The knight, spear in hand, stepped boldly into formation, his posture rigid, aura burning with challenge. He called for a sacred duel.
Sacred duels were monumental events, rare enough to be remembered for decades. They were broadcast live across the noble districts, thousands watching, their eyes glued to virtual screens as commentators' voices flooded in torrents.
"Who is that man?" a noble whispered, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in his tone."He's finished today," another replied confidently, smirking at what they assumed would be the spectacle of a lifetime.
The knight lunged, aiming his spear directly at Nivaan's chest. But before he could make contact, a subtle shimmer enveloped him, and he was abruptly teleported back to the point where his charge had begun.
Nivaan yawned lazily, expression indifferent, betraying nothing.
Undeterred, the knight drew upon his remaining strength. From the heavens, he summoned a radiant avatar of a holy goddess. The spear pulsed with divine energy, crackling as it returned to his grasp. In a blur, he unleashed a laser faster than any eye could follow.
"What a promising young knight," a noble commented, voice tinged with excitement."Could he be a hidden card of Marcello?" another whispered.
No one could track the laser's speed. It slammed toward Nivaan, but his body absorbed the divine energy, dissolving it into harmless liquid that dripped onto the battlefield. Shock rippled through the crowd, both in person and online.
More nobles tuned in, flooding the broadcast. A prompt appeared on Duke Marcello's screen:
[Number of viewers has reached maximum capacity for a knight's broadcast][Would you like to convert Knight's broadcast to Duke's broadcast?]
Marcello smirked, accepting the upgrade. "How can this weak insect possibly counter Sir Mollis's attacks?"
The knight's confidence faltered. Doubt crept into his mind, shaking the core of his determination.
Nivaan teleported directly in front of him. The force of his arrival sent the knight hurtling backward, smashing through three buildings. Soldiers froze, unable to process what they had just seen.
"What just happened?!" one noble typed frantically."Did he… use god steps?" another asked, disbelief overtaking his voice.
[Comments have been turned off due to technical issues.]
Nivaan advanced. With a single step, the heads of all surrounding soldiers bowed involuntarily to the ground. Silence enveloped the battlefield. A new prompt appeared:
[You do not have the authority to watch divine duel]
Divine duels were one-in-a-million, triggered only under extraordinary conditions and today, one had begun.
With each step, Nivaan reshaped the battlefield. His second step obliterated the buildings between him and the fallen knight. His third step called down lightning that struck a pillar of the king's castle. As he prepared his fourth step, thick vines erupted from the ground, attempting to entangle him. The moment they touched his legs, green flames erupted, incinerating them instantly.
Marcello's face drained of color. "Did that brat gain some mysterious power?" he muttered, panic creeping into his voice.
Nivaan summoned a microphone, holding it effortlessly in one hand. His calm, commanding voice echoed across the battlefield."Duke Marcello, you have ten seconds to present yourself here, or the reaper behind you will take your life."
Marcello turned and there it was. A towering reaper, scythe in hand, looming ominously behind him. The duke bolted, knees weakening, collapsing in submission.
"Duke, you have committed grave crimes. I, Arthur (Nivaan), shall execute you," he declared.
Marcello's daughter appeared before him, swift and silent, and in the next moment, she fell under the reaper's blade.
"Why… why did you kill her?!" the duke screamed."Shut up, vermin!" Nivaan snapped.
One by one, his wife and son were executed with ruthless precision. Madness overtook the duke."Kill me too! I beg of you!"
Voices pierced the illusion, calling him back:"Wake up, father!""Honey, wake up!""Father!"
Slowly, Marcello opened his eyes. Arthur (Nivaan) sat upon the throne, calm, imposing, fully in control. His family knelt before him, alive and unharmed. Behind them, the knight lay unconscious, blood seeping from his joints.
"What you witnessed would have occurred in ten minutes had you not confessed your crimes and released my family," Nivaan warned.
"Yes… yes, sir. Please spare my family," Marcello stammered, trembling.
Soldiers arrived, arresting the duke. His accomplices were executed alongside him. Marcello's son inherited the title, while his daughter was engaged to Arthur (Nivaan) a union he accepted with quiet composure, a thrill of victory coursing silently through him.
The domain of the executed noble was absorbed into Earl Keinz's territory.
Three weeks later, Arthur lounged in his swimming pool, basking in soft sunlight while flipping through books from this world. The warmth of the sun relaxed him, a small smile gracing his lips.
An invitation arrived: the princess of Jelo Kingdom had come of age, eighteen years old. The ceremony would take place ten days from now.
Arthur considered exploring the world for fragments of *****, though he spent the first two days resting and eating. On the third day, he climbed a nearby mountain, drawn toward its unique aura.
As he neared the peak, dozens of spears shot toward him.
Looking down, he saw a village. Villagers shouted furiously, surrounding him with weapons poised.
An old man emerged from the crowd, small in stature, eyes sharp, radiating the aura of an advanced magician."Young man, you are not permitted to pass through this village," he said firmly.