That fire had been terrifying back then. When he tried to fight Leon, the only thing he could think about was running away to survive—even though it was just training. Every fiber of his body trembled, and it was hard to breathe in that burning atmosphere. Compared to that, the fire of the opponent in front of him now didn't make him feel any of those things.
'It's not so bad being a knight… at least I have this kind of thought when the opponent is difficult for me.'
The training Leon put him through had made him fear even himself, but at least he had gained the courage to face any enemy. The knight advanced with a heavier attack, expecting to break his defense, but Trevon dodged at the last moment, repositioning his body and responding with a direct strike that broke through the partial defense and hit the opponent's torso with enough force to completely interrupt his movement. Even so, he didn't stop there—Trevon continued advancing to prevent any chance of a counterattack.
"Flame Blade."
As he pointed his blade toward his opponent's neck, a barrier appeared, forcing him to pull back. Kotaro's blade advanced, wrapped in stronger fire, the heat distorting the air as he delivered a direct strike.
Trevon blocked at the last instant, the clash of swords scattering sparks and pushing both of them a few centimeters back. The heat ran through his blade, forcing him to adjust the flow of mana to maintain his defense. Kotaro pressed again, twisting his body and attacking from below, but Trevon partially dodged and responded with a quick lateral slash. Their swords collided again, this time with greater force, neither retreating as they tried to break each other's rhythm.
Trevon advanced with a direct strike, abruptly closing the distance, but at the last moment altered the trajectory of his blade, turning the attack into a feint. Kotaro reacted to the first movement and opened his guard for a moment—just enough for Trevon to spin and strike his leg with a deep cut, tearing through his thigh. Even so, Kotaro didn't fully retreat; he deflected the next strike coming from below, pushing Trevon's blade aside and taking advantage of the opening to counterattack, his sword wrapped in fire cutting through Trevon's arm with force, opening an equally deep wound as both separated from the impact.
'I guess I have no other choice.'
Trevon steadied his breathing for a moment, keeping his blade firm as his mana began to concentrate differently around his body. It wasn't just normal reinforcement—there was a clear change in how the energy flowed, cleaner, denser, without any waste, as if every fragment was being used to enhance each of his abilities.
"Activate title… Knight of Pure Mana."
The moment the title manifested, his presence changed. The mana around him stopped dispersing into the environment and instead condensed directly into his body and weapon, creating a continuous flow. The ability of that title wasn't just to increase raw power, but to refine everything to the extreme—making each strike carry more force than it should, each defense withstand more impact, and each action consume less energy than normal.
In addition, the mana around Trevon began to react automatically, correcting small flaws in posture and adjusting his movements in real time, as if the environment itself was aligned with him. It was a state where everything operated at peak efficiency.
"Before, you said you thought I would be stronger, right?"
Trevon narrowed his eyes slightly. Following the perfect flow imposed by the title, he adjusted his stance minimally before advancing, his mana condensing cleanly into his blade without dispersion. In a single motion, he launched a mana slash toward Kotaro. The attack cut through space with precision, hitting his opponent directly in the stomach before he could react, opening a deep wound that forced his body back for a moment. Before there was time to respond, Trevon was already in front of him, sword lowered and body ready to finish it.
"You were right—we're stronger than that level."
Sweating, Kotaro tried to respond, raising his own blade in a downward strike to intercept, but at that moment the difference was already clear. Trevon's posture was automatically adjusted by the title, his body moving with an efficiency that left no room for error. He deflected the impact just enough to alter the trajectory of the enemy blade, causing the strike to lose strength as it was redirected to the side.
"Quick Mana Slash."
His blade rose in a short, precise arc, cutting cleanly through Kotaro's neck. The knight's body immediately lost support, falling backward as blood began to spread across the battlefield. Trevon stood still for a few seconds, keeping his sword steady before slightly relaxing his stance. The mana around him began to dissipate gradually, and with it came the weight of accumulated exhaustion.
'Should I ask Leon for a raise?'
He let out a tired sigh, his eyes turning toward the knights fighting the kingdom's enemies. Their numbers were steadily decreasing, while on their side, whenever one fell, another took their place—keeping casualties low and reducing accumulated fatigue. This was part of the plan, because Leon was certain this would only be the first attack of the day, so it was better to conserve strength for the remaining opponents.
'The best part is that the number of enemies was calculated perfectly, and each of ours was placed in defensive positions they handle best.'
It was a good plan to reduce strain on their allies, and depending on how many enemies appeared, more knights would be deployed than in the first defense. It was a long-term strategy, since their enemies intended to exhaust and eliminate their main forces. This location was considered one of the most important defensive bases, as it led directly toward the kingdom where the king resided.
'And there are still my terrifying companions.'
A slight chill ran down his spine as he thought about Leon's knights. He wasn't talking about Surfien and Knigrave—those two were terrifying in their own ways. The problem was the others below them; even if they were weaker, they were still frightening.
'And to think those who guarded the mansion are going to take part in this battle… I almost feel sorry for whoever invades this place this week.'
An explosion of fire erupted in the direction where Leon was, eliminating the remaining enemies of the first wave sent by the enemy kingdom. Leon stood with his spear in hand, observing all the fallen opponents. On their side, there were barely any casualties, which meant the enemy might send even stronger knights and mages next.
'Most likely, after learning about me, they'll send a rank ten.'