Griphoc's expression twisted into something vicious.
“You want me to hand over my officer position?”
Aura took shape around his grotesquely massive greatsword.
“And you're challenging me to a duel?”
This wasn't the faint shimmer of energy Ex had seen before.
It was aura given definite form.
An Aura Blade, proof of a 5-Star martial artist.
“You called me all the way out here just to pull this pathetic little stunt?”
A murderous pressure, thick enough to choke on, spilled out around him.
It was the full force of a 5-Star martial artist who wasn't holding anything back.
Someone less capable might have found themselves unable to breathe under it.
But his opponent was Ex.
“I don't think this is worth getting that angry over.”
He lived every day under the pressure of a 6-Star martial artist.
Something like this barely registered anymore.
Seeing Ex standing there without so much as flinching only made Griphoc's fury burn hotter.
“You think you're in any position to challenge me to a duel? You, some third-rate mage? A lowborn wretch who doesn't even have a noble house protecting him dares to challenge me?”
“Commoners have the right to issue duels too.”
“If that's what you believe, then I'll show you how reality works.”
The instant the words left his mouth, Griphoc brought his greatsword straight down.
Even with a weapon that large, there was no possible way it could reach Ex from that distance.
To anyone watching from the side, it would have looked as though he'd simply struck empty air.
But that sort of common sense only applied to low-ranking martial artists.
CLANG-!!
An Aura Blade crashed down exactly where Ex had been standing.
He'd been ready for it, so dodging wasn't difficult.
‘So that's an Aura Blade…’
The Aura Blade extending from Griphoc's greatsword shone with a menacing blue light.
A solid blade of blue aura stretched nearly one meter beyond the physical tip of the sword.
In other words, Griphoc's weapon effectively had a reach of almost three meters.
“Allow me to tell you what's going to happen now.”
Griphoc pulled the greatsword free from the ground and made his declaration.
“You, a mere commoner, dared to insult House Dremore. You tarnished the honor of my family, yet in our generosity, we still offered you a chance at forgiveness.”
“You mean the slave contract that would've turned me into your personal torture doll for the rest of my life?”
“And yet you showed not even the slightest hint of remorse. You, a commoner of no standing whatsoever, spat upon the mercy offered to you by a high-ranking noble and kicked it aside.”
“I did burn it to bits, but I don't remember doing any of that.”
“Therefore, I will personally pass judgment upon you.”
Griphoc settled into his stance once more.
“You die here today.”
Ex checked the Synopsis and allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
“No. I don't die here today.”
“I've heard enough of your bullshit.”
This time, the greatsword swept horizontally.
The Aura Blade, giving the weapon nearly three meters of reach, went straight for Ex's neck.
And yet Ex simply stood there, smiling.
‘I don't know what you're planning, but I'll take your head first.’
Griphoc had no intention of stopping his blade.
Whatever happened next, he intended to kill Ex.
Unfortunately for him, he was forced to abandon that thought.
“Stop this instant!”
At the sudden, imperious command, Griphoc froze.
It was a voice no noble could ever afford to forget.
Ex glanced at the greatsword that had stopped just short of him, then stepped forward and whispered quietly to Griphoc.
“What a shame. Looks like I was right.”
Then Ex turned toward the unexpected arrival and dropped to one knee.
“Greetings, Imperial Princess Beatrice.”
The person who had just appeared was none other than Imperial Princess Beatrice.
“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness…!”
Griphoc immediately withdrew his sword and dropped to one knee as well.
He couldn't possibly remain armed in the presence of Imperial royalty.
‘Why is the Imperial Princess here…?!’
Griphoc's thoughts descended into chaos.
Why had Beatrice appeared at this exact moment?
Why had she stopped him from killing Ex?
Question after question tore through his head like a storm.
Beatrice had appeared and prevented Ex's death.
That could only mean one thing.
‘Don't tell me… The one backing this bastard… The traitor inside the Sword Gang is…!’
And while Griphoc was lost in those thoughts…
“Haa… Haa…”
Beatrice leaned against the rooftop door, struggling to catch her breath.
She'd apparently sprinted here in such a hurry that sweat was running down her face.
“Haa… Haa… Just… stay like that for a second…”
She looked so desperate that there wasn't even a trace of imperial dignity left in her.
And there was a very good reason she'd run all the way here.
『Synopsis – Beatrice de Dritania's Viewpoint
「…Andras spotted the ring on Ex's hand. He had fallen for the temptation. That was good, but she had never imagined he would actually challenge Griphoc to a duel. Andras abandoned class and immediately rushed for the rooftop.」』
‘You really did run your heart out getting here.’
Beatrice's arrival had been part of the plan.
Ex had expected Griphoc to attack immediately if he challenged him to a duel on an empty rooftop.
And if Andras saw the Soul Trap Ring on Ex's hand, there was no chance she'd allow him to die.
‘I'm one step away from becoming your demon underling. Like you'd let this chance slip away.’
So naturally, she'd come running at full speed to stop it.
But that wasn't the only thing Ex had been aiming for.
He glanced at Griphoc's distorted expression.
It wasn't difficult to guess exactly what was going through the man's head.
‘Until now, the existence of a traitor was probably nothing more than a suspicion.’
No matter how convincingly Ex talked about there being a traitor, there was always room for doubt.
The question of how the profits would eventually be divided was certainly a dangerous topic.
There was no easy way to decide how power and benefits should be distributed.
After all, the Sword Gang had officers, but no actual leader.
‘And without a leader, no one can make a decisive ruling.’
That was why they'd all tacitly avoided the subject until now.
They could divide everything after taking control of the academy.
There hadn't been enough evidence to conclude that there absolutely had to be a traitor.
But Beatrice's appearance changed everything.
‘The instant the Imperial Princess showed up, suspicion became certainty.’
Every officer was probably thinking the same thing now.
‘The traitor has joined forces with Imperial Princess Beatrice.’
The Synopsis confirmed it.
『Synopsis – Griphoc Lu Dremore's Viewpoint
「…Just as he was about to kill Ex, Beatrice appeared. The fact that she had rushed here so desperately that she had abandoned all dignity could only mean one thing. Beatrice and whoever stood behind Ex were on the same side. The traitor had joined hands with the Imperial Princess.」』
‘Exactly as expected.’
Only after confirming the result did Ex finally relax.
Meanwhile, Griphoc forced down his anger and spoke.
“Imperial Princess Beatrice… May I ask why you stopped me…?”
“Whew… Ahem. I couldn't simply stand by and watch a student die inside the academy.”
“…Is that truly the only reason? Perhaps you have some other intention…”
“Stop trying to read ulterior motives into my actions, Griphoc Lu Dremore, heir to the headship of House Dremore. I am in no mood for games right now.”
“However…”
“I said.”
Beatrice drew one finger downward through the air.
BOOOOM-!!!
“Ghuk…!”
Griphoc's entire body was crushed against the ground beneath massively intensified gravity.
“I am in no mood for games.”
Beatrice looked down solemnly at Griphoc, who had been flattened against the ground like a frog.
“P-Please forgive my insolence…!”
At Griphoc's desperate plea, Beatrice waved her hand.
The crushing pressure vanished, and he immediately returned to one knee.
“Thank you for your mercy…”
“There will not be a next time.”
Beatrice let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She had barely managed to prevent the worst possible outcome, Ex dying here.
If he died before even becoming a demon, her entire plan would collapse.
Andras looked down at Ex, who remained kneeling with his head bowed without the slightest movement, and a faint sigh escaped her lips.
‘I didn't expect this. Just how intense are the negative emotions and malice inside him?’
She'd expected the curse corrupting his soul to make him act unpredictably.
But even by the fastest estimate, she'd expected it to take at least a week.
She had never imagined he'd explode like this the very next day.
Which meant Ex possessed stronger negative emotions and malice than anyone she'd ever encountered.
‘It'll be troublesome if he ends up summoning a demon that's too powerful…’
Part of her was intrigued.
Another part was worried.
But that was something she could adjust from this point onward.
‘First, I need to get him away from this guy and keep him under my control…’
Just as Andras decided that Ex needed to be brought under her direct supervision…
“As expected of Imperial Princess Beatrice! So Your Highness personally came all this way to officially sanction my duel! I hardly know how I could ever repay such generosity…!”
“…What?”
Ex suddenly shouted in a voice trembling with emotion, loudly enough to make certain everyone could hear him.
The completely unexpected declaration brought both Griphoc's and Beatrice's thoughts to a dead stop.
Ex didn't care.
He kept going.
“I haven't even repaid Your Highness for gracing my previous duel as a witness, yet you've personally come to witness another one…! I swear that I will give this duel everything I have ‘for Your Highness’!”
“No, wait…”
“In that case!”
Ex rose to his feet and threw the remaining white dueling glove.
Straight into the back of the kneeling Griphoc's head.
“Then I hereby issue my formal declaration once again! Griphoc Lu Dremore, heir to the headship of House Dremore! If you have even a shred of honor, do not run from me!!”
“Stop, you…!”
“From this moment forward, I, ‘Ex,’ stake my life and honor upon this duel for Imperial Princess Beatrice!! Accept my challenge, Griphoc Lu Dremore!!”
The duel had been declared.
His voice was so thunderously loud that it seemed to echo across the entire academy.
Even if it hadn't reached every corner, there was no question that anyone inside the academy's main building had heard the declaration.
And Beatrice knew exactly what that meant.
Her face went pale.
‘I'm screwed.’
There was no fixing this now.
Once a formal duel had been declared, it had to take place.
If nobody had heard, there might have been room to bury it.
But after Ex shouted loudly enough for half the academy to hear him, there was no chance that declaration had gone unnoticed.
Griphoc understood that just as well as she did.
“Kuh… Kuhuh… Hahahaha…”
Griphoc began laughing under his breath.
Ex immediately responded in a sharp voice.
“What exactly is so funny?”
“You just threw away your own life.”
Griphoc slowly rose to his feet and glared at Ex.
“Her Highness's grace saved your life, and you've tossed that second chance aside like garbage. You're not sane. You've completely lost your mind.”
“And what are you planning to do about it?”
“What else?”
Griphoc stared at Ex with such savage intensity that his gaze alone seemed ready to kill him.
“I, Griphoc Lu Dremore, heir to the headship of House Dremore, formally accept ‘Ex's’ challenge to a duel.”
The declarations had been exchanged.
There was no taking them back now.
The two men glared at one another as they waited for Beatrice to speak.
A duel like this also required a formal declaration from the person serving as its official witness.
Beatrice realized there was no way out and clenched her teeth.
“…By my authority, I recognize this duel between you. I will serve as its witness. Does either party object?”
“I can only express my deepest gratitude, Your Highness.”
“We shall proceed according to Your Highness's will.”
After receiving firm confirmation from both Ex and Griphoc, Beatrice's mind raced.
She couldn't allow Ex to die in the current situation.
Fortunately, there was still a way to delay matters.
“This is not an informal duel, but a formally declared one. Therefore, in accordance with tradition, we will determine the date, location, and terms of the duel. Does either party object?”
Griphoc didn't like that declaration.
If this had remained an informal duel, he could have cut Ex's head off immediately.
But if they followed formal tradition, that was no longer possible.
It was obvious that Beatrice was trying to keep Ex alive somehow.
“…I shall follow Your Highness's will.”
But refusing wasn't an option.
If he publicly slighted the honor of an Imperial Princess, he could be executed on the spot.
‘It doesn't matter.’
All this did was extend the vermin's life a little longer.
Sooner or later, the day of the duel would come.
“Then we will establish the terms according to the laws governing formal duels.”
Beatrice continued the declaration.
“Griphoc, as the challenged party, you may decide the format of the duel.”
The terms Griphoc would choose were obvious.
“One weapon may be carried. No proxies. The duel will be fought personally by the two participants.”
His opponent was a mage.
A mage would naturally be accustomed to using all sorts of magic devices. Limiting him to a single weapon would put him at a severe disadvantage.
‘And I heard a prodigy named Elia enrolled with this year's freshmen.’
He would also block Ex from bringing in a proxy to fight in his place.
That left Ex with no choice but to fight personally, using only a single weapon.
For a mage, those conditions were about as bad as they could get.
‘Of course… He had to choose those terms…’
Beatrice understood the implications just as clearly, and inwardly felt sick.
If Ex had been allowed to use multiple weapons, she'd planned to supply him with every artifact and magic device she could get her hands on.
If proxies had been permitted, she could have swallowed the damage to her reputation and sent one of her knights in his place.
But Griphoc had now eliminated both options.
“…Ex, as the challenger, you will decide the date and location. Under the laws of dueling, the date may be set for any time up to one year from the day of declaration. Do you understand? Up to one year from now! One full year!”
If nothing else, she needed to buy time.
‘Please say one year…!’
She threw imperial dignity to the wind and emphasized the one-year limit over and over again.
Even an idiot should have understood what she was telling him to do.
She only needed Ex for her plan anyway.
Once she'd gotten what she wanted from him, she couldn't care less whether he died in some duel afterward.
Ex thought for a moment before answering.
“The academy's indoor training hall will be the location.”
At least he'd chosen terrain favorable to himself.
An indoor arena was better for a mage than an open field.
But the location mattered far less than the date.
“As for the date…”
“Planning to say one year from now?”
Before Ex could finish, Griphoc cut in.
He continued with open mockery in his voice.
“Well, I suppose there'd be no honor in a 5-Star martial artist defeating some low-level mage. Whether you want a month or a year makes no difference to me. Take all the time you need to prepare…”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
This time, Ex cut Griphoc off.
Griphoc's expression darkened at the disrespect, but Ex merely smiled.
“A year? That's excessive. There's no need for anything close to that. I beat Circe, a 4th-Tier mage, on the very day I challenged her.”
Then Ex declared the date of the duel.
Griphoc's eyes widened in surprise.
Beatrice's mouth fell open in horror.
“Three days. Three days is more than enough for me to beat you.”
The date Ex declared was Sunday.
Three days from now.
–TL Notes–
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