I'm the Crazy One in the Family-Chapter 94: The Conservation of Trash (2)

There was no one in Sefira unaware of Keter’s “accomplishments”. On the very first day he arrived, he defeated both Anis and Katherine. On the second day, he captured knights from Bydent. However, few, if any, had actually witnessed these feats. To most of Sefira, Keter was undeniably extraordinary, but whether he was truly strong was something only those who faced him firsthand could attest to.

The misunderstanding stemmed from Keter’s origins and status. Coming from the Lawless City made him seem like a coward, and as the illegitimate son of the patriarch, no one dared to treat him casually. Thus, his victory over Anis was dismissed as a cowardly ambush, and his confrontation with Katherine was said to have been a threat through authority.

Of course, Luke knew the truth about Keter’s strength and his sharp foresight. But the other four couldn’t accept it. They all wondered what right Keter had to tell them not to worry. Even Anis, who had been defeated by Keter three times, and Taragon, who had taken his advice, felt Keter was going too far. As for Brooks and Darkin, who were meeting Keter for the first time today, they were even more baffled.

“Keter, I will respect your strength. But teaching us? That’s an entirely different matter.”

Anis adjusted his bowstring as Brooks and Darkin chimed in.

“While I agree that age doesn’t necessarily dictate one’s ability to teach, the only ones qualified to guide me are Elder Panir or Lord Besil.”

“I’m already under the tutelage of the commander of the Order of the Galaxy. Are you saying you can teach better than him, Lord Keter?”

Keter stepped forward with a grin.

“Now that’s more like it. If you gave in easily, it wouldn’t be any fun.”

Thwap!

In his left hand, Amaranth, the jet-black bow, appeared. The sight of the infamous weapon made everyone flinch. They all knew its fearsome reputation.

“Relax. I won’t be using Demon Arrows. You’re not worth wasting them on. Let’s start with the first person who is ready.”

Keter pointed at Anis.

“Number Two. I’m going to kill you three times.”

“Hah! Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for. Bring it on.”

“All of you, listen up. When you face me, imagine I’m the sworn enemy of your parents.”

Keter widened the distance between himself and Anis.

Anis shouted, “Keter, what are you doing? Get your arrows. There’s a weapons rack over there.”

“It’s Instructor, not Keter. I’ll let it slide once, but not twice.”

“Don’t think I’m the same person you defeated before.”

Anis nocked an arrow onto his bowstring, this time without removing the arrowhead.

Thwip!

The duel began with Anis taking the first shot. Keter, standing in place, nonchalantly swung Amaranth and deflected the arrow.

“Hmm, to block Yaksha Archery so easily...”

“He’s probably relying on Amaranth’s power.”

Brooks and Darkin, now spectators, raised their eyebrows.

Anis’ opening strike had been Yaksha Archery, a technique known for its unmatched speed, striking faster than sound itself. Keter, however, remained in place, not even bothering to move as he swatted the arrow away as if it were a mere fly.

Anis paused and shouted, “What’s the matter, Keter? Did your hands go numb? If so, surrender now!”

“I’ll give you three chances.”

“What... what did you say?”

“You get three attacks before I make my first move.”

“You bastard! Do you think I’m a joke?”

For the first time in his life, Anis, who had never been insulted, felt the sting of humiliation.

Let’s see if you can keep that smug expression after this!

Anis grabbed six arrows from his quiver.

Darkin, watching, murmured in awe, “It seems Lord Anis is preparing to use Chained Zodiac Archery. I’m eager to see what he will show us.”

The first technique of Anis’ Chained Zodiac Archery was Yaksha Archery, the sixth form. Next, he prepared the Taurus Archery, the second form, where three arrows were fired simultaneously in a triangular formation. The last technique was Leo Archery, the fifth form, that fired two arrows simultaneously.

“Firing Leo Archery along with other techniques...! Has Lord Anis already grown that much?”

Leo Archery, a technique capable of piercing through thick metal shields, was notorious for its immense recoil, which could harm even the user. Only a handful of Sefira’s finest could manage it.

What was even more astounding was that Anis used Leo Archery not as a standalone move but as the climactic finale of a chained sequence. Darkin was certain that there was no way Keter could block it—even avoiding it would be difficult.

If it were me, I would use Gemini Archery to shoot down all of Anis’ arrows. But Keter won’t be able to do that. He hasn’t even learned Zodiac Archery and doesn’t have any arrows.

As these thoughts passed, Anis’ chained sequence reached Keter. Everyone shared the same thought: Keter’s only option for survival was to dodge it with everything he had.

But Keter did nothing of the sort. Just like with the opening shot, he stood his ground and casually swung his bow like a staff.

Ping! Tang! Clang!

Rather than relying solely on Amaranth’s durability, he deflected every arrow at an angle, diverting their force. Even Leo Archery, which was powerful enough to pierce shields, was deflected. Though, it did make a louder sound.

“What?”

“Huh?!”

Anis’ masterful chained sequence was neutralized effortlessly. Everyone, except for Luke, was utterly shocked.

“What... what?!”

No matter how shocked the onlookers were, it couldn’t compare to the disbelief of Anis, the one who shot the arrows. He had unleashed three consecutive techniques, the finale being Leo Archery, which fired two arrows simultaneously. This should have left no room for evasion, yet every single one of them had been blocked; not a single arrow made it through.

Keter did not perform some kind of extraordinary technique. He had simply stood in place and swung his bow like a staff. Just like that, Anis’ chance had vanished.

As promised, Keter began to advance.

“Grrr...!”

A chained technique was like a finishing move. The recoil from his final attack made his fingers tremble, but he endured it and fired several arrows at Keter, who was charging at him. He used Gemini Archery, a rapid-fire technique with three consecutive shots, to stop Keter.

But Keter didn’t falter. He simply batted Anis’ arrows away with his bow, as if his weak attacks weren’t even worth dodging.

“Raaah!”

With a shout, Anis unleashed Leo Archery once more. Taking on a powerful technique like Leo Archery head-on while running would be too impactful to endure. As such, the only way to overcome it would be to brace himself and stand still.

Yet, Keter didn’t stop. Instead, he swung upward and hit Leo Archery into the sky, his bow radiantly glowing with aura.

Crack!

The power from Keter’s swing shattered the arrows into fine dust mid-air. Keter, who had closed in on him, swung upward with the bow again. Anis, anticipating a strike to his torso or face, raised his bow defensively. That was Anis’ first death.

Thwack!

Keter smashed the quiver strapped to Anis’ waist, scattering his remaining arrows across the ground.

“Guh!”

It was only then that Anis realized he had been outplayed. He attempted to switch to the offensive, which was the right decision. He acted fast, but his mind couldn’t follow. He had never practiced in an environment where debris on the ground was an obstacle. Now, the spilled arrows now littering the battlefield were enough to disrupt his balance.

As he took a step back, he landed on one of the scattered arrows, causing him to stumble ever so slightly. That slight imbalance delayed his next move by just 0.5 seconds. But in a battle, even an instant could stretch into eternity.

Keter’s movements were faster than Anis’ reaction.

Thunk.

With a simple yet precise motion, Keter jabbed his finger into Anis’ abdomen.

“Move!”

Anis swung his bow at Keter’s throat, but the strike was overly wide. Swinging a bow inherently required large movements, and it was the only choice—a bow was too short for stabbing, and even if it could, the bow’s elasticity made thrusting ineffective.

Keter didn’t attempt to stab with his bow either. Instead, he utilized its elasticity. Grabbing one end of the bow and pulling it back, he released it like a spring.

Smack!

The bow snapped forward, striking Anis squarely in the center of his face. Anis stumbled back, not knowing what had hit him, and his heel caught on one of the scattered arrows, sending him crashing to the ground.

There was no time for him to think, let alone shout in defiance.

Keter’s next attack came immediately, this time targeting Anis’ legs. With a sweeping motion, Keter struck at his ankle just as Anis was trying to sit up. Anis’ eyes widened in shock as pain shot through his leg. His mouth opened, but the pain was so intense he couldn’t even scream.

One word came to his mind.

Terror.

The fear that started in his mind spread rapidly through his body, paralyzing him as he imagined Keter’s next move.

But no further attacks came.

Keter slung his bow over his shoulder and looked down at Anis with an expression of utter disappointment.

“As promised, I’ve killed you three times. Honestly, you’re so disappointing that I feel let down.”

“...”

“The moment you lost your arrows, that was your first death. When I jabbed your abdomen, that was your second. And when I took out your mobility by hitting your legs, that made three. Any objections? I wouldn’t care anyway.”

* * *

The duel between Anis and Keter—no, it wasn’t a duel but a one-sided massacre. Anis was utterly defeated. There were no tricks or authority involved. Keter had defeated Anis fairly, which was an undeniable, brutal fact that no one could refute.

Even if Keter had easily deflected arrows using the power of Amaranth, his final display of close combat was purely a testament to his own skill.

Leaving Anis behind, Keter turned his attention to the other three participants of the Sword of the South Tournament: Taragon, Brooks, and Darkin.

Their shock deepened when they saw Keter up close. He was spotless, without a speck of dust or the faintest hint of exertion. He hadn’t even broken a sweat while killing Anis three times.

“Your martial prowess is truly extraordinary, Lord Keter,” said Brooks, the lieutenant commander of the Sacred Order of Sefira.

Darkin, who had intended to speak first, frowned in frustration, having been beaten to the punch.

“I assume you deliberately refrained from using arrows to demonstrate just how powerless an archer is against a swordsman. Lord Anis’ archery was remarkable, and his chained technique was formidable. However, his lack of experience against knights made his responses inadequate. I, on the other hand, am different. I’ve faced countless swordsmen, survived, and risen to this position. If you would permit me, I would like to challenge you myself.”

As the lieutenant commander, Brooks had long been buried under administrative duties, leaving little time for the thrill of battle. Watching Keter dismantle Anis reignited the fire of his fighting spirit.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Keter clicked his tongue and wagged a finger, then pointed toward Darkin.

Darkin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Are you saying you would rather face me instead of Sir Brooks? True, I may not have as much experience as him, but I’ve still bested a fair number of swordsmen. I am not a pushover...”

“What are you rambling about, Number Five? I meant you too.”

“...What?! Are you saying you intend to fight Sir Brooks and me at the same time?”

“I’m not finished speaking.”

Keter raised his hand and pointed at Taragon this time.

“I’ll kill all three of you at once.”

Before the three of them could react, Keter leaped into the air.