The force applied to the second arrow was clearly different from the first, and this arrow struck Winnie’s chest. It instantly interrupted his running, causing him to lose balance and stagger back several steps. Had it not been for the spear propped against the ground, he might have fallen.
This was the shortcoming of the armor. It reduced agility, and any attack would have to be endured head-on without being able to fully absorb the impact. Moreover, it couldn’t defend against magic.
Stabilizing his stance, Winnie adjusted his steps and continued charging at the apprentice retainer with his spear.
There were no other tactics to speak of. There were simply no alternatives.
Armor Fort’s technique was very simple, with almost no magic techniques. Winnie was clueless about crossbows and couldn’t retaliate at long range. Charging with this heavy armor was his only choice.
But given his speed, how could he possibly close the distance to the apprentice retainer, who was only wearing light armor and well-trained?
To the apprentice, Winnie’s speed was barely faster than a turtle’s, making it impossible to get close.
Knowing that Winnie only had this much skill, the apprentice relaxed significantly.
This was his first duel with someone else possessing a Soul Art, and he had no experience. Plus, with the princess watching, he was nervous, afraid of messing things up.
Now, it seemed like the two knights had been right all along—there was no difficulty at all. The enemy was only slightly stronger than a helpless cripple.
However, he couldn’t let his guard down. After all, the princess was watching. He still had to be careful not to make a fool of himself.
As for how hard he should hit—he would just go with the flow. The harder, the better. Not only had the two knights said so, but who didn’t know that the princess absolutely hated this stubborn scoundrel?
So, the apprentice retainer, wanting to impress, decided to humiliate Winnie in front of the princess by using the most degrading tactics.
He silently waited for the heavy iron man to charge, then quickly distanced himself and took another shot.
The arrow, empowered by Bow Arm, struck Winnie. He had to use significant effort just to stay on his feet, and when he charged again, the distance between them had already increased.
The low-star Soul Art battle was obviously not very entertaining, but watching Winnie being toyed with and knocked all over the place didn’t stop some from feeling quite satisfied.
"Buddy, are we watching a bullfight?" one of the young dragon knights teased.
"But, is it really appropriate to do this in front of the princess?" The other knight was more cautious.
"What are you talking about? We’re here specifically to vent for the princess and Miss Aeciphysis. The princess despises this scoundrel, you know it as well as I do. And now you’re sympathizing with this bullying young master?" the other young knight scoffed.
"True." The knight glanced at Mirecia and Aeciphysis sitting at a distance.
Mirecia, sitting in the prime seat, showed no expression, silently observing the battle without a word. As for Aeciphysis, she still wore that inscrutable, deep smile that no one could read.
Looking back at the arena, Winnie had already charged at least ten times, yet each time he was easily countered by the apprentice retainer.
Against a well-trained archer, Winnie was nothing but a live target. The impact from the arrows empowered by Bow Arm would cause him to stumble and fail to close the distance.
He could have fired several more arrows to knock Winnie off balance, making him fall, and then continue the attack for an easy victory, but he chose the most humiliating approach.
Watching Winnie being driven back again and again, yet never giving up, Aeciphysis smiled and squinted her eyes.
She prided herself on being able to read people, but this persistent determination—was this really something that the weak and extreme Winnie could possess?
If she wasn’t mistaken, in the previous life’s duel, Winnie had relied on his evil Soul Art to win by an overwhelming margin, and because he only used one move, no one had realized what Soul Art he used.
Moreover, that duel was instigated by Winnie himself, intending to show off his newfound strength in front of Mirecia and strut his stuff.
Now, the situation seemed completely different.
She glanced at Mirecia sitting beside her. Her brows were indifferent, and her face showed no emotion. It was clear that she didn’t feel the satisfaction of venting her anger.
Whether it was about liking or disliking Winnie, someone as upright as Mirecia would certainly not enjoy such a spectacle.
As for why she didn’t stop the duel...
Mirecia calmly observed the figure in the arena, who was being repeatedly pushed back but never once gave up or surrendered.
She probably wanted to see how far this stubborn, childish, and laughable young scoundrel would go.
People’s physical stamina is ultimately limited, and especially someone like Winnie, who rarely exercised, he was likely just holding on with sheer willpower now.
But how much longer could he keep this up?
Even though they were both low-star Soul Arts, just a one-star difference could create a vast gap.
Winnie, with his one-star Soul Art, could only manage this much. In this world, many things couldn’t be achieved with sheer perseverance alone.
Finally, Winnie couldn’t hold on any longer and was knocked back again. He kneeled on one knee, propping himself up with his spear and gasping for breath. It was clear that his stamina had completely run out.
"Master Winnie, continue, continue to take my arrows with your head?" The apprentice retainer, confident in his victory and feeling inflated due to how easily he was winning, taunted Winnie.
"Let’s see if that broken spear of yours can even touch me."
"..." Winnie remained silent, and the entire arena could only hear his heavy breathing.
He slowly pushed himself up with the spear, trembling as he gripped it in both hands and aimed it at the apprentice retainer.
"Is that so?"
"Then, open your eyes wide!"
With that, Winnie charged again, but this time, his speed was even slower than before.
Still not giving up?
Watching the exhausted Winnie, who still refused to admit defeat, Mirecia’s gaze flashed with a complex expression.
The apprentice retainer shook his head, thinking he had avenged the princess and would surely win the princess’s favor for his calm handling of the duel. He raised his bow and didn’t rush to shoot.
Only when Winnie was close enough did he release the arrow, knocking him back once more.
This time, exhausted, Winnie fell heavily to the ground.
But he still didn’t give up. Propping himself up with his spear, he stood up again.
This time, even Aeciphysis couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
"Enough already, Master Winnie. Don’t push yourself, there are people watching. Are you planning to keep embarrassing yourself?" The apprentice retainer mocked.
Winnie didn’t respond to the mockery because he knew.
He had won.
This distance was the closest he had ever been to the apprentice retainer since the duel began.
That’s right, ever since he took the first arrow, he had been planning his tactics.
It was now!
All the energy he had been conserving was finally used up! And the technique: Lightweight Armor, activate!