The Grand Duke's greatsword and my Holy Sword clashed. Sparks flew as a heavy reverberation spread in all directions. The people flinched at the flesh-rending sound. I relaxed my shoulders at the lighter-than-expected impact and stepped back. Only then could I confirm the system message floating above my head.
- You are in a Duel with a [Superior]. The effect of Unwavering Loyalty is activated.
*The effect of An Honorable Contest is currently active. If the target is wounded, they will die after a certain period of time.
Clang!
And the moment our swords clashed for a second time, the Grand Duke's sword flew into the air with a clear ring. Even in that brief moment, I could see the Grand Duke's panicked face. Unwavering Loyalty had the effect of dealing 4 times additional damage to my acquaintances or connected individuals. In other words, the impact the Grand Duke was taking was a force equivalent to four times my stats. Since he'd foolishly taken that head-on, his sword was bound to be sent flying.
But the Grand Duke was a Veteran Warrior. He didn't panic, instead leaping back to catch his flying sword and resetting his stance. After landing, he staggered for a moment, but the distance was too great for me to capitalize on the opening. I could see his arms trembling, but he acted as if nothing was wrong.
In any case, the scope of this Holy Sword's ability was surprisingly broad. Strictly speaking, I was an Archdeity Church High Priest, but because I also served as a Lord, it treated the Grand Duke, a lord of higher rank, as a Superior. The Grand Duke re-gripped his sword and spoke.
"What brutish strength."
"Your experience is impressive."
The smoothly sliding blade cut through the air, and the Grand Duke's body followed the sword, creating an opening. I lunged toward him.
"Where do you think you're going!"
The Grand Duke spun his body completely around and swung his sword once more. I barely managed to parry the blade coming for my face. It seemed the effect didn't apply when defending, as I was pushed back slightly by a stinging impact.
The Grand Duke didn't miss the opening created by my slight hesitation. He began swinging his sword with a terrifying force, as if to slit my throat. Fortunately, his sword wasn't that fast. Perhaps the earlier impact had been too severe, because his Sword Path was unsteady, and he was sweating profusely.
The one growing impatient was the Grand Duke. The contest was as good as decided from the first exchange. His hands were still trembling. He spun his body wide and aimed for my head again. I didn't dodge, instead swinging my Holy Sword to meet his.
Crash!
This time, the Grand Duke's sword shattered completely. The fragments shot into the sky, then rained down like Silver Stardust. They were dazzlingly beautiful, but also incredibly dangerous. I quickly moved to evade, while the Grand Duke just stared blankly at the showering fragments of his own blade. And then.
"Aaaaaaaaaargh!"
The Grand Duke and the surrounding spectators began to scream as they were struck by the fragments. To call it beautiful Silver Stardust was just a saying; each piece was a Sword Fragment from a famed sword that had fought for decades without dulling its edge. There was no way a person could be unscathed after being hit by something like that.
The audience scattered in all directions, clawing at their bodies. The Lord of Amur was caught in the Midst of Chaos. He had been watching the duel with Grand Duke Rubicon from the closest spot, and now his whole body glittered as if he were an actor in a Hellraiser Sequel.
And the Grand Duke.
"Uwaaaaaah!! Uwaaaaaaaaaah!!"
Foolishly staring at his own broken blade fragments, the Grand Duke was screaming, his face in tatters. He must have had a lot on his mind. That's surely why he couldn't react properly after seeing his blade shatter in a single blow. In the Midst of Chaos, I lightly scraped the Grand Duke's hand with my Holy Sword and grabbed his hair.
"Grand Duke Rubicon!"
"My eyes...! My eyeees!!!!"
Grand Duke Rubicon was screaming, pointing at his own eyes. His face was so mangled that even I, with my strong stomach, couldn't bear to look at it closely. I was sure that after all these wounds were treated and the scars remained, not even the Grand Duke of the North's parents would be able to recognize this bastard.
I held Grand Duke Rubicon by the hair, shook his head, and shouted.
"Admit your defeat, Grand Duke Rubicon!"
"Treatment...! Treatmeeeent!!"
Grand Duke Rubicon had already lost his mind. I made a fist and landed a refreshing blow right into his gut. The screaming Grand Duke collapsed and started vomiting.
"Gurgle... gack... Treatment... Treatment...!"
"Admit your defeat, Grand Duke Rubicon!"
"Aaaargh! Aaaaaaaargh!"
"Admit! Your! Defeat!"
"I lost! I lost! Aaaaaaaargh!"
"Judge! Make your verdict, quickly!"
Aside from Grand Duke Rubicon, who had been in a duel with me, the others were already being treated by a Priest. And the treatment wasn't a simple matter of a single Heal. The fragments were embedded in their bodies, so they had to be pulled out before a Heal could be administered. The spectator stands were already filled with the sound of screams as blade fragments were being removed.
"Help meeee!"
"Aaaaaargh! Aaaaaargh!"
The timid Judge seemed unable to process this Scene from Hell. The Trial Scene was already Pandemonium. One side of the spectator stands had become a complete Sea of Blood, and people were lying on the ground, groaning. Someone was constantly screaming, and the sound of blade fragments being pulled out echoed from the floor.
"Hurryyyy...! Aaaaaaaargh!"
And Grand Duke Rubicon was sitting on the ground, screaming like a child.
"My eyeees...! My eyes...!"
"Judge!"
I pressed the judge again, grabbing Grand Duke Rubicon by the hair and shaking him. Having lost his will to fight, he was no longer putting up any resistance. The judge also seemed to have lost his Sanity. He couldn't answer, no matter how many times I shouted.
"Aaaaaargh! Gyaaaaaah!"
"Judge!"
"Yes! Yes!"
The judge finally answered and shot to his feet. He was horrified to see that I had beaten Grand Duke Rubicon to a bloody pulp. At my Nod, the judge hurriedly delivered his verdict.
"Ghhhck... gack...!"
"Th-then! I shall deliver the verdict for the trial between the Amur Territory, Grand Duke Rubicon, and Peta Lusius! The trial result is Peta Lusius's v-victory! Therefore, Grand Duke Rubicon must apologize to Peta Lusius... and, Peta Lusius may demand A Just Price from the Amur Territory!"
The moment he finished speaking, I let go of Grand Duke Rubicon. The priests, who had been watching the duel's conclusion, approached to begin treating the Grand Duke. I didn't feel like helping, so I stepped back. To treat him, they'd have to pull out the Sword Fragments embedded in his face. Utterly disgusting, that was.
And so, the trial ended. The Lord of Amur's injuries were Not life-threatening, and Grand Duke Rubicon lost his Vision but kept his life. With the trial over, it was time to leave. The Makeshift Assembly Hall was being cleared, and the personnel from the Amur Territory began to stealthily avoid me and head back to their domain. They must have been speechless, having foolishly lost a trial they had expected to win.
I didn't bother to stop the Lord of Amur. I planned to let him rest for a few days before absolutely crushing him. And Grand Duke Rubicon, who had arrived majestically on horseback, was now forced to rely on a Recuperation Carriage for his return. It was because he was suffering from an Unexplained high fever.
Even so, Grand Duke Rubicon spoke to me from beyond the carriage window. With bandages over his eyes and his face gaunt in just a short time, it was hard to believe this was the same majestic Grand Duke from before.
"It was a good... contest."
Grand Duke Rubicon had lost his sight, but he seemed to have no regrets. They say warriors obsess over a good fight even at a loss to themselves, and that's how it felt. He blocked my path as I was about to return to my territory and began to ramble on.
It was something about how he hadn't met a Strong person like me since he started fighting in the Northern Territory. I ignored his words and opened my status window. Grand Duke Rubicon's status window showed how much time he had left before he'd die from the poison.
*30 seconds until Death.
I looked around. The Coachman had gone to a corner to rest, and there were no servants in the carriage. The Escort Guards were all resting a short distance away, following Grand Duke Rubicon's request to speak with me alone. I lowered my voice and said.
"But do you know something, Grand Duke?"
The Grand Duke stopped his rambling and turned his head toward the sound of my voice. He had a Puzzled Expression. He tried to fry my Wife, and his son insulted me. The thought that the Grand Duke shouldn't die so Satisfyingly crossed my mind. I whispered in an even smaller voice.
"Do you know why you are in pain?"
"Wh-what..."
"It's because I coated my sword with poison."
"Wha-what...?"
The Grand Duke's face showed he didn't understand my words. A dark shadow slowly crept over his refreshed-looking face. It seemed he finally understood. I Intentionally laughed out loud in front of him. He began to grit his teeth, his Facial Expression twisting.
"Y-yooou...! You... You Filthy Bastard!! You unforgivable...!"
10. 9. 8. 7. 6.
"H-here! Attend me! Someone...! Anyone, come quickly! Come and get this filthy... ghhck...! Gack...!"
5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
"This can't be! My final duel...! For my duel to be like this... ghhhhck... gack...!"
At last, Grand Duke Rubicon let out a final scream and died on the spot. The Escort Guards who Belatedly rushed over checked on the Grand Duke's condition and asked me.
"High Priest! What... what in the world...!"
I put on the most Bitter Expression I could muster and said.
"I simply told him to apologize to me for losing the duel. But it seems His Grace was greatly angered by those words. He yelled that he could not accept it, and then he suddenly passed away. It is a regrettable matter."
"S-such a thing..."
The soldiers looked back and forth between me and the Grand Duke with Unbelievable eyes. Why should a bastard who tried to fry another man's wife die a peaceful death?
But I was a High Priest of the Archdeity Church. I needed to have Compassion. So, I decided to be satisfied with fabricating that Grand Duke Rubicon had died pathetically.
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