Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble

Chapter 12:  If You Act Cocky, You’ll Get Hit. (3)

The backyard of the Daphne mansion.

Hardin and Donfel stood facing each other without moving an inch, both in a combat stance, a subtle glint of light glowing in their eyes.

Only their gazes clashed in the air, while the hands gripping their swords and their feet made such minute adjustments that they were almost imperceptible.

Step, step.

With every step they took to shift their positions, the atmosphere in the backyard grew even colder, as though it were freezing over.

Everyone held their breath, swallowing nervously in the tense silence.

“Why isn’t he coming first?”

“Who cares.”

When Donfel exhaled heavily through his nose and asked, Hardin only shrugged in response.

‘……Has he gotten scared or something.’

Well, there was no need to keep waiting.

Taah!

Donfel shot forward like a lightning bolt.

For a moment, it felt as if his afterimage had stretched out behind him.

‘F-Fast!’

Gasps of awe burst out among the onlookers.

Donfel was barely in his mid-twenties.

Yet, among all the mana users gathered here, not a single one felt confident they could match that speed.

Shaaat!

Donfel’s shadow closed in until it reached right in front of Hardin.

‘I’ll finish this quickly.’

Buzzzzzz!

Donfel brought his two-handed sword down from above in a powerful overhead strike.

Putting all his weight into the blow from the Oberhau stance, it was a crushing slash.

‘I-I have to dodge.’

‘That attack…’

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

It was clear to anyone that such a strike couldn’t possibly be blocked by Hardin’s shabby longsword.

But… Hardin did not dodge.

Silently, he swung his sword upward from below.

‘He’s meeting it head-on?’

In the moment Donfel frowned at him—

Kaaang!

The two swords collided, sending up a spray of sparks.

Hardin was pushed back a couple of steps, while Donfel’s upper body was slightly lifted.

‘This might… be more interesting than I thought.’

Donfel let out a mocking chuckle and immediately regained his stance.

Then he changed his sword trajectory and thrust forward again.

Shaaaat!

In that instant, Donfel’s sword began to twist like a snake.

“W-What is that?”

“……Th-The sword is bending!”

Snake Dance.

A perfected sword technique, based on Calpion’s secret style, which the family had poured vast sums of money into developing.

The blade, writhing like a serpent, would pierce the opponent along an unpredictable path and speed.

It was the technique that had earned Donfel the title ‘Steel Serpent.’

The tip of his sword aimed for—

Hardin’s lower abdomen. The very place where the mana circuit was.

‘Bite him apart.’

Kaaang!

At that moment, a tremendous crash rang out.

“My, look at that, some little snake showing up.”

Hardin’s sword once again sparked as it deflected Donfel’s blade.

‘……?!’

He blocked it again? That bastard?

For a moment, strength gathered in Donfel’s eyes.

‘Was that just luck?’

Donfel spun his body and lashed out with his sword once more.

Shaaaak!

Once again, the sword danced like a snake, slipping into Hardin’s openings.

But Hardin’s gaze twitched slightly—

Kaaang!

Sparks flew again as he knocked the sword aside.

Donfel narrowed his brows in disbelief.

‘……He blocked it again?’

Taah!

The two of them leapt apart to widen the distance.

“That secret technique of yours… it’s not ordinary, it seems.”

“Acting like that was some great attack.”

When Hardin shrugged, Donfel ground his teeth together.

‘He didn’t challenge me to this duel without thinking… is that it.’

Then he raised his sword once more and spoke.

“Interesting.”

The fact that you actually thought you could stand against me—

Taah!

As Donfel kicked off the ground and charged in—

Kaaang! Kaaang! Kaaang!

The snake moved even faster, striking the air in a flurry of sparks.

The attacks poured down endlessly, their momentum growing fiercer.

But… still, the defense was not breaking.

“Really? If you’re having so much fun, keep going.”

Hardin even smiled with a leisurely expression as he deflected each attack.

The more Hardin’s face lit up, the deeper the furrow between Donfel’s brows became.

‘What is this….’

Kaaang! Kaaang!

The more their swords clashed, the clearer it became.

Hardin’s defense wasn’t simply desperate blocking.

Perfect angles. Perfect deflections.

It felt as if he could see right through Donfel’s every move and react precisely.

The man standing in front of him was still the scrawny Hardin—yet somehow, it felt like he was striking against an unshakable wall.

‘Is that really… the same guy I knew?’

It didn’t make sense.

No matter how amazing a secret sword technique he’d obtained, it was still a human who had to master it.

But for Hardin to have reached this level… in such a short time?

Each time his sword was blocked, Donfel felt not only a surge of confusion but also a growing tremor in his heart.

‘My speed, my mana—I’m superior in everything… but I can’t break through.’

He simply couldn’t understand.

There should have been no possibility of Hardin meeting his sword for this long—let alone perfectly countering it.

Time and again, the scene unfolding was entirely different from what he’d expected.

How many sword exchanges had there been by now?

Kaaang!

Hardin’s sword rose sharply from below, deflecting Donfel’s blade.

“Heeyup!”

In that instant, Donfel’s body wavered—only slightly, so subtly it was almost invisible.

Slaaash!

Hardin’s blade immediately drew a graceful arc and flew in.

“Ghk!”

Donfel quickly hardened his expression and jerked his head aside.

Shaaak!

The sword tip grazed Donfel’s cheek, scattering blood into the air.

‘…That was close.’

If he had let his guard down for even a moment, it would have been a fatal wound.

“How was that?”

“Grrr….”

Hardin gave him a thin, sinister smile, and Donfel’s pupils quivered.

Taah!

Donfel leapt far back, wiping the blood from his cheek.

A momentary lull settled over the battlefield.

And then—all the onlookers’ eyes grew wide as saucers.

‘Did the Young Master just land a blow?’

‘Hardin is fighting Donfel evenly?’

‘Young Master…!’

Everyone had expected a one-sided contest.

But Hardin wasn’t merely holding his own—he had just succeeded in slicing Donfel’s cheek.

Yet the one most shocked was none other than Donfel himself.

‘What… is this?’

His eyes wavered bit by bit.

At this point, he began to wonder.

Had this duel really been just reckless bravado or arrogance?

‘Does he… actually intend to win?’

Crack.

A faint unease began to splinter the bedrock of his confidence.

‘That… can’t possibly be.’

Grrrk!

Donfel ground his teeth and forced his momentum back up.

“Ghhhhh!”

Tatadak! Tatak!

The snake’s head danced even faster.

It moved so swiftly now that afterimages lingered in the air, making it look as if multiple heads were floating around.

Yet even as the attacks poured down, Hardin dodged and blocked them, speaking with an unhurried tone.

“Khh, it’s getting faster and faster, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you dare act arrogant!”

……A worthless failure like you could never hope to stand against me!

Faster. Stronger. The snake accelerated further.

Kaaang! Kaaang!

The sparks erupting in the air grew even fiercer and wilder.

There was no better word than relentless to describe it.

Step by step.

Hardin began to be pushed back, slowly retreating.

His hands started to quiver, and his legs visibly trembled.

It was then.

Thunk!

“Ah!”

While retreating, Hardin’s foot caught on a stone, and his body lurched unsteadily.

His face showed clear alarm, and a cruel smile crept over Donfel’s lips.

‘It’s over.’

Shaaaat!

Four—no, five snakes lunged at Hardin’s abdomen in unison, aiming to pierce through him.

In that unbalanced posture, there was no way he could withstand such a savage assault.

But right then—

Sliiide—

A smile spread across Hardin’s face.

A sly, sinister grin, the corners of his mouth curling up almost to the point of tearing, half his face hidden in shadow.

‘He’s smiling… now?’

Donfel’s expression twisted in confusion.

Taah!

Hardin kicked off the ground with one foot, regaining his balance in a flash.

He shifted that momentum straight into the sword he’d held drawn back, and spun his body into a sweeping strike.

A long slash flew straight toward the four snake heads.

Kaaang!

Sparks burst into the air, and the four serpent necks were all sliced clean through.

Donfel’s eyes bulged in shock.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down.”

A voice came from overhead.

He lifted his head—and saw Hardin falling straight down at him from above.

‘W-When did he get up there?’

In the instant Donfel’s face went slack with bewilderment—

Smaaash!

“Guh!”

Hardin’s foot smashed into Donfel’s face without mercy.

It felt like he’d been rammed by a charging bull.

Donfel’s teeth flew into the air as blood and spit sprayed out.

Kwaang!

He was hurled far back, slamming into the wall with a heavy crash.

“Wh-What…?”

“What is this…?”

Everyone watching stared, their jaws hanging open.

“Khhhh…”

Swaying unsteadily—

Donfel’s face now a battered mess, he used his sword like a cane to barely prop himself upright.

“…Ah, messed up my control a bit.”

Hardin grinned broadly as he rolled his ankle around.

‘The Young Master’s attack… it landed cleanly?’

‘What was that movement just now?’

‘It felt like he disappeared….’

Could this—could this really be happening?

Even seeing it with their own eyes, no one could believe it.

It was Hardin.

That Hardin Daphne—the one whose mana circuit was shattered with a single punch from Donfel the Grand Duke.

He had not only driven Donfel back but even sent him flying with a kick.

“Guh! Guh-hak! What the hell did you….”

Swaying unsteadily, Donfel struggled to steady his posture and gripped his sword again. Hardin only shrugged.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? I beat you up, and you got hit.”

“You coward, using cheap tricks…! Guh! Guh!”

“Cheap tricks? I wouldn’t even call that a technique.”

“Shut up!”

Taah!

Donfel charged forward.

‘Just now, I let my guard down.’

He had been sure of victory and relaxed—only to be struck by a counterattack.

It was just a fluke.

A one-time slip he would never allow again.

‘I’m stronger.’

My speed, the refinement of my sword, the quantity of my mana—everything was superior.

If I just fought properly, earnestly… there was no way I could lose. That had to be true.

Hadn’t my Academy records and the title of Steel Serpent proved it all along?

Shaaaat!

Resolving himself again, he thrust out his snake-like blade—

But once more, Hardin deflected Donfel’s sword to the side as if he’d already seen it coming.

“What are you doing?”

Smaaash!

“…?!”

Again, Hardin’s foot slammed into Donfel’s side.

“Uweeegh! Bleegh!”

Donfel staggered back, doubling over as he retched.

At that moment, Hardin slowly walked forward and spoke.

“Clench your teeth. Because from here on, it’s going to hurt like hell.”

His expression showed no hesitation whatsoever—only utter conviction.

Those eyes exuded a savage energy, like a predator.

Donfel trembled as he erupted in a hoarse scream.

“Shut uuuup!”

That I would lose? To trash like him?

Anxious dread spread across Donfel’s face.

Crack.

He clenched his teeth, his eyes burning more fiercely.

“Ghhh!”

He squeezed out the last of his strength and charged again—

Kaaang!

Hardin’s sword sliced off the snake’s head yet again.

Smaaash!

“Aaaagh!”

This time, Hardin’s knee smashed into Donfel’s face, crushing his front teeth.

Donfel’s body tumbled across the ground with a loud thud.

“Hiiiii….”

Bleeding from the nose and losing chunks of his teeth, Donfel shrank and wobbled in fear.

“This is just the beginning.”

Hardin smiled as he advanced, swinging sword and fist one after another.

“Left, right, up, down.”

Thud! Thump! Crunch!

Every time he announced where he would strike, the blows landed precisely there—

“Gah-heugh!”

And with each one, more wounds spread across Donfel’s body.

‘Why—why can’t I avoid this?’

It’s Hardin, that worthless scum.

He wasn’t fast, his attacks weren’t impressive.

Yet it was as if he could see Donfel’s every move, striking from blind spots at perfect timing.

By now, it felt like he was fighting a ghost.

What kind of swordsmanship was this supposed to be? No—was this even a difference that came from swordsmanship?

Doubt grew, shaking his heart.

“Right.”

Hardin quietly said, feinting his sword toward the right.

“Huuugh!”

Donfel flinched violently, spasming as he tried to guard.

Hesitation.

Then Hardin stopped his sword and spoke again.

“No—left.”

This time, he swung his foot into Donfel’s side.

Smaaack!

“Guhaaa!”

Staggering away, Donfel’s face twisted in confusion, his head snapping around in a daze.

Left? Right? No—where was it coming from?

‘……I’m… losing.’

It was a string of one-sided violence, like a cat toying with a mouse.

Donfel’s instincts screamed at him.

If he kept fighting like this, all that awaited him was more pain.

He had to finish it quickly.

‘Not yet.’

Fwoooosh!

Donfel drew up his mana, his eyes burning bright.

“Uaaaaaah!”

Sha-sha-shak!

From low to high, he thrust his sword wreathed in a blue glow.

Weapon Enchant—proof of a Second Star Knight.

“……”

Hardin stood motionless where he was, not even bothering to react.

As if he didn’t find it worth engaging.

Seeing that, Donfel’s gaze turned cold and sharp.

‘You fool!’

Shaaaat!

At that instant, the lunging serpent split into nine heads all at once, crashing toward Hardin in a single breath.

Hydra.

A technique that accelerated the sword to the limit, creating afterimages from nine directions in one strike.

Donfel’s ultimate technique—one that had taken years to perfect.

‘You’ll regret your arrogance…!’

This attack had no blind spots.

But right then, Hardin exhaled lightly through his nose—and stepped forward instead.

His steps were casual, as if out for a stroll.

‘Madman.’

Was he trying to kill himself?

Just as Donfel felt a triumphant smile twist his lips, Hardin murmured in a low, grave voice.

“Ungrateful bastard….”

Crack.

Hardin’s face twisted, a murderous energy surging around him.

‘What… is that?’

Behind him, it looked as if some kind of demon was rising, and confusion flickered across Donfel’s face.

Hardin calmly, but with precision, thrust out his sword.

That sword split into many arcs and turned into a wave.

Kagak! Kaaang!

One by one, the serpents were devoured by the sweeping wave.

All nine snake heads were shot down—and then four or five wave blades remained, still surging forward—

Kzzt!

They pierced Donfel’s shoulder, flank, and thigh.

“Guh-heugh… guh…”

Staggering.

Donfel took a few steps back before collapsing to his knees on the spot.

Hardin walked up and tapped his sword lightly on Donfel’s shoulder.

“If you want more, I’m happy to oblige.”

“Ugh… uuuu….”

But…

Thud.

Donfel could no longer answer. His body simply went limp.

Hardin let out a deep sigh and lowered his sword.

Then—

‘H-Hardin… won.’

‘How… in the world….’

Everyone standing in the backyard stared, eyes wide, their mouths opening and closing without a word.

He’d won. Hardin had.

Against the mighty Grand Duke Donfel.

Were they dreaming? Or—

Just as everyone was expressing their bewilderment in different ways—

“G-Grand Duke!”

“Are you all right?!”

Calpion’s retainers ran straight to Donfel, checking his condition and propping him up.

“Khhhh….”

But all Donfel could do was groan, unable to move a finger.

Hardin looked down at the sight and spoke as if making a declaration.

“Tell your lord: the debt is paid. Don’t show your faces around here again.”

“Th-that…”

“If you understand, take your Grand Duke and get lost.”

The Calpion men glared at Hardin with eyes full of resentment before jerking their heads away and shouting.

“The carriage—! Bring the carriage at once! We’re leaving immediately with the Grand Duke.”

“Yes, sir!”

Carrying Donfel on their backs, they quickly hurried out of the backyard.

When the commotion finally died down—

Hardin tossed his sword carelessly to the ground and let out a long breath.

“Huuuu… tired as hell.”

What, just because he’d fought some big shot, did he have to be drenched in sweat?

Still…

‘I pulled it off.’

Hardin cracked a wide, satisfied grin, then turned to look at the Daphne retainers.

“The debt’s all settled, so no more nagging, right?”

“Uh… u-uhhh….”

What in the world…

No one’s expression could shake off the look of utter bewilderment.