I will not lose! Accompanying the fear was an intense fighting spirit, and Kaled tightened his grip on the Divine Sword.

Durandal witnessed the glory and downfall of Jules, and now this sword will witness his.

Battle!!!

Kaled shouted angrily, feeling the flames of rage ignite in his chest, and the Lady’s knight will never admit defeat! Never!

"Clang!" Durandal and the Blade of Suffering clashed once again, the blade in the Green Knight’s hand spun back and forth. In one round, Kaled faced the Green Knight’s six fierce assaults, the edge of the Blade of Suffering emanating a chilling light consuming all.

"Ugh! Ugh!" Kaled clumsily blocked the Green Knight’s attack. He reversed the blade, and the flames on Durandal’s edge forced the Green Knight to retract the Blade of Suffering. The warhorses intersected, marking the end of the second round.

Kaled turned his horse’s head, gripping his sword with both hands: "Again!"

"..." The Green Knight remained silent.

The battle resumed.

Within the Arden Forest, amid the mists belonging to the Green Knight, a grand champion duel began.

Kaled stood like an angry lion, proudly and confidently showcasing his strength, challenging the Green Knight perched on the Lion King’s throne.

The Green Knight’s fighting style resembled that of a lion ruling over the beast herd. He effortlessly enjoyed the champion duel from the challenger; the King of Green Eyes remained silent, his power flowing endlessly like an eternal waterfall. With each strike, the King of Green Eyes’ strength grew stronger than before.

The incessant clashes between the Blade of Suffering and Durandal ensued, Kaled’s prowess as an Expedition Knight surpassed even the Holy Grail Knights by three-fold. As a peak legendary warrior, Kaled gathered countless achievements during two years of trials, melding his riding skills, swordsmanship, and spirit into one. Amongst endless martial training and the Goddess’s blessings, he kept pace with the Green Knight’s ever-growing strength.

The frantic tug-of-war began.

In the mist, the brave Expedition Knight and the legendary Green Knight embarked on an endless battle.

The clash of Divine Weapons resonated in the woodland. The sky and earth seemed to have only the silhouettes of the Expedition Knight and Green Knight left; the fierceness of the battle mirrored the founding of Brittania, as the twelve original Holy Grail Knights fought endless enemies for their country.

This was a champion duel destined not for mere mortals.

Time lost its significance, the sky lost its color, all existence disappeared, leaving only the images of Kaled and the Green Knight’s battle.

The sun rose and fell, from the refreshing morning, from the morning when the sun rose, to the afterglow of dusk and the night’s arrival, then to the cool morning, the champion duel continued.

Kaled’s warhorse could no longer sustain, forcing the Expedition Knight to opt for foot combat. The Green Knight evidently sought a fair duel, turning mounted combat into foot combat, under an understanding far beyond mortal comprehension—one round, two rounds, three rounds...

Fifty rounds...

A hundred rounds...

Two hundred rounds...

As the champion duel reached the five hundredth round, two days and one night had passed.

Kaled was covered in wounds, and even the dwarf’s rune-engraved plate armor could not fend off the Green Knight’s attacks. Despite being drenched in blood, Kaled remained spirited and untiring. The Expedition Knight silently recited the names of Jules and Anara, his scarred body and tormented mind never conceding to the enemy.

This was the oath he made to Jules’s remains, a promise to uphold until he becomes a Holy Grail Knight... or dies trying.

Contrary to his imagination, the Green Knight standing before him didn’t lift the Blade of Suffering again, and in the King of Green Eyes’ gaze, a momentary flash of recognition and regret appeared. Kaled was baffled but quickly regulated his breathing and continued the battle.

Durandal, after two days and one night of grueling fight, remained sharp as ever. The Expedition Knight instinctively swung Durandal towards the King of Green Eyes, who evaded it. To Kaled’s astonishment, the Green Knight extended a hand and clasped his neck, lifting him up instantly. Without emotion, the green phantom used its other hand, slamming fiercely onto Kaled’s chest.

The Expedition Knight felt his ribs break instantly; he gritted through the internal pain, wielding the Divine Sword to pierce the Green Knight’s shoulder.

The Green Knight appeared unaffected, calmly tossing Kaled into the distance. As Kaled hit the water’s surface, he realized the battlefield had become a lake. Under the Lake Fairy’s blessing, he stood atop the crystal-clear water, his face reflected in the lake.

His strength was gradually fading; Kaled understood he was ultimately a mortal. Facing the powerful Green Knight, he couldn’t triumph, even with the Lake Fairy’s blessing, even with his strong will and Jules’s legacy, he couldn’t forever fight this way.

What was the significance of this challenge then? His prowess already exceeded many ordinary Holy Grail Knights! He shouldn’t be the one to fail!

Something must have gone wrong, and the Expedition Knight reflected on Jules’s teachings.

"The Knightly Path does not guide us to pursue benefits and avoid harm."