Silence surrounded the rooftop. The gathered crowd stood frozen, their eyes darting between the two duelists.
Ardric Duskwren straightened, tightening his grip on his sword. A flash of irritation crossed his face before he smirked again, hiding his moment of surprise.
"I did not expect you could channel mana. You surprised me. Was your being crippled all a lie?" Ardric asked.
Valerius answered calmly, "You swore not to use cultivation. So much for your noble dignity."
Ardric's grip tightened on his sword, his knuckles crackling. His lips curled in a sneer, but his eyes burned with fury.
"Hmph, so what if I lied? This is my family's place. I can say and do whatever I want. Do not tell me you are still scared of this duel?"
Valerius's eyes turned cold for a moment.
'People in this world are no better than on Earth. Lying, betraying... it is the same everywhere...'
Valerius tightened his grip on his sword, stepping into a fighting stance. "Against someone as dishonorable as you, I have nothing to fear."
Valerius lunged, earth mana flooding his sword. He swung the blade in a wide horizontal arc, releasing a quick strike toward Ardric. The strike left a faint trail of earthy green energy behind it.
"Verdant Slash!" Valerius called out as he struck.
Ardric's eyes flickered with shock. In a heartbeat, he raised his sword, steel screeching as it clashed against Valerius's blow. He channeled wind mana into his legs. After the strike hit Ardric's sword, he stepped back two steps and began his counterattack. Wind mana surged through Ardric's legs. In a blur, he lunged, his blade slicing downward like a falcon's talons. And the sword gleamed with a sharp green wind aura, refining the strike's edge.
"Sky Talon Strike!" Ardric shouted as he attacked.
The air grew tense as Ardric's sword descended, a deadly arc slicing through the air with speed and precision. Valerius could feel the force of the wind swirling around the blade, but he did not flinch. His body responded without hesitation; his instincts took over.
In that split second, Valerius pivoted, his sword swinging in a specific pattern. Starlight mana shimmered around him as he moved. He swiftly dodged Ardric's attack and then countered, channeling all his mana into the tip of his sword.
"Facet Rebound!" Valerius shouted as he struck at Ardric.
Ardric could not dodge or block the strike. The clash sent a shockwave rippling outward, dust and shattered tiles scattering as the force barely missed the crowd.
The moment the energy from Valerius's Facet Rebound surged outward, the crowd gasped in collective awe. The radiant flare of starlight mana lit up the rooftop like a falling star, blindingly bright before it dissipated into the air in a thousand tiny sparks. The force of the attack left a ring of distortion in the air, a ripple that warped reality itself for a split second.
Ardric was sent flying backward, crashing onto the ground with a heavy thud. He struggled but was unable to get up, Ardric lay motionless, his fingers twitching against the shattered tiles. A hush fell over the crowd. The battle was over. The gathered crowd, once eager for entertainment, now stood frozen in stunned silence. No one had expected this outcome.
Ardric Duskwren, from the prestigious Duskwren Clan, lay motionless on the ground, his breath ragged, his body trembling from the lingering effects of Valerius's Facet Rebound. His hands gripped the stone tiles beneath him as if he were trying to will himself to rise, but his limbs refused to obey.
Valerius stood over him, sword still in his grip, its edge faintly glowing with remnants of starlight mana. Though his breathing was heavy, his stance remained firm, unwavering. He did not gloat. He did not sneer. He simply looked down at Ardric with the same cold, unreadable gaze he had worn since the beginning.
The silence shattered when a voice rang out.
"Young Master Ardric lost?"
"Impossible! That guy was supposed to be crippled!"
The crowd erupted into hushed murmurs. Some people looked at Valerius with new eyes, no longer seeing him as the disgraced Fifth Prince, but as something else entirely.
Seraphina exhaled in relief. She had believed in Valerius, but even she had not expected such a decisive victory.
A groan escaped Ardric's lips as he turned his head, his golden eyes burning with frustration and disbelief.
"You..." he growled, his voice thick with humiliation. "How...?"
Valerius sheathed his sword with calm precision, his gaze never leaving Ardric.
"I told you," Valerius said, voice calm but unwavering. "I don't need to fear someone as dishonorable as you."
Ardric's teeth clenched. He had never been defeated in such a humiliating fashion. His pride, his name, had been trampled in front of dozens of onlookers.
The crowd instinctively stepped back as a new presence entered the scene. A young girl, looking about seventeen years old, clad in elegant blue robes embroidered with the symbol of Luxombra Royal Academy, walked onto the rooftop. Her expression was unreadable.
Velindra Duskwren, daughter of Duke Duskwren, Ardric's elder sister.
The moment Ardric saw her, his face brightened slightly, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.
Valerius turned to face Velindra, his grip tightening ever so slightly.
Velindra Duskwren's sharp blue eyes swept across the rooftop, taking in the scene before her. Ardric, humiliated and defeated, lay sprawled on the ground. Valerius stood tall, his presence no longer that of a broken prince but of a warrior who had reclaimed a part of himself.
The murmuring crowd instinctively quieted under her gaze. Unlike her brother, Velindra carried herself with composed elegance, her every step exuding confidence and control.
Ardric struggled to rise, but his limbs still refused to obey. His face twisted in frustration as he looked up at his sister. "Sister, he—"
A sharp glance from Velindra silenced him. She approached with deliberate grace, stopping just a few steps away from Valerius. She examined him, her gaze calculating, as if she were assessing a puzzle she had yet to solve.
"You've changed, Fifth Prince." Her tone was steady, but the slight tilt of her head hinted at intrigue. "Not long ago, you were the talk of the empire for having your bloodline crippled, your meridians blocked. And yet, here you stand, having defeated my brother in front of many people, on the rooftop of our family's pavilion."
Valerius met her gaze without hesitation. "Is that a problem?"
Velindra's lips curled slightly. "Not a problem… a curiosity."
She then turned her attention to Ardric. "You issued the challenge, did you not?"
Ardric swallowed hard. "I—"
"You lost," she said simply, her tone carrying a quiet finality. "The Duskwren Clan does not interfere in fair duels, even if the outcome is... unexpected."
The onlookers stiffened in surprise. Some had expected Velindra to demand retribution, but instead, she was acknowledging Valerius's victory without complaint.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes, stepping closer to Valerius, sensing something beneath Velindra's composed demeanor.
Velindra's gaze returned to Valerius. "You have a strength I did not expect to see. You are not the same man they spoke of. I wonder… what else have they been wrong about?"
Valerius said nothing. He had no desire to play whatever game at which she was hinting.
After a brief pause, Velindra let out a chuckle. "Very well, Fifth Prince. You have won today. And our clan will not interfere."
Ardric flinched at the words but did not argue. He could not. His reputation had already suffered enough.
Velindra then took a step closer, lowering her voice so only Valerius could hear. "But know this—if you have truly regained your strength, you will not go unnoticed. Many eyes will turn toward you. Be careful which ones you meet."
With that, she turned, motioning for two Duskwren retainers to collect her brother. The tension slowly eased as the nobles realized the conflict had ended.
As Velindra left the rooftop, Seraphina finally exhaled, turning to Valerius. "Young Master, are you alright?"
Valerius gave a small nod, though his thoughts lingered on Velindra's parting words.
Be careful which eyes you meet.
A warning... or a challenge?