Chapter 768 - Pure Speedster
CLANG!
The polearm of Leonel's spear appeared before him vertically, blocking the pierce of Normand's swift sword. It was such a precise block that the sword didn't slip one direction or another, it simply trembled in place, unable to move forward any longer.
"What a coincidence." Normand said, his voice sounding particularly flat, all of his playfulness and sarcasm vanishing. "I've been looking to die for a long time already."
Leonel's eyes narrowed. His spear shifted, forward, the tip of Normand's sword to get caught in one of the hollow grooves of his long, flexible spear.
Normand suddenly experienced his sword being twisted as Leonel's spear spun to the side. The pressure bore down on his wrist, threatening to break it entirely.
But, it was at that exact moment that Normand left his feet, his body spinning in the air along with his sword.
Leonel's pupils constricted. 'Weightless…'
He didn't get to dwell on the thought for very long before, Normand swiftly pulled his sword back, piercing forward again with a speed even greater than the first time. He seemed to have no need of his Swift Title at all, his actions existed on a plane all to their own.
Leonel took a calm step back, the spin of his spear picking up as he blocked its pierce precisely. He controlled the speed with such accuracy and precision that even when Normand tried to aim for the gaps, he would always find Leonel's polearm waiting.
Normand pulled his sword back, his lazy eyes seemingly becoming even more lazy. His body loosened, his limbs becoming flexible to an extreme.
He seemed to fall toward the ground. But, when his leg pounded against the dirt below, a crack spread out instantaneously, even reaching back toward the collapsing city wall to his back and forcing it to fall even faster.
His speed was so blazingly fast that Leonel's eyes couldn't keep up no matter how hard they tried. He became nothing more than a slight ripple of wind, yet it still felt that his body was still accelerating.
Leonel coldly watched on, his spear moving in a blur of its own.
Clashes sounded throughout the battlefield.
One man stood almost unmoving. Even when he did, it would be to take a slight pivot in a given direction. His foundation was as steady as a mountain, a singular strike of his seemingly blocking many from his opponent.
The other was nothing more than a blur. Over 90% of the battlefield couldn't even follow him movements, while another 10% could only barely catch a glimpse of him the instant his sword clashed with Leonel and he was forced to slow for just a moment.
This ratio wasn't much different even among those watching from the Royal Court. They all wore somber expressions, watching from the Castle. Somehow, the one man they had hated for so long had become the one man they hoped would save them all.
Leonel's spear suddenly descended with a fierce light, sending Normand skipping backward.
'So it's like that.' Leonel nodded to himself. 'He's a Speedster…'
The Speedster Ability Index had many categories just like any other ability. There were some Speedsters that relied on the Wind, Light or Lightning Elements. But, pure Speedsters like Normand were quite rare. He wasn't relying on an Element, he was using nothing more than his bodily talent.
As odd as it might sound, such Pure Speedsters were monstrous talents no less sought after than a genius with a deep Space or even Time Affinity.
The Speedster Ability Index was broken down simply: Speed, Weightless, Acceleration, Control, and Warp.
Speed was the simplest. It allowed one to break the body's limits and display an uncommon pace.
Weightless is where the true strength of Pure Speedsters began to show. This state allowed the freedom of the body to unlock. Maneuvers like the one Normand had pulled earlier occurred as easily as him thinking it.
Acceleration built upon Weightless. This allowed a Pure Speedster to ramp up to the greatest speed far quicker and at the highest level, allowed it to be near instantaneous. This allowed a Pure Speedster to both save on the stamina they would normally need to hit their top speed and also allowed them more flexibility in using their ability in battle.
Once reaching Control, both Weightless and Acceleration were built up. At this level, one gained an inhuman amount of agility. Stopping from speeds far surpassing the pace of sound on a dime and turning to a completely new direction without putting any sort of pressure on your body would become as easy as breathing. This was something that Elemental Speedsters would never be able to accomplish.
Control also allowed onto to turn Speed into power with the highest level of efficiency. This level made pure strength types look like nothing more than a joke.
And then… There was Warp. At this highest level, a Pure Speedster could bend light, space and at the pinnacle, even time to their whim. Such an existence was beyond reproach… nigh untouchable.
At Normand's level… Leonel was absolutely certain that he was at the Three Star Acceleration stage. And, that was despite still being a mere Tier 3 expert and likely not having the opportunity to train in over a decade.
If he used his Title…
Normand finally appeared once again, his head shaking. He had no idea how these fools expected him to display any true strength after spending so much of the past dozen years in a cell.
However, this was a beautiful irony to him. He would definitely go all out. He would pour his blood, sweat and tears into this battle, not just for the sake of hoping to save the love of his life a small bit of hardship, but also so that they could regret it… Regret what could have been, regret what they had done to him from the depths of their souls.
He wanted The General to crush him at his very best. He wanted to fall beneath that mighty spear while they knew full well he had done all he could.
Then, he wanted this Kingdom to fall to its knees before the same blade.
Normand suddenly began to laugh into the skies, his aura blazing.
"I am a Titled Knight of His Majesty Alexandre the Apex! I am Normand the Swift! The Wind calls me Brother! The Light calls me Friend! The Gods try to Strike me down, but my Speed is Eternal!"
"ETERNAL!"