Ball of Nothing

After the feast, Gerald and Vrald excused themselves. Nobody stopped them. It was obvious that the swordsmen were going back to sharpen their swords before the battle. Unlike Camie and Clowis' match, neither of them wanted to dull their blades. As true swordsmen, they would compete fair and square. There were no tricks like the previous match. This was a match about skills and ethics.

The two dragon descendants didn't speak. Olaf had made them a promise to teach them art if they proved their worth during the match. Neither ex-adventurer wanted to lose the chance. However, they didn't want to lose to each other either. After working together for so long, they knew each other so well like blood brothers.

Vrald didn't think that the next time he used his two-handed sword, it would be pointed against his brother. Likewise, Gerald didn't ever think that he would be using his claymore against a brother. Normally, both swordsmen would carry a shortsword by their waist. Their old weapon partners were hidden beneath the floorboards of their rooms, never to be used again. However, with the orders to go adventuring once more for marketing purposes, the two friends reconsidered their purpose of wielding the sword.

A sword was a vow. Vrald once vowed on his sword to walk the path of a hero. However, after betrayal from those whom he sought to protect, the ex-adventurer stopped wielding his sword. he'd broken his promise and his honour as a swordsman was no more.

Gerald vowed on the sword to earn an honest living by taking on jobs as an adventurer. Life was hard for him who had dragon claws instead of human hands. He picked up his sword skills from working as a conscripted garrison for two years. The golden-haired masculine beauty was skilled enough to become a knight but due to his dragon blood, he was denied the chance. Taking his skills with him, he met Vrald on one job from the guild and the two became inseparable since then.

While the life of the party was in the feast cave, the two dragon descendants polished their blades in silence across each other in the same room.

Vrald was the first to break the silence.

"Will you be wearing gloves?"

Gerald didn't answer immediately. Instead, he examined the oiled blade under the candlelight. "Will you be using dragon art?"

The crimson-haired warrior laughed. "Dragon art in a sword fight? I think not."

Gerald smiled. "Then I will wear my gloves. Unlike you, I have a set of codes I abide by."

Vrald rolled his eyes. "Stuck-up pretty boy."

"Boorish punk."

The crimson-haired warrior stuck out his tongue and Gerald laughed. After aligning their feelings on the same page, the golden-haired swordsman knew that tomorrow's match will go well. Regardless of what Olaf thought about them, they were going to fight without holding back. As swordsmen, the first to kneel on his knees or lose his sword concedes.

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Zero was excited. He woke up early and brushed his teeth twice because there was a lot of time before the first match. Lovina said that they didn't need to maintain a barrier today because the match was going to be rather subtle. Zero knew that both the participants were experienced fighters as well as ex-adventurers. The teenager was eager to see how different Vrald and Gerald's sword styles were.

The highly anticipated match drew all the veteran fighters out. Coux and Sekkin made the trip back to the village just to see it. Wiser also applied for a study break to return and Zero greeted them enthusiastically. Surprisingly, Amon and Lucifer chose to come while Baal decided to watch the match from the comfort of his castle. Michael was the last village guest to arrive after hearing the news from Lucifer about an interesting showdown for two days.

Zoe fretted over the level of hospitality she should be showing the unexpected guests. Nobody expected such noble guests to turn up when Zero told them to prepare extra food for six.

"Don't worry," Lucifer and Amon told them. "We will return as soon as this match ends."

Zero smiled. "We still have a match tonight and two more tomorrow. Why don't both of you stay until then?"

Michael patted the teenager on his head. He was here for two reasons. The first was to confirm the identities of the two dragon children and the second was to watch over Zero for Hua Tuo. The Sage God sounded very worried and while Michael didn't like Zero very much from interfering with the battle at the Academy, they managed to resolve Arachne's regret thanks to him. In some way, the archangel had mixed feelings regarding the mysterious boy who had the blessings of so many Gods. Information about Zero was limited so Michael hopped on the opportunity to observe his object of interest more closely when Hua Tuo posted out a notice for help.

"They're busy Demon Lords. If they leave for any longer than this, there would be trouble."

Zero pouted. "But Baal leaves his domain unattended for centuries and nothing bad happens to it. Bad things only happen when Baal wakes up."

Unable to deny this, Lucifer nodded. "Baal is a special case. Besides, Mammon and Lilith help to maintain his territory from time to time. It would be troublesome if Baal was constantly awake. Napping is his way of preserving the domain's power."

Coux heard that as Lucifer's indirect inference to her. She admitted that she might have overworked Baal too much to tend to all the matters in his domain but there simply wasn't a way around it. Zero would be leaving soon and there were many things to settle before he left for his adventure. Baal wanted to finish his preparations before Zero completed his magic training and Wiser's research couldn't be rushed. The terraforming project took time too.

Zero sighed. "I guess I cannot persuade you to stay for too long?"

Amon laughed. "No, we can't. However, your friends here can stay until the end. If it weren't for the Garden of Roth, it would be impossible for us to visit Earth in the first place. Demon Lords aren't usually allowed to leave their domains or the abyss because of the fragile balance. Shittomi is the only exception."

Zero nodded with slight confusion. It didn't really matter. "In that case, please start helping yourself to the food that Zoe is preparing. We are having lunch later but if you are in a hurry, I don't want to trouble you too much. If there are any special requests or take away orders, please let Zoe know too."

The Demon Lords were satisfied with Zero's hospitality and told the nervous zashikiwarashi their orders. Zoe was glad to comply and quickly left for the kitchen while the Demon Lords were ushered to the front row seats for the match.

Olaf still looked slightly afraid of Lucifer who made no notion to acknowledge his presence. The Frost Dragon lingered around the back as Lowis stepped into the village square.

"Thank you all for gathering even on such short notice. Today's match is going to be relatively idler than the previous two matches. In a battle between swordsmen, there is a code of conduct called the swordsman's honour. The rules of today's match are simple. If a swordsman falls and kneels on their knees, it is a loss. If the swordsman has a sword pointed to their neck, they must concede. If a swordsman is disarmed during the battle, the match is over."

Zero noted how differently the two dragon descendants were dressed. His mental image of a swordsman from stories were men in stiff steel armour with visor helmets on horsebacks. Reality painted this very differently.

Vrald looked very dashing with his long crimson hair pulled back into a braided ponytail. The ex-adventurer was holding a huge sword with both hands in a half stance, pointing the tip of his blade at Gerald. He didn't look like a swordsman at all with that pose and Zero noticed how Vrald was wearing something similar to what Hua Tuo normally wears. It was a robe that Zero wore called chang shan but the sleeves were ripped off to show Vrald's muscular biceps. It was black with a red embroidered lining that complemented Vrald's crimson hair.

"Some of you might recognise him. Many years ago, this hero was known in the Western Regions as the Crimson Swordsman who bathed in the blood of his enemies while setting the flame of hope in people's hearts. However, here, we know him as the idiot called Vrald. Today, he will take on the mantle he left behind as the hero of his time to fight with the pride of a swordsman on the line."

On the opposite side, Gerald looked very calm. His shoulder-length golden hair swayed with the breeze and gave off an illusion that he was also the same kind of species as Michael. If it wasn't for his golden eyes, one could easily mistake him as an angel.

The petty man opted for a light chrome chest plate on top of his usual white tunic and some leather pants. His boots were made of metal and Gerald's signature white gloves made the claymore he held look like a holy sword. He held the sword steady in front of him with both hands and one foot forward. The rigid stance was completely opposite of what Vrald was doing and Zero can already imagine the differences in their fighting style.

Vrald was more wild and instinctive with his movements but Gerald looked like he had trained both his body and mind to master a very precise pattern of movements.

"Over here we have the famous ex-adventurer who was once dubbed as the Demonic Saint who showed mercy to his enemies on the battlefield with clean kills. This angel is known to never smile or pray and works efficiently. Rumours have it that he possesses the blood of demons itself which is why he covers everything up except for his pretty face that he use to bewitch his enemies. However, in Half Moon Village, we know him as Worrywart Gerald - Vrald's babysitter."

The crowd laughed at the good humour but neither swordsman showed any traces of emotion, their eyes trained on each other.

Lowis sensed that they were ready to fight so he cut the introductions short and took his leave.

"Begin!"

As soon as Lowis shouted begin, the two swordsmen clashed swords at each other. Sparks flew and Zero didn't see them move. However, they were already locking swords at the hilt, glaring at each other with an intensity that made Seff cry. Zero had to cast calming magic on the small vampire but he couldn't take his eyes away from the duo who jumped back at the same time before engaging in a dance of parrying, lunging, slashing and blocking. They moved so quickly that to a normal person, it was all a blur with only a few sparks occasionally. Zero could barely keep up with his eyes as the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the square. He was so entranced that the page of his notebook remained clean.

Gerald might be stiff in his movements but he was skillful enough to guard against Vrald who relentlessly attacked. The golden-haired swordsman was like a fortress who stood his ground and guarded himself well. He didn't move around as much as his partner but was very alert of any incoming attacks even from outside of his field of vision.

Vrald was like a loose cannon. Nobody could predict where he was going to attack next. He seemed to even pick up speed during the exchange and Zero wondered if they were holding back. Tambolt was studying the craftsmanship of both swords. He didn't know where they got the swords from but while Vrald's sword sang for blood, Gerald's sword thrummed resiliently in apprehension.

Tambolt wasn't the only one who noticed the subtle change as the fight drew out. Olaf watched keenly as the swordsmen started to awaken the watered-down dragon blood in them. It wasn't a conscious decision but the instincts to dominate and rule ran strong within their veins despite being so tarnished. Olaf smiled. They had hope.

Likewise, Lucifer, Amon and Michael got their answers from watching the match. If Gerald and Vrald could awaken their watered-down bloodline, there would still be hope to bring the dragons back.

Zero didn't know when Gerald started to go on the offensive. Vrald was slowly but surely getting pushed back. Each time he landed a hit, Gerald would send him flying by a counter slash of his own. Everyone was on the edge of their benches. The sparks became more regular now and both swordsmen had taken to yelling. The yells started out loud but ended up deafening. The weaker villagers had to back away behind Lovina who held up a mana barrier to block out the impact of those roars.

The Frost Dragon looked excited as dragon swordsmen started using their sleeping bloodline to duke it out. Vrald's sword came alive with flames while Gerald's sword glowed and hummed viciously. They didn't seem aware of the changes and Lovina changed her mind about the barrier. The witch set up on around the square just so that the bloodline abilities wouldn't cause anyone nearby any harm.

Ruth was impressed. So far, he counted eighty-one times that they've crossed swords with no sign of anyone gaining the upper hand. Vrald had a more agile footwork while Gerald had a more solid stance. however, in terms of speed and strength, they were on par.

A short unspoken truce happened when both warriors backed away and panted heavily. Neither of them had human eyes any longer. Their pupils were dilated and blown wide open. Olaf recognised the redhead as a descendant of the Fire Dragon and the pretty boy as a descendant of the Light Dragon. Amon and Lucifer were acquaintances of the Fire and Light dragon. The Demon Lords came to Half Moon Village to confirm the identities of the extinct dragon clan descendants today and were not disappointed.

Lucifer turned around to give Olaf a side glance that the Frost Dragon understood as forgiveness. Lucifer had forgiven him now that he knew Olaf's words were the truth. It was a short moment before Lucifer turned his focus back to the match but the Frost Dragon was thankful. Lucifer allowed him to make a copy of the books he previously stole and that will eventually bring dragons back into existence. Having only Bob and him as the remaining dragon survivors just didn't feel right to Olaf. If these two kids survived on Earth, surely there must be more stray dragon children waiting to be discovered.

Zero wondered if it would end up as a tie this time because of how evenly matched the opponents were. Vrald and Gerald would make a good team if they worked together against a common enemy. What Gerald was poor in, Vrald excelled at. What Vrald overlooked, Gerald got it covered. Zero wondered if the day would come where Truen and he will share the same special connection.

Their moves were starting to mirror as they fought and Zero smiled. Yes, there would be no questioning the outcome now. They would end up with a tie.

True to Zero's prediction, Gerald pointing his sword at Vrald's throat the same time the crimson-haired warrior did. Lowis held his breath as his brain lagged behind from the sudden conclusion of the match after such a splendid performance.

"It's a tie!" he declared and the cheers came in twice as loud as it had in the beginning.

The moment the match was over, Gerald let his sword down and offered a hand to Vrald who shook it and gave him a brief one-armed brotherly hug. Everyone applauded the brilliant exchange and Zero looked down at his book in horror. He'd been too captivated by the match to write any notes. Dismayed by his carelessness, the young doctor scribbled furiously what he could remember about the match before time took it away from him. Nobody disturbed the teenager who rambled on like a madman hunched over on a bench, scratching words into his book.

Olaf went up to the swordsmen and grinned. "Both of you have potential, be prepared to start training tomorrow."

Gerald and Vrald looked at each other in pleasant surprise and thanked the Frost Dragon who immediately chased after the archangel to get more information about his crush.

"I guess we celebrate today," Gerald told Vrald who grinned in agreement.

Lucifer and Amon took the chance to excuse themselves while Sekkin kissed his wife. Coux took the time to talk to Schaf as the villagers started to shuffle off for lunch. Tambolt went up to the two swordsmen, wanting to know more about the swords they had. The longswords he normally forged couldn't be compared to the beauty of both blades.

Ruth climbed up to the Sky Bridge to look for a certain raven beastman.

"Hello there. Are you not going to join them for lunch?" the scout asked.

Ruth shook his head. "Are you ready for tonight's battle?"

Roovan chuckled nervously. "I hope I am," he smiled wryly. He was a scout and not much of a fighter. Ruth was way more experienced and the most Roovan could manage now was to not lose too badly.

Thankfully, not all the villagers and guests would be present to watch him get his feathery butt kicked. Ruth nodded. It wasn't a very fair match but there weren't many other villagers who were aerial combat specialists. Zero needed to see different types of combat styles to create one that is comprehensive for any situation. If they had more marine warriors, they would have arranged a match for Zero to watch too. Sadly, the only marine warrior had betrayed the village and was banished by the teenager.

"I'll try and go easy on you," the vampire promised and left in a blink.

Roovan sighed. Life as a raven wasn't easy.