Asher stepped outside, arriving at a clear, large area behind the castle. Everyone had already gathered around. Some stood on trees as they watched from above in order to catch every moment of the battle. Some stood at the side, some stood at the front.
Asher walked to the front, where Emperor Zolthemir had designated as their battlefield. Ryan was already standing there. As the son of a Duke, who had been raised with discipline since birth, he stood composed and with an air of nobility around him.
A calm schadenfreude smile could be seen on his face, which literally interpreted: "Iâm gonna take my time, enjoy this fight and your pain."
Asher didnât return the smile. He simply arrived in front of Ryan with calm strides. He didnât have enough brain capacity to go around caring about or thinking deeply about a guy he had just met a few minutes ago.
Emperor Zolthemir arrived between Asher and Ryan and started speaking.
"This duel will end when one of you gives up or falls unconscious, or when one is about to receive a fatal injury and I step in. No Bloodline abilities, no Astra, this is purely physical."
He paused, allowing Asher and Ryan to absorb and understand his words.
"Remember, this duel involves fifty percent of your householdâs earnings on the line, so make it interesting. Now draw your weapons," Emperor Zolthemir said with a smile.
Virelass flashed into Asherâs hands. It gleamed under the moonlight, its silver reflecting the moonâs rays.
Everyone knew the Wargrave family could awaken soul weapons. Their eyes traced every inch and corner of Virelass, trying to see through her and discern her secrets.
âWill he show us the ability the rapier holds?â they all wondered. To them, it seemed like the only way for Asher to win this spar was to rely on the ability of his soul weapon.
But with the Emperor banning the use of Bloodline abilities, Asher had no hope, or so they thought.
In Ryanâs hand, his own sword appeared as he stared Asher dead in the eyes.
Seeing both of them ready, the Emperor vanished, his voice sounding like an echo as he disappeared: "Begin."
Without even waiting for a beat, Ryan instantly blurred forward, crossing meters within seconds, his sword already screaming towards Asherâs neck.
Asher didnât move. He simply watched the sword approaching his neck. Seeing this, the nobles thought Asher wasnât fast enough to react.
Just as the sword was about to connect, Virelass flashed forward. With a resonating clang, the two blades met.
Ryan frowned. He couldnât believe Asher had kept up. After all, Asher had only just awakened. Even with the Wargraveâs physique, it should have been impossible to match his speed.
He moved again, his sword changing targets this time as it sliced toward Asherâs chest, threatening to tear it open.
âWeak,â Asher thought. His mind could telegraph everything Ryan did before he even did it, his breath, his muscle contractions, his heartbeat.
Asher sensed it all, his Omni Perception showing everything to him like it was written in a book.
Asher didnât bother blocking this time. He simply sidestepped. His right knee instantly swept upward. With a bam, it detonated against Ryanâs ribs.
Pain exploded at the point of impact, but before Ryan could regain his footing, Asher was already there. Virelass floated in the air as if giving up on this useless spar.
Asherâs fist connected with Ryanâs temple like a battering ram. Ryan felt his consciousness flicker in and out.
He couldnât understand what was happening. One moment he had attacked, and the next, he was being beaten down. His eyes couldnât even follow the speed of Asherâs movements.
But Asher didnât wait. He moved without pausing. A sweeping kick to the knees, Ryan buckled and dropped to the ground. He blinked as his sides crashed against the earth.
He opened his eyes just in time to see a fist screaming down from above toward his face. His body reacted on instinct as he instantly threw himself to the side, frantically dodging.
But Asherâs fist didnât impact the floor beneath him. His hand froze mid-motion, then instantly changed rhythm as his elbow snapped sideways toward Ryanâs gut.
He could read Ryan, he had already seen him dodging before he even moved. Asher had simply adjusted to Ryanâs movements.
Ryanâs sword instantly flashed as he tried to slice Asherâs elbow with its sharp edge and cleave his arm off at once. But in a blur of motion, Asherâs body rotated. His torso, waist, and shoulders flowed to the side, his footwork guiding him seamlessly.
His hand shot upward like a launched rocket, tearing through the air as it slammed into Ryanâs chin. The sound of impact exploded in everyoneâs ears as the crack of bone and teeth breaking echoed.
The force of the impact lifted Ryan off the ground briefly, but before his feet could land again, Asherâs knuckles blasted against his nose.
Ryanâs head jerked backward, his neck following in tandem, before his entire body was dragged by the force and inertia as he rolled backward.
Asher walked toward Ryan with calm strides, his purple eyes unconcerned for the boy struggling to stand.
Ryan felt pain from every part of his body. His nerves sent only signals of torment. He was still just a kid, he couldnât shut them out. His mind and body ached, but he didnât scream. His father was watching.
Yet at the same time, he couldnât believe his eyes. Asher was never supposed to be this strong physically, it was impossible. He couldnât understand how Asher had been so fast that he couldnât keep up with his movements.
âIf only I could use Astra... I could augment my movement and attacks. I would have buried him in bones,â his mind raged.
He wanted to use his Bloodline abilities and Astra, but he knew he couldnât simply throw away the Emperorâs orders.
His eyes shifted to his father, who looked at him with an expressionless face. He knew, even though the man showed no emotion, that was only because various nobles were gathered here, watching. Otherwise, Rhydionâs face would have twisted into a frown.
Ryanâs gaze shifted from his father back to the cause of this impossibility before him.
But all his eyes met was a foot crushing down from above like a hammer. It impacted his face with a sickening bam. His head slammed into the ground, and the earth beneath his skull buckled as spiderweb-like cracks spread out.
But Asher wasnât done.
He removed his foot, crimson blood dripping from it. His leg moved as it changed position. It hovered over Ryanâs knee like an ominous UFO, then it crashed downward.
Then it came, the sound of bones shattering under pure, unrestrained force. Ryanâs leg snapped as the bones turned to dust.
Ryan couldnât bear the pain anymore. A piercing scream tore through his throat.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
His voice tore through the air, slamming into everyoneâs ears like thunder.
But Asher didnât care. His foot moved like a viper, instantly crushing Ryanâs larynx. Instantly, the scream vanished, as if it had never existed.
Asher didnât pause. His foot lifted again. Ryanâs eyes widened in horror. Asher was no different than an extremely dangerous Emovira in his eyes. He watched helplessly as the foot crashed down again against his second knee.
But he couldnât scream. He couldnât do anything. He couldnât even give up, he needed his voice for that.
Asherâs foot descended yet again as he crushed Ryanâs elbows like they were nothing but twigs.
With that, Ryan fell unconscious. He couldnât survive that kind of pain.
Asher stood with a calm gaze as he stared down at the mangled boy called Ryan, who now lay half-dead.