A Perfect Victory
‘…What?’
The words Dantellion used to provoke Cedric—so that was it. It was even harsher than I expected.
And the provocation seemed to have worked perfectly. Even from my perspective, Cedric looked too agitated, clearly not in his right mind.
[Hmph, that vile Sword Master. He’s completely lost his cool.]
‘Yeah.’
Desmond recognized it instantly. I nodded as I watched the two draw their swords.
Clang!
After glaring at each other for a while, they finally moved. As expected, Cedric struck first.
[Tsk tsk, and he calls himself a Sword Master. One must first gauge the opponent’s energy and attack carefully.]
‘That’s how little he respects the Crown Prince.’
Sure, Dantellion’s provocation got under Cedric’s skin—but more than that, Cedric clearly underestimated him from the start.
Just looking at the mood in the coliseum made it obvious—everyone thought Cedric would win. Including Cedric himself.
That’s probably why he could attack so boldly.
[Ohh? The scary Sword Master is being pushed back, Master!]
‘Hmm.’
Indeed. After Cedric launched the initial attack, he started swinging his sword like a madman. Dantellion barely managed to block the blows.
‘He must’ve formed a contract with Dolens…’
Then why wasn’t he using the demon’s power? Was he worried about being exposed? But it’s not something easily detected. People might find it odd, but in the middle of such a frenzied exchange, they wouldn’t think straight.
In that sense, Dolens’s ability was incredibly useful.
‘What’s he planning?’
Could Dantellion possibly be trying to win using only his own power, just so he could confess to Veronica or something equally ridiculous?
Like some childish novel protagonist. Just imagining that worst-case scenario made me shudder.
As annoying and arrogant as Cedric was, his skills were real. He wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. I gritted my teeth and gripped the railing tightly.
“Woooah!”
“Go, Marquis!”
“Knock him out!”
People who had bet on Cedric shouted loudly.
By now, Dantellion had been pushed all the way to the edge of the arena. If Cedric landed a stronger blow, he’d definitely be knocked out of bounds.
‘No!’
Cedric wouldn’t miss this opportunity. He’d use his strongest technique. If it landed, Dantellion would surely—
‘Strongest technique…!’
Then it hit me—like a bolt of lightning.
Was this what Dantellion had been aiming for all along? My eyes widened as I looked at Cedric raising his longsword, enveloped in sword aura.
The violet aura suited him well. A sneer briefly crossed his face.
He must’ve been thinking something like, “Farewell!” or “This ends now!”—just like a villain.
And then it happened.
BOOOOM!
“Kyaaah!”
“Aaagh!”
A huge explosion erupted, and the resulting shockwave swept through the spectator stands.
Everyone ducked their heads, enduring the blast. I raised both arms to shield my eyes. Abel wrapped his body around me to protect me.
When things finally calmed down a bit, I cautiously opened my eyes.
“…!”
I stared at the arena in shock.
Dantellion calmly looked down.
His sword, enveloped in golden aura, hummed as if roaring.
“Guh…”
“……”
A faint groan could be heard. Dantellion turned his gaze to the man collapsed on the ground.
Cedric still looked like he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
And it made sense. He had been so sure of his victory. Right up until the final moment, it had seemed that way. No—it was that way.
‘What in the world just happened?’
A ringing echoed in his ears. The surrounding silence was deafening. After the explosion, everyone in the coliseum held their breath and stared at the scene.
Just moments ago, Cedric had completely dominated Dantellion. As expected, Dantellion had only just reached the realm of a Master.
He was a rookie who, drunk on his newfound strength, flailed his aura around without any proper technique. Cedric had been the same when he’d first become a Master.
So Cedric easily predicted his win. In fact, from the very beginning of the duel, he had been using a specialized technique—one even the Duke of Winston hadn’t devised.
Even though his opponent was an inexperienced Master, Cedric remained cautious. His feigned excitement in response to Dantellion’s provocation was calculated.
He never considered the possibility of losing. He intended to crush Dantellion completely.
But just as he went in for the final blow, an unexpected backlash struck him.
Rebound.
A recoil that occurs when a technique is improperly used. Cedric had taken damage from his own skill.
He simply couldn’t believe it. This was a technique he’d used hundreds of times on the battlefield without any side effects. So how—
Cedric’s lips trembled. But instead of words or groans, blood poured from his mouth.
“……”
Dantellion just watched him silently. Then he slowly raised his sword.
[That man used a sly skill to drain your power. No pride at all as a swordsman.]
“……”
[Well, I stole that technique and returned it in kind. He probably thinks he just messed up his own skill.]
Dolens’s voice echoed in Dantellion’s head. The demon rejoiced as if the victory were his own.
He urged Dantellion in an excited tone.
[Contractor, finish him. That vile man isn’t worth sparing.]
“……”
Dantellion’s eyes gleamed.
Kill him.
Yes—this was a duel where killing your opponent came with no consequences. The Empress Dowager and Cedric had filled the coliseum with spectators just to execute him publicly.
A quiet fury surrounded Dantellion.
Just as the Empress Dowager had eliminated other royals, they intended to mock and kill him.
So if he killed Cedric here, no one could complain.
In fact, it would be like severing one of the Empress Dowager’s limbs. It wasn’t a bad idea. A murderous aura flickered in Dantellion’s eyes.
“……”
But for some reason, his arm wouldn’t move.
Was it fear of killing? Sympathy for the loser?
No. He had no such weak emotions. If he did, he wouldn’t have survived the battlefield. That hesitation wasn’t born from weakness.
Dantellion’s eyes scanned the crowd. Despite the distance, he could see clearly. His gaze met a pair of red eyes, and he swallowed hard.
What was Veronica thinking right now?
She had said she hoped for his victory. Was she happy right now?
Or… was she grieving the defeat of the man she once loved? Afraid he might die?
Dantellion couldn’t be sure. He could feel her eyes on him—but he couldn’t guess her thoughts.
That brief hesitation stopped him from bringing his sword down.
“Stop!”
“…!”
A loud voice echoed through the coliseum. The Empress Dowager had shot up from her seat, glaring fiercely at Dantellion.
“Cease this at once, Crown Prince. You have won today’s duel.”
“Your Majesty, I haven’t yet—”
“I said enough!”
The Empress Dowager shouted, her expression uncharacteristically furious. The silence made her voice ring out all the louder.
Cedric, gravely wounded, coughed up blood. The outcome of the fight was clear.
“……”
Dantellion slowly lowered his sword. Though he’d missed the chance to kill his enemy, he didn’t look particularly disappointed.
[Why did you hesitate, contractor? You may never get another chance to kill a Sword Master like that.]
‘…Yeah, I wonder too.’
Dantellion looked down at Cedric, who lay bleeding. Knights from the Deborah Order and medics rushed over to tend to him.
After watching for a moment, Dantellion turned away. The Empress Dowager, who had glared at him moments ago, had already left her seat.
There would be another chance someday. But right now, that wasn’t what mattered.
Dantellion quickened his pace.
“…Brother!”
“…!”
On his way back to the waiting room, someone suddenly leapt into his arms. A familiar floral scent filled his nose.
“I knew you’d win.”
“Berry…”
“I knew you’d come back to me.”
Veronica looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. It was now clear who she’d been worrying about all this time.
Only then did Dantellion finally relax and smile.
It was a perfect victory.
