Although Aldren managed to block the strike, the impact still rippled through his arm like a violent shockwave. The tremendous force shoved his entire body sideways, causing the towering youth to stagger several steps before barely managing to recover his balance.

The instant Maverick landed, he didn’t let. His feet rotated sharply upon the stone, his waist twisted, and then his shoulders followed.

Every ounce of rotational force gathered within the broadsword before exploding outward...

SHING!

The massive blade carved through the air in a vicious descending slash aimed directly at Aldren’s neck...

It came so quickly that even the surrounding spectators collectively held their breath.

Aldren’s pupils shrank into pinpoints.

He had only just regained his footing. His left arm still throbbed violently from blocking the spinning kick, leaving him completely unprepared for the sword that immediately followed.

Yet years of relentless training refused to abandon him. Without conscious thought, Aldren instinctively twisted his torso sideways, causing the broadsword to slice past him. It was barely as less than an inch separated the sharpened steel from flesh.

A few strands of his golden hair drifted lazily through the air before falling toward the arena floor.

Aldren watched them descend from the corner of his vision. And for the first time since the battle had begun, genuine danger brushed against him.

Yet instead of fear, his heartbeat accelerated with exhilaration. Obviously, the intoxicating fervor of battle only poured more fuel upon the fire already burning inside his chest.

This... This was exactly the kind of opponent he had hoped for.

However, excitement alone could not win battles...

The instant Maverick’s slash completed its arc, the momentum naturally carried the broadsword lower than his center of gravity. It was only for the briefest instant, but this was an opening nonetheless and Aldren seized it immediately...

Gripping the spear tightly with both hands, he suddenly reversed his grip and drove the butt of the spear straight toward Maverick’s temple.

The counter came with explosive speed... Yet Maverick’s reactions were equally astonishing.

Instead of retreating, he simply rolled his wrists. The heavy broadsword that had just completed its slash flowed back upward almost effortlessly...

CLANG!

Steel collided with steel and brilliant sparks erupted between them...

Aldren immediately leaned forward, his powerful physique surging into the weapon.

Muscles throughout his broad shoulders and thick arms bulged as he poured every ounce of his physical strength into the spear.

This time, he intended to overwhelm Maverick completely...

Under normal circumstances, Maverick might have been able to receive that force comfortably. Unfortunately, he had intercepted the spear while recovering from a committed downward slash.

Therefore, his footing remained precarious, leaving him with an unstable center of gravity and almost no leverage from which to resist such overwhelming pressure.

Because of this, the tremendous force immediately began forcing him backward. Stone groaned beneath his boots as his heels slid several inches across the arena floor...

Even so, Maverick’s expression never changed. Rather than panicking, he moved...

He calmly shifted his rear foot farther behind him. His knees bent slightly, his shoulders lowered, and then two measured steps later, his balance returned completely.

The unstable stance transformed into an immovable foundation and the retreat ceased.

Then slowly but steadily, he began pushing back...

Aldren’s brows lifted slightly.

The pressure that moments ago had been forcing Maverick backward now met equal resistance. Neither advanced and neither yielded.

For several moments, both young men remained completely deadlocked, their weapons locked together while raw physical strength collided relentlessly between them.

The surrounding arena became eerily silent and only the grounding of steel against steel filled the silence...

In the meantime, at the edge of the arena, Cassian calmly folded his arms. Without taking his eyes off the battle, he spoke.

”I told you Aldren would find a way.”

His voice remained perfectly level as there was neither pride nor smugness within it. To him, predicting Aldren’s response had merely been an inevitability born from understanding his companion’s fighting habits.

Beside him, Tristan rolled his golden eyes dramatically and muttered. ”Show off.”

His voice carried equal parts indignation and exasperation but Cassian simply ignored him as his full attention remained fixed upon the arena...

Within the stalemate, Maverick’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

He knew he couldn’t defeat Aldren in terms of strength so he had no intention of allowing this contest of brute force to continue.

Besides, strength alone was only one avenue toward victory; technique was another.

Suddenly, his wrists shifted...

Rather than continuing to push directly against the spear, Maverick rotated his broadsword, allowing the flat of the blade to slide smoothly along the shaft.

The motion resembled a swordsman binding an opponent’s weapon.

The heavy blade hooked firmly against the spear before angling downward.

Maverick tightened every muscle within his arms. Then he drove his weight into the bind...

The spear slowly began drifting sideways. It started with an inch, then another... And another.

Aldren immediately realized Maverick’s intention. If the spear were forced all the way down, it would become pinned against the arena floor, leaving him completely vulnerable.

So he acted instantly. His grip tightened, the veins along both forearms bulging as he fought desperately against the downward pressure.

Yet the initiative had already slipped away.

Recognizing he could no longer win through brute force alone, Aldren abandoned the contest entirely. Instead, his wrists suddenly rotated as he executed a windmill release...

The spear spun rapidly between his palms.

Rather than resisting the pressure, he flowed with it. The rotating shaft slipped cleanly beneath Maverick’s locking blade before spinning free altogether.

The instant the weapon escaped, the spearhead flashed sideways like a streak of silver lightning striking toward Maverick’s neck.

The transition from defense to offense happened in a single seamless motion; a beautiful display of advanced spearmanship.

Unfortunately, Maverick had already expected it. The instant he recognized the windmill release, he already knew what would follow.

So as the spearhead sliced toward his throat, Maverick calmly lowered his upper body, dodging the strike. The razor-sharp blade hissed over his tied ponytail, severing only a few loose strands of golden hair...

Yet dodging alone was never Maverick’s style. Instead of retreating, he surged forward...

His legs exploded with power and like a battering ram breaching a fortress gates, Maverick drove the crown of his head directly into Aldren’s exposed abdomen...

THUD!

The impact landed solidly causing Aldren’s eyes to widen in shock...

He had anticipated another sword strike, or a kick perhaps. But he never expected a headbutt.

The force compressed the air from his lungs, a low grunt escaping his lips involuntarily as pain blossomed through his stomach.

His enormous frame staggered backward several steps; until eventually, he planted his spear against the ground to stabilize himself.

Yet despite doing so, a dull ache continued spreading throughout his abdomen like ripples across still water. His brows knitted tightly together, one hand instinctively rubbing the sore spot while he forced himself to inhale steadily.

Unfortunately, Maverick never intended to give him time to recover. The moment Aldren retreated, Maverick was already moving...

His sprint resumed. The broadsword rose over his shoulder before descending in a powerful overhead slash...

Aldren immediately reacted. Ignoring the pain twisting through his stomach, he raised the spear horizontally to intercept.

Yet, the expected collision never came because at the very last instant, Maverick suddenly altered the trajectory.

Tutns out the overhead slash had merely been a feint. Instead of bringing the sword down, he allowed its momentum to continue past Aldren’s weapon while simultaneously lowering his center of gravity.

His body dropped almost to one knee as he executed a leg sweep. His extended leg scythed beneath Aldren’s planted foot with ruthless precision...

The timing was immaculate.

Aldren’s weight had only just shifted to defend against the false overhead strike. Therefore, his balance disappeared instantly.

His eyes widened as the world suddenly tilted. For one surreal moment, all he could see was blue sky. Then..

BOOM!

His massive body crashed heavily onto the reinforced arena floor.

Although the enchanted stone absorbed much of the impact, the collision still sent a dull ache rippling through his back and shoulders.

Aldren gritted his teeth. Ignoring the pain entirely, he immediately tried to rise. He rolled onto one elbow, then froze suddenly as a cold sensation settled between his eyes.

Slowly, very slowly, he lifted his gaze only to see the razor-sharp tip of Maverick’s broadsword hovering less than an inch from his forehead...

Maverick stood over him, his breathing perfectly steady. There was neither arrogance nor triumph upon his face. Instead, there was only the same tranquil expression he had worn since the battle began.

Looking directly into Aldren’s eyes, he then uttered two words calmly. ”You lose...”