The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 21

Episode 21

Barris’s game was none other than a match against Baltian, the prince of the Voltiz kingdom. I thought of how funny it was to have this match right away, but it was better than not being able to have it at all. Barris was standing on the martial arts field with a determined face, showing no fear whatsoever. I felt the excitement in the entire stadium was heated up from the previous game.

Since most participants had outstanding skills, it must have been markedly different from the usual scuffles. Barris had a claymore, similar to his body size, but the sword’s blade was quite blunt for a non-lethal battle. Wizards and priests with outstanding skills were on standby, but if you were hit with a sharp-edged weapon, you would still likely die before any treatment could occur.

“I am so worried if he gets injured while running like an angry foal.”

“Barris has a lot of experience. He will be fine.”

“I know, but...”

Winley was a rear assistant, but Barris used to take the lead when clearing up the many mountain thieves in the country, perhaps because of his personality. Because of that, I felt sorry for the knights who were busy trying to protect him.

Before long, Baltian slowly appeared with a long sword from the other side. I expected that he wouldn’t look good because of the embarrassment he had at the banquet yesterday, but his face was scarily expressionless.

“Even though the blade of the sword is dull, killing is forbidden. Do not attack each other with direct qi.”

A wizard in a robe quietly spoke and then installed a barrier in front of the battlefield. It was to prevent the fight from flying to the audience seats. He had a gaze filled with hostility, but Barris stared at Baltian without saying anything. On the contrary, Baltian simply pulled out his sword silently.

“Start!”

Before long, the two men collided as soon as the start signal went off. Barris, who learned deadly swordsmanship using power, and Baltian, who uses a variable sword technique to fool his opponent with a long sword. Barris was dominant when it came to proficiency and stability in swordsmanship. Besides, the atmosphere was turning toward him because of the misbehavior that Baltian showed before.

Those who saw him at the banquet didn’t seem to have any expectations from Baltian. However...

“Huh?”

Unlike everyone’s expectations, Baltian fought head-to-head against Barris’s sword. Did his skill improve? Not really. It was like a strange flash of Déjà vu.

Clang! Clang!

They both had expert-level skills, reinforcing their bodies with mana. Even though the swords didn’t have sharp blades, I could see sparks when they collided.

Clang!! Clang!!

The wild audience had now gone silent, surprised by the close encounter between the two. Without even screaming, they squeezed their hands tightly and swallowed their breath. Abandoning deadly swordsmanship of unknown origin to me, was far beyond the physical abilities that he showed yesterday. It was impossible that him improved his skill in that short time. As if he had changed completely, his swordsmanship was alien to me.

If I hadn’t awakened Barris’s mana yesterday, it would have been a big mess.

Clang!!

The two men, who were pushing each other in a strength competition, spread apart simultaneously.

“Wow...it’s the first time I’ve seen Barris move that fast...”

Winley was right. Barris, who was catching his breath, seemed surprised that his physical ability increased sharply from yesterday and once again surprised that sword technique, struck him with the same sword technique as himself.

Let me borrow a sword.

“Prince Baltian de Voltiz! At a convention held for the Confederation of Nations’ unity, this rude behavior can only be regarded as the intention of the Voltiz nation.” Officials of the host country, the Duchy of Felicity, shouted angrily.

If Barris were killed here, it wouldn’t be a normal problem. That wasn’t only true for Barris, but for everyone who participated. Those who came here were representatives of each country. Among them were the royal family and the sons of famous military nobility. Any country that valued ​​them would certainly not be happy and make a claim.

If so, of course, unity, which was the national coalition’s purpose, would be over. They all knew that once two small nations declared war, all the neighboring countries would jump in since they’ve waited for this very reason to do so. However, even at the words of the official of the Principality of Felicity, he just tilted his head and didn’t say anything.

“From our perspective, the prince’s action was malicious and deliberate actions to revenge! If you do not give any clarification, I will formally report a claim against the Voltiz Kingdom as the current host of the Continental Swordsmanship Contest organized by the Confederation of Nations!”

As if throwing an injunction, the official shouted.

“Wait!”

“Please wait! The prince’s action wasn’t intended to cause discord!”

A formal claim would never be what the Voltiz Kingdom would hope for. The Voltiz Kingdom’s nobles who jumped up over the battlefield were sweating to ease the situation.

“Prince! Please, say something..!”

It was then.

Baltian, who was still silent, turned his head to a bizarre angle and grabbed the head of a nobleman who approached him.

(Gnarl)

(Crackling)

In an instant, the head of the nobleman burst like a watermelon hit by a baseball bat. At the same time, the blood disappeared from the faces of everyone watching the situation at the stadium.

* * *

With his mouth wide open, Baltian began to shed a bizarre sound and a red air veil, not only from his sword, but also from his empty hand formed. As if a sticky liquid was flowing over, the appearance of the red air veil that enclosed his entire body gave the viewers goosebumps.

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

“Ahhhhhh!!”

Then, after a brief silence, screams began to erupt from all over the stadium.

Again, the game was supposed to be a friendly match with a strong sports concept. If an athlete grabbed a person’s head and burst it during the Earth’s Olympic Games, it would surely cause chaos like this. Baltian’s eyes, which looked as if they were smiling, were moving quickly, and the white part of his eyes began to turn red.

Simultaneously, unidentified veins sprouted all over the skin, and the fangs visible in his open mouth began to lengthen, much like a vampire from a ghost story.

‘Infection.’

It wasn’t a normal vampire that could create an infectious agent that could shed Dark qi. Instinctively realizing it, I narrowed my eyes. I noticed that he wasn’t the same as I knew just by looking at the flow of mana from a little while ago. The flow of mana that creatures should have wasn’t there, and only a bizarre flow remained.

As I approached, Barris, ignoring Baltian, who was standing overwhelmed by the knights, looked up at me with a half-pale expression.