Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 522 Wheel War

In the arena, Thales calmed himself down a bit, feeling the increasingly active River of Sin flowing through his body once again.

Since his adventure in the desert ended, he has found that the Sin of the Prison River is more solid and abundant. Compared to the previous "Ten-Second True Man", it can now withstand a longer period of consumption.

After the power of termination dissipates, the fatigue and soreness it leaves in the body also decrease accordingly.

Sure enough, Thales thought to himself:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Of course, this wasn't without its price—since being severely injured by Nikolai, his left wrist was no longer as flexible as before, which somewhat affected his use of the shield.

And if the River of Hell's sins were to operate, its temperament would also improve accordingly, which would be even better.

“Your Grace, I am Gianluca Commuto.”

Kongmuto was a short, stocky, and muscular man with dark skin and a shy smile. At first glance, he looked like a middle-aged man next door who had weathered many storms and suffered many setbacks, yet remained kind, optimistic, and strong.

Thales noticed that the other person would occasionally glance unconsciously in Marius's direction.

"I used to be a first-class guard officer in the Inner City Guard Bureau, responsible for protecting VIPs," Komuto said to Duke Starlake with a bright, almost obsequious smile.

"I was fortunate enough to pass the selection process and join the Royal Guard."

"Now, I am one of the new guards in your personal guard."

Guard officer.

Thales took a deep breath:

Well, he's quite familiar with that.

Whether it's those arrogant old men in the West Ring District who collude with the Blood Bottle Gang.

Or perhaps it's some dim-witted, big, simple-minded guy who, once unemployed, will unfortunately have to go back to inherit a title and family fortune.

But before he could think it through, the battle had already begun!
clang!
With a muffled thud, Thales's shield collided with Komuto's sword!
Unlike Piloga, Kompato did not show any deference. His fierce and proactive attack contrasted sharply with the fawning smile on his face.

Thales moved his feet, his longsword flashed, and he exchanged several attacks and defenses with his opponent in mid-air.

Amidst the clash of metal, Duke Starlake, with his hellish senses, discovered that Komuto's swordsmanship was conventional, neither as exquisite as Piloga's, where a few weapon exchanges were enough to counter his opponent, nor as crude as the orcs' wide-ranging, unstoppable attacks.

The two were evenly matched in their offense and defense, advancing and retreating.

This surprised Thales quite a bit.

but……

clang!
Thales once again blocked the opponent's attack with his arm shield.

He gritted his teeth and steadied himself, the Sin of the Prison River surging forward with all its might, pushing the opponent away without showing any weakness.

But at that moment, Thales thought to himself, "Oh no!"
When he thrust at it, he felt that the opponent's sword was light and easy to use, without any effort on his part.

Sure enough, Komuto deftly dodged Thales's shield, his sword swishing across the shield.

The next second, the Sin of the River of Hell exploded within him once more, bringing an indescribable sense of dread.

But Thales only had time to turn around!

clang!
Boom!
The crisp sound of metal clashing and the dull thud of flesh striking flesh came one after another!

"Oh……"

Amidst the low murmurs of the guards, Thales gritted his teeth, staggered back, and knelt on one knee, his shield braced against the ground.

The sharp pain and numbness in his shoulder told him:

This round is over.

Kommuto, a former guard and now a bodyguard, nodded with a simple smile, sheathed his practice sword, and did not continue his attack.

It's the hilt of a sword.

Thales gasped for breath, desperately twisting his aching shoulders and arms, telling himself this.

In that instant, he used his shield to deflect Komuto's sword, but failed to block the hilt of the sword.

The cross guard on his sword followed him closely, and taking advantage of the moment when he pushed his shield forward and his arm forward, it spun heavily.

If Thales hadn't reacted quickly, that blow would probably have hit his ribs right below his arm.

Then he basically lay down.

But even so...

Thales took a deep breath.

His shoulder...

Ugh, this is so uncomfortable.

Northern military swordsmanship also includes techniques for subduing the enemy with the hilt of the sword, but these are mostly used as an alternative attack when the two sides are locked in a stalemate and other means have failed. There are few cases like Kombut, where all the preparations are made for this one strike with the hilt.

At the edge of the training field, Doyle blew his hair into the air and nudged Golov.

"Oh, Gian's trick... I've seen it before when the Guards bully newcomers... Anyway, he's not easy to deal with."

Golov gave a soft snort.

The guards murmured among themselves, while some chuckled softly.

Marius, who was watching the game, turned his head to the side, seemingly lost in thought.

Komtou did not pursue, but waited amicably for the Duke to regroup.

“I’m very sorry, Your Grace,” he said, longsword in hand, his smile undiminished.
"But I think you don't want me to hold back, right?"

Damn.

Thales exhaled, feeling the sin of the River of Hell surge up his shoulders, relieving the numbness and excruciating pain.

His left arm then got a little better.

“Gian worked his way up in the Guard Bureau,” Marius’s familiar voice rang out again:

"They have a wealth of experience and skills in the streets and alleys."

"Strictly speaking, his skills belong to the emerging practical trend in the country in the last hundred years, which is especially popular among mercenary knights and pioneering nobles and is known as 'new trend'."

Thales turned his head, and sure enough, the Watcher stood with his arms crossed, looking like he was about to watch a good show.

"In recent decades, the 'new wave' knights have also learned a lot from wars at home and abroad, including from mercenaries, seeking only to be applicable to the war situation and to win and survive. For this reason, their style is flexible, unconventional, and a mixture of various styles."

"Of course, the new trend is often criticized by other schools of thought: it is disordered, its style is scattered, it is short-sighted, and it has no focus."

The Watcher smiled gently:
"Conversely, it is also the most difficult to deal with—you never know what surprises await you."

Trendy?

Thales slowly caught his breath and refocused his attention on Komuto.

The other person still had that same honest smile.

mercenary?
Thales pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered someone.

Black sword.

The boy recalled how his opponent, on the Sky Cliff in Dragon Sky City, defended, escaped, lured the enemy, sought an opportunity, and defeated them...

I recall the scene where he used all sorts of methods to fight against the Qi Demon Master without being at a disadvantage.

He also recalled how the other party "carried" him (Tails had been trying to find a nicer transitive verb) as they charged towards the multi-headed monster Kirika through the sea of ​​blood in the Shield Zone.

As he pondered, the sins of the River of Hell surged once more, as if dissatisfied with the frustration of this round.

"Sir, you flatter me. I am just a..."

Commuto responded to Marius with a smile.

But before he could finish speaking, Thales' attack was already upon him!

clang!
Thales gritted his teeth and launched a sword attack, which was skillfully blocked by Komuto. The opponent then pressed forward and thrust his sword forward.

Knowing his opponent had many tricks up his sleeve, the boy parried with his sword and nimbly retreated to avoid being hit again.

But the next moment, the senses of hell suddenly trembled, and an ominous feeling surged in again.

Sure enough, Thales felt a jolt in his leg.

He lost his balance!

Damn.

The sins of the River of Hell roared.

Without thinking twice, Thales mustered all his strength, spun around, and rolled off the battlefield in a disheveled manner!
Boom!
Kommuto's knees slammed heavily onto the sand, making a frightening thud.

After this round, the guards murmured in dismay once again.

But at least the boy avoided it.

Thales, still shaken, got up and looked at Komuto, who looked slightly surprised.

Tripping over?

Thales was eager to ask if the other man had studied wrestling or knew a former Watchman who also enjoyed tripping people in close combat.

but……

Thales took a deep breath and straightened up.

After this round, he understood something.

Thales did not recognize the opponent's finishing power.

But he could sense that, in his Hellish Senses, just before the two made close contact, Komuto's power of termination had already taken shape, gathering in a certain part of his body, ready to be unleashed.

For example, the wrist and the hilt of the sword, or the waist and the feet.

Combined with his little tricks, he can launch an attack instantly, catching people off guard.

Moreover, and not just the power of termination.

Thales, panting, stared at his opponent.

Just as Marius said...

Street skills, flexible in style, unconventional, and a blend of various approaches?

The sins of the River of Hell have reignited, burning even more fiercely than before.

How is he supposed to face such an opponent?
Thales took a deep breath and dusted himself off.

It's not that difficult, is it?

In that instant, a figure from many years ago appeared in his memory.

The figure raised a golden saber, revealing his massive, imposing frame, and used himself as a weapon.

The figure descended from the sky, fierce and unyielding, ignoring the opponent's various tactics and enduring countless attacks from the enemy.

The figure remained unfazed and unwavering, breaking through Rolf's obstruction, countering Wyatt's deadly moves, severing Raphael's weapon, and ramming Miranda's attack, suppressing the all-out Cohen and forcing him into a continuous retreat, utterly powerless to fight back.

Finally, they arrived before Thales.

He was like a wild horse burning with flames, galloping wildly.

Rampage.

Tough and fierce.

Go forward.

Break through all obstacles.

Thales closed his eyes.

The River of Hell's Sin was self-taught; following his thoughts, he was about to imitate the figure's power of ending, but Thales stopped him halfway through.

No.

Thales is not Tuleha, nor is he the Fiery Knight.

The opponent's finishing power might not be as effective against him—he couldn't sustain such a large expenditure of energy.

And Kommuto was not one of the five who were instantly defeated back then.

but……

The next second, Thales opened his eyes.

The River of Sin burned incessantly, crackling and popping, like a faint, cold laugh.

Komto maintained his smile as he watched the Duke attack again.

The guards around them watched the two figures approach again, but they weren't very focused; some were even yawning.

clang!
The two swords clashed.

Kommuto smiled slightly and unleashed a sword strike reminiscent of Piloga's defensive counter-attack, launching a counter-offensive.

Within the senses of hell, Komuto's power of annihilation is poised to be unleashed.

Boom!
Thales' shield once again blocked Komuto's blade.

This time, the opponent's sword suddenly trembled.

Thales immediately sensed the shield's lack of force.

He also felt the chill that the Sin of the River of Hell reminded him of.

Sure enough, Komuto smiled, and his longsword skillfully bypassed Thales' shield, striking the boy's sword-wielding hand!

But this time, Thales' mind was completely clear.

He suddenly understood something.

How should we fight?

Just like what he learned over the past few years as he navigated back and forth in different political vortexes and struggled to survive in various desperate situations.

What matters is not strength, weapons, tactics, or even the power to finish.

But people.

people.

The opponent's finishing power is just like Komto himself: seemingly simple and honest, but actually shrewd and cunning. He always plans out clever countermeasures in advance, waiting for the right moment to reap the rewards step by step.

but……

The sins of the River of Hell surged up and filled Thales' left arm!
The next second, Kommuto was surprised to find that the prince neither dodged nor avoided the attack, but instead took the blow head-on in the most unfavorable position.

Thales looked pained, unable to bear it, and dropped his sword.

The guards gasped in surprise, and some who had held a sliver of hope for the prince shook their heads.

Okay, that's tantamount to admitting defeat.

Kommut thought regretfully.

He stepped aside, avoiding the Duke who had lost his weapon.

He had so many more close-combat techniques to show, but none of them were ever demonstrated...

Oh well, I was already planning to lose anyway...

But Komput's thoughts stopped at that moment.

In that instant, he was astonished to see Thales' shield, along with several straps, slide smoothly off.

A left arm was exposed, already clenched into a fist.

The Duke's gaze—Kumto stared blankly at the other's face, which was straining to suppress pain—remained resolute.

Boom!
Another dull thud!
The boy's left fist slammed into Kommuto's right ribs!

The force was astonishing.

At that moment, Marius, who was watching the game, frowned.

Komuto felt a numbness in half of his body, and his right arm was completely numb. As he sensed something was wrong, the Duke's face, with its clenched teeth, loomed larger and larger in his field of vision.

Boom!
Kommuto felt a sharp pain in his forehead, saw stars before his eyes, and lost his balance.

thump!
They both fell to the ground.

Two muffled thuds followed – Thales' shield and Kommuto's longsword finally hit the ground.

A few seconds later, everyone came to their senses.

Kommuto had already fallen to the ground.

The former guard was shocked and angry. He struggled to get up, only to find that Thales was already sitting on him.

"Your... Your Excellency the Duke?"

The boy braced his left hand against his neck, his right arm, which had been knocked away by the sword, trembled slightly as it was held by his side.

Suppressed gasps once again rose from the crowd, which had relaxed.

On the sidelines, Marius was deep in thought, occasionally turning back to speak to one of his guards.

“You did a good job, Guard Officer, Gian Commuto.”

Facing the ashamed and indignant Komuto, Thales, panting, gave a weak smile:

"It was just that they relaxed their guard at the end, which gave me an opportunity."

The exhausted boy shakily stood up, looking at the utterly ashamed Komuto:

"A little tip."

"Don't do that—especially when you're facing orcs."

Kommuto scrambled to his feet, not daring to look at Marius, offered a rambling apology, and hurriedly left.

Thales finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The sins of the River of Hell still surged in his veins, their momentum like a flood behind a dam, ready to burst forth at any moment.

But Thales managed to stop himself.

The boy staggered backward and turned around, panting as he retrieved the water bag to calm the churning of the River of Sin in Hell.

"Although Jian has loosened its grip, well..."

Doyle squinted at Komuto's ashamed back as he looked away from the crowd:

“In actual combat, Gian will lose his throat, but our prince will also lose his right hand.”

DD shook his head helplessly:

"This desperate move, and the way he treated Piloga before... indeed, our prince has returned from the north."

however.

"Do not."

Golov was sarcastic and gave a simple answer:
"In actual combat, the prince will lose some saliva."

Doyle was taken aback:
"What?"

"saliva?"

Golov looked intently at him:
"Then, we'll swarm him and cripple him."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the two remained silent for a while.

"Uh, what you said..."

Doyle blinked, then nodded awkwardly in response:
Is this... really that real?

Golov ignored him and turned away on his own.

“But I still can’t figure it out,” Doyle said, staring at Thales with a puzzled look.
Does he really possess the power to end things?

But if he didn't... then how did he manage to do it?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Thales took a deep breath and put down the water bag.

Feeling the emptiness and excitement coexisting in his limbs after the sins of the River of Hell faded, he ignored the murmurs and scrutinizing glances of the crowd and looked at the silent Marius.

"Is it enough?"

"Have you confirmed my power of ending?"

Thales said irritably:

"My dear head of the guards?"

All eyes were on Marius.

The Watchman spoke a few words with the guards around him before looking at Thales.

“I think I have some leads, Your Highness,” he said, narrowing his eyes.
"But it cannot be confirmed yet."

Thales let out a breath.

There's some progress.

Unable to confirm?

That means……

Sure enough, Marius nodded and raised his voice to give the order:
"Mike!"

"You go."

Upon hearing this, the guards exchanged surprised and suspicious glances.

Soon, a man in his thirties stepped out from the guard. He had a smooth face, gentle features, and was dressed neatly and impeccably.

Thales sighed again, lamenting how slowly time was passing.

Is this going to be a war of attrition?
“Oh no, he wasn’t calling for the guard wing and the logistics wing anymore,” Doyle’s expression changed, and he pointed at Marius to Golov:

"This is not a good sign."

A man in his thirties entered the room and bowed respectfully.

“Michael Zonevid, Your Highness,” the knight known as Michael Zonevid was gentle and refined, but his accent had the ruggedness that Thales was familiar with:
Nine years ago, I officially joined the Royal Guard.

Thales nodded in return, feeling helpless.

Zonevid used concise language and spoke cautiously:
"By the way, I'm left-handed."

Zonevid removed the sword from his side and took a practice sword from the weapon rack:

"The attack will be quite fierce and...surprise."

"Please be careful."

Thales gave a weak smile and began to get ready again.

“Wait, Zonevid, that surname…”

Doyle scratched his head:
"I think I vaguely remember this?"

Golov responded silently from beside him:

"'Black Zone'."

Black...what?
DD looked puzzled.

Golov didn't even look at him, but simply said silently:
"The executioner family during the Red King's reign was once among the Seven Servants of the Stars, and at least three conferred earls died at their hands."

“Until the wise ruler was crowned, during the trial of the rebellion, they were convicted one by one, held accountable, and stripped of their titles and fiefs.”

Doyle looked like he suddenly understood.

Golov remained expressionless.
"But you should know better than I do."

Doyle frowned again:
"why?"

Golov slowly turned to Doyle:
"Because of 'Black Zone, White Doi'."

Doyle was slightly taken aback.

“The Red King has two servants, and the lonely widow weeps day and night.”

Golov said coldly:

"Two hundred years ago, your family was on par with them."

Danny Doyle blinked.

"Wow," DD finally turned around, embarrassed and numb after a long while:
"Yes, really?"

You know this as well?
While they were still chatting, Thales had already met Zonevid's sword head-on!
Like Kompany, Zonevid showed no mercy and took the initiative to attack.

But this time, Thales' expression changed from the very first strike!
Zonevid is different from his two previous opponents.

clang!clang!clang!
Three sharp sounds!

Zonevid remained calm, his left hand unleashing a flurry of rapid sword strikes, repeatedly threatening Thales's chest, calves, and arms!
After three parries, Thales was forced to retreat three steps, struggling and surprised as he resisted his opponent's attack.

Compared to the older Piloga and the short, stocky Kommuto, this handsome knight was expressionless, yet his attacks were simple, direct, and without any fancy moves!

With that familiar feeling, Thales, who hadn't even had time to catch his breath and hadn't yet regained his footing, was attacked again by Zonevid!
The River of Sin roared in resentment, surging up Thales's arm, but could only support him in quickly putting up a defense.

clang!
Zonevid's expression was indifferent, but the longsword in his hand became even faster. He was unbiased and straightforward, aiming the tip of his sword at the parts of Thales that had been slightly strained and unstable in the last defense—his leg and wrist—and launching a series of attacks.

Most importantly, Thales rarely fought against enemies who wielded swords in their left hand. In his view, Zonevid's attacks were always cunning and unexpected, making them difficult to defend against.

But it was incredibly powerful, making it difficult for him to defend. He could only retreat repeatedly to avoid its sharp edge!
So much so that Tyles' eighth defensive play almost resulted in him being out of position, and he made it in a clumsy, near-limit-limit fadeaway step-back.

Even so, Thales' arm was grazed an inch by his opponent's blunt, unsharpened sword, causing him considerable pain.

But before he could even rest, Zonevid's next stab came straight at the spot where he had been touched!
Forced to grit his teeth and push forward—perhaps driven to near madness by repeated setbacks—the Sin of the Prison River once more…

back.

With each step he retreated, Zonevid gained an advantage in his next attack, making Thales' defense more and more precarious!
Thales felt the trembling of his shield and sword, and the numb pain in his muscles; the more he fought, the more terrified he became.

He was on the defensive the whole time, and didn't even have a chance to fight back.

This inevitably reminded Thales of his time in Valhalla, where the Northrends' attacks were just as fierce and swift, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Zonevid's attack clearly shocked the guards' spectators, many of whom pointed and whispered among themselves.

Even Marius nodded in agreement.

"Holy crap!" Doyle exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"We have someone this awesome on our team?"

Even Golov was quite surprised:

"Either the opponent is too weak, or he is hiding his true strength."

"When I was still in the Fuxing Palace, I had never heard of such a person in the Vanguard Wing."

But compared to the audience's relaxed and critical attitude, Thales was not in such a good mood.

He gritted his teeth and struggled to withstand Zonevid's full-force slash with his shield. Then, at great cost, he activated the Sin of the River of Hell and finally launched a counterattack.

At least it forced Zonevid to slow down his offensive.

However, the opponent only paused briefly, without batting an eye, before launching another attack, dragging the battle back to its previous pace.

Thales is going crazy!

At that moment, he felt like a small boat adrift in a raging storm, struggling to hold up the sails and keep the boat from capsizing.

But the water at the bottom of the boat was getting deeper and deeper.

They were clearly on the verge of collapse!

But the opponent's finishing power was relentless, and in his hellish senses, Thales could even see the opponent's skin emitting a shimmering starlight!

“Your Highness, you should be very familiar with this style, right?”

Soon, that familiar, but now annoying voice rang out.

As Marius's voice fell silent, perhaps out of concern for himself, or out of respect for his superior, Zonevid gracefully sheathed his sword and retreated, halting his attack.

Thales finally got a moment's respite. No longer needing to defend himself, he gasped for breath, leaning his shield and longsword on the ground. The River of Sin surged up, relieving his aches and minor injuries from the battle.

Marius spoke slowly, nodding to his standard-bearer, Foby, beside him:
"Although he was born in the Central Territory, Mike had a cruel stepmother. He was sent to live with poor relatives in the North from a young age and was raised as a squire by a knight from the North."

As soon as he finished speaking, many guards turned their gazes to Zonevid.

“Sir, you actually…” Mike Zonevid forced a smile:

"Let's not talk about the stepmother."

Marius smiled apologetically, then looked at Thales and said seriously:
"Since the founding of the Star Kingdom, the martial arts of the Northern School have been passed down among the knights of the North and the Clifflands. They have absorbed the experience of fighting the Exter people for many years, and through years of refinement, they have developed their own unique style."

Thales gasped for breath and shook his head toward Marius to show he had heard.

"It has the advantages of the Yankees' all-out attack and suppression, while also retaining the traditional knightly skills of the Starry Sky, striving to achieve a balance between offense and defense, with particular emphasis on the transition between offense and defense and decisiveness at crucial moments."

Marius's tone was tinged with satisfaction:

"Therefore, the knights of the 'Northern Faction' in the kingdom were also known as the 'Offensive and Defensive Faction.' They launched fierce and rapid attacks, yet their transitions were smooth, combining offense with defense and defense with offense."

"To confront such an enemy, the slightest misstep..."

"Then it will be a complete defeat, and the whole game will be lost."

Northern School?
Offense and defense?
The offensive was fierce and fast-paced...

Offense contains defense, and defense contains offense...

Thales' breathing eased a bit, and he looked up in confusion at Zonevid, who was completely unbreathing and handling the situation with ease.

The other person nodded respectfully to him.

"As for typical representatives among them..."

Marius casually crossed his arms and uttered a nickname that left many people pondering in silence:

"I'm sure you've heard of 'Wrath of the Kingdoms'?"

Thales paused slightly.

Wrath of the Kingdom?
The scene of breaking out of Duanlong Fortress many years ago flashed through his mind.

To confront such an enemy, the slightest misstep...

Utter defeat, complete loss...

The prince took a deep breath.

Ha ha.

Thales curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

I've heard of it more than once.

but……

and many more.

Thales looked at Zonevid in front of him and narrowed his eyes.

No, it's not just the Wrath of the Kingdom.

Not just him.

Several different figures appeared before his eyes.

In the dungeon, there's Barney, fighting for his life, and Brie, who has lost the ability to speak and rampages like a bear.

It's them.

A knight of the "Northern Faction," right?
Thales finally caught his breath and stood up.

“Let us see, Your Highness,” Marius smiled slightly.
"For the past six years, you've faced martial arts in the style of Exter..."

Marius's eyes gleamed as he looked directly at Thales's sweat-drenched face.
"How did you deal with it?"

(End of this chapter)