Regulus stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Theresia, who had deliberately retreated ten meters away to create a dueling distance.
"I'm coming!" Theresia announced, gripping the hilt of Carol's borrowed sword.
"Come on," Regulus replied lazily.
As the words fell, Theresia immediately began to charge. However, to Regulus's eyes, her speed was much slower than the blinding velocity she was capable of.
Regulus merely smiled at this.
But this smile—and his complete lack of stance—greatly puzzled Theresia.
The battle had already begun.
Not to mention attacking, at the very least, he should assume a defensive posture. He should raise his hands, shift his feet, or prepare a spell. But he just stood there, completely open, watching the blade approach.
What exactly is he trying to do?
As she charged in front of Regulus, the longsword poised to strike, Theresia suddenly stopped.
Her boots skidded on the grass, and her eyes showed confusion and bewilderment.
Regulus had initiated the battle request, so why wasn't he resisting at all?
Could it be that he is certain I absolutely won't strike him?
But she really couldn't bring herself to do it.
It wasn't just about holding back her strength. It was her curse.
Besides the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, she also possessed the Divine Protection of the Death God.
Any wound she inflicted on an opponent would absolutely not heal until that opponent died. Even a small scratch would bleed forever.
Because of this, a sparring match was impossible for her. She could never win a "friendly" duel unless Regulus voluntarily chose to surrender or dodge.
But if it ends like this... how can he prove that he can protect us?
If he couldn't prove it, this battle was meaningless.
However, in the next moment, Regulus sighed.
He raised one hand casually. He merely waved it horizontally, as if shooing away a fly.
Swish.
Hearing a tearing sound beside her, Theresia turned to look.
She was completely stunned.
To her right, the grassy field had been split open. A deep, perfectly smooth chasm extended for twenty meters across the ground, as if an invisible giant blade had sliced through the earth.
How was this caused?
There was no chanting. No fluctuation of mana. No wind pressure.
Carol, watching from the sidelines, was equally wide-eyed. As a knight, she knew magic. This was definitely not magic.
Facing the two stunned girls, Regulus smiled.
"You saw it too, Theresia. Just attack freely. Do not hold back. You cannot hurt me."
Theresia stared at the chasm, then back at the white-haired man. Her expression sharpened.
"I understand. Then... let us start over."
She retreated a few more steps, resetting her stance.
Although she didn't know what kind of ability or Divine Protection that was, based on the destructive power just now, Regulus wasn't defenseless.
"I'm going in."
This time, she moved faster.
She quickly closed the distance. Watching Regulus, who still showed no reaction and merely stood in place, Theresia swung the longsword.
She still chose to hold back slightly—aiming only for his arm, intending to stop the blade the moment it touched his clothes.
Clang!
A high-pitched sound of metal hitting an immovable object rang out.
Just as the blade was about to touch his sleeve, the swinging longsword stopped dead in mid-air. It was deflected by an invisible barrier mere millimeters from his skin.
Theresia blinked.
But she didn't stop. She was the Sword Saint. She flowed into the next strike immediately.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Slash after slash. Overhead strikes, thrusts, horizontal cuts.
She didn't believe her attacks would be deflected forever. Even the strongest shielding magic had limitations—mana cost, time limits, or specific weak points.
However, after the barrage continued for a full minute...
"Is there no limit?" she muttered to herself, sweat forming on her brow.
In other words, there must be activation conditions... but what are they?
She looked at Regulus carefully, analyzing his breathing, his eyes, his footing.
Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything. He wasn't even breathing hard. He was just standing there, looking bored.
She wanted to ask, but immediately abandoned the idea. Asking would be cheating. In a real battle, an enemy wouldn't explain their powers.
Is he holding back? Or can he not attack while defending?
This ability was incredibly absurd. It felt even more unfair than her own Divine Protections.
After attacking for a while longer, Theresia realized she couldn't cause any harm to him. She lowered her sword, about to concede the stalemate.
"Are you done?" Regulus asked. "Then, it's my turn."
Suddenly, Theresia noticed something appear in Regulus's hand.
It was a simple playing card.
She watched as he flicked his wrist. The card wasn't thrown at her—it was aimed directly at the weapon she held.
Theresia instinctively swung the sword to strike the projectile down.
Snap.
The result was an unbelievable scene.
The paper card cut through the steel blade like a hot knife through butter.
The top half of Carol's sword spun through the air and stabbed into the ground.
Theresia stood frozen, holding the broken hilt.
Her previous guess was completely wrong. Regulus, in his invincible state, was fully capable of attacking. And his attacks ignored durability.
"I..."
The moment she was about to concede, Regulus stepped forward.
He extended both hands. Theresia instinctively wanted to dodge, but remembering his promise not to hurt her, she forcibly endured it.
He grabbed her shoulders and pushed.
Theresia lost her balance and fell backward, landing softly on the grassy field.
Before she could sit up, Regulus was looming over her, pinning her down with his body.
"I won," Regulus declared, looking down at her.
Theresia looked up at the man pressing her into the grass. Her heart beat fast.
"Yes... you won."
"Since I won, shouldn't the victor receive a well-deserved reward?"
"Reward?"
Theresia blinked. There was no such agreement before the match...
The next moment, Regulus leaned his face closer to hers. His eyes drifted to her lips.
Theresia immediately understood.
Her face flushed red. She fell into contemplation, hesitating. Should I just comply? I did lose... and he did prove he can protect me...
She closed her eyes, waiting.
Suddenly—
A pair of hands seemingly appeared out of nowhere and cupped Regulus's face.
"Mmph!"
Regulus was forcibly pulled upward.
Theresia opened her eyes in shock.
Carol had dove into the fray. She had grabbed Regulus's face and smashed her lips against his.
Smooch.
It was a loud, aggressive, possessive kiss.
Carol pulled back, panting slightly, and glared at Regulus.
"Alright! You've got your reward!"
She turned to look at the stunned Theresia, then back at Regulus, her face red but her expression fierce.
"Now hurry up and get off the Young Miss! Can't you see she's very unwilling?!"
As Carol spoke, she reached out and hugged Regulus's arm, physically dragging him off Theresia.
Theresia lay on the grass, her mouth slightly open.
"I..."
I wasn't entirely unwilling...
Finally, seeing Carol's desperate protective stance, Theresia closed her mouth with a frustrated expression.
She had missed her chance again.
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