A brilliantly shimmering red-gold ring.
Even after seeing the ring turning inside the Heart Core, the crowd had to doubt their own eyes.
No one dared to make a sound.
The one most shocked was Julian, who had come face-to-face with the flames.
"You abolished your Mana Circuit and wove a ring?"
His lips trembled.
It was a foolish, senseless act that went far beyond a knight's common sense.
"Did you really abandon Luna and weave Solar?"
"What if that is the case."
"Why on earth? Why spread your wings and break them yourself?"
Julian was one of those who could not understand Ring Knights.
Luna's Mana Circuit was the white wing soaring toward the moonlit night.
Solar's ring was the wing of a moth that burned itself in the sun's fire.
It was not just Julian. Every knight said the same.
"I don't understand. Why did you do something so senseless? Why on earth?"
"Do I need to be understood?"
At his indifferent response, Julian's brow furrowed.
Everyone else knew, but the man himself did not. How foolish an act he had committed.
At this point, it was almost pitiful.
"Why would the Young Master choose a Solar Ring?"
"That makes no sense. He had already opened two Paths, didn't he? He destroyed something complete and wove a new ring?"
"More than that, when and with what thought did he complete it? Does anyone know?"
A ripple began among the watching knights.
When he suddenly proposed Aura, I thought he was opening a new Path.
But looking closely, it was the exact opposite.
It had more losses than gains; to put it bluntly, he had chosen the path of self-destruction.
No matter how much a knight's foundation was the ring, realistically, it was reckless beyond common sense.
And on top of that, abolishing two completed Mana Circuits to weave a ring—
Cutting off one arm would have been a more favorable disadvantage.
"Surely this isn't a handicap?"
"Does it look like one?"
"Then why?"
"You're annoyingly nosy."
Astin rested the back of his sword over his shoulder.
"I'm not the strange one; you are. Comfortable peace rusts a knight's sword. You may look fine on the outside, but inside you're already rotting."
"Is that something to say?"
"Is it only words? There's evidence. Why do you think fewer than five Swordmasters exist in times of peace, while a dozen or so appear in times of chaos?"
Regardless of the era, heroes were born from chaos.
The same went for Astin, the first human to weave eight rings.
It was the same for Lucia, who not only wove seven rings but surpassed Deus and reached eighth rank.
When destruction was at hand, each individual on the front line reached an unprecedented golden age.
That was why knights who walked safe paths were weak.
They could never compare to Fire-Wielder knights who wove rings.
"A blade is ultimately forged in flesh and bone. A knight's duty is to use their life as firewood to heat the ring and as a whetstone to sharpen the blade's edge. That is the natural order."
"That's sophistry. They aren't sharpened; they break. And broken swords are meant to be discarded."
"You're all like that. You don't understand even when I explain it. And yet you dismiss us as ghosts spinning endlessly around the Infinite Ring. You can't even respect knights who endure hardship."
The Infinite Ring. That much was true.
"Every Path has an end. Ring Knights are different. They circulate endlessly."
"Ha! In the end, you'll die and stop."
"Between dying after you stop and stopping after you die, which is the more worthy death? It's obvious."
"You're impossible to talk to."
Julian gave up on understanding.
Astin also gave up on explaining further. It would only hurt his mouth.
"Do you know?"
Solar's pride was the sacrifice of the many to save the world.
So it could be called a noble sacrifice for the few who would protect the world.
Who would believe me if I said that? They'd treat me like a lunatic.
"I'm the type who shows things through actions rather than words."
Kwaang-!
The dirt floor Astin stood on rose, leaving footprints behind.
Astin's vanished form shot forward like an arrow.
Immediately, a red-gold trajectory carrying explosive heat closed in.
"!"
Julian barely reacted and swung his sword up in alarm.
Kaaang-!!
A noisy clang, as if metal were screaming.
Julian's feet were pushed back helplessly. Two deep grooves were carved into the dirt.
'What strength!'
Astin had woven only a single ring.
In contrast, Julian was a peerless genius who had opened three Mana Circuits.
With overwhelming density, he should have pushed Astin's sword back.
That was how it should have been, yet the hand gripping the hilt tingled as if numb.
Far from overpowering him, they were locked in a tense stalemate.
In physical ability and Aura density, Julian held a clear advantage.
But Julian, buried in Luna, couldn't see beyond that.
Astin's ring didn't contain only Solar.
His accumulated experience and insight, his senses and intuition, were condensed intact within it.
Chang! Chaeaeng—!!
Relentless sword strikes tangled fiercely without a moment to breathe.
Cold moonlight and blazing Karma Fire collided, scattering flashes.
"Hoh...."
Every knight watching the assault broke into a cold sweat. They swallowed dry saliva because of Solar's heat.
"His level is far above ours...."
"Hey, someone explain this to me! How can he drive back three Paths with a single ring?"
"The Young Master is Kardenos. He is the man who will become our lord."
"That alone doesn't make sense! A man who was a dullard just the other day...."
Chang!
At first glance, their exchange looked even.
Only those with real skill in Swordsmanship noticed.
Julian was burning through stamina as if his feet were on fire, while Astin flicked back the sparks and countered with minimal movement.
Moreover, Julian's breathing was rough because of Solar's heat.
A Fire-Wielder was not affected by heat. It rather invigorated them.
As time passed, it was Julian whose breathing fell into disarray from stamina loss and heat.
"Julian...."
It looked that way to Azelin as well.
She clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
Please, let Julian win. Please, free me from Astin.
Azelin, who had only been thinking it, finally couldn't hold back and opened her mouth.
"Julian!"
The crowd's attention turned to her.
No matter who was watching, Azelin paid no mind and raised her voice.
"Don't lose, Julian! I have no one but you! If you're gone, how am I supposed to live? Please win! Stay by my side and hold me...!"
Right after Azelin's shout struck the training ground.
"Brother Astin!!"
From the opposite side, a girl's shrill shout burst out.
It was Celine, who had belatedly run to the training ground and was watching on tiptoe.
"Cheer up, Brother! Show them how scary you are— ah, no, I mean how strong you are! And you're way, way more handsome than that greasy cheese over there!"
Starting with Celine's cheer.
The Kardenos knights, who had been holding their breath, also raised their voices.
"Well said! Young Master Astin! Crush him!"
"Show him the spirit of Kardenos! You can do it!"
"Young Master! Keep pushing! Don't give him a moment to rest!"
Julian gritted his teeth.
The blatant hostility toward him, and the majority's cheers for Astin.
Unable to bear it, he closed his ears. Now he couldn't hear it anymore.
Julian glanced at Azelin, who was watching him anxiously.
No matter what happened, he couldn't betray her devotion.
'Azelin. I could give my life for you.'
Hoping that his desperate feelings would reach her.
"Uwaaaaah!!"
Kaang! Chang! Kwaang—!
Julian let out a battle cry and swung his sword without pause.
Sword aura wrapped in blue Luna surged like a storm.
In an instant, dozens of explosive sword strikes exchanged.
At some point, Julian had lost his reason.
An irreversible wound on Astin. He didn't care if he crippled him.
He couldn't bear being humiliated in front of Azelin even more.
Chang!
Astin kept meeting Julian's sword.
His breathing remained steady. The ring's circulation was also under control.
To Astin, Julian felt like a blind man with his eyes open.
Drunk on excitement, each attack was like a blind strike.
Because of that, the tip of Julian's sword couldn't even graze a hem.
"I'd like to say there's no ill will, but I can't lie. I'm just too honest."
He had no anger over Julian stealing his fiancée Azelin.
To Astin, Azelin was a person whose fate didn't matter.
But beyond trying to take a woman who clearly had a fiancé, the shameless, arrogant way he had challenged him to a Duel made him sick.
Even that was malice hidden deep inside.
Astin maintained his composure to the end.
Unlike someone else, he would never be swallowed by emotion.
Chang!
He elegantly tilted the blade and deflected the thrust.
When his best strike missed, Julian's upper body tilted.
Kaang—!
Taking advantage of his broken balance, Astin's sword back came down like lightning.
"Aaaah!"
As if it had wings, a sword flew up and was hurled down.
The same result as before. It was Julian's sword.
Thud—
Like a puppet with its strings cut, Julian slumped down helplessly.
He glared at Astin with a face thick with defeat.
Losing his sword didn't mean it was over yet.
Just as that thought crossed his mind.
Clang!
Even Astin, who had seized victory, tossed his sword away.
Julian's dazed gaze turned upward.
"Pick up our swords together? Don't fool yourself, Astin! That's not mercy, it's mockery!"
"What are you talking about?"
Astin blinked.
"Did you forget the rule the witness mentioned? If I cripple you, I lose."
If I held back with a sword, I might accidentally cut off a limb.
The rule said to use only swords as weapons, but fists weren't weapons. They were part of the body.
"I won't touch anywhere else. Let's just beat the shit out of your face."
Astin's strong grip roughly seized the collapsed Julian by the collar.
Until then, Julian had stared blankly at Astin. He didn't understand the situation.
Peoeeok-!
As soon as he pulled Julian upright, Astin threw a punch.
"Kuh!"
Julian's jaw twisted grotesquely and blood sprayed. For an instant, his vision flashed white.
The impact snapped Julian back to his senses.
Staggering backward, Julian barely kept himself upright.
"Y-you dare!"
Boom-!
Julian's furious fist shot forward.
Astin dodged the fist with a slight tilt of his head.
Then he twisted his hips the other way and put his weight into it.
Puk!
"Kuhk!"
A heavy punch struck Julian squarely on the bridge of the nose.
Kwajik! Puk! Peoek!
No trace of Aura or flashy Swordsmanship could be found. A sight that could never be seen in a training ground.
A crude, one-sided fistfight, the kind seen in back alleys, continued.
Puk!
"Kuhk, keheok...! Kkheuk!"
Puk!
Puk!
Peogeok!
The sound of flesh being struck rang out in succession. Red blood sprayed, and agonized groans burst out.
A severe cut opened on Julian's eyelid, and blood obscured his vision.
With half-focused eyes, he flailed his fist through the air.
His fists, which had already been cutting only air, now couldn't even get close.
"Starting to think you messed up?"
"Kuh... you bas...tard...."
"What, didn't you know it would turn out like this?"
Puk!
Blood dribbled from inside Julian's battered mouth.
The blood flowing from both nostrils blocked his nasal cavity, mixing a nasal whine into his groans.
"You should have come prepared for at least this much. You only thought you could win because you saw me as a fucking nobody, and that's why this happened."
There was no law saying a third party could interfere in an engagement between two families.
How reckless and thoughtless did he have to be to touch the fiancée of Kardenos?
"You're an apostle of justice, and Azelin is a tragic woman? And I'm the third-rate villain blocking your love? That's what you've thought all along."
"Kuh... you fu...cking... bastard...."
Julian glared as if he would kill him, eyes bloodshot.
After being beaten this much, I thought he'd lower his eyes first, but he was surprisingly stubborn.
"You were blinded by a woman's skirt. If you were that starved for women, you should have gone to a brothel. The whores there would have treated you better than her."
Astin drew his fist back again.
Puk!
Julian's head snapped back. A broken front tooth flew out of his mouth.
"Bite down hard. You'll lose more teeth."
"Stop! Stop it now!"
He didn't need to turn around to know it was Azelin.
Puk!
Astin ignored her and kept punching.
It was still far from crippling him. Until then, losing was fine.
"Grrk...."
At last, Julian foamed blood at the mouth.
A missing front tooth, swollen eyelids, a collapsed nose bridge bent sideways, and eyes rolled back grotesquely with blood seeping in.
Julian's sculpted good looks were hideously ruined by a few punches.
It had happened in only a few dozen seconds.
"Honestly, even spending emotion on you two is a waste. But why do you think I'm going this far? If I sent you back fine, you'd never learn your dog habits."
"Stop! The match is over! Stop it now, Astin!"
"Don't resent me too much. If it weren't me, you'd have been beaten badly by someone else someday. It ended this lightly because it was me."
"Astin! I said stop!!"
"Learn your lesson from today. Don't steal what others dropped just because you're hurt."
Puk!
"Aaaah! Julian!"
Unable to watch anymore, Azelin pushed through the crowd and climbed onto the training ground.
She immediately grabbed Astin's arm and blocked him with her whole body.
"Julian! Julian! Aaah! Stop it! He'll die like this!"
"People don't die that easily. And this guy is pretty sturdy."
Held by the collar, Julian swayed back and forth. He had already lost consciousness a while ago.
Azelin looked around urgently with frantic eyes.
Someone here who can help me....
"Sir Knight! The rule you mentioned! This Duel is Julian's victory! He left an irreversible wound! End it now, hurry!"
"Witness, in your view, is this woman right?"
"No. It is a wound that can fully heal."
"You heard him."
"No! No! How can this possibly be recoverable!"
"This is your first time seeing blood, isn't it? You've only ever watched from behind your whole life, so you can't even tell a fatal wound from a minor one. If it ended at this level in this world, you should count yourself lucky."
"Astin, you monster! How can you say that! Are you even human after doing this? How could a human, a human do something like this...!"
Thud!
As soon as Astin let go, Julian's body fell to the ground.
"Aaaah! Julian!"
Azelin caught the fallen Julian.
It would have been fortunate if it had ended there.
Astin raised his foot toward the fallen Julian.
"A-all right! Stop now! I said stop!!"
"Damn, you're loud."
"Fine! I'll admit it! I admit it! I'll go to you!"
Azelin said with her eyes tightly shut.
It was an unexpected result, but she had to accept defeat.
Otherwise, she didn't know what would happen to Julian.
"This makes it okay, right? This all happened because of me anyway. End it now! I'll keep the engagement with you!"
"You're playing both drums and gongs by yourself. Do I look like I did this to him to have you?"
"...What?"
"Win or lose, it's already over between us. Why would I cling to your skirt and tell you not to go? You're a cheating slut who pretends to be innocent and above worldly things on the outside."
"W-what!?"
"If I followed my feelings, I'd turn your face into mush too. I'm holding back for old times' sake. The family will also hold you accountable for fault in this."
"M-mush? How can you insult a lady like that...! Apologize, Astin!"
"You really love that apology shit."
Astin dug in his ear and waved his hand dismissively.
"Take that guy and get lost. And never set foot here again. If you come back, know that you'll end up like him too."
"Cough! Kuk!"
The fallen Julian vomited blood. Clotted blood soaked the floor stickily.
Azelin looked down at Julian with tearful eyes.
Now it was truly over.
Julian had lost the Duel, and the two of them were left with an indelible disgrace.
Staying any longer would only show them more of a sight they didn't want to see.
Azelin swallowed her tears and sat Julian on the ground. Then, groaning, she hoisted his large body onto her back.
"Julian, Julian.... Don't worry. We'll go to the family and get you treated."
No one blocked Azelin as she came down from the training ground.
Only cold stares followed the two persistently.
She had dragged in another man to break off the engagement, and now she was running away in such a pathetic manner.
The knights all wanted to say something, but they held back because they couldn't afford to offend the Rosenthal family.
"Sister Azelin."
Only one person.
There was someone standing in Azelin's way.
Round eyes glaring fiercely, unlike her usual self.
Celine snapped with her hands on her hips.
"You're the one who should apologize. To our brother."
"What are you now?"
"You're his fiancée, so why do you only take care of that greasy man and insult our brother? You know how devoted our brother has been to you!"
"Ha, please!"
Azelin didn't even look at her and walked past.
Celine immediately blocked her path again.
"Apologize right now. I won't let you leave until you do."
"...."
"If you really can't, should I call the Head of Household? Want to try this in front of him too?"
"Are you threatening me right now?"
"So what if I am?"
"That's really not funny. Stop blocking my way and get out of it!"
"!"
Azelin shoved Celine's shoulder with her palm. Celine's body was pushed back helplessly.
"Hey."
A voice came then.
Astin, who had come down at some point, was striding toward them.
At the sight, Azelin swallowed a sneer.
'You should have done this from the start.'
She knew he would come out like this. Astin could never live without her.
See? He couldn't hold back and came to grab her.
Bringing up the broken engagement? Pouring out insults? It was obvious they were all mistakes made in the heat of the moment.
Azelin faced Astin triumphantly.
"What is it, Astin? Are you trying to change my mind now—"
Peoek!
The sudden impact in her abdomen kept her from finishing.
Azelin fell backward with a crash, landing in an undignified heap. Julian tumbled to the ground along with her.
Azelin couldn't get up and froze in that position.
'Did he kick me? Astin? Me, of all people?'
Azelin whipped her head around to protest, but after seeing his face, she couldn't say anything.
"Who did you just lay your hands on?"
His face was distorted like a demon.
Even Azelin, who had known him for years, had never seen him so angry.