Warhammer Divine Throne

Chapter 1274: Chapter 546: Infinite Martial Practice

The Grey Knight Primarch gained a new insight; beyond the duel, between heaven and earth all was crystal clear, as if only he and Landuin remained, while their fierce battle still raged on, the clang of steel ringing without end.

Yet Laine could already feel that his body had changed over the long combat; amid Landuin’s torrential, sweeping onslaught, Laine’s heart at last grew utterly calm.

His mind, his body, his consciousness began to fuse under the immense pressure; as he warded off Landuin’s offensive, he was also observing the other’s movements.

Recover the sword, swing the sword, side-strike, horizontal cut, vertical cleave, rotation.

Landuin’s attacks were beginning, in Laine’s eyes, to reveal a discernible pattern.

Two slashes, a sweep, a side-strike, then a charged double blow, and finally a thrust!

Laine suddenly sensed that this was his chance; his thoughts whirled at frantic speed, a brainstorm erupting and flooding his sea of consciousness, and almost in a subconscious instant he realized this was the perfect opportunity to turn defeat into victory!

The blood throughout his body surged into rapid flow; the power issuing from his five viscera fused and threaded through his limbs and bones, every thought eliciting a flawless response at the level of flesh, his entire body moving in perfect concert—Laine now felt it.

This... is the Infinite Martial Practice?

Laine’s thought instantly reflected itself in the battle; when the two sword-clashes ended and Landuin drove him back with a sweeping cut, then immediately followed with a side-strike, Laine was already prepared. He shifted the Goddess of Revenge to the side of his left cheek, and amid showering sparks he caught Landuin’s blade a mere five centimeters from his face.

The massive force traveling through the sword sent Laine’s body off balance. Landuin instantly fell back to gather strength, then lunged forward; Not-Dying-With-Bare-Hands carved a cross in the air, tearing open reality itself, and Landuin, whose Holy Sanctuary Peak had nearly reached the Divine Domain, unleashed his power to the full. Laine was smashed off balance by this Cross Slash, staggering back again and again.

Immediately after, Landuin set his sword in both hands beneath his chest, the sharp point driving straight toward Laine.

Now!

Laine’s thoughts ran wild, heart, skill, and body fusing in an instant; in the midst of his retreat, the Lake Fairy Chosen Champion’s body, impossibly, adjusted itself back into equilibrium.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Laine had already slipped sideways past the thrust. He raised the Goddess of Revenge, using not the edge but only the sword’s crossguard, and slammed it onto Landuin’s shoulder!

”Ugh!” The Lake Knight, his lunge broken midway, stumbled; he immediately tried to change form, to draw back his blade and block.

Laine gave him no such chance; the Goddess of Revenge traced a perfect arc down across Landuin’s chest.

A sudden spray of blood.

Landuin’s chest armor was sliced open, the blade tearing flesh; the First Duke of Musillon let out a muffled groan.

He was wounded.

The onlookers burst into cries of astonishment.

”Lady above! What have I just seen?!”

”Landuin! The Lake Knight—he’s actually injured!”

”Laine... has wounded Landuin?!”

”That’s impossible!”

”Boom!” Silver Spiritual Energy surged skyward from Laine’s whole body, accompanied by vast pale-blue flames gushing from within him.

Having comprehended the Infinite Martial Practice, Laine at last advanced.

Advanced to Holy Sanctuary Middle Tier.

From this day forward, Laine was a Holy Sanctuary Middle Tier Holy Grail Knight, only thirty-three years of age!

This Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy felt the power swelling within him, and prepared to place a full stop at the end of this duel.

”Hmph! Hraaahhh!” Landuin’s roar, laden with boundless heroic vigor, rang out. The Lake Knight, First Duke of Musillon, one of the original Twelve Holy Grail Knights, stamped his foot hard upon the earth; a gale of force rolled around him, the ground trembled, the marshland quaked, and Laine was hurled bodily away.

”As expected, true might can only be grasped in the hammering blows and duels of a thousand temperings!” Landuin laughed aloud, the hot blood of the Warrior driving through every inch of him. ”My blood is boiling!”

The Lake Knight reached into his tomb and drew forth a knight’s long spear, its shaft wholly etched with Elf script, its body gleaming with lake-like radiance under the moonlight. He hefted it onto his shoulder.

This knight’s long spear was nearly four meters long, its tip sheathed in brilliant Divine Light and double-edged. It was the Holy Artifact Riding Spear bestowed upon Landuin by the Lake Fairy—Unbreakable Lake Light.

The Lake Knight held sword in one hand and spear in the other; blood was flowing from the wound upon his chest, yet he paid it no heed. All the fine lines on Landuin’s extraordinarily handsome face smoothed away entirely as he raised his voice in an ancient Brittania song. No fear between life and death showed upon him; instead, a spirit far nobler and more glorious filled his body.

It was that which is called humility, honesty, mercy, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, and soul.

He was the Lake Knight, he was the First Duke of Musillon, the greatest of the first Holy Grail Knights—Landuin!

”I’m coming, Laine Macado!”

”Ooh—oh!!”