Chapter 315: Chapter 50: I’ve Got Nothing But Time and Energy to Wear You Down

"Damn you, Guards! What’s with the wild imagination?!"

The wails of his own confidants were far too piercing amidst the clamor, causing Westheid to curse out loud.

’With you all shouting like that, I couldn’t clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River! Am I the protagonist of some adult manga? The kind with a mandatory defeat CG or something?’

’Okay, it’s not like they’re totally wrong... but I haven’t lost yet!’

’I’m just at a temporary disadvantage, not actually about to be beaten into Star Fury Power!’

"Did you hear that, Lord Westheid? It seems even your own confidants know what’s about to happen. Why must you continue with such an unsightly posture?"

Mephit, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased. She maintained her dominant position, pressing her body as close as possible to Westheid’s. The blood-stained tips of her shoulder-length, sky-blue hair curled slightly, scratching at his chin.

Up close, Westheid found that the Knightess’s features were quite delicate and exquisite. Her skin was as smooth and soft as white jade, and her long, thick eyelashes perfectly complemented her charming, indigo eyes. However, at this moment, he was completely unable to appreciate this beauty objectively.

Because throughout his battle with Mephit, Westheid’s mind was occupied by a single, frantic emotion.

’What a monster!!’

Westheid considered himself a monster among stat-freaks, but Mephit, wielding [Riding God Steel Will], was even more of a numbers game. Aside from her [Soul Burning Technique], which couldn’t be used for long and was reserved as a finishing move, she, as Duke Qinghui, had gone all out.

Yet even with her buffs maxed out and performing at her absolute limit, Mephit, relying on the "Steel Will" granted by the Blood of the Riding God, had literally abandoned her brain to tank all incoming damage and trade health.

What good was [Knightly Hundred Arts]? What good was [Bright Radiance Manifested in the World]? What good was [Destructive Dragon Thunder]?

Even the bleeding effect of [Cursed Source Blood] was nothing more than a trivial, painless annoyance under her Steel Will.

’You’re right, a Tier T0 Talent is indeed terrifyingly powerful and invincible in the Mortal World. But this is a state amplified by Divine Power! All she has to do is mindlessly mash the R1 button to perform the Knight’s strongest AAA combo. So much for ’skill’!’

’There’s an insurmountable chasm between mortal strength and Divine Power.’

None of Westheid’s attacks seemed to have their intended effect. The power of the Riding God protected the blue-haired girl, making her indestructible.

The non-stop, high-speed battle caused a terrifying amount of stamina drain. Even the recovery from [Withered Glory Sun] couldn’t keep up. After Westheid revealed an opening while trying to catch his breath, a moment of carelessness led to his current predicament.

Mephit’s hanging hair gently caressed Westheid’s cheek. The Knightess herself then stuck out the tip of her cute tongue and touched it to the shell of the man’s ear, whispering:

"This may not be my own power, but as the one testing you, if I win... I should be allowed to collect a little trophy, right? The Divine Ancestor shouldn’t blame me for that, right?"

"ZZZRAKK—"

Along with a sound like tearing silk, a Thunder Spear pierced through space and stabbed directly into Mephit’s temple.

However, the Sunlight Spear, which represented pure destruction and dealt true damage, failed to work for the first time ever. It was as if brittle ice had struck a steel wall, shattering in an instant and only causing Mephit to tilt her head slightly.

"West!"

"Teacher West!"

Reiya’s voice, filled with anger and worry, came first, followed by a Silver Sword thrown by Mivana.

Facing the absolutely sharp edge of the Silver Sword, Mephit finally decided not to take it head-on, letting go of Westheid and leaping back to dodge.

"Hmm... It seems my colleagues are about to be defeated. Does that mean it’s all up to me now?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Mephit wiped the crimson blood from the corner of her lips with her little finger, glanced around, and smiled.

"Excellent. Since I received the greatest gift, I should also bear the responsibility of suppressing all who oppose us."

The White-haired Dragon Lady stared coldly at the blue-haired girl, condensing an even purer Dragon Thunder in her raised palm.

"West, we’re here to help—"

"That’s not necessary!"

Westheid shouted to stop the two women and stood up, declaring:

"You don’t need to come over here. This is my fight!"

"Don’t interfere unless I’m dead!"

Reiya and Mivana, who had been charging forward aggressively enough to slaughter Mephit’s entire family, stopped in their tracks upon hearing his words. After meeting the man’s determined gaze, they nodded.

"Understood..."

Westheid’s lovers had an extremely precious trait: they deeply respected his will, to a degree that could even be called worship.

Therefore, a single look into the man’s eyes was enough for them to know what to do. They stopped, returning to their own battles with the Steel Will Guardians while keeping a close, unwavering watch on this fight.

If they were fighting a Chaos Demon, there would be no need to talk about honor or chivalry; they would just attack together. Against such vile fiends, what need was there for a warrior’s code?

But the fight with Mephit required a warrior’s code. The blue-haired girl, as a legitimate Steel Will Guardian, existed specifically to test the strength of one who would be king. For him to be beaten to his knees in front of everyone was already a great loss of face.

If he called Reiya and Mivana over to gang up on her, it would be a defeat even in victory!

’I’ve already lost all face!’

The only way to wash away this humiliation was to defeat Mephit fair and square, with everyone watching.

Westheid wiped the blood from his hands, recalled [Shadow-Born], and pointed the tip of his blade at the blue-haired girl.

"Again. You like to play rough? Fine. I’ll play the sadist and beat you to death."

Seeing this, Mephit became so excited she could barely contain herself, covering her face as she broke into wild laughter.