Chương 375: Chapter : 375

Scott snarled. He gripped the hilt of his rapier tightly. Bright blue magical energy began to swirl around the silver blade. Water materialized out of thin air. The water gathered around the sword. It formed a long, swirling, highly pressurized whip of liquid.

"I challenge you!" Scott roared.

"I am going to wash that lazy smile right off your face! Defend yourself!" Naomi stood on the other side of the garden clearing. She saw Scott cornering Ken. She spun her twin silver daggers in her hands. A few weeks ago, she would have rushed over to save him. She would have scolded him for being careless. But today, she just stopped and watched. She smiled a warm, friendly smile. She trusted Ken completely. She knew he was perfectly safe. She decided to let him handle the angry nobleman all by himself.

Laxmi stood next to Naomi. The fire user cheered loudly.

"Make him look silly, Ken! Show him your moves!" Scott completely ignored the girls. He focused his entire jealous rage on Ken. He swung his rapier forward. The high-pressure water whip shot across the clearing. It moved with blistering, lethal speed. It aimed directly at Ken's face. It was an aggressive, dangerous attack. Ken did not pull out a weapon. He did not summon a magical shield. He did not even get into a combat stance. He simply looked down at his shoes.

"Oh no," Ken said out loud. His voice sounded completely calm.

"My left shoelace is untied. That is a massive safety hazard." Ken bent over at the waist. He reached down to his shoe. He moved with incredibly casual, lazy timing. The lethal water whip sailed right over his back. It missed his messy black hair by a fraction of an inch. The water crashed into a stone pillar behind him. The pillar cracked loudly from the sheer force. Water splashed everywhere. Ken tied his shoe very slowly. He made a perfect, neat little bow. He stood back up. He dusted off his hands.

"Safety first," Ken smiled goofily.

"Tripping over your own shoes is very embarrassing." Scott's jaw dropped open. He stared at the broken pillar. He looked back at Ken. He could not believe the commoner had just dodged his fastest attack by tying a shoe.

"You got lucky!" Scott screamed. His face turned bright red.

"Stand still and fight me like a man!" Scott swung his rapier again. This time, he unleashed a relentless, continuous barrage of water magic. Three sharp blades of pressurized water flew through the air. They zipped toward Ken from different angles. Ken let out a massive, dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head. He leaned his entire upper body far backward to stretch his spine. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

The first water blade flew right over his chest. It missed him completely. Ken lowered his arms. He scratched the side of his neck. He took a casual step to the right. The second water blade zipped past his left ear. It cut a green bush perfectly in half. Leaves fluttered to the ground. Ken looked down at the grass. He noticed a small puddle of mud near his feet. He deliberately stepped right onto the edge of the puddle. He allowed his cheap shoe to lose traction.

"Whoops!" Ken yelped playfully. He slipped on the mud. He slid smoothly across the wet grass. He glided forward like a professional ice skater. He slided right underneath the third water blade. The lethal magic flew harmlessly over his head. Ken came to a gentle stop near a colorful flower bed. He remained perfectly balanced on his feet.

"This grass is very slippery," Ken complained loudly. He looked down at his navy blue suit pants. A tiny speck of mud rested on his pant leg.

"Scott, look what you did. You got my new suit dirty. Do you know how much tailoring costs in this city? This is a total tragedy." Scott was losing his mind. His brown eyes bulged with pure, unfiltered frustration. He breathed very fast. He gripped his rapier with both hands.

"Stop sliding around!" Scott shrieked. His voice cracked with sheer anger.

"You are making a mockery of this duel! You are a coward! Use your magic! Attack me!"

"I am a pacifist," Ken argued lazily. He popped another strawberry candy into his mouth.

"I believe in solving problems with words. And maybe with naps. Naps solve a lot of problems." Scott let out a furious, animal-like roar. He completely abandoned his formal, noble combat training. He swung his rapier wildly. He sent a chaotic storm of water whips across the clearing. The lethal water slashed through the air. It destroyed the beautiful bushes. It smashed the stone benches. It turned the garden into a muddy, totally ruined mess. Ken utilized his cartoonish dodging skills flawlessly.

He hopped on one foot to avoid a water whip. He did a silly, exaggerated spin to dodge another. He ducked his head casually just as a water blade flew past. He moved exactly like a clumsy cartoon character taking a stroll through a dangerous minefield. He put absolutely zero physical effort into his movements. He did not break a single sweat. He just lazily slipped, tripped, and bumped his way through the deadly barrage. Scott swung his sword again and again. His arms started to ache. His lungs burned for air.

He was exhausting his mana reserves. But he could not land a single hit. The messy commoner was completely, totally untouchable.

"Why cannot I hit you?!" Scott screamed. Tears of pure frustration formed in his eyes. He was an elite noble. He was supposed to be a master water mage. But this boy was treating him like a complete joke. Scott felt his ego shattering into a million tiny pieces.

"You are trying way too hard," Ken advised cheerfully. He stood near a broken fountain. He slouched his shoulders.

"You need to relax your wrists. If you swing too hard, you lose your accuracy. Also, you should try drinking some warm tea. Tea is very calming."

"I do not want tea!" Scott roared at the top of his lungs. Scott raised his magical rapier high above his head. He gathered every single drop of his remaining mana. The blue light around his sword glowed with blinding intensity. He prepared to unleash his ultimate, most powerful spell. He decided to flood the entire clearing. He wanted to wash his romantic rival away completely. A massive, towering wave of dark blue water materialized in the air above Scott. It looked like a raging tsunami.

It blotted out the stadium lights. It cast a large shadow over Ken.

"I will crush you!" Scott yelled. He swung his sword down. The massive wave of water crashed forward. It rushed toward Ken with overwhelming, bone-crushing force. Ken did not run. He did not scream. He just stood there with his hands in his pockets. He looked at the giant wave of water. Suddenly, a graceful figure leaped into the clearing.