The arena thundered with noise, thousands of eyes fixed upon the ring where two warriors stood—Gray, drenched in sweat, breath ragged, and Halmez, calm and steady, his sword gleaming beneath the sun.
The announcer's voice boomed over the roaring crowd:— "Ladies and gentlemen! Before you stand two knights… one, a newcomer, a youth from afar, Gray—the boy of burning resolve! And the other… a seasoned veteran, a warrior famed across the kingdom, the champion in the eyes of many—Halmez!"
The stands shook with chants, some calling Halmez's name with certainty, others cheering for Gray with wild passion. But all agreed on one thing—this duel would be decisive.
The announcer raised his hand high:— "Let the duel… begin!"
Halmez charged with startling speed, his blade flashing like lightning as it cut toward Gray's shoulder. With desperate effort, Gray staggered aside, barely dodging the blow.
— "By the gods!" the announcer cried, "the difference in speed and experience is plain to see!"
The crowd erupted, some laughing in mockery, others clapping in surprise that the boy still stood at all.
Gray panted, forcing air into his lungs, whispering inside his heart:"I won't fall… I won't surrender… even if this is the end for me."
Halmez's lips curled into a faint smile, his voice low so only Gray could hear:— "You have spirit… but spirit alone cannot carry your body, boy."
With a swift, crushing strike, Halmez shattered Gray's guard. The impact hurled him back two full meters, forcing him onto his knees.
The crowd's voices split between jeers and cheers, a wave of sound crashing over the ring.
Gray staggered to his feet once more, sword trembling in his grip, but his eyes refused to yield.
Summoning the last of his strength, Gray roared and hurled himself forward. His sword cleaved down in a reckless, all-or-nothing strike.
Halmez blocked it with ease.— "Your courage outpaces your skill," he said coldly.
And in a blur, three strikes fell.
The first shattered Gray's balance.The second knocked his sword from his hand.The third slammed him onto the ground, breathless, broken.
The announcer bellowed:— "The victor, without question… Halmez!!!"
The crowd exploded into thunderous applause, drums and banners erupting in celebration.
But then… Gray's eyes fluttered open. Slowly, painfully, he raised himself onto an elbow. The world spun around him, every cheer for Halmez crashing like waves in his ears.
Halmez's heavy steps drew near. He stopped before the fallen boy, then lowered his hand.— "Stand. Your will does not belong in the dirt."
Gray blinked in shock, then grasped the hand. With trembling effort, he rose.
Halmez smiled faintly, then lifted Gray's arm high for all to see.— "I may have won this crown… but he has won something greater: the will unbroken!"
The arena shook with a roar unlike any before—half the crowd chanting Halmez's name, the other half screaming for Gray.
As Gray stood there, his gaze drifted to the royal stands. His eyes met those of Prince Kin, the fourth. A shiver coursed through him.
Step by step, Gray staggered toward the sword Kin had once thrown into the ring. He picked it up with both hands, then dropped to one knee, raising the blade upright before his chest in silent respect.
Gasps spread through the arena.
And then, in a stunning moment, Kin leapt from his seat. He landed lightly atop the barrier of the arena, then strode forward, his presence commanding silence.
He extended his hand to both Gray and Halmez, his voice ringing like steel:— "I congratulate you, Halmez, on your victory… and you, Gray, on your unyielding will."
He raised his own sword high, turning toward the roaring sea of faces.— "From this moment forward, before all who bear witness: I, Kin Val Orvals, name Gray my knight—my sworn aide—and grant him the honor of my sword!"
The crowd erupted in a chaos of cries—shock, joy, anger, awe. Some screamed in outrage, others shouted in fevered support.
Gray's chest heaved, his heart nearly leaping free as tears mixed with sweat. He lifted the sword with both trembling hands, his vision blurred but blazing with new fire.
Halmez clapped, a smile of respect lighting his scarred face.
In the royal stands, Darius's fist clenched so tight veins bulged, Leon watched in brooding silence, and Adrian's sharp eyes fixed upon Kin with unreadable intent.
The duel had ended… but a new chapter in the kingdom's grand game had only just begun.