Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1944, 1916. The Fiery Axe
“You despicable, insignificant faded one,” Greck’s face twisted in disgust, “do you even think you have the right to comment on the actions of a demigod?!”

"A demigod may be a demigod, but..."

The Lake Maiden's sword in Lann's hand flashed into a dazzling blade flower, but this brilliance suddenly stopped in the next instant and went straight for Grik!
The air was torn apart with a sharp screech, and as if in a spasm, Greck jerked his left hand half a meter to the right!
And then, with a 'sizzle' sound! A thin, sharp knife mark appeared where his left hand had just braced against the wall behind him!
【Water-shaped Sword - Tiger Rush】!
This is inspired by the katana martial arts techniques of the magical Japanese Sengoku period.

As a major destructive technique of the katana in that world, the Iaijutsu requires a calm mind and a stable body to execute. Only by improving concentration can one unleash the full power of that strike.

However, the [Tiger Rush] technique can reduce the requirements for the user during this process, allowing for less drastic changes in direction.

So, in that wide doorway, Lann appeared in front of Grik almost instantly and then slashed out with his sword!

"At this point, what's the point of being a demigod? All that matters is being Rodel and the challenger."

"Bah!"

Even though Grek had already withdrawn his arm due to his superior bloodline instincts, a cut that did not penetrate deep into the bone still cleanly tore open the flesh on the side of his upper arm in the middle.

The blood belonging to the golden demigods was carried out along the traces of the high-pressure airflow blades left by Lan En, shooting out and splashing a wild, blood-red pattern on the wall.

Only then did Lan En's figure and voice land firmly on the ground again, following the flash of the blade.

His eyes were fixed on Grek at his side.

The witcher was a head shorter than this demigod and far more prestigious, but his calm expression... almost made Grek feel that the other was observing him.

Observe an opponent who treats you as an equal!

Treat each other as equals? Or as rivals?
An unnamed anger started in Greck's heart and instantly swept through his entire body!
“A mere faded one,” he said, his voice seemingly forced out from between clenched teeth, his right fist clenched tightly on the other side of his body, “you’ve got quite the arrogance!”

Just a second ago, he was mentally comparing his future status to that of "Golden" Godwin.

The next second, in the sudden outbreak of conflict, the blade of an unknown faded individual had already drawn blood from his arm! And they still considered him some kind of… 'equal opponent'?!

Given the huge gap between his psychological self-perception and reality, Grek's anger naturally erupted!
The fist of the golden demigod was even more exaggerated in size than the most exaggerated hammer that an ordinary person could hold.

And his power is even more so!

"boom!!!"

Grek, who had been pressed against the wall and was still shaken, angrily turned around and threw a punch!
This time, it was Lan En who tilted his head back an inch.

The wind generated by the large fist ruffled the silver-white hair for a moment, and then, the dull thud of the fist hitting the wall, along with the sounds of the bricks being crushed and shattered, burst forth in an instant!

"Crackling!"

Rodel's walls lived up to their reputation. Even a pure-blooded member of the Golden Clan and a demigod of the dynasty, like Grek, could only create a spiderweb-like crack covering an area of ​​about ten square meters on the wall of the city gate when he threw a punch in anger.

The depth is also so-so.

"His skills seem...not very good?"

Feeling the wind from the punch brushing past his face, Lann was calmly communicating with Mentos in his mind, even assessing Grek's performance in that punch.

Loose force, slow response in gathering power throughout the body, unsteady footwork when punching... Is this really the level a demigod should have?
“I can’t see anything wrong, sir.” Mentos reported the results as he analyzed, “His behavior is not significantly different from his usual state as we have seen him before.”

"Simply put: this should be his true level."

It seems that even among the demigods of the Golden Dynasty, there are huge disparities within the ranks, simply because it is a title.

Someone like Greke is probably a fake.

The exchange of thoughts was already a habit for Lann and Mentos, lasting only a moment.

Almost at the same moment that Grik's fist blasted a large crack in the wall of the city gate, Lann not only tilted his head back but also kicked forward.

As Grek turned and threw a punch, he was hit squarely in the stomach!
Compared to Lann, Grek's skills are really... far too superficial.

Even with just his eyesight and experience, Lan En could discern the other person's next move from the subtle twitching of their muscles.

Not only did the punch fail to injure Lan En, but Lan En gritted his teeth and groaned, his body flying backward from the impact.

Greck's body flew straight out of the wide gate, across the grassy area of ​​the outer city walled by Rodel.

Along the way, his body also smashed the carriages of the convoy he had led.

Wood, steel... the materials that make up the carriages were directly torn apart under this violence.

His body soared high above the terrified crowd, kicking up several patches of turf on the golden grass before finally coming to a staggering stop.

But he himself didn't seem to realize he'd been kicked quite a distance, perhaps because his superior bloodline made him indifferent to such minor injuries. Even after he'd come to a stop, Greck continued speaking in a voice so agitated it sounded like it was being squeezed out between clenched teeth.

"You know no reverence! You know nothing of the immensity of heaven and earth! You who have faded into obscurity, kneel before me!"

His body rose from the grass, and for a moment he appeared tall and powerful.

The reason for this was that he now had a large golden axe in his hand!
The axe was so large that even someone of Grek's stature needed both hands to wield it properly.

It was almost half his height, and it was a double-headed axe with the middle structure connecting the two axe blades specially thickened and weighted.

It is decorated with a majestic lion standing upright.

It looks similar to the emblem of the Sintra flag, only more majestic and imposing.

The great axe held special significance during the Golden Dynasty.

Because the most iconic weapon of Govre, the First King who conquered all sides and led his warriors to victory in the war against the giants, was a huge, double-headed axe as large as a full moon!
It was also because of this first king of the Golden Dynasty that his "Beast Chancellor" Serlosh became the sigil of the Golden Family.

Therefore, the image of wielding a huge double-headed axe naturally carries the characteristics of Govre in the Golden Dynasty, and thus carries additional meanings such as bravery, domineering, and royal authority.

Gofule's great axe had followed him beyond the borders when he was stripped of his blessing and exiled.

Furthermore, the lion pattern on the large axe in Grik's hand indicates that it was made by a descendant of the Golden Clan as a weapon of imitation and tribute to commemorate and honor their ancestors.

And this axe is precisely why Grek had to 'endure' being kicked flying by a mere Faded One.

This is the weapon he just retrieved from the wrecked carriage!

Holding this imitation and tribute 'King's Axe', Grik seemed to feel the kingly aura of his great elders, the origin and source of the Golden Clan.

He is now only a tiny bit away from the city gate of Narodl!
Once we get there! Once the city gates are opened!

Perhaps tonight, he and his father will become the rightful heirs of the Golden Dynasty!
Ambition, tension, and anticipation flickered in the demigod's eyes.

For Greck, tonight is a crucial, life-or-death moment.

His pupils could still reflect the light and shadow of the golden tree, which shone even brighter with the arrival of night.

The light and shadow seemed even more dazzling tonight.

In his mind, this was even the golden tree encouraging him.

But the very next moment, a figure blocked his view of the enormous canopy of the golden tree that blotted out the sky.

Lan En followed closely behind Grek's kicked-away figure, chasing after him like a wisp of smoke!
And when he reappeared from the acceleration process of the [Acceleration] spell, he showed no surprise at the fact that Grik had a weapon in his hand.

His arm and knife skills remained steady as he brought the blow down on the head!

"clang!"

The sound of metal colliding is crisp yet piercing.

The demigod was horrified to discover that the golden handle he had instinctively raised to block the opponent's great axe, which had been blessed and prayed for and forged by a master craftsman, was almost broken in two by the slender blade!
What is that knife?!
His martial arts skills were indeed mediocre, but his status within the Golden Dynasty was undeniable. Furthermore, during the Golden Age, the border regions were incredibly rich and abundant in resources.

So much so that this royal axe, a gift from Prince Godwin, is a legendary item in the borderlands, in terms of quality alone.

The grip was almost severed in one strike?!

Before Grek's surprise at the Lake Maiden's Sword in Lann's hand had subsided, he then... saw the Witcher's amber cat eyes.

'Who do you think planned for you to fly here now?'

A calm calculation and planning flashed in the Witcher's eyes.

The fact that Grik was kicked here was part of Lan En's tactical plan to avoid affecting the ordinary people inside the doorway.

Halfway there, the moment Grek crashed into his own carriage, Lan En already knew that this guy was definitely going to take something from the carriage, most likely a weapon.

After all, according to his calculations, Grek should have flown straight over; the guy was the one who tampered with the train car.

However, things have clearly not gone beyond Lan En's expectations.

All of this was within his tactical predictions.

However, in Greck's eyes, the 'calm calculation and planning' in Lann's eyes was undoubtedly a declaration—you demigod, I've tricked you!

(End of this chapter)