Oligor's log-like right arm, cloaked in a blast of pressurized air, hurtled toward Padde. Shifting his center of gravity and leaning back ever so slightly, Padde let the agonizingly slow fist whistle past the tip of his nose.
Next came a wide, unrefined right roundhouse kick. He deflected it with a casual twist of his torso.
Oligor lunged into his guard with an upward right elbow thrust, which Padde caught with his left palm, followed in the same breath by a backfist snapped toward his face. Padde swatted the strike away with the same hand.
Flurries of punches, combinations of kicks and strikes—Padde dodged, parried, and deflected every single one with the palm of his hand.
"Damn it!"
Oligor was already drenched in sweat, his shoulders heaving with ragged breaths.
Judging by how his muscles bulged and his frame had swollen a size larger, he was likely employing some form of full-body physical enhancement.
Then again, bloating his body like that only dulled his movements, and working with an unfamiliar physique ruined his precision. Above all, gassing out after a brief burst of anaerobic exertion was completely pathetic.
In the first place, none of Padde's companions would ever fall for such crude, predictable attacks. If any of them had put on such a disgraceful display, they would have either been blasted to smithereens by Lord Kamui's fists or chewed to pieces by Lord Akujiki.
At last, trembling with exhaustion, Oligor threw another wide, desperate haymaker. Padde easily slipped past the right fist and whipped a sharp kick into the man's shin.
"Whoa?!"
Oligor's massive frame flipped several times through the air before slamming back-first onto the ground.
Padde had been completely fooled by the man's hulking build and arrogant bravado, but surely an elite knight in service to Viscount Murube couldn't be this weak. They must have stuck him with a rookie.
"Curse you..."
Oligor sprang back up, squeezing out a voice thick with humiliated rage.
Forming a sign with both hands, he began to chant.
Dense, blinding mana seeped from his entire body, converging directly in front of his palms.
A big move, clearly. Given the length of the chant, it would probably pack quite a punch. But—
(He's completely wide open.)
Kicking off the ground, Padde slipped behind him, lightly rested both palms against the sides of his head, and gave it a sharp, concussive rattle.
"Agh..."
Oligor's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed face-first onto the dirt.
A momentary silence fell over the courtyard. An instant later, an uproar erupted among the onlookers.
"W-Was that body enhancement magic just now?"
"Must be. No one moves like that naturally. He's probably jacked up on magic items or something."
Enhanced by magic items, huh? The way these people thought sounded just like Padde from a lifetime ago.
"Well now, Padde, it seems you possess at least the bare minimum qualifications. Very well. I shall grant you temporary admission into our Kouhai."
"Thank you very much."
"Think nothing of it. Extending a hand to talented youth is part of our sacred duty as Followers of God. I grant you the right to observe the holy mission of us Apostles of God. You have no objections, I presume, Viscount Murube?"
"None, Your Eminence."
Having the knight he personally handpicked suffer such a humiliating defeat clearly stung. Viscount Murube gave a stiff nod, grinding his molars in frustration.
Everything was going smoothly. All Padde had to do over the next few days was win the trust of the Kouhai, conduct an inspection of Uzuki Village with his party, and report back that nothing was out of the ordinary.
The Apostles of the Central Church wouldn't remain in this city for long anyway. Once they rode this out, the Church wouldn't bother visiting this region again for quite some time.