The courtyard of the Ten-no-Kura was silent, save for the howling winter wind.
Princess Suzaku stood between the two men, her chest heaving. She looked at Prince Seiryu—the boy she had grown up with, her fiancé—and felt nothing but disappointment.
'Comparison is the thief of joy,' she thought bitterly. 'But it is also the revealer of truth.'
Before she met Ryuzaki Haruto, she thought Seiryu was a genius. But now? Standing next to the Divine Son, Seiryu looked like a mudfish trying to be a dragon. Haruto was calm, elegant, and possessed a god-like aura. Seiryu was red-faced, screaming, and acting like a petulant child.
"Seiryu," Suzaku said, her voice trembling but firm. "This was my choice. You should leave."
Her words struck Seiryu like a physical blow. He staggered back, his face twisting in disbelief.
"Your choice?" Seiryu hissed, his eyes darting between her and Haruto. "You chose to be a slave? You chose to humiliate our engagement?"
He pointed a shaking finger at Haruto. "It's you! Ryuzaki Haruto! What kind of bewitching potion did you feed her? Did you brainwash her?!"
Haruto didn't answer immediately. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression serene. However, his obsidian eyes were not looking at Seiryu's face.
They were focused on the Dragon Ring on Seiryu's finger.
Thanks to the [Chaos Spirit-Grinding Visualization], Haruto's soul perception was terrifyingly sharp. He could sense a distinct, ancient soul hiding inside that ring—a remnant spirit that was currently feeding Seiryu power.
'Oh?' Haruto's internal monologue deadpanned. 'A Ring with a mysterious old master inside? The classic "Grandpa in the Ring" cheat?'
A faint, amused smile touched his lips.
'Betrayed by his fiancée, humiliated by a young master, possesses a cheat item... He really is a Protagonist template. Am I the villain in his story?'
"Interesting," Haruto murmured. "Is he trying to farm XP off me?"
Ignoring Haruto's silence, Suzaku took a deep breath. She pulled a jade pendant from her belt—the token of their engagement—and threw it onto the snowy ground.
"Enough, Seiryu," she declared. "My heart is made up. I will serve the Divine Son for the rest of my life. From this moment on... our engagement is annulled."
Clink.
The pendant hit the stone, cracking down the middle.
Seiryu stared at the broken jade. His world collapsed. The humiliation of being "cuckolded" in front of his rival burned through his veins like acid.
"Heh..." Seiryu let out a low, dangerous laugh. He looked up, his eyes burning with hatred. "So that's how it is. You cheap woman!"
"You betrayed me for power!" Seiryu screamed, tearing off his mask of nobility. "You sold your dignity to this pretty boy! You are nothing but a shameless bitch!"
Suzaku froze. She had expected anger, but not this. This was the boy who promised to protect her?
Haruto watched the scene unfold. 'Predictable,' he thought. 'The "Protagonist" always turns vicious when rejected. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably kill her too. But...'
Haruto glanced at the trembling Suzaku. 'She is my pawn now. I can't let him break my toy.'
It was the perfect opportunity to perform.
"Prince Seiryu," Haruto said, his voice cutting through the shouting.
Haruto stepped forward, placing himself in front of Suzaku. He looked at Seiryu with eyes full of disappointment and pity.
"You claim to be her fiancé, yet you slander her honor so easily? Even as an outsider, I feel utterly disheartened for the Princess."
Haruto turned his head slightly, offering Suzaku a reassuring nod. "Do not listen to the barking of a mad dog."
"Divine Son..." Suzaku whispered, clutching her chest. Tears welled in her eyes.
She had expected Haruto to be indifferent. She never expected him to defend her against the man she once loved. In that moment, the last shred of affection for Seiryu died, replaced by a fanatic devotion to Haruto.
To Seiryu, seeing the woman he loved look at another man with such adoration was the final straw.
"Damn you!" Seiryu roared, his Mana flaring blue. "Ryuzaki Haruto! Stop hiding behind women and your clan's reputation! Do you dare to fight me fairly?!"
"Fairly?" Haruto tilted his head. "I am eight years old. You are sixteen. Where is the fairness?"
Seiryu flushed, but he doubled down. "So what?! You are the Divine Son! You have the resources of an Empire! Or are you saying you are a coward?"
The provocation was clumsy, but effective.
"Very well," Haruto sighed, as if agreeing to play with a noisy child. "If you wish to be humiliated, I will oblige. Let us go to the Butokuden (Hall of Martial Virtues)."
The Path to the Arena
News of the duel spread instantly. By the time they reached the massive suspended arena, hundreds of Ryuzaki disciples had gathered.
"The Divine Son is fighting?" "Who is the challenger? That guy in blue?" "Pfft, the Prince of the Azure Dragon Kingdom? He looks like a clown." "He's sixteen challenging an eight-year-old? How shameless."
The whispers pierced Seiryu's ears. Every glance was filled with scorn.
Seiryu clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. He rubbed the Dragon Ring, drawing comfort from the warmth it emitted.
'Let them laugh,' Seiryu thought, his eyes burning with the fire of the underdog. 'They are just snobbish aristocrats. They don't know about my Master. They don't know about the [Nine-Transformation Dragon Art]. Today, I will trample their precious Divine Son and show the world that destiny favors the bold!'
He stepped onto the arena platform, his blue robes billowing.
Haruto stepped up opposite him. He stood relaxed, hands behind his back, looking like an immortal taking a stroll.
In the shadows of the viewing box, Ryuzaki Kenshin (Grandfather) and several Elders watched intently.
"Should we stop this?" an Elder asked. "The Prince is in the Divine Palace Realm."
"No," Kenshin grunted, stroking his beard. "Haruto needs to stretch his legs. Besides... do you really think my grandson will lose?"
On the stage.
"I am a generous man," Seiryu sneered, circulating his Mana. A faint dragon roar echoed from his body. "I will let you make the first move, Divine Son. Otherwise, you won't have a chance."
Haruto looked at the arrogant Prince. He felt... bored.
"Is that so?" Haruto nodded slightly. "You are very kind."
He didn't take a stance. He didn't summon a weapon.
He simply raised his right hand, clenched his small fist, and punched the empty air.
BOOM!
Instantly, the world changed color.
Inside Haruto's body, the 1,000 Giant Elephant Particles awakened. A golden light, brighter than the sun, erupted from his fist. The air compressed into a solid wall of force, screaming as it tore through the sound barrier.
It wasn't a technique. It was just the raw, terrifying weight of the Kongo-Seitai (Sacred Body).
"What—?!"
Seiryu's arrogant smile vanished. The hair on his body stood up. He felt like a mountain was falling on his head.
'Master! Help!' he screamed internally to the Ring.
But before he could react, the golden storm swallowed him whole.