As the two of them clashed, Zero kept parrying every attack Lucian threw at him. Then Lucian made a mistake. He threw the sword in his left hand toward Zero but Zero parried it away. Before he could react again, Lucian had already produced a dagger from his inventory and stabbed Zero's hand. Zero dragged the dagger out and pulled it free. Blood dripped from his palm.

"I'm losing my stamina. I'm losing everything. I'm getting tired really fast. I have to end this," Zero thought. "My title as Paladin Knight, it is tarnishing if I don't finish this. Are all these people seeing me struggle?"

Zero healed his hand and prepared his final attack. Wind swelled around him, howling through the arena. A divine light coated his sword. He launched forward, the sanctified execution about to unleash.

Lucian sensed the danger and drove forward too. "I have to use my own final attack," he thought. He gathered his energy into a vast green circle and pushed it toward Zero. The sanctified strike and Lucian's green blast collided with an earth-shuddering impact; dust filled the arena.

"This is my chance," Lucian breathed. He poured every ounce of strength into one move. White energy cloaked him as he called it out: Titanfall. His blade became a devastating force aimed straight at Zero's adamantium armor.

"What just happened? How did it come so close to me?" Zero thought, panicked. As he tried to react, Lucian kicked his sword aside and continued. Titanfall, destroyer. Lucian pressed his attack, testing whether Zero could withstand it.

The weight of the blow crushed into Zero like a mountain. He slammed to the ground; cracks spidered out across the arena floor. His armor shattered, piece by piece. He hit the dirt, face bleeding, and then unconscious.

Lucian breathed out. "I won." A tired smile creased his face as the reality of his final attack settled in.

Zero lay motionless as medics rushed forward. They lifted him and carried him off the arena while the crowd roared, some in shock, some in awe. Lucian stood for a long moment, chest heaving, the taste of victory bitter and heavy.

Later, when the blow had been replayed in a dozen heated debates across the stands, everyone agreed on one thing: they had witnessed an incredible finish. Lucian's Titanfall had broken an adamantium paladin's defense.

"Wait! It has already ended! This is massive! I can't believe our Knight Paladin Zero has been defeated!" the emissary shouted.

The crowd erupted, cheering, "Yay!" Voices roared through the arena.

"Wow, this was epic, epic, epic!" people yelled. The air was alive with energy.

"Didn't you see? What was that final attack they used? Didn't you see how their energy blasts collided? It was like an explosion!" someone shouted.

"Yeah, and not only that," another replied, "didn't you see Lucian's final attack? When he yelled Titanfall? It was as if gravity itself became visible, pulling Zero down into the ground."

"Yes! I also saw it," someone added. "It wasn't just his sword. Lucian used a skill that forced Zero into the ground, like the weight of the world was crushing him."

The crowd's excitement built higher and higher.

"Wow, we didn't expect this outcome. Even the man who defeated a lesser dragon on his own has been defeated. No one thought he would ever lose. But again, these are S-rank fighting S-rank. In a way, they were evenly matched in strength," the emissary said.

"Wow, they were really very skilled. Both fighters were exceptional. I'm honestly impressed," Rovanis, the king of the empire, said.

"Same here. But since your personal knight lost, will you remove him from his position?" Alvoryn asked.

Rovanis shook his head. "No, I won't. If I did that, I would be a fool. He has enormous talent and plenty of room to grow. He's still very young—only twenty-one. At twenty, he defeated a lesser dragon. At the same age, he earned the title of Paladin Knight. That's remarkable, and I believe he's only going to keep improving. If I were to remove him, who would replace him? There's no knight in the empire right now as strong as he is."

"You're right. There truly is no one else. That's a wise decision. For a moment, I thought you might change your mind," Alvoryn said.

Rovanis gave a small sigh. "No. But still, I didn't expect my personal knight to lose. It only shows how skilled Lucian really is. Yet I was also impressed with Zero. I didn't know he could use a skill that multiplies himself into ten. And those weren't mere shadows—they were actual clones with life. That is impressive."

"I'm also impressed," Alaric said. "I didn't expect Zero to be that strong, but still, Lucian was far more outstanding. Lucian didn't have any special move like Zero did. Zero carries a Holy Sword with him. It's not as powerful as Dalvin, the Hero Sword, which is here with us, but it is still formidable. Lucian's attack came purely from skill. That final strike he used was fueled entirely by his mana. It was truly impressive for him to defeat Zero."

"Yes, it was," alvoryn agreed. "I didn't expect it either. Zero had a holy sword, Even so, he still lost. He was defeated by someone who carries multiple swords in his inventory and is considered a top fighter. That should not have happened."

Dalvin, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. He rested his hand on the hilt of his Holy Sword. "It is not a matter of how many swords one owns. A blade means nothing without the will to wield it. Lucian proved that today. But still… it is troubling that Zero fell so easily. It makes me wonder if he has truly reached his limit."

"Wow, such a wise saying," Alaric remarked. "Well, I can't expect less from the Hero. You made a good point. And you're right—Lucian proved that the Holy Sword means nothing on its own. It is not undefeatable."

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