Chapter 348 : Commander Oliver vs Duke Remy

The battle between Duke Remy and Commander Oliver unfolded. Commander Oliver darted rapidly toward Duke Remy, aiming for a close-quarters strike, while Duke Remy manipulated the surrounding tree trunks to both hinder and attack his approaching foe. However, the trunks proved ineffective at impeding or striking Commander Oliver, as he easily sliced ​​through them.

~Lightning Sword Art: Consecutive Lightning Speed Slashes~

Commander Oliver surged forward at blinding speed, cleaving through the tree trunks hurtling toward him. He continued his advance, cutting down the timber as he closed in on Duke Remy, who stood motionless. Moments later, Commander Oliver was within striking range and prepared to slash at the Duke.

Yet, just as he readied his sword, several tree trunks erupted from the ground between them, instantly poised to attack. Commander Oliver reacted swiftly to their emergence, slicing them apart with his sword.

"Out of my way!" Commander Oliver shouted.

He successfully severed the trunks, clearing the path of any further obstructions. He then prepared to launch another attack against Duke Remy.

~Lightning Sword Art: Great Lightning Thrust~

Commander Oliver unleashed a thrusting attack aimed at Duke Remy. The strike landed squarely in the center of the Duke's chest, sending him flying backward with tremendous force until he slammed into the wall behind him. The impact shattered the wall, and a cloud of dust and debris billowed up around the point of collision.

Commander Oliver then turned his gaze toward the spot where Duke Remy had struck the wall. As Commander Oliver surveyed the area, the surrounding tree trunks suddenly stirred and lunged at him. Realizing the danger, he immediately pointed his sword downward and touched its tip to the floor.

~Lightning Magic: Lightning Spreads~

A surge of lightning magic erupted from his sword, spreading across the surrounding floor. The electricity didn't just travel along the ground; it raced up the walls and across the ceiling, enveloping the area around him. The tree trunks emerging from the floor, walls, and ceiling were all struck by the spreading lightning. Upon impact, they instantly ceased their assault. Moments later, black smoke began to billow from the electrified wood; the trunks appeared to be burning. Then, the wood slowly crumbled into piles of ash, which lay scattered across the floor.

After confirming that the tree trunks had been reduced to ash, Commander Oliver lifted his sword from the floor. He then turned his gaze toward the spot where Duke Remy had slammed into the wall, noting that the area was still shrouded in a haze of dust and smoke.

"Is controlling those tree trunks the only way you can attack, Lord Remy? If that is the case, then facing you is hardly a challenge. Those emerging tree trunks are certainly troublesome, but they pose no real problem for me. I am certain Her Majesty could handle them on her own as well especially if she employed her gravity magic. However, it seems she is holding back, refraining from unleashing the full extent of her gravity magic because she is aware that there are still people inside this building. Her magic might affect them if she didn't restrain herself. Consequently, she found herself overwhelmed by those tree trunks, and you seized that very moment to strike. You attacked while she was fully focused on contending with the trunks you were controlling. You are truly cunning, Lord Remy," said Commander Oliver.

As Commander Oliver spoke, the cloud of dust and smoke obscuring the spot where Duke Remy had slammed into the wall slowly began to dissipate. Once the haze cleared, Duke Remy was revealed, back on his feet after the impact. Duke Remy appeared completely unscathed; even the black wooden armor encasing his body showed no signs of damage, save for a single mark on the right cheek—a scratch sustained earlier from the spear thrown by Commander Oliver.

"Cunning, huh? Well, what you say is true. I did attack Her Majesty using underhanded tactics, and as a result, she was gravely wounded by my strike. However, even without resorting to such methods, I am confident I could have still injured or even killed Her Majesty," Duke Remy stated.

"Do you expect me to believe that, considering you’ve done nothing but rely on sprouting tree trunks to attack so far?" Commander Oliver asked.

"I expected as much that you wouldn't believe it, Sir Oliver. Very well; I shall prove it to you. I will defeat you without manipulating tree trunks as I did before. That way, you can focus entirely on dodging or parrying my strikes, without having to worry about tree trunks suddenly appearing," Duke Remy said.

With that, Duke Remy prepared to strike Commander Oliver. He readied his right hand to deliver a piercing thrust. Seeing Duke Remy prepare to attack, Commander Oliver immediately braced himself. Duke Remy then launched his assault, rapidly extending his right arm straight toward Commander Oliver's head. Startled by the sudden extension of Duke Remy's arm, Commander Oliver quickly tilted his head to evade the blow. He managed to avoid the strike, though not perfectly; the attack still grazed his right cheek, leaving a rather deep gash.

"What kind of attack is this?! It's incredibly fast," Commander Oliver thought.

Blood began to flow freely from a gash on Commander Oliver's right cheek, caused by Duke Remy's right hand. After extending his right hand, Duke Remy now thrust his left hand toward Commander Oliver. His left arm elongated and shot rapidly toward the commander's chest. Spotting the move, Commander Oliver instantly shifted his body to dodge. He managed to avoid the strike, but not perfectly; the attack still grazed his chest as he moved.

Both of Duke Remy's arms continued to elongate and weave through the air, relentlessly attacking Commander Oliver. The commander constantly dodged the extending limbs, but their speed made it impossible to evade them flawlessly. The number of lacerations on his body from Duke Remy's attacks began to multiply.

"Sir Oliver, you bear the title of the fastest man in the San Fulgen Kingdom. Yet, watching your movements, I feel your speed doesn't live up to that reputation. Perhaps you aren't taking this seriously, or maybe you simply aren't as fast as people believe. In my view, the attacks I'm launching right now are faster than your movements. You must be surprised by this speed yourself. The many gashes on your body prove that my strikes are faster than your attempts to dodge them," Duke Remy said, continuing his assault with his elongated arms.

"I admit your attacks are faster than my movements, but that doesn't mean all your actions are swifter than mine; after all, you previously took a direct hit from me, one you couldn't dodge at all," Commander Oliver replied, continuing to evade Duke Remy's onslaught.

~Lightning Magic: Lightning Movement~

Commander Oliver then darted rapidly toward Duke Remy, deftly dodging the relentless strikes aimed at him by the Duke's hands. Upon closing the distance, Commander Oliver immediately launched an attack.

~Lightning Sword Art: Lightning Speed ​​Slash~

The attack streaked swiftly toward Duke Remy. However, Duke Remy moved even faster and managed to evade the attack. Commander Oliver was shocked to see Duke Remy successfully dodge his strike.

"What?!" Commander Oliver exclaimed.

After dodging Commander Oliver's attack, Duke Remy darted rapidly toward him.

"I didn't dodge your attack earlier for a specific reason, but now I can avoid it with ease," Duke Remy said as he sped toward Commander Oliver.

Upon closing the distance, Duke Remy immediately kicked Commander Oliver. Unable to react to Duke Remy's speed, Commander Oliver took a direct hit to the head. He was instantly sent flying, slamming into a wall a considerable distance behind him. A cloud of dust and debris billowed up where he had struck the wall.

After sending Commander Oliver flying, Duke Remy extended his left arm out to the side. Some distance away, a black spear lay on the floor, a weapon Duke Remy had created earlier and which Commander Oliver had used against him. Duke Remy reached out to retrieve the black spear, then pulled his arm back in. Clutching the spear he had just recovered, he turned his gaze toward the spot where Commander Oliver had crashed into the wall.

"It’s a shame, Sir Oliver. Unfortunately, it isn't just my attacks that are faster than your movements; my entire range of motion surpasses yours. It seems your title as the fastest man in the kingdom is about to come to an end, Sir Oliver. That title will be mine once I defeat you," Duke Remy declared.

-To be continued