Emperor Of Steel [EN]: Chapter 5

5. The Appearance of the Black Knight

Having figured out the only way to resolve the current situation, Luke turned his gaze back to Philip.

“Sir Philip, if the Gigant’s performance improves, can we definitely win?”

“Of course. It’s a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but when it comes to piloting Gigants, I was a genius who achieved the best scores in the history of the Royal Military Academy.”

‘Why is someone like that in a backwater territory?’

Could there be some other reason?

Anyway, he decided to look into that later.

What was important now was something else.

“Alright, then please wait a moment.”

After receiving confirmation from Philip, Luke asked Reina for her understanding.

“Would it be alright if I tinker with the Gigant for a bit?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Reina readily agreed.

The mages didn’t object, as they weren’t the owners of the Gigant, but they were inwardly frowning.

They were worried that the young noble might mess with the Gigant with some shallow knowledge he’d picked up, potentially breaking it.

‘Seriously, does he think anyone can repair a Gigant?’

‘Does he think they call a Gigant specialist mage an Iron Mage for no reason?’

‘That guy is a problem, but the princess who agreed is also…’

While the Iron Mages alternated between worry and lament, Luke climbed the ladder and carefully examined the inside of Mir, where the armor had been removed, especially the core engine.

The structure of the core engine was almost identical to the one he had made in the past.

However, there were also differences.

It was the assembly method.

‘Here too, they used grooved nails… or screws, instead of rivets or clips. I think they called the tool to loosen these a wrench?’

Luke recalled the work of the Iron Mages and blacksmiths he had seen at the training grounds and picked up a tool.

He inserted the wrench into the hexagonal groove and turned it counterclockwise. It was quite tightly fastened, but fortunately, he could loosen it by himself.

After removing a few screws and taking off the cover, the central magic stone inside the core engine was revealed before his eyes.

Luke carefully pulled out the central magic stone and examined it.

“Indeed, the magic stone’s lifespan is over.”

The evidence was the blackened interior, as if it had been scorched by fire.

The reason for this color change was that some of the mana flowing in from the outside had accumulated inside the magic stone without circulating.

After hearing Luke’s explanation, Reina tilted her head.

“Isn’t it a good thing if mana accumulates?”

“No. Even if it accumulates, it needs to circulate to be meaningful. Think of it like a reservoir. If water flows in and out, it’s always clean, but if it stagnates, it rots.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And to ensure smooth circulation and secure the proper amount of water, you need to remove the sediment accumulated in the waterways or at the bottom. In other words, this magic stone is like a reservoir that hasn’t been maintained.”

“Then how do you remove the accumulated mana?”

The Iron Mages acknowledged that Luke had more knowledge about magic stones than they had thought.

However, they didn’t think he would be able to answer Princess Reina’s question.

That’s because the mana sedimentation phenomenon in magic stones was a problem that no one had been able to solve until now.

So, when the lifespan was over, they would either replace the magic stone or discard the entire related part.

Especially since the production of artificial magic stones had greatly reduced their price, research related to recycling had also decreased.

“I know one way.”

“What!”

The one who let out a scream-like shout was not Princess Reina, but the Iron Mages.

They were free mages introduced by someone with connections to the princess, and they thought that the young noble, who didn’t even have a magic circle, was spouting nonsense that defied common sense.

“Say something that makes sense!”

“This is quite a sight to behold!”

“A magic stone whose lifespan is over can never be revived!”

Luke frowned at the Iron Mages’ scolding.

He could understand that they didn’t believe him because they didn’t know.

However, for a mage who should always be exploring nature and objects, solving questions, and pursuing truth, to carelessly utter the word ‘never’!

“What if I can revive it?”

“Oh, come on, it’s impossible!”

“Then let’s do this. If I restore this magic stone to its original state, you will burn the robes you’re wearing. But if I fail, I will pay you all this money.”

Luke placed a money pouch on the floor.

The Iron Mages gulped at the sight of the money pouch, which looked heavy at a glance.

Free mages who were not affiliated with any organization were always short on money.

It cost a lot of money to research magic and improve their skills.

They were dissatisfied with the meager pay the princess had given them, so they were very happy when a situation arose where they could get some free money.

‘Even if the princess is pretty, how can he be so boastful…’

‘Tsk tsk, that’s what young people are like!’

They were displeased with the demand to burn their robes, which was like denying they were mages, but since it was absolutely impossible, they wouldn’t lose anything.

“Alright, if the young lord succeeds, we will not only burn our robes but also serve the young lord as our master from now on.”

“Hehehe, we’ll work for you for free for the rest of our lives.”

“You can use us as mages or slaves, whatever you want.”

The mages, who were sure of his failure, made promises they weren’t even asked to make.

Luke smirked at them.

“Don’t regret it later.”

Thus, a verbal agreement was made, and Princess Reina became the witness of this bet.

After clearing the area and securing space, Luke placed the central magic stone in the middle and reached out to Victor, who was standing idly by on one side.

“Could you lend me your sword?”

“A sword? What on earth are you going to use it for?”

Victor was puzzled but drew his sword and handed it over.

Luke took the sword, grasped the blade with his left hand, and pulled it slightly.

Swish!

As the blade cut into his flesh, blood quickly seeped from his grip.

“Y-Young lord!”

“What on earth are you doing?!”

Regardless of everyone’s surprise, Luke squeezed his grip to draw out the blood. Then, he sprinkled the drops of blood onto the magic stone and placed it on the floor.

‘The magic stone should be soaked enough with this…’

Luke smeared his blood on the sword and began to draw a series of magic circles around the magic stone.

The Iron Mages were dumbfounded by his effortless drawing of magical shapes and characters on the floor.

At first, they thought it was just a young noble’s bravado.

However, the geometric shapes and formulas that filled the magic circle precisely matched the mana wave values of the central magic stone.

‘T-This can’t be!’

‘How can someone who isn’t even a mage…?’

While they were in shock, Luke’s work continued.

After a while, a magic circle with a diameter of 3 meters was completed.

After returning the sword to Victor, Luke took a breath and began to chant in a clear voice.

“Lha Kantar Eli Re Perato….”

‘N-No way! That’s Spell magic!’

The Iron Mages simultaneously gaped as if they had made a promise.

Spell magic is a type of auxiliary magic that helps to gather mana and manifest magic by reciting specific incantations that stimulate the flow of mana.

It has the advantage of not requiring a magic circle, but on the other hand, the incantations are very long, and even the slightest change in the words, as well as the pitch and rhythm, must be exactly the same.

And it wasn’t like the effects were great either.

The only thing that could be done with Spell magic was basic magic of the 1st or 2nd circle [basic levels of magic].

To manifest magic of the 3rd circle or higher, a magic circle was absolutely necessary.

Therefore, mages didn’t even bother with Spell magic, and rather, non-mages, scholars, or some nobles who were interested in magic would occasionally learn it.

But that young noble had learned it!

‘It’s impossible.’

‘He’s probably just imitating…’

As Luke’s incantation progressed, the magic circle drawn with blood began to glow.

Along with it, the surrounding mana gathered into the magic circle and seeped into the central magic stone.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The magic circle glowed, and a resonant noise echoed from the central magic stone.

“What’s going on? What are they doing over there?”

“The mana is acting strangely?”

The Iron Mages from other clans, who had sensed an unusual phenomenon in the surroundings, gathered around.

And they too could see it.

The central magic stone, whose lifespan had expired, was glowing brightly and changing color.

Everyone around Luke widened their eyes.

“T-That!”

“The accumulated mana is disappearing!”

Amidst the chaos, Luke focused solely on chanting the incantation.

After about 30 minutes of the magical ritual, the magic circle drawn with blood began to disappear as if it had evaporated.

And finally, the central magic stone regained its very transparent color, just like when it was first processed.

“It’s all done. Now we just need to check it.”

Luke reinserted the revived central magic stone into the core engine.

Then, the output of Mir shown on the measuring device increased to an extent that was incomparable to before. It was functioning almost as well as a brand-new product just produced from the workshop.

Seeing this, the Iron Mages, especially those who had made a bet with Luke, were completely dumbfounded.

“This is impossible!”

“How can such an absurd thing happen…”

It was possible that Luke had learned the rare Spell magic.

However, it was impossible to understand how he had solved the mana sedimentation phenomenon of the magic stone with just a magic circle.

‘Hmph, absurd? You guys who haven’t done proper research are the absurd ones.’

When Luke was the black mage Seymon,

In those days when there were no artificial magic stones, it was very difficult to obtain magic stones.

Luke also struggled with this problem while creating his golem army. He couldn’t just leave the golems he had painstakingly created standing like stone statues due to a lack of magic stones.

‘It would be great if we could recycle magic stones that have reached the end of their lifespan…’

Luke began researching it and delved into the mana sedimentation phenomenon.

In the process, he learned one thing.

‘Why is there no mana sedimentation phenomenon in humans, unlike magic stones?’

He had never heard of a mage dying because the mana accumulated in their body didn’t flow.

Luke, thinking that there was some answer in the human body, finally realized that human blood, the primal life force within it, was effective in activating mana.

And after researching various ways to revive magic stones based on blood, he completed the current magic circle.

“I must be tired and seeing things.”

“Y-Yeah. He must have used sorcery or black magic to put us in a hallucination!”

Luke glared at the Iron Mages’ ridiculous words.

To be honest, he was a little taken aback by the mention of black magic. Although it was activated through Spell magic, the magic circle was clearly based on black magic knowledge.

However, since there was no clear evidence or trace of this, Luke could easily deny it.

“Black magic? Did I summon a demon? Or did I sacrifice someone?”

“But you clearly used blood to draw the magic circle…”

“Shut up, you! How dare you insult our family’s secret art!”

When Luke raised his voice, as if angry, Reina, the notary, stepped forward to defend him.

“Lord Luke is a descendant of the great knight Rakan. How could someone like him use black magic?”

Rakan was renowned as the Sword Emperor, but he was also highly respected as a Holy Knight.

For the descendant of such a man to use black magic?

Moreover, techniques or magic that used blood as a medium, though rare, also existed within white magic.

Her explanation began to sway the crowd.

“It was a bit strange, but it definitely wasn’t black magic.”

“Indeed, who would be foolish enough to use black magic in broad daylight?”

“I never knew the Rakan family had such a secret art.”

Magicians from other clans, who were merely spectators and not involved in the bet, began to side with Luke.

In the end, the three Iron Mages who lost the bet had to burn their robes and write a pledge to become Luke’s servants.

“Kuh-huh-huh, how could this happen…”

“Isn’t it because you all acted unbecoming of mages? Don’t you know that while disbelief in magic is tolerated, blind certainty is not?”

Luke’s rebuke made the Iron Mages hang their heads in shame.

In contrast, Princess Reina looked at Luke with admiration.

Luke, who didn’t find her gaze, which was filled with envy, unpleasant, smiled involuntarily.

“You’re truly amazing, Young Lord. But even if we accept the Spell magic, when did you learn the magic circle?”

Philip, who had been gaping along with the princess’s retainers until just now, spoke with a very excited expression.

Luke, feeling a bit flustered, quickly gave a suitable answer.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just a minor skill I picked up in my spare time to rebuild the family.”

“Who did you learn from? The only mage in our territory is the Iron Mage Mute, and Mute is…”

“I learned it by myself from books.”

“I see. But wasn’t the Rakan family a family of knights? I never imagined that such a magic circle would be hidden…”

As Philip continued to ramble on, bringing up awkward topics, Luke became subtly annoyed.

“Sir Philip!”

“Yes, Young Lord!”

“We’ve fixed the Gigant [a large, humanoid war machine], shouldn’t you warm up if you’re going to participate in the match?”

“Ah, that’s right! I need to get used to the Gigant since it’s my first time piloting it…”

Philip climbed up the ladder, opened the hatch on the chest armor, and boarded Mir.

He started by moving the Gigant’s fingers and rotating its ankles, then moved on to replicating basic swordsmanship movements, getting used to the unfamiliar Gigant.

Luke watched him with his hands behind his back.

And Princess Reina stared blankly at his back.

‘He’s amazing. Unlike his appearance, he’s quite mature.’

Philip, who was older, acted rather light and frivolous, making Luke seem even more mature.

Unaware that he had earned more points than expected with Reina, Luke watched Mir’s movements for a while before a thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘But I can bet on this match too, right? The princess’s side is clearly weaker than Count Liffy’s clan, so the odds will be higher…’

Seeing him move with his money pouch in hand, Reina asked.

“Lord Luke, where are you going?”

“Ah, I’m going to check out the Count’s Gigant.”

Luke couldn’t say, ‘I’m going to buy betting tickets!’ with confidence.

What would the princess think if he bet on a match that his fate depended on?

Of course, he also planned to scout the Count’s clan after buying the betting tickets.

Seeing Luke hurriedly leave, Reina tilted her head.

‘Why is he taking money with him when he’s going to scout?’

She tried to understand Luke by thinking about it several times, but she couldn’t figure out the reason.

The time for the final match of the arena was finally approaching.

Although the sun was setting, the audience had not left; in fact, there were even more people.

This was because the final match of the day was very interesting.

“I heard the Saintess of Lamer made a bet with Count Monarch over this match?”

“If the princess wins, the Count will unconditionally forgive her debt, and if she loses, she will marry the Count.”

“But can Princess Reina win?”

“Impossible. The Liffy Clan is the strongest in the South.”

“Tsk, tsk, that kind and pure princess is going to be in the arms of a pig…”

The rumors about the match had already spread widely.

Most of the audience felt sorry for Reina, but all they could do was cheer her on.

And there was someone else who could help the princess of the fallen nation.

“I heard the Liffy Clan replaced their core engine?”

“Yes, it looks quite powerful at a glance.”

After buying the betting tickets and secretly scouting the Liffy Clan’s maintenance room, Luke told Philip what he had seen.

“They replaced it with a new core engine? Tsk, ours is old, but theirs is new…”

“Why? Are you not confident in winning? You said you could definitely win if the Gigant’s performance improved?”

“That’s…”

Just as Philip was about to make an excuse, Luke grabbed his shoulders with both hands.

And he said firmly.

“You must win, Sir Philip. This is not a request, it’s an order!”

‘Oh my, this is no joke.’

Philip was inwardly sweating at the Young Lord’s blazing eyes.

It seemed that the Young Lord had bet all the money he had left over from the morning on this match.

He heard that the odds for the princess’s side were 21 to 1.

If they won, they could earn almost 210,000 pesos [a unit of currency].

But high odds meant it was that much harder to win.

Of course, the judgment of the spectators who bet money was not always correct, but wasn’t the owner of this arena Count Monarch, the operator of the Liffy Clan?

Could a fair match really be held in the Count’s backyard, especially with the Count watching?

‘Tsk, he should have saved half of it…’

But the reason Luke was forcing Philip to win was not just about the money.

‘I will absolutely not let the princess be dragged away!’

When Luke went to scout the Liffy Clan’s maintenance room, he happened to witness Count Monarch coming down to encourage the riders and Iron Mages.

He was said to be a distant relative of the Imperial Family, but Count Monarch looked very similar to Duke Barok, his old enemy.

What was even more annoying was that he also resembled him in his lustful nature.

Not only did he have women who looked like courtesans on both arms, but he was also harassing a rather pretty female mage!

“If you win this match, I’ll buy you a personal Gigant that only you can ride.”

“Really?”

Philip’s face lit up at the carrot Luke had thrown.

His expression was quite different from the wilted vegetable he had been just a moment ago due to the tension.

“Of course. I’ll even get you a new one.”

“Hahaha! You promised!”

Philip, who had come back to life as if he had eaten a dragon, boarded the Gigant Mir.

With his momentum, it seemed like he could even take down a Sword Master, no, a Sword Emperor.

“Move out, it’s time!”

Thump, thump, thump!

At the shouts of the staff, Philip drove Mir to the exit to prepare for the match.

Luke moved to the spectator seats with the princess’s party.

“Today’s final match is Mylon, the veteran rider of the Liffy Clan and the owner of Achilles! And the one who opposes him is the nameless warrior Philip, who has boarded Mir for the princess of the fallen nation!!”

Clang! Rattle!

As the announcer’s introduction, which echoed throughout the arena, ended, the heavy door of the paddock opened, and Mir, piloted by Philip, walked out.

The wide arena appeared on the sight screen of the cockpit.

The Liffy Clan’s Gigant was already in the middle of the arena.

A blue Gigant with two horns on its head.

It was clearly Achilles of the Altica Magic Tower.

“Waaaaah!”

“Woo-ooo-ooo!”

Philip closed his eyes slightly as he heard the cheers and jeers directed at him.

‘This feeling, this sensation… it’s been a long time!’

After graduating at the top of his class from the Imperial Military Academy, Philip was assigned to the Imperial Guard, where only the best knights of the Empire went.

There, he hoped to become a rider of a hero-class Gigant, but due to the jealousy and schemes of high-ranking noble sons who were envious of his talent, he couldn’t even get close to a Gigant.

As a son of a lower noble, he couldn’t withstand the pressure coming from all sides, and after being falsely accused in a certain incident, he eventually left the Imperial Guard.

After resigning and wandering for a while, Philip received a call from a distant relative who was working as the commander of the knights in the Rakan Territory.

Because his path to success in the central Empire was blocked due to the false accusation, he followed Rogers’s advice and came down to the border to serve as Young Lord Luke’s escort.

And two years of uneventful time passed.

‘I thought I would never feel this way again…’

As Philip was intoxicated by the excitement he felt after a long time, he heard a thick laugh.

“Kuhahaha! I don’t know where you came from, you dog-bone brat, but you’ll regret stepping onto this stage today!”

The laughter and triumphant shout came from Achilles’s transmission channel.

‘Mylon… he’s the Liffy Clan’s star rider.’

As far as Philip knew, Mylon was one of the three strongest knights under Count Monarch.

He mainly worked in the Gigant Arena, and since he had a lot of experience in battles and the clan belonged to the Count, the general opinion among the audience was that 99 out of 100 people had no doubt about his victory.

‘Hehehe, people will be surprised soon.’

Philip opened his eyes wide and flicked his finger at his opponent.

“Did you learn to fight with your mouth? If you’re a man, don’t chatter like a girl, clench your fist and come at me!”

“W-what?!”

“If you’re scared, I’ll give you the first move.”

“Kuaaaak! Y-you bastard!”

After being mocked by an unknown brat, Mylon roared and charged Achilles forward.

Whoosh!

The iron mace that Achilles swung grazed Mir’s head.

Philip, who had narrowly dodged the mace by bending his waist, pulled up his mana and launched a counterattack.

Clang!

But like a veteran rider, Mylon easily blocked Philip’s attack by raising a small shield, a buckler.

“If you thought that provoking me would create an opening, you’re mistaken!”

“Huh? Is that so?”

Philip intended to seize the momentum from the beginning and relentlessly pushed forward.

Clang, clang, clang!

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

It was an attack that poured down like a shower. Mylon hurriedly blocked with his buckler, looking flustered.

‘W-what?! This guy’s skills are not ordinary!’

He thought that since the princess had hastily found a substitute, he would be at a level below even an expert.

But the heavy power in the greatsword and the relentless attacks were definitely not at the level of a brat.

‘And the Gigant is also in good condition! They said it was an old wreck from 50 years ago, but it’s not.’

Mir was an old model, so it was showing slightly stiff movements compared to Achilles, but the output of the core engine was worthy of being called a warrior class.

‘What did he do to that old Gigant? If I mess up, I’ll be disgraced!’

Even if he was disgraced, it would be better if he won. If he lost, the Count would definitely be furious.

He decided to get out of the defensive position, even if it was a bit reckless.

That way, he could either counterattack or create some distance and reorganize.

The moment Philip raised his greatsword to attack, Mylon threw his iron mace forward.

Kwaaang!

Philip, caught off guard by his opponent throwing his weapon, quickly halted his attack and blocked the iron mace.

Meanwhile, Mylon, having retreated, detached the chain from Achilles’ waist.

Then, the iron pieces attached to the chain snapped together, transforming into a greatsword!

“A Chain Sword?”

“I took a bit of damage from being careless, but don’t think you’ve won yet!”

Mylon, gritting his teeth, began channeling mana into the greatsword.

Whoooom!

A gray light emanated from the surface of the greatsword.

It wasn’t very distinct in shape or density, but it was undoubtedly Gigantic Aura [a technique where a pilot channels their mana into their Gigant, enhancing its power].

“Whoaaa! It’s Gigantic Aura!”

The spectators, recognizing the Gigantic Aura, roared.

Gigantic Aura.

It was a technique known to be achievable only by a select few among expert-level riders or higher.

Creating an aura with one’s bare body was difficult enough, but to do it while riding a Gigant? [a large, humanoid combat machine]

Putting swordsmanship aside, it was an advanced technique that only elite riders who could control their Gigants as freely as their own limbs could perform.

“As expected of Mylon, the ace of the Lipi Clan!”

“Yeah, there’s a reason why Count Monarch was so fond of him!”

“Tsk tsk, whoever that is, it’s over for him now.”

“Too bad. He seemed quite skilled.”

As Mylon revealed his Gigantic Aura, everyone concluded that he would win.

Princess Reina felt the same way.

“This is terrible! I hope Sir Philip won’t get hurt?”

Seeing Reina more worried about Philip’s safety than the bet, Luke smiled warmly and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. Sir Philip is a more skilled rider than we think.”

He had heard that Philip had achieved the best record in the history of the Royal Military Academy in Gigant piloting.

And the aura subtly emanating from his body surpassed that of a mid-level expert.

As expected, Philip immediately reversed the atmosphere that had been leaning towards Mylon.

Whoooom!

A red Gigantic Aura, surpassing Mylon’s, surged from Mir’s greatsword, causing gasps of astonishment from the audience.

“M-My goodness! The other rider also has Gigantic Aura!”

“It’s even bigger and clearer than Sir Mylon’s!”

The shocked spectators’ jaws dropped to the floor.

But their hearts were soon filled with anticipation and excitement.

This was because there had never been a match between riders using Gigantic Aura in Lamer’s Gigant Arena before.

But today, they were witnessing that historic battle, so everyone was more focused on the spectacle than the payouts.

Clang! Clang! Clatter!

The two riders exchanged blows dozens of times.

Each time the Gigantic Auras collided, sparks flew as if cannons were exploding, and pieces of metal scattered everywhere.

The arena shook from the Gigants’ fast and fierce movements, and the air inside became as hot as a furnace.

“Wow, this is amazing!”

“Who knew we’d see such a great match!”

Overwhelmed by the incredible intensity, the audience cheered even louder, supporting both sides.

“Hahaha! Louder, shout louder!”

Elated by the cheers of the audience, Philip relentlessly pushed Mylon with a storm-like momentum.

And finally, he landed a solid blow.

Bang—!

“Guh-erk!”

With a deafening sound, the buckler shattered, and Achilles’ blue Gigant slid backward.

‘Ugh! Damn it!’

Mylon’s lip burst, and blood flowed.

In blocking Philip’s unexpectedly powerful blow, the mana flowing inside the Gigant had temporarily reversed. And in the process of regaining control of the precarious situation, he had bitten his lip.

“Damn it, he’s no pushover.”

Until he had manifested his Gigantic Aura, he had been certain of his victory.

But as if mocking him, the other guy had also manifested an aura and even displayed swordsmanship that overwhelmed him.

It was the first time he had suffered such humiliation in the Lamer Arena, his home ground, let alone in the Imperial Arena.

And to be completely pushed back by an unknown rider he had never even heard of!

“What are you standing around for?”

“Huk!”

Mylon, barely managing to block Philip’s incoming attacks, made a decision.

‘I, I’ll definitely lose if this continues! If that happens, the Count’s interest in me will disappear!’

If his lord’s attention and affection disappeared, he would become a nobody.

Therefore, Mylon decided to use the thing he had prepared for such an emergency.

Grabbing the crystal ball directly connected to the core engine, he put all his strength into both hands.

Kuuuuuung!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from Achilles, and its movements changed drastically.

Its power and speed had been upgraded to a new level.

It was as if the Achilles, which had been pushed back just moments ago, was now launching a fierce attack on Mir.

‘W-What is this!’

Philip was taken aback as his opponent displayed monstrous strength, as if he had switched to a higher-output Gigant.

He took a defensive stance and focused on guarding.

“That’s a foul!”

Luke, who had been closely observing Achilles due to the sudden change, jumped up from his seat and shouted.

Not stopping there, he ran to the referee’s stand and protested.

“Achilles’ core engine output is far exceeding the warrior class!”

There were several rules for Gigant matches in the arena.

One of them was the limit on core engine output.

Any Gigant exceeding 1200 fight [a unit of power measurement for Gigants] was disqualified.

But in Luke’s eyes, Achilles’ output now seemed at least 1.5 times greater than Mir’s, exceeding 1500 fight.

“Immediately stop the match and declare a forfeit for the Lipi Clan!”

The referees ignored Luke’s vehement protest.

“W-What are you talking about? Does Achilles look like it’s over 1500 fight to you?”

“No, even the measuring device shows only about 1200 fight?”

‘These bastards!’

Luke was furious at the referees’ attitude.

Even though he had expected some disadvantage since this place was owned by Count Monarch, he had not expected them to blatantly cheat like this.

‘Should I just overturn the match and everything?’

Just as Luke reached for the sword at his waist in this outrageous situation,

Princess Reina, who had followed him, grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Please calm down, Sir Luke. And let’s trust Sir Philip a little more.”

“Hah, alright.”

In fact, causing a ruckus here wouldn’t be of much help. Rather, he would be lucky not to be subdued by the guards and dragged out.

When Luke, having calmed down, returned to his seat,

Philip, who had been focusing on defense, saw that his opponent had completely switched to offense and made his move.

Mir’s upper body seemed to sway left and right, creating afterimages in front of Achilles.

Mylon, who had been rushing in to solidify his victory, widened his eyes.

‘Th-That’s!’

Flash!

The two Gigants crossed paths. And from both sides, a dazzling Gigantic Aura flashed and disappeared.

“Oooooh, who won?”

“Ah, look there!”

As the excited spectators watched, Mir’s left arm fell to the ground.

“Wow! Did Sir Mylon win?”

Just as some of the spectators were rejoicing, cracks appeared on Achilles’ steel legs, and then its upper and lower body separated.

Thud!

Philip, approaching the awkwardly fallen Achilles, placed his Gigantic Aura-infused greatsword on the cockpit and asked.

“Will you continue?”

“Kuh, I-I lost.”

Mylon was frustrated but had no choice but to admit defeat.

“To see the Black Knight’s Phantom Sword here!”

Mylon had seen the flashy swordsmanship that Philip had displayed at the end once before.

It was three years ago when he had gone to the Imperial Gigant Arena for a match, and he had been completely toyed with by an opponent who had come out riding a black Gigant.

Later, Mylon had tried every possible way to find out who the rider of the black Gigant, known only as the ‘Black Knight,’ was. But he could not find out his identity.

And to see that swordsmanship again here today!

“Were you the Black Knight?”

“Hah, there was a time when I was called by that name.”

During his time in the Royal Knights, Philip was unable to ride a Gigant due to the interference of high-ranking nobles.

Wanting to train in Gigant piloting by any means, he secretly worked as a rider in the Gigant Arena in the Imperial City.

He had initially intended to do it for a short time, but he became so engrossed in it that he worked as a mercenary rider for over three years.

Thanks to that, he was able to improve his skills along with the reputation of the Black Knight.

Later, things got more complicated because of that, and he ended up being falsely accused.

“Why? Why would someone with that level of skill be in a match like this…”

“Because it’s my lord’s command. And if I’m the Black Knight, isn’t it natural to help a princess in distress?”

After saying some words that were worth striking a pose, Philip turned around, waved his hand once to the crowd chanting his name, and headed towards the waiting area.

“H-He won! He really won!”

Princess Reina was moved to tears.

Luke, who had been watching the match, also had a much more relaxed expression.

“Now you don’t have to marry the Count.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to you, Young Lord Luke. Thank you so much.”

Reina thanked him several times.

Luke shook his head.

“Not just me, anyone who knows the princess’s kind heart would have tried to help.”

“Still…”

At that moment, Victor interjected.

“Princess, shouldn’t we go down to the waiting area soon?”

“Oh, right! We must also express our gratitude to Sir Philip for fighting so hard for us.”