Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 398 (Part 1):

*Whoosh!*

The axe cutting through the air exuded a terrifying force. The sound of it tearing through the atmosphere was crushing, as if it could rip flesh apart with just a graze.

*Crash! Boom! Crack!*

Every time the giant swung his axe down, the noise was like boulders being shattered, and the magically reinforced arena floor caved in. Fragments of the broken ground scattered in all directions.

Some duels required an unusually long maintenance period immediately after they ended. This one, too, would have undoubtedly added to the workload of the mages.

Helmut nimbly dodged the giant’s axe while observing his movements.

‘His strength is impressive, but there are many openings.’

The movements were rough and wild, like a boar’s. Amid the sweeping arcs of the massive axe, Helmut spotted gaps—not thread-thin, but sizable enough.

‘A flaw.’

Helmut’s eyes gleamed. Axe techniques, huh?

Though an unusual opponent, there was no need to drag this out when victory was within easy reach.

Helmut’s sword tip darted straight for the man’s abdomen, without the slightest delay. Even if Helmut pointed his blade at the man’s throat, this opponent looked like he’d keep attacking regardless. Inflicting injury was inevitable. However—

*Clang!*

A tingling sensation ran through his fingertips, as if he had struck solid metal. Though he hadn’t channeled much Vis into the strike, the power behind his sword was by no means weak.

“Kehehe! Surprised, brat?”

Helmut swiftly deflected the axe that came crashing down, aiming to split his skull.

*Boom!* The ground caved in again. The sword that had blocked the axe trembled as if it might shatter.

Had Helmut not properly channeled Vis to protect it, the sword would have been completely destroyed.

Helmut stepped back, frowning.

‘He’s wrapped his body in Vis too.’

He could feel the Vis evenly spread across the giant’s body.

The moment their weapons clashed, he also sensed the Vis concentrating at the point of impact.

A rare method of Vis utilization among humans.

Demonic beasts strengthen their bodies through demonic energy. However, such methods aren’t very effective for human muscles, which have limits to how much they can harden.

But this man’s body was like armor, as hard as steel, rivaling that of a demonic beast.

‘Is he wearing armor underneath?’

Helmut considered the possibility, but he didn’t feel the sensation of striking metal beneath the man’s clothes.

Through the torn fabric, he could see the man’s skin. Muscles so tough, it was as if they had been reinforced with metal powder.

Helmut dredged up a memory from his distant past at the academy.

Back then, he had learned that in some distant small nations, there existed various methods to strengthen the body.

Since this man wasn’t a traditional swordsman, it wouldn’t be strange if he had used some special technique to harden his body.

The giant, who had been smashing the stage with his axe, tilted his head.

“Are you a mercenary? You don’t feel like a knight.”

The swordsmanship Helmut displayed was the Empire’s standard style, but his sword lacked the refinement of a knight’s.

It was a sword honed through life-and-death battles, closer to something wild and untamed.

“You have time to chat?”

Speaking in the middle of battle so casually—Helmut knew that was a luxury only the strong allowed themselves when facing weaker opponents.

Helmut’s sword slipped past the axe handle and stabbed the giant’s shoulder.

*Thud!* This time, it felt like it penetrated deeper. A trickle of blood ran down.

‘If I attack fast enough, I can pierce through before his Vis concentrates.’

Helmut had figured it out. He had no intention of showing his full strength here.

An opponent who relies on brute strength is actually easier for Helmut. Calculating Vis consumption and speed, he aimed for maximum efficiency with minimal expenditure.

Though this was the strongest opponent he had faced in the tournament so far, it wasn’t too much trouble to maintain this level of control.

*Slash! Thud! Thud!* The sound of the sword piercing flesh began to echo, distinct from the axe smashing the ground.

Helmut’s sword, now on the offensive, was relentless. If there was an opening, he exploited it without fail.

But the Vis imbued in his sword remained calm. It merely enveloped the blade, intensifying only at the moment of impact, like a spark igniting. It was a terrifyingly precise use of Vis.

“Grrk! You little—!”

No matter how large and tough the giant was, he couldn’t remain unscathed after more than ten holes were punched through his body. The wounds grew deeper as the fight progressed.

Helmut’s sword seemed to have learned a trick, piercing more sharply and inflicting deeper wounds. The giant’s reaction speed gradually slowed.

Finally, the giant, who had been swinging his axe recklessly, came to a stop.

His eyes were bloodshot. Even if intentional killing wasn’t allowed, he didn’t care. if he got his hands on that elusive little rat of a swordsman, he intended to smash Helmut’s head!

He’d use his axe to cut off the mask and reveal the face beneath. His rage turned into a vicious killing intent.

Helmut’s attacks were as swift as a rat’s and as annoying as a mosquito’s. He nimbly dodged the giant’s strikes and landed one-sided attacks.

The Vis in the giant’s body swirled and gathered at his center.

“You damn rat!”

With a roar that sounded more like a beast’s cry than a man’s, the giant swung his axe horizontally. As it cut through the air, a half-moon-shaped wave of Vis streaked out at waist height.

It was fast. There seemed to be no way to dodge left or right.

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