"My lord, Leo Piroga, Your Excellency the Duke."
A guard soldier who walked out of the queue looked to be in his forties, with a beard on his chin, which was quite funny. He saluted respectfully to Thales:
"In your guard, he is a humble and ordinary logistics officer."
"It's an honor to serve you as a sparring partner."
Thales did not answer immediately.
He still stared at Marius suspiciously.
Piloga didn't take it seriously either. He carefully picked a moderate practice sword from the sword stand, tried it on his gloves, and poked the sand to confirm that it was a blunt sword without an edge.
"Sure enough, the prince is the prince. In order to find out the power of the end, he can launch such a big battle..."
Doyle looked at his fellow guards who were standing around, either confused or solemn, and cast an envious look at the stunned prince:
"When I awakened the power of the end, the old knight I served knew nothing about it. He still fucked me until I was exhausted that day, and I lay on the ground groaning..."
"It wasn't until a year later that he realized that his attendants' martial arts skills had greatly improved and they were able to compete with him..."
Glover next to him remained silent, just paying attention to the field.
Doyle was used to the other party's indifference and just sighed silently:
"But fortunately, at least Mallos knew that the prince was still young and only selected people from the back wing - Piloga's skills were average."
Glover stared at Piroga who had completed a simple warm-up on the court and frowned slightly.
Thales took a deep breath and turned to Mallos, who was looking relaxed, while trying to ignore the looks of all the Star Lake Guards:
"We...what should I do?"
Mallos’ smile remained the same:
"Attack, Your Highness, use all your strength - especially the finishing power that you don't understand, whether it arises on its own or in response to the moment."
"That way, we have a chance to understand its species and profile."
"Let us also see your strength - so that we can arrange security in the future."
Give your best?
Thales let out a breath, reluctantly.
Can he refuse?
But the royal guards watching the battle had different eyes, all focused on him.
A long time ago, Black Sword told him that it was best not to use the Sin of Hell River again, as they could not bear the price of death every time.
When he was at the Blade Tooth Camp, Ricky told him to improve the Sin of Hell River, and expected him to reach the height he could and "push open that door."
Who is right and who is wrong?
What secret is hidden behind the crime of Prison River?
The key is……
Would this secret, the secrets of the kingdom, or even the one in the Fuxing Palace be interested?
How does it compare with magic and disaster?
Thinking of Sak'el chasing him, Thales couldn't help but swallow his throat.
No.
Thales made up his mind.
Duke Xinghu raised his head and looked directly at the opponent in front of him.
They can't know.
"Your Highness, there is no need to be restrained," Piroga stood in the training ground early, with the tip of his sword pointed to the ground, as respectful as ever:
"Don't worry about me - this is my job."
Thales nodded expressionlessly.
Can't know.
In front of everyone, the prince grabbed a shield from the weapons rack and tied it tightly to his left arm with a belt.
cannot.
Thales slowly walked to the center of the field.
He glanced at Marius for the last time, who was still unhurried, but his eyes were bright.
"Please attack first." Piroga nodded slightly.
The young man looked solemn.
The surrounding guards also became solemn, and all eyes were focused on the prince alone.
Apart from glamorous appearance and eloquence, this is what many people care more about.
The next second, Thales stepped forward and charged, using his most familiar posture, he struck the first sword towards Piroga.
Piloga took his time, just stepped back, turned his sword, and easily deflected Thales' attack.
But the young man kept walking and swung the shield in his left hand.
Hit Piroga hard!
"At first glance, it looks like a Northerner."
Doyle, who was watching the battle, snorted slightly with disdain:
"More radical than the 'offensive and defensive faction', risking one's life..."
But Glover unexpectedly spoke.
"No."
The burly pioneer officer observed Thales's movements with concentration:
"This is the military swordsmanship of Gubei."
"The current Exeter...is no longer this style."
Doyle froze immediately after being interrupted.
He smiled awkwardly and reluctantly.
Yep, that makes perfect sense.
Northland Military Swordsmanship...
Doyle raised his mouth and stared at the two people in the field angrily:
Can't I see it?
In the field, Thales' shield hit Piroga, making a muffled sound.
But the young man's expression changed.
No collision.
The next second, Piroga held Thales' shield with one hand and rotated to the opposite side of Thales.
Snapped!
Thales' left leg shook!
The prince swung his sword to fight back, but the sword made no sound, and Piroga had already retreated away.
The royal guards made low murmurs.
Thales gritted his teeth and turned around, his left leg staggering a little.
Although the practice sword at Mindis Hall is not sharpened, its balance, center of gravity, quality and weight are no less than those of a real sword.
Even though it was just a brush, the blow Piloga gave him on his left leg still caused him burning pain.
Thales looked at Piloga who nodded politely in surprise and unwillingness.
No.
"The sword flashed, and whoosh, the prince fell to the ground."
"The outcome has been decided."
Glover and several nearby guard members turned their heads strangely.
I saw Doyle on the sidelines lowering his voice and saying seriously and selflessly:
"The prince in the pool of blood was pale, trembling while holding his injured leg and moaning, 'No, I can't lose, the Kingdom of Stars can't live without me'..."
More and more people are coming back, including the junior penalty officer Gray Parson.
His expression was sinister and dissatisfied.
Under their gazes, Doyle's expression froze.
"That...a little bit of writing, literary processing."
d.d stopped talking, showed an awkward and flattering smile, and waved his hand unnaturally:
"Hehe, if it doesn't happen next time, it won't happen next time..."
Only then did everyone turn around.
Thales breathed rapidly.
He stared intently at the royal guard logistics officer with a respectful expression in front of him, his opponent, Piroga.
The other party was obviously experienced and very particular about the strength. The pain only appeared outside the skin and dissipated after a while.
But……
Thales pressed his left leg angrily.
"It seems that you don't know the meaning of this lesson, right, Your Highness?"
Mallos' words sounded just right, his voice was as usual and his tone was calm:
"Although we are not as superstitious about force as the Yankees..."
"But a prince who is widely rumored to have poor martial arts skills and cannot touch a sword is the future of the Kingdom of Stars?"
Thales' hand holding the sword hilt couldn't help but tighten.
Damn it.
"This is not good, Your Highness."
Mallos looked a little cold.
"Not good."
As soon as these words came out, the royal guards looked at Thales differently.
"Or go all out," Mallos's words rang in his ears:
"Or, just don't touch the sword in the first place."
"Be a prince who is safe and sound in his carriage."
Damn it!
The prince's brows became more and more serious.
Damn Mallos.
Does this guy have a grudge against me?
And he happens to be my personal guard captain - for the sake of the sunset, what an international joke!
Under the gaze of dozens of pairs of eyes, Thales breathed evenly and stepped on his left leg.
He stared at Piloga in front of him, knowing that in front of the full Star Lake Guards and under the words of Mallos, he had to come up with something.
Otherwise it’s not just Fuxing Palace…
Even the Mindis Hall...
Thales shook his head to get rid of distracting thoughts and turned his attention to the opponent in front of him.
Piloga moves very quickly, swings his sword very sensitively, and has his own way of dealing with frontal attacks.
Then...
Following his master's call, the sins of Hell River rose up from his body.
Thales stared at Piroga closely and felt the power slowly filling his body.
Use a twist of fate and a feint to lure him out of position, and then deliver the decisive blow?
Or use the finishing power of the Burning Knight to strengthen physical contact and attack hardness?
If it doesn't work... just try to use Sak'el's style, use his Chaos Army, try to observe Piroga's movements, and turn that into your own advantage?
Thales thought hard.
No, Thales.
The prince shook his head to himself in his heart.
It can't be too obvious.
Otherwise, how should we explain the twists of fate, the thousands of armies of chaos, and the sparkling finishing power of the Burning Knight?
Am I infected by them?
What's more, sometimes there are sins in the prison river...
Thales thought of the training sessions in the Palace of Heroes.
Sometimes, I can't control it.
Thales took a deep breath and made up his mind.
He only needs the most ordinary, preferably physical increase without any terminating power, and that's enough.
The sin of the Hell River spread methodically up his legs, arms and fingers.
Thales closed his eyes and let this power slowly cover his whole body.
Piloga narrowed his eyes and stared at the prince in confusion.
Amid the whispers of the royal guards, Mallos's expression changed slightly as he had been paying attention to Thales.
This is……
In Thales's body, the sin of the Hell River was like a beast that had not emerged from the gate for a long time, taking steps forward with a low roar.
Just some power, some speed, some precision, some control...
The prince tried his best to suppress the fighting spirit and impulse that arose, and at the same time stabilized his mind and body.
Just something that won't arouse suspicion.
The sin of the Hell River violently and dissatisfiedly impacted his body, just like a beast scratching at the cage, but the cage owner's mind was so firm that the beast could only follow Thales's call and move towards where it should go.
Be more uniform, more balanced, more comprehensive.
Just let him...
Thales opened his eyes gently.
let him……
The next moment, the gravel behind Thales' boots trembled and exploded!
Amidst the exclamations of the audience, the young man rushed out several feet away like an arrow from a string or a flood from a dike.
Appearing in front of a shocked Piloga!
Mallos's eyes lit up.
That's right, this is what you want.
little Prince.
Thales gritted his teeth, and the sin of the Hell River was excited in his body, roaring crazily.
Footsteps, shoulders, arms, sword tips.
The four points of his body are connected in a line, focusing on the most surging strength.
Eventually it turned into a flash of sword light.
Go straight to the opponent's chest and abdomen!
At that moment, it seemed like time slowed down.
"I--" Doyle stretched out his hand to resist the flying gravel and spoke in shock, but he could only shout out a single syllable in this stunning moment of sword movement.
Glover only had time to frown halfway.
The expressions of the royal guards seemed to be frozen, changing into surprise, doubt and solemnity at that moment.
But Thales, who had already experienced it, knew that this was just an illusion after he became faster.
And next.
Thales' eyes converged with the tip of his sword.
Point directly at your opponent.
And before his eyes, in the slowed down time, Piloga opened his mouth wide in surprise, and slowly, as fast as he could, he raised his arms and swung his sword.
Trying to resist the prince's attack.
To withstand this terrifying blow, the speed, explosion, strength, and accuracy have all reached a new level.
But Thales knew it was too late.
Piroga didn't have time to dodge, or even complete the blocking posture.
Even the Fallen Starman suffered the consequences of his sword without any precautions, leaving scars on his face.
As for Piloga…
He couldn't get out of the way.
Even more unstoppable.
In the desire and roar of the Hell River Sin, Thales's sword and Piroga's sword touched lightly in the air, and sparks were rubbed out on the rough surface of the practice sword.
There was even more majestic strength.
Thales' eyes cooled down and he watched as his sword edge slipped past Piroga's block and went straight to his chest.
Sorry, logistics officer.
Thales thought coldly: You have to take a few days off.
one strike.
Conquer the enemy.
boom!
The loud sound of the weapons colliding spread and shook the entire courtyard!
It was as if even the air was affected.
Many royal guards' eyelids trembled and they instinctively retreated.
Time finally returned to normal.
thump!
There was a muffled sound.
Thales flew sideways and rearward.
His back fell heavily to the ground, and his whole body rolled backwards several times.
"--groove!" Doyle finally shouted his poor second syllable, with a shocked expression still on his face.
He put down his arms, blinked, and looked into the field.
Next to Doyle, Glover remained motionless, just staring closely at Thales' shield.
Amidst the numbness and soreness of his muscles, the prince took a hard breath and raised the shield in his left hand tremblingly.
At some point, the shield cracked:
With a pit the size of a sword tip as the center, the surrounding area is full of cracks.
At this moment, Thales's mind went blank.
how……
He looked up blankly.
Piloga was seen standing on the opposite side unscathed, with a comfortable posture and smooth movements to retract his long sword.
In mid-air, the prince's weapon, the practice sword that had made terrifying attacks, spun several times in the air.
Finally fell down helplessly.
Diagonally inserted into the sand at his feet.
like a statue.
Return to silence.
"Wow……"
The royal guards made an uproar and made a loud noise.
"I'm very sorry, Your Highness," Piroga put away his sword and tried his best to suppress his panic. He quickly came up to help him and apologized anxiously:
"I made a mistake."
"Are you injured anywhere..."
At this moment.
"Logistics officer, Leo Piloga."
The voice sounded plain and indifferent, but it had a bit of a chilling tone.
Piloga was about to help Thales, who froze in place.
The voice of Marius, the watchman of the royal guard, sounded clearly in the crowd.
"As a royal guard, even if peace lasts for a long time, even if you are just a sparring partner..."
Mallos still crossed his arms and glanced at Piroga.
"Your skills..."
Mallos didn't even look at Thales, who was lying on the ground in a miserable state and gasping for breath. He just stared coldly at Piloga, who was full of shame:
"It has also regressed too much."
The words are harsh and the tone is cold.
The royal guards all fell silent.
Piloga was slightly startled and looked ashamed.
He looked nervously at the prince and then at the superior, hesitating to speak and at a loss.
Thales was still lying on the ground, breathing in a daze.
how come……
how……
The crime of the prison river...
I have obviously already, already...
How come...
He felt his left arm gradually recovering from numbness, and felt the gazes quietly coming from all around him, with mixed feelings in his heart.
The entire training ground fell silent.
The royal guards exchanged glances with each other, and there were whispers from time to time.
Doyle pulled Glover's sleeve, but the latter seemed lost in thought and showed no reaction.
"As for you, Your Highness Thales."
Mallos spoke again.
The royal guards fell silent, and Piroga stopped trying to help the prince.
The watchman slowly turned around and looked at Thales on the ground lightly.
"After seeing your performance, I believe you already know what the power of termination is."
Mallos chuckled, with contempt in his eyes: "But fighting?"
"It's far more than the power of ending."
The next second, the watchman turned around without looking at the noble prince.
"Okay, everyone, the performance is over."
Mallos stepped forward and said lightly:
"Disband."
Looking at the back of Marius, the royal guards looked at me and I looked at you.
After a few seconds, dozens of people dispersed.
"Do you see what the prince's final power is?"
Doyle secretly glanced at Thales, who was on the ground with a gloomy expression and was panting in a daze. He felt sorry for the poor prince for a second, then turned around and said, "I didn't see it anyway. I felt too weak..."
"No," Glover frowned:
"It's not weak..."
"Hey, zombie, how many times has it happened that you can't agree with me once..."
At this moment, a particularly different, weak but hoarse voice sounded.
"Wait a moment."
The scattered royal guards all fell silent and turned around.
In the center of the training ground, I saw the embarrassed young man holding on to the sand, staggering but resolutely getting up.
Mallos' footsteps stopped.
"He just... hit me..." The boy lowered his head, raised his left arm tremblingly, and tried his best to breathe to relieve the chest tightness:
"Shield."
Doyle's eyes slowly widened, and Glover's eyes became sharper.
As a sparring partner, Piroga stood in the middle of the field, astonished and didn't know what to do.
"It's not... vital."
Thales took a deep breath, endured the stiffness and pain in his muscles after suffering a heavy blow, and touched the fixed straps behind the shield.
Within his body, the defeated sin of Hell River surged up again from the silence.
They climbed up step by step with the ferocity and unwillingness of a beast licking its wounds, making a muffled sound of explosions.
Thales tremblingly took out his right hand and loosened the straps.
Let the broken arm shield fall to the ground freely.
"I……"
The young man swallowed hard the saliva that smelled of salty blood, and held the practice sword at his feet tremblingly.
"I……"
The sin of the rivers of hell surged into his arms.
"I still……"
The next moment, Thales breathed steadily, gritted his teeth, and pulled out the sword!
The young man stared at Mallos's back:
"...I didn't lose."
The royal guards were in an uproar again.
People looked at the prince with incomprehensible looks and talked a lot.
Many people also looked at their commander quietly.
Waiting for his reaction.
One second, two seconds.
Mallos remained silent and did not turn around.
He just slowly turned his neck, turned his head, and glanced sideways at Thales.