Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 391 (Part 1):

While Helmut had smoothly claimed victory in his first match, Asuka’s situation was far less favorable.

Asuka, who was scheduled to compete in the main tournament right after Helmut, faced an opponent who was not only a spirit mage but also fought in an unconventional manner.

It was a first for him.

The opponent’s name alone was unusual—Count Gorgeous.

‘Why is there a title in the participant’s name?’

It wasn’t just that the participant’s name was “Gorgeous.” He had entered the tournament under the full title of “Count Gorgeous.”

It seemed he wanted to flaunt his noble status to the world.

‘What a strange guy’, Asuka thought, but the opponent truly looked peculiar.

His face was as thin as a rat’s, with a meticulously groomed mustache that looked like it had been plucked straight out of an illustration in a book.

The long, thin, and curled mustache was exactly what you’d expect from a stereotypical villain.

Asuka, who usually didn’t care about others’ appearances, couldn’t help but find it distasteful.

‘He looks like a goat.’

The opponent, who looked like he was about to bleat, raised his chin with a smug expression.

“I heard you performed quite well in the preliminaries? Consider it an honor to face me, a top contender for the Title.”

As expected, his voice was thin and androgynous. Asuka raised an eyebrow.

“Top contender? What are you talking about? You worthless hack.”

“You insolent fool! I am a Count! How dare a commoner like you glare at me!”

“…Who said I’m a commoner?”

Asuka responded honestly. It was too late to claim he was a commoner now.

“Hmm… So you’re not? Your rough and crude demeanor screams otherwise. Isn’t your name Sian or something?”

Asuka’s eyebrow twitched. He thought he could just crush him once the match started, but his hand was itching to move already.

But if it was about throwing insults, Asuka wasn’t about to lose.

“Are you some fake Count or something? Like a toady who slinks around after his master, rubbing your hands together?”

“You insolent fool! I am a genuine Count! How dare you doubt me!”

The opponent dramatically flared his cloak. It was a short cloak that reached his waist, seemingly designed for practicality, and around his waist was…

“A magic sword? What a cheap trick.”

Asuka clicked his tongue. The mustachioed Count Gorgeous wore a sword at his waist that glimmered ominously with magic. At a glance, one could sense it wasn’t a simple blade.

Though his physique suggested some level of training, Asuka didn’t sense much strength from him.

He must have had some skill to make it to the main tournament, but he didn’t seem like someone who could stand tall among the elite. It was clear what he was relying on.

‘I’ve heard of magic swords, but never imagined someone would use one in a martial arts tournament.’

In this tournament, where many mages participated, the use of magical tools was allowed.

Unless an item possessed overwhelming power capable of overshadowing raw skill, tools with moderate effects were permitted.

This was because, for mages, using magical tools was essential when fighting swordsmen.

However, the problem was that this also allowed swordsmen to use magical tools.

It was impossible to prohibit swordsmen from using them, as some mages could also wield swords.

Thus, it was ambiguous to enforce a rule that prohibited the simultaneous use of magical tools and swordsmanship.

This comprehensive martial arts tournament aimed to showcase diverse one-on-one combat using martial prowess.

It seemed this guy in front of him had found a loophole in the rules.

After all, the championship would likely go to a swordsman, so the rules were more lenient for mages.

“Cheap trick? This is pure skill. Do you think just anyone can wield a magic sword? I am a *Magic Swordsman*.”

“There’s no such thing as a ‘magic swordsman.’ If you can’t use magic on your own without that toy, it’s just an accessory.”

“Being able to acquire and wield a magic sword is a skill in itself. I paid enough to buy a castle for this sword. Someone as impoverished as you wouldn’t understand.”

“So throwing money around counts as skill now? You think that’ll work?”

“Money or not, skill is skill.”

Count Gorgeous stroked his well-groomed mustache and narrowed his eyes.

He was dressed head to toe in luxurious clothing, flaunting his wealth.

Asuka decided to punish this shameless opponent as he always did—without mercy.

“No point in dragging this out. I’m going to crush whatever pathetic ‘skills’ you claim to have in one go!”

Soon, the signal rang out.

‘What’s with this guy?’

Asuka frowned shortly after clashing with his opponent.

When they crossed swords, it became clear that the opponent was a decent swordsman.

By academy standards, he ranked among the upper tier of graduates.

Moreover, he wielded his magic sword skillfully, and the sword itself was worth every penny of its exorbitant price.

It seemed he wasn’t just calling himself a magic swordsman for nothing.

‘Damn, this is annoying.’

Swordsmen couldn’t normally use magic. Vis and mana were conflicting forces, after all. That much was clear.

But what if they used tools? Swordsmen could bypass that restriction.

The opponent clearly demonstrated how he had bypassed it.

While their swords clashed, the man cast magic—one spell for defense and another for offense.

“Flame Wind!”

“What the—!”

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