Trevon advanced along the southern line of the battlefield as the sound of clashes spread across the entire coast, mixing the clash of blades with explosions of mana that tore through the air constantly. The environment no longer had any clear organization—the frozen ground was fractured in several places, water invaded parts of the land, and magical creatures emerged alongside enemy soldiers, creating a scenario where every step had to be calculated even amidst the chaos.
'What chaos.'
"It's Lord Trevon."
"Let's fall back a bit, he'll fight for Lord Leon."
As he moved, he heard the words of the knights who were fighting and retreating upon seeing him take the front. Even so, his mind wasn't entirely focused only on combat. In moments like that, there was always a thought that returned—not as a distraction, but as something natural, something that had been part of him for a long time.
'In a way, they're right.'
Before all of that, before the armor, before his current position, he was nothing more than a commoner with no prospects in the kingdom. He had no relevant name, no influential family, and no resources that would allow him to develop his talent—something that, in that world, almost automatically meant being left behind.
He knew he had ability, but he also knew that wasn't enough. It was Leon who changed that—not by chance, nor by luck, but by choice. Leon saw something in him, something no one else saw—or perhaps no one even bothered to look for—and decided to invest. He paid for his studies, funded his training, and opened paths that simply wouldn't have existed otherwise. It wasn't a simple act of kindness, nor something done without intention, because Leon never acted that way—but that didn't diminish its impact. For Trevon, that moment was where his life stopped following an ordinary path.
'Carrying this burden of being considered loyal is… I don't know how to put it into words.'
He kicked a knight who tried to strike him from behind, spinning in place as he delivered a wide slash backward, cutting down three more knights. If someone asked whether he was loyal, the answer would be simple. Yes, he was. But not in the same way as Surfien or Knigrave. While those two took their loyalty to an almost absolute level—something that left no room for questioning—Trevon thought, analyzed, and understood what was happening around him. Even so, despite those differences, the result never changed. He remained by Leon's side—not out of blind obligation, but by conscious choice.
'And I'll stay by his side until I see a better alternative.'
"So you're one of Leon's knights?"
The impact of a blade against his interrupted that thought, forcing his body to react immediately. The clash was strong enough to push him a few steps back, making him adjust his stance as his gaze locked onto the opponent before him. He wasn't an ordinary soldier, nor someone advancing recklessly like many others on that field. The pressure of mana made it clear—this was a rank 9 knight, someone with enough control and experience to turn that fight into something entirely different from the rest of the battlefield.
'There's one of the problems of being a knight of House Solfyr.'
"I thought you'd be stronger, considering what your master did in our kingdom."
'Leon's enemies always try to kill us.'
Trevon rolled his eyes and took a stance while his unknown opponent remained still. The man didn't advance immediately after the first clash, maintaining a stable posture as he carefully analyzed Trevon. That alone indicated he wasn't impulsive.
'Great, someone smart.'
Trevon responded in kind, adjusting his breathing as his mana began to organize around his body. His affinity wasn't focused on directly dominating the battlefield, but rather on a balance between physical reinforcement and magical manipulation, allowing him to adapt his movements with more freedom than most knights.
'Pure mana magic.'
Katero observed his opponent with analytical eyes before advancing. He had come here to cause as much damage as possible to enemy forces, and killing one of Leon's knights would be perfect for that.
'If I can defeat him, that's one less problem.'
Launching himself forward, he struck with his sword. Trevon blocked, feeling the impact travel through his arm as he deflected the blade to the side and tried to take advantage of the opening to counterattack—but the movement was interrupted before it could be completed. His opponent had already retreated, maintaining distance and avoiding unnecessary exposure. That made it clear he wasn't seeking an immediate direct confrontation.
'He's trying to control the rhythm of the fight… what a headache.'
With a sigh, Trevon began to alter the flow of his movements, concentrating mana into his blade and around his body, creating small distortions that allowed rapid changes in direction. He advanced again, this time increasing his speed. The first strike was blocked, the second as well—but the third changed trajectory mid-motion, something that shouldn't naturally happen, and that was exactly what created a small opening in the opponent's defense, allowing the blade to strike his shoulder.
"Tsk."
Katero retreated immediately, without showing exaggerated reaction, simply adjusting his stance while assessing what had happened. In response, his own affinity began to manifest more clearly. The mana around him condensed into a dense layer, reinforcing both his body and his blade, turning his sword into pure fire. His next attacks came with greater weight, and this time Trevon was forced to retreat while blocking, realizing that the difference in strength had increased considerably.
'Damn, what a problem.'
Trevon shifted his focus more toward mobility, avoiding the center of attacks and exploiting the sides, while his opponent maintained constant pressure, trying to force a direct confrontation where his advantage would be greater. Even so, neither approach was enough to end the fight quickly, and both began to accumulate damage. A cut sliced across Trevon's side, deeper than the previous ones, while another strike hit his defense with enough force to cause internal impact.
'Let's see how I beat this guy.'
His tired expression grew slightly colder as he watched each movement of his opponent, and an idea came to his mind when he realized that all that fire wasn't nearly as impressive compared to the fight he had against Leon a year ago during training.
'Yeah… comparing him to Leon is unfair to him.'