With incredible speed, Bartega leaped towards Cain. He swung his greatsword with a strange motion.

Unlike when he was in his normal form that swung the greatsword like how a master swordsman did, this form was just like his moniker, beast, because he swung his greatsword with random and unpredictable moves.

“(What’s with this weird moves!?)” thought Cain as he dodged and parry Bartega’s move.

When Cain was about to counter, Bartega took a step back, jumped into the air and threw down his greatsword to Cain.

Cain rolled to the side, but suddenly his left arm was grabbed by Bartega and he was thrown away. He crashed to the ground but regained his stance after a few steps back.

“(Damn he’s fast!)” thought Cain.

Bartega took his greatsword that pierced the ground, still with his three legged stance.

“What’s wrong, kid? Done already?” said Bartega while grinning.

Cain looked at his longsword, it was still in good condition. Then he took another sword from the ground, used by the combat slaves.

With a dual wielding style, he took a low stance.

“I’ll bring down the beast!” Cain grinned.

Dozens fireballs as big as a coconut appeared around Cain. With his hand movement, the fireballs shot out towards Bartega.

Bartega dodge the incoming fireballs, rolled sideways, jumped, even dashed back and forth.

Not stopping, the fireballs kept appearing around Cain and kept shooting.

“(He also proficient at controlling magic!? Hah! This is gonna be worth a while!)” thought Bartega as he kept dodging.

The area around them was devastated, thankfully they were fighting at open area. The unconscious combat slaves didn’t get caught in their battle area. Also no houses or buildings around them, so Cain did not hesitate to use wide area magic and techniques.

“How about this!” said Cain.

Some of the fireballs fired up to the sky. And went down with a curved movement.

“From above, eh? It won’t work!” Bartega said that, but he just stood still.

The fireballs ravaged the area. Explosion after explosion. When it was done, the smoke were rising up around there.

Bartega rushed out from the smoke towards Cain.

“Damn! He survived that too!?” said Cain.

“My turn!” said Bartega.

But when he almost reached Cain, the ground he stepped shone, revealing a rune circle. 3 pointed up stone spears emerged from the rune circle.

“!”

Bartega jumped right away even before the spears could touch his lightning sparks that enveloped his body.

But Cain was already above him, with a sword in each hand, he swung the swords down.

Bartega curled up his body for an anticipation to use his technique. Then, he did a wide range slash, unleashing Gigant Slash, a slash that shot up a huge yellowish wave.

“Guhh!” Cain desperately twisted his body so the wave wouldn't hit him.

When he managed to avoid the wave, he threw one of the swords to Bartega.

Bartega easily split the sword in half.

They both landed safely and dashed to each other. Cain took another sword from the ground on his way.

Their swords clashed with incredible speed, sparks flew everywhere when their swords met.

Cain with his two swords unleashed Twin Crows, a technique to disarm an opponent's weapon. But Bartega with his weird swordplay form made it ineffective.

Cain’s swords were broken because he used Gomara’s technique.

Cain did a few backflips to make a distance, he took a sword on the ground while doing so.

With a low stance, he unleashed Wind Guillotine, he let the broken sword after the swing and took another sword on the ground fluidly then unleashed another Wind Guillotine, and did that again for the third time. 3 waves of Wind Guillotine were coming towards the Old Beast.

Bartega could feel the slashes were coming to him even though those were invisible.

He answered with Gigant Slash, also three times.

The collision between the techniques ended in a draw, the slashes neutralized one another.

They both stood their ground.

“Impressive, youngman!” said Bartega. “You cast spells like a wizard and cut like a blade master," he continued.

“Heh, Thank you?” said Cain as he threw whatever left from the sword.

“Why are you working with the Prince? A man like you, could take whatever you want with your skills," said Bartega, still in his Beast stance.

“Why? Because I know what’s wrong and right," said Cain. He walked to a sword that stuck in the ground. He stomped the ground lightly and caught the sword that jumped from it.

“And my skills, better to use them against someone like you," said Cain.

“Is that so? Then, one of us must die here," said Bartega.

Cain took a stance, with his sword pointing at Bartega.

“If you insist," said Cain with a sharp smile.

...

Inside Haneama Palace was a mess, Sun Knight Order forced their way through. Even with limited number, their casualties were low compared to Farferis Knights.

With Jared’s superb commands, Sun Knight Order was slow but steadily moving forward to the inner part of the Palace.

Some of the Farferis Knights threw down their weapons. Either they actually support Calbot or they knew they couldn't hold against the Sun Knight Order.

“That’s the door to the Throne Room!” said Calbot, he and Meira weren’t on their horses anymore.

“Good! We’re close! Knights! Advance!” Jared forced his way through the remaining Farferis Knights.

He kicked the Throne Room door.

There, hundreds of Farferis Knights stood ready for them.

Behind them, King Termura sat on his throne. The throne was red, blood red, resembling how Hanea royal family’s way to seize the throne.

“So, this is the rest of the Farferis Knights. It is as you expected, Prince," said Jared. He actually noticed when the number of Farferis Knights they fought on their way to the Palace was lower than he knew.

Calbot just smiled with a fierce look.

“So, you came! Hmph! I knew the Old Beast is really old nowadays," said King Termura. He wore a golden crown decorated with jewels. Dark circles around his eyes clearly said he lacked rest. He looked sluggish. His figure was thin and slouched. Some of the nobles stood around him.

“How you’ve been, uncle? Ew!... you look terrible! The throne did that to you?” Calbot sarcastically mocked his uncle the moment he saw him.

“You brat! You dare to invade my Kingdom!?” King Termura angrily shouted. The veins on his forehead were twitching.

“It’s MY Kingdom. And I’m gonna take it back today," said Calbot.

The staff had not reacted yet. Calbot speculated that the staff had to get closer to the throne to trigger the effect, if the legend was true. If not, he already steeled himself to see more bloodshed, just like how Farferis’s history was. Most of the rulers got their throne by force, even though they were family.

To get closer to the throne, they had to break through hundreds of Farferis Knights in front of them. And they were totally outnumbered 1 to 3.

King Termura focused his forces in the Throne Room the moment he was alerted to Calbot’s arrival.

That was why Sun Knight Order reached the Palace easily. The Farferis Knights were concentrated in the Throne Room, making this was the real fight.

“You’re still clinging to that pathetic Prince, eh Jared?”

A man with a scar on his face appeared from the Farferis Knights crowd. He held a black great axe as big as his body.

“Ah, Kaurev, you’re still hanging with that loser King of yours I see," Jared smirked.

Jared replied calmly, unlike when he was at the gate. Because he knew this person, they often insult each other.

That man was Kaurev Gelga, his rival when they were still knights trainee. They both had great achievements, but because Kaurev’s inferiority complex was triggered when Jared was chosen as the Captain of Sun Knight Order, he never saw the light again. He despised Jared, and Prince Calbot that chose him from the bottom of his heart.

He climbed the ranks and finally the General of Farferis title was on his grasp. He felt above the sky because now he could look down on Jared. He was serving the King, unlike Jared, serving a criminal. He no longer saw Jared as a rival.

“Quit your chit-chat!! Deal with them quick, Genera-!”

Right before King Termura done with his angry shout, wall on the right side of the Throne Room was blasted from the other side.

Everyone in the Throne Room shifted their attention to the wall.

lightning sparked within the rising dust.

No one made a move until the dust settled, revealing two people within.

Old beast still on his Beast stance, and Cain was dusting off his shoulder. He held what was left of his broken sword.

“Old Beast!?” said King Termura. He leaned his thin body forward.

The Farferis Knights had a shocked expression.

“That stance!” Jared felt chil down to his spine. That stance was Bartega’s true power. He himself was not even able to hold on for more than ten minutes against that. But Cain managed to hold him off, even though he didn't know how long Bartega had been fighting in that stance.

“Oh? Hi King!” Bartega gazed towards King Termura and back to Cain.

“Hi Calbot, and Jared!” Cain waved his hand without looking at them.

“You’re still alive, Old Beast!?” asked Kaurev in surprise.

“What? You think I’m dead?” Bartega was annoyed by Kaurev’s question. Clearly they didn't have a good term.

“Good! Now wipe them all, Old Beast!” said King Termura. He had gotten impatient.

“I don't think so, King," Bartega stood up from his Beast stance, the lightning sparks that enveloped his body were dispersed.

“What do you mean!?” King Termura responded.

“This man,” Bartega pointed his greatsword at Cain. “Excluding me, even all of you in this room combined your strength to take him down, he won't lose.”

Everyone in the room was shocked by Bartega’s words.

Bartega was famous for never praise someone unless his opponent at least on par with himself. And he was currently the strongest person in Farferis they knew.

To be considered as strong as the Old Beast by the Old Beast himself, Cain became the center of attention right now.

“Hahahahah! Is the Old Beast finally out of his mind? How can this weak looking man possesses a strength stronger than me?” Kaurev laughed sarcastically.

Kaurev’s words made some of the Farferis Knights laughed.

Jared And Calbot were still confused about Bartega’s words. Was Cain really that strong?

“Fools always mock what they see, eh?” Bartega shook his head. “If it's gonna make you feel better, he killed Ulsarzath the Marker, EASILY," Bartega’s tone when he said “easily” was heavy.

The Throne Room fell silent.

“Ulsarzath!? Dead!?”

“The Old Beast must be joking, right?”

Farferis Knights had gotten restless.

Calbot quickly faced Meira that stood behind him.

He held Meira’s shoulder.

“I, as the master of this slave, release her from her shackles!”

As Calbot spoke those words, black smoke appeared from Meira’s covered neck. Calbot then slowly uncovered Meira’s neck.

The slave mark wasn't there anymore.

“Its-its gone!” gasped Calbot.

He hugged Meira tightly.

No words came from Meira’s mouth, only tears were flowing down from her eyes.

The slave mark won't disappear if only the master release his/her slave. Making the marked become slave forever. But it's different if the Marker also released it, or died.

Seeing this, Sun Knight Order cheered at them with joy.

“That can’t be!? Ulsarzath is really dead!?” King Termura clenched his fist. “Kaurev! Clean this mess now! Old Beast! Bring me Calbot’s head and I’ll double your payment!”

“Hah! Now we’re talking! Sorry kid, looks like our fight will have to continue late-!”

A stone spear almost hit Bartega’s head.

“Sorry too! can't let you go there!” said Cain.

“Huh!” Bartega went back to his Beast stance. The lightning sparks appeared and enveloped his body again, with wider radius than before.

“Jared! It’s now or never!” Calbot tapped on Jared‘s shoulder. Meira still on his other arm.

Jared nodded with confidence.

“Knights! Advance!”

The Sun Knight Order formed an arrowhead formation with Calbot and Meira at its center and Jared at its head.

“Charge!”

The Farferis Knights could not hold their ground when the Sun Knight Order suddenly unleashed their barrage of magic attack from their rear ranks and melee attack from their vanguard.

“Heaahhh!!!” Kaurev leapt and swung down his great axe towards Jared. With careful parry, Jared changed its direction. The great axe smashed the ground and broke the floor apart. If it were hit to anyone else, the great axe’s force was strong enough to blow them to pieces.

“Knights! Go ahead! I’ll take care of him! Keep the Prince safe!” said Jared.

“Take care of me!!!???” Kaurev snapped when he heard Jared’s words.

He retracted the great axe and swung it again towards Jared. He completely ignored the Sun Knight Order and Calbot that moved past him.

Jared knew where to hit Kaurev’s sore spot.

They traded blows. They held their own ground. Kaurev’s skills weren't beneath Jared, they were exactly at the same level. Two of the most talented Knights in Farferis were pitting each other for different purposes.

Across the room, Cain was surrounded by the Farferis Knights.

“Get lost! You’re no match for him!” Bartega got annoyed because the Farferis Knights stood between him and Cain.

“I’m sorry, sir! but this is King’s order!”

“Hrrrhh!” Bartega knew, even if he left Cain to the knights, he would able to catch him up quickly.

He tasted Cain’s techniques and magic. He knew those skills weren't a gift he was born with. But through a dedicated training and experience.

He was already at full power from the start, but he realized Cain hadn't shown him his true power yet. He decided to finish off Cain first then Calbot after that.

The Farferis Knights pointed their weapons towards Cain.

Cain sighed. “Alright I’ll just warn you once, if you put down your weapons, I will not hurt you," said Cain, trying to persuade them.

“Hmm…” Bartega was a bit confused, he didn't know whether Cain was naive or inexperienced at war. If it were so easy to persuade another by just words alone, there shouldn't be a civil war right now.

“Attack!” The Farferis Knights ignored Cain’s warning.

“Fine!” Cain took a stance. “Well, it’s a good time to test this in actual combat!” Cain threw his broken sword to the side.

Blue flame enveloped Cain’s left hand up to his elbow.

The knights halted their attack upon seeing this.

Bone gauntlet revealed its form on Cain’s left hand.

“Bring it on!” he shouted with a fierce smile.