The duel arena floated at the heart of Astraeus Dominion like a suspended battlefield.
A circular platform of black marble hovered above an endless drop, surrounded by arcane barriers that shimmered like glass made of stars. Symbols of each House burned faintly along the edges marking territory, pride, dominance.
Kael stood alone on one side.
Across from him was the Blood House heir from before.
Tall. Crimson eyes. Sharp grin like he had already tasted victory.
"Students," the instructor's voice echoed coldly, "today's exercise is a sanctioned lineage duel. First to incapacitate or force surrender wins."
A pause.
"And since Kael has no House… this will also determine whether he's fit to remain in combat classes."
The crowd murmured.
They weren't here to watch a duel.
They were here to watch Kael fail.
The Blood Heir
The boy stepped forward, cracking his neck.
"Name's Riven of the Blood Thorn House," he said smugly. "I hope you understand what this means, crestless."
Kael didn't respond.
But his hands trembled slightly.
Blood magic wasn't flashy.
It was brutal.
Precise.
Cruel.
Riven sliced his palm without hesitation. His blood floated midair like liquid blades, twisting into sharp spears.
Gasps erupted from the watching Houses.
"That's high-tier blood control-"
"He's serious."
Riven smirked wider.
"Your magic doesn't scare me, freak. Let's see if you can overwrite something that's alive."
Duel Start
"Begin."
The spears shot forward instantly.
Kael barely dodged one sliced his cheek, drawing blood.
Pain exploded.
Too fast-
Riven laughed. "You're slow. Nobles don't wait for commoners to think."
More blood blades formed multiplying, circling Kael like predators.
Kael clenched his teeth.
Authority only works when I can grasp the spell structure… but his magic is constantly moving.
He focused.
Observed.
Waited.
Another strike-
Kael whispered:
"Authority."
For a split second, the blood spears froze midair.
Not long.
Just enough.
Kael twisted his hand and redirected their trajectory.
They shot back toward Riven.
The crowd gasped.
Riven jumped aside, eyes widening in shock.
"You… controlled my blood?!"
Kael panted.
"No… just rewrote its direction."
Strategy Over Power
Riven growled, now furious.
Blood surged from the cuts on his palm, forming a massive swirling serpent behind him.
High-tier magic.
Dangerous.
Kael felt pressure slam into him like gravity.
I can't overpower that… but Authority isn't about strength.
It's about control.
The serpent lunged-
Kael didn't block.
He stepped forward.
Right into it.
"Authority."
The serpent's structure shattered like a broken command line. Its form glitched violently, dispersing into harmless droplets.
Silence swallowed the arena.
Riven stumbled backward.
Terrified now.
"This isn't magic… it's cheating!"
Kael's eyes were calm for the first time since arriving.
"Your blood obeys rules."
"My power erases them."
Duel End
Riven tried one last desperate attack -
firing dozens of blood spikes wildly.
Kael lifted his hand.
Authority pulsed.
Every spike stopped midair and dropped uselessly to the floor.
Riven fell to his knees.
Defeated.
The instructor slammed her staff.
"Match over. Winner - Kael."
No applause.
Only stunned silence.
And fear.
For the first time, the nobles realized something horrifying.
A crestless boy had defeated a pureblood heir.
Not by power.
But by rewriting the laws that gave them superiority.
Aftermath
As Kael walked away from the arena, he felt eyes burning into his back hatred, curiosity, fear.
High above the academy towers, shadowed figures whispered again.
"The anomaly grows."
"The Houses will move soon."
"He's no longer a mistake."
"He's becoming a threat."
Kael clenched his fists quietly.
Not from fear anymore.
But resolve.
If they want war… they picked the wrong target.