Chapter 131
For now, if he could just put out this urgent fire, then perhaps he could use the power he had built up in the Theocracy to cover this up and pretend it never happened.
“I, Mieck, challenge you to a duel! I will sever your head and make you pay the price for daring to insult me!”
“Wait!! You mustn’t!”
Princess Olivia hurriedly intervened.
She was confused about whether what that demon said was true or not, but she had to stop the duel.
The reason was simple.
Mieck was a knight who represented the Theocracy.
Even if Christian was a promising rising star from the Dark Demonic House, they were on completely different levels.
He would die.
“Please don’t stop me. That demon has slandered me. He’s stained my honor with vile accusations, so even if I kill him, the Dark Demonic House won’t be able to complain.”
Mieck spoke with a grim tone.
If Mieck was truly innocent and this was the demon’s scheme, then not even Olivia could stop this duel.
In fact, with Mieck acting so confidently, more and more people began to think this way.
‘Yeah, even if Sir Mieck is a bit vain, he couldn’t have done something that horrific.’
‘It must be a demon’s conspiracy.’
‘Truly wicked.’
Olivia clenched her fists tightly.
‘I can’t let Lord Christian die!’
A nervousness she couldn’t understand gripped her.
Whether it was because this demon might hold the truth about her brother Chris, or for some other reason, she couldn’t tell—but she didn’t have the composure to figure it out.
Her mouth went dry.
‘Surely Lord Christian will try to avoid a duel he can’t win, so if I can just protect him and defuse the challenge somehow…’
But then—
Christian gave a completely unexpected response.
“So you're saying you want to throw down?”
With a flick,
He casually stepped onto the round table at the center of the council chamber.
For reference, this meeting room was called the “Hall of the Round Table.”
Just like the name, a large round table stood in the center.
Big enough for a fight.
“Quit barking and get up here.”
Mieck, his face stiff and cold, stepped onto the table.
At the sight of the two facing off, Olivia’s vision went dark.
In the blink of an eye, the duel had been accepted.
‘No!’
Just then—
Chris’s eyes met hers.
His gaze was calm and unwavering.
Strangely enough—
Olivia instinctively understood what Christian’s eyes were saying.
It was a look that said, Don’t worry.
She couldn’t understand why she felt that way toward someone she had only just met—who was even a demon, no less.
But somehow, as if they had shared countless conversations through glances over time, Olivia’s restless heart settled into calm.
Realizing she had been overly anxious, she resolved to stay composed.
…Calm down. If Lord Christian looks like he’s in danger, I can step in with my power. If I use my strength, I can at least prevent the worst from happening.
Meanwhile, Mieck, now standing on the round table, growled coldly.
“You filthy demon bastard. How dare you accuse me of such things? I’ll sever your head, salt it, and send it to the Dark Demonic House.”
Chris let out a small snort.
“You sure talk a lot. Are all you Theocracy dogs like this? Or are you just scared?”
“!!”
“Anyway, just dueling seems dull. How about a wager? If you lose, you confess everything.”
Mieck gave a scoffing laugh.
“Fine. Just make sure your neck’s ready!”
Fwoosh!
A dazzling burst of light.
An Aura Blade.
It was similar, yet different, from the Black Steel Aura he had seen during the fight with Ashid.
This one was more solid.
It was the true form of an Elder-class knight’s power.
His fundamentals are solid, too.
From just one stance, Chris could tell the level of his opponent.
Mieck, despite his rotten personality, was a formidable warrior.
He wasn’t the representative knight of the Theocracy for nothing.
In fact, among those watching the duel from the council chamber, not a single person seemed to expect Mieck to lose.
And everyone was cheering for Mieck.
His guilt hadn’t been proven, and more importantly, Chris was a demon.
Some were even watching with eager eyes, anticipating the blood Chris would soon shed.
A lonely duel with not a single ally.
No… there’s one person on my side.
Olivia was watching him with a gaze full of concern.
To be honest, it was unexpected.
There was no connection between them at all.
…Is it just because she’s a kind person, worrying even about a demon like me?
He shook his head.
Either way, there’s no need to worry.
Chris raised his sword as well.
I’m not that easy to beat.
In that instant—
Mieck moved.
He stomped forward, and the round table made of thick wood cracked as the distance between them vanished in an instant.
His leaping charge added acceleration to the Aura Blade.
Its savage power was like an axe splitting stone.
If he blocked it clumsily, his sword would be split in two.
Even trying to dodge was difficult, since the duel was taking place on the confined space of the round table—there was no room to move freely.
It was a troubling situation, but Chris quickly came up with a solution.
Fwoosh!
A Black Sword flared up from the sword Chris held.
Foolish.
Mieck sneered.
There’s no way a Black Sword could block an Aura Blade.
On top of that, this attack was packed with momentum, greatly amplifying its destructive force.
A mere Black Sword would surely shatter instantly and scatter into pieces—
“!!”
Mieck’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
The Black Sword that clashed with his Aura Blade did not collapse.
Rather, a heavy recoil traveled up Mieck’s arm, just like when two Aura forces clashed.
How? That’s not a normal Black Sword?
Mieck stared at Chris’s sword in disbelief.
It was clearly a Black Sword.
And yet, it didn’t so much as tremble against the Aura Blade.
That wasn’t all.
Something even more shocking occurred.
“You seem relaxed. Got time to daydream?”
“!!”
Chris’s sword, touching Mieck’s, made an uncanny movement.
Sliding to the side, it twisted—causing Mieck to momentarily lose balance of his blade.
A parry? What—?
Of course, Mieck was a master swordsman.
To reach Elder class in his early thirties meant he possessed considerable talent.
And yet, even while watching it happen with his own eyes, he had fallen into Chris’s swordplay.
Chris’s blade wasted no time and struck at the opening.
Slash!
The sword skimmed just past Mieck’s eyes in a horizontal sweep.
He barely avoided it, but had he been even a hair slower, he would have lost both eyes.
This…! I’ll kill you!!
Consumed by rage, Mieck launched an even fiercer attack—
At that moment, a flash of dark lightning burst forth.
It was destructive black magic.
Of course, Mieck possessed powerful magic resistance, granting him immunity to most spells.
But Chris’s black magic wasn’t targeting Mieck directly.
It was aiming at Mieck’s sword.
Crackle!
Lightning surged over the blade, causing it to tremble—and Chris wasn’t about to miss that opening.
Slice!
Blood spurted from Mieck’s shoulder.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a fatal wound.
But it was a blow that shattered his pride.
Then came the follow-up barrage.
A flurry of black magic and strikes came flying in.
By all accounts, Mieck should’ve been stronger.
The majesty of Mieck’s Aura Blade couldn’t even be compared to Christian’s shabby black sword.
And yet, the one being driven into a corner was Mieck.
Those watching the duel swallowed nervously.
“Unbelievable.”
“It’s like he’s toying with Sir Mieck.”
“Is the power of the Dark Demonic House’s prince really that overwhelming?”
Then, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Boom!
Mieck, who had been pushed back miserably, rolled off the round table and fell beneath it!
A humiliating scene.
“S-Sir Mieck!”
“Are you all right?!”
Mieck shouted furiously.
“Shut up, all of you! Get lost!!”
“!!”
“This bastard… I’ll kill you.”
With bloodshot eyes gleaming murderously, Mieck climbed back up onto the round table.
Chris shrugged.
“Hmm. You sure you’re okay? Your eyes look like they’re about to tear up. Want me to wait while you go have a cry? I can even lend you a handkerchief.”
“You bastard!!! Shut your mouth!!!”
Cornered desperation.
Shattered pride.
And Christian’s taunting all piled on—Mieck completely lost his reason.
“I’ll kill you!! I’ll kill you!!”
Fwoooosh!!
Mieck’s body became engulfed in a blinding light, as if it might explode.
He was about to unleash a secret technique.
“N-No!”
Olivia’s face went pale.
There was no way Christian could endure that technique.
She tried to release her power, but she was a step too late.
The secret technique Mieck unleashed was the Meteor Shot—a secret skill passed down within the Holy Empire’s Holy Knights.
A technique where one reinforces their entire body with Aura and crashes into the opponent like a falling star.
Just like its name, it charged forward with meteor-like speed and destructive force—so overwhelming that at close range, it was nearly impossible to react.
As everyone inside the hall braced for Chris’s brutal death—
Chris smiled coldly.
“Meteor Shot? I’m used to it. I’ve seen the Holy Empire’s knights fight more times than I can count.”
He responded calmly.
“Blocking it head-on is out of the question.”
Meteor Shot was like a charging bull.
No matter how much Chris’s black sword was imbued with strong will, it couldn’t physically withstand the impact.
“If I brought out Anduril, I could block it directly… but there’s no need for that.”
First, Chris extended his hand forward.
To lay the groundwork to topple the charging bull.
Fwoosh!
A dense wall of demonic energy rose in front of Chris.
Black Sword Transformation—Black Wall.
It was a sturdy barrier capable of blocking most physical attacks, but compared to the Meteor Shot barreling toward it, it looked as flimsy as paper.
The spectators watching the duel shook their heads.
“It’s over.”
“He got ahead of himself without knowing his place.”
And in truth, the moment Meteor Shot touched the Black Wall, it shattered instantly.
Christhian’s body was left completely exposed.
Olivia’s face turned as pale as a corpse at the thought of the impending carnage, and just as Mieck grinned cruelly, sure of his victory—
An unexpected turn occurred.
In that fleeting instant.
The charge of the Meteor Shot hesitated slightly as it met the resistance of the Black Wall.
Chris dove into that tiny opening.
Crash!
The round table floor beneath Mieck’s feet collapsed.
When using Meteor Shot, the caster’s body slightly lifts into the air.
It was a technique that relied on an explosive launch using Aura.
But the moment the Black Wall shattered, part of that momentum was already neutralized, and as he tried to push off again—Chris collapsed the floor beneath him.
It required precise magical control to break the ground at the exact moment the caster’s feet touched it, but for Chris, it was a simple feat.
“Graaaagh!!!”
Losing his balance, Mieck became like a toppled bull and rolled beneath the round table.
Meteor Shot demolished the table completely, and Mieck floundered among the broken wreckage.
A pitiful sight.
“You idiot.”
Chris reached out his hand.
“Let’s finish this.”
Crackle.
Small orbs of darkness floated in the air.
A total of four.
The dark orbs flew out, surrounding Mieck from all directions.