1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 51: Fallen From Sainthood

From afar, Y’Sila waved her hand boredly, "Whoever is the victor will be my knight, so fight to the death for me."

The gesture was like chains being unshackled from the knight, who immediately sprinted the length of the marble throne room. It was at least fifty meters, crossed within a single breath–

[The Snake’s Eye]

–By pure reflex, he heightened his perception enough to intercept the jade sword with his axe. Though he swung desperately, it was only enough to be rejected, sending him sliding back.

’Talk about strength...Who is this guy?’ Noah thought with a quick exhale.

Catching his balance, he placed his boot down, immediately being met by the silent servant halfway. The glistening blade of emerald came for his neck, forcing him to bend backwards to avoid a swift meeting with the reaper.

He countered with his axe, sending it for the knight’s abdomen, though he had no faith in it making contact. In reality, he placed his hopes in the binding chains he summoned quietly behind the charred swordsman–

[Spirit Binding]

–As the ethereal links set in, the swordsman spun around, swinging the jade edge with such finesse multiple slashes appeared as one. All at once, the chains were dismissed into bits and pieces, fading away.

Rain watched breathlessly, clutching her chest, "That mastery...This can’t be some regular man, no...It couldn’t be, could it?"

The bewilderment of the guests drew amusement from the many-armed ruler of the false palace, who chuckled to herself, letting her voice echo through the ivory halls, "You’ve noticed it by now? Unsightly and repugnant as that manservant may be, his strength with the blade is unparalleled. That’s because he is the Saint of Blades, or at least, he was when he still drew breath."

"A Saint?!--" The realization nearly made the exorcist choke on her spit.

Noah felt that claim firsthand, being placed on the backfoot while avoiding the jade sword with every bit of his being. He ducked down as the sword cut through a pillar of marble as thick as a redwood tree, immediately flipping to the side as a downward strike attempted to bisect him.

"...I found his soul, aimlessly wandering this sanctuary, without a form or purpose. I gave him a purpose, as his queen, his empress, his everything," Y’Sila gloated. "He may no longer be the Saint he once was, unfortunately, but I’ve made do."

[Martial Master] [A- Rank Dueling Skill]

It was only thanks to the ability gained through combat that he had the proficiency to keep up with the swordplay of the former Saint. Even then, he could tell; the silent spirit was nothing but a hollow husk going through the motions.

He pivoted with footwork that didn’t waste any movement, attempting to find any opening, only to be intercepted and placed right back on the defense of the unending strikes.

[...A "Saint" is an individual that has been recognized by the Heavens as peerless in their craft; the one above all others in their field. There can only be one Saint for each craft, and that person is granted abilities pertaining to their skillset that elevates them to a divine realm of proficiency–absolutely unmatched.

To have reached that status, even if now lost, even if a husk far from that time, is a feat above millions of others in their era.] 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Left only to helpless watch, the exorcist racked her mind before calling out to the man fighting, "Noah! Just try and hold him off–I’ll think of something! If I can figure out his name, his true name–I might be able to exorcise him, or at least banish him from this place...!"

"Alright...!" Noah said without looking back.

He swung his axe forward with a spiritual slash, though struck only air. Only a fraction of a second later did he sense the knight’s presence to his right. Just as he looked over, he found the emerald blade already in motion–

"Nngh!"

Rain struggled, though managed to form a snow-white barrier between Noah and the jade weapon in time. There wasn’t any difficulty as the shield was cleaved through like butter, forcing Noah to defend himself.

[Minor Shield] [Enhance] [Muscle Hardening]

Through his emergency defense, the blade cut through, only partially slowed as it sliced across his forearms. It drew blood, though failed to part the flesh beneath.

’Close...Almost lost my arms,’ he thought.

[Red Engine] [A Rank Grit Skill]

His heart began to thump the moment blood was drawn, bringing his muscles to tighten, being pumped with elevated energy in response to the wounds. As the adrenaline flooded his veins, a kick of the knight’s boot pushed right into his abdomen.

All the breath was forced out of his lungs as he spat out, immediately pressed by the former Saint as the blade came for his neck. He ducked beneath it, countering with a swing of his axe–

[Mega-Chop] [Soul Rend]

The eviscerating force extended, only to be blocked by the emerald blade. He didn’t let up, pushing past the pain throbbing through him as adrenaline fueled his initial step,

[Ethereal Shift]

Lunging forward, he let himself take on the properties of a spirit, letting his fist connect with the charred armor. It made contact as he returned the favor of the kick with his knuckles, denting the silent man’s equipment.

At the same time, his fist was busted open, the foremost knuckles gushing with blood, though it only increased the ferocity of his beating heart.

["Red Engine: a skill that automatically activates when Noah receives a wound. It begins enhancing his physical traits, even down to his kinetic vision. The more he bleeds and the more hurt he gets, the greater this effect increases.]

As the blood gushed from his busted knuckles, the thumping of his heart only heightened as his muscles swelled and tightened.

[Ethereal Replication]

Into his left hand, the copy of his tempered axe formed, though he still questioned if both of his weapons could match the silent knight’s singular sword. He set that doubt to the farthest corner of his mind, confronting the restless spirit head-on.

[Tintri]

Guided by the world of superspeed, he deflected the initial strike and countered with the ethereal axe, cutting across the fallen Saint’s chest. While it was a triumph in itself to wound the dead legend, he was quickly made aware of the consequences–

A gash appeared across his own abdomen, only inches from disemboweling him in virtue of his iron stomach. He neglected to so much as glance at his new wound, only feeling his muscles swell with strength in conjunction with his bleeding.

["Grit" Proficiency Up +5] [65/999]

"As I thought," Y’Sila remarked from her throne, resting her cheek against her hand. "A handsome candidate, yes, but it’s always the same with my servant. Nobody can take his place; he cuts them down, all the same, like pigs to a butcher."