Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 391 (Part 2):

Asuka cursed under his breath as he defended against the incoming heat. The fiery storm struck his sword with intense heat.

Had he been hit directly, his upper body would have been incinerated. The Vis emanating from his sword spread wide, shielding him from the scorching heat.

In terms of swordsmanship, Asuka was clearly superior.

But every time he tried to press forward, the opponent would counter with a spell.

This forced Asuka to retreat, unable to predict the power of the opponent’s magic.

‘If I protect my body with Vis, I won’t die. But getting hurt is still unpleasant. If my head gets burned off…’

Charlotte might be watching. Asuka was acutely aware of this possibility.

“Did you bribe someone? What kind of magic sword keeps spitting out spells like that? Who allows this nonsense?”

Asuka shouted as he leaped back.

The opponent had said the sword was worth a castle, but after experiencing it, it was hard to believe such a magical tool had been approved.

The mustachioed opponent simply sneered.

“Well, it was made by the Mage Association, after all.”

In this tournament, matters related to magic were jointly managed by the Mage Association and the Imperial Mages.

Of course, the Mage Association had more members, so naturally they had more control.

The rules weren’t particularly strict, so it was possible to sneak through a slightly more powerful magical tool.

The man in front of him was likely an important client to them.

‘They might have been curious about the power of the tools they made.’

It was a hotbed of corruption. Asuka, as a member of the imperial family, felt it was his duty to punish such conduct.

‘What the hell has the Crown Prince been doing!’

The Crown Prince, lacking magical knowledge, shouldn’t have been responsible for inspecting the participants’ magical tools, but as the overall supervisor, the fault ultimately lay with him.

Of course, Asuka excluded Charlotte, who shared the supervisory role, from any blame.

“Hah! All that talk about taking me down in a single blow, and you turn out to be just a loudmouth.”

The mustachioed Count sneered, curling his lips.

“My magic sword still has plenty of power left. I’ll use you as a stepping stone to the next round!”

With a triumphant shout, the Count raised his sword.

The magical energy concentrated visibly in his sword, similar to how a mage prepared a spell.

He was planning to finish Asuka with a powerful spell. This was a different approach from his previous counterattacks.

“Wind Blade!”

At that moment, Asuka’s eyes flashed. Vis erupted explosively from his body. His feet dug into the ground.

‘I’ll finish him before the spell is complete!’

Asuka’s body moved not out of thought, but instinct.

He shot forward rapidly, closing the distance to the Count in an instant.

Just before the spell was complete, in that split second! Asuka’s sword, swung like a beam of light, slashed the Count’s arm.

*Ssshk!*

“AAAAAHHH!”

Blood spurted like a fountain as the Count dropped his sword. He had been too focused on the spell to dodge.

The incomplete spell didn’t dissipate entirely—it originated from the sword, not the count.

The Wind Blade, now without a target, struck the ground.

*KABOOM!*

The floor, resistant to most attacks, couldn’t withstand the spell’s power. Dust and debris scattered in all directions.

The audience lost sight of the two combatants.

Murmurs rose as the spectators stood up, trying to see what was happening.

When the dust settled, Asuka was coughing and brushing off the dust.

Amidst the debris, the mustachioed Count lay on the ground, bleeding and battered.

Asuka, standing tall amidst the chaos, muttered with a sour expression.

“Ugh. I mean, I won, I guess.”

It was his first unsatisfying victory. Who would have thought he’d face such an opponent in his first main tournament match? His luck was abysmal.

Well, at least he hadn’t faced Helmut.

“Sian, victory!”

Asuka frowned as the name “Sian” echoed through the arena instead of his own.

He had successfully advanced to the next stage.

‘I wonder how the others are doing…’

He could only hope they struggled as much as he did. This tournament was no joke.

However, contrary to Asuka’s hopes, Alea faced a mage and defeated them with ease.

While swordsmen could resist each other to some extent despite skill differences, the gap between mages was much more pronounced.

A higher-level mage could easily shatter their opponent’s spells.

“Violet, was it? You’re not even part of the Mage Association? You must have learned some magic, but since you’re pretty, I’ll go easy on you.”

Alea didn’t even respond to the provocation.

The opponent, who had acted arrogantly as a promising talent of the Association, was immediately struck by Alea’s spell and sent flying out of the arena the moment the match began.

*Kwaaaang!*

“Violet, victory!”

Alea stepped down from the stage with a cold expression, showing no sense of triumph.

It was a victory she had fully expected.

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