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16.15% Path of the Extra / Chapter 35: Christmas Banquet [5]

Kapitel 35: Christmas Banquet [5]

Celestina's eyes were glued to the two princes standing in the middle of the ballroom.

There was no sound coming from anywhere, only utter silence.

'Caleus was right...he has changed.'

A lot.

The old Azriel would have never done everything he had done today.

It wasn't just that which surprised her.

The thing that surprised her the most was...

'He complimented me...'

It wasn't like getting complimented was something that shook her heart or made it flutter.

Celestina had received compliments from countless people already, so she had gotten used to it.

What shocked her the most was that 'he' was the one who complimented her.

As far as she could remember, Azriel would never compliment anyone.

Hell, he would barely even talk to her or Caleus as if he wasn't interested.

The air around him always seemed to say to stay away from him.

He was always someone who distanced himself from everyone around him.

But now?

It was like he was almost a different person.

Celestina didn't mean to speak out her desire to fight him as well.

It was just a thought that accidentally leaked out, which Azriel heard.

Yet he didn't ignore her; instead, he promised her a duel at the academy.

'Right... he will be joining the academy as well now.'

She had thought that he would never join the hero academy.

It made her a little happy as well.

Among the four great clans, Azriel was the only one who was the same age as her, but unfortunately, he had never held any interest in being a hero like her.

Until now.

Curiosity enveloped her as she gazed at Azriel's face.

'What happened during those 2 years...?'

She wanted to know more about him.

It was then that it happened.

"...!"

Chills ran down her back.

His face...

It changed abruptly.

Before, he looked determined, with a fire in his crimson eyes directed at Caelus.

But now...

It was gone.

All of it was gone.

His expression, his eyes, and the air around him.

They all turned into a blank canvas.

'W-what...'

Celestina felt like she would be swallowed up staring into those deepening crimson eyes.

She couldn't see any emotion on his face or in his eyes.

Only detachment.

A detached gaze directed straight at the surprised Caleus.

It was as if he wasn't looking at Caleus as a human but as something insignificant.

Like he was gazing at the open air.

She would have suspected that it was a skill or something, but that couldn't be true.

'Unless he found something like that in the Void Realm, but...'

It seemed rare.

A skill that suppressed one's emotions was unheard of.

And if it existed, anyone would kill for it.

Not letting your emotions get the better of you in battle was something anyone would desire.

So...

'Did he learn to suppress his emotions in the Void Realm...?'

His words from earlier echoed in her mind.

'Just like the boy, I have survived a land of unimaginable horror… the Void Realm.'

Does surviving in the Void Realm result in such a change?

To become emotionless?

'No... even if he survived the Void Realm, that doesn't mean he was the only one to have ever done it.'

There were other humans who had done what Azriel had done.

But they never learned the ability to suppress their emotions.

'Just what happened there...'

The curiosity inside her heart, like a little flame, only burned even more.

Without allowing anyone to think further, Caleus was the first to move.

He thrust his spear forward faster than a dormant or awakened eye could follow, the long weapon piercing the air with a whistling sound.

Swish—!

Yet...

To his and everyone else's surprise, Azriel sidestepped, the spear's tip missing him by inches. 

Azriel spun on his heel, bringing Void Eater down in a swift arc.

Clang—!

Void Eater clashed against the spear's shaft, the sound ringing through the ballroom like a ripple.

Sparks flew.

'No way...'

Celestina and the others were in disbelief.

Azriel had just dodged the attack of a grade 2 intermediate...

And countered.

Caleus wasn't just any grade 2 intermediate; he was the prince of the Nebula Clan, one who had more opportunities to train than most could dream of.

The children of the four great clans should be unrivaled in their ranks... except for Azriel Crimson.

Until now.

Azriel didn't allow him to breathe as he suddenly pressed the attack, his katana a blur of slashes.

Clang—!

Clang—!

Clang—!

The sound of their weapons clashing reverberated through the ballroom.

Caleus met him blow for blow, his spear twirling and parrying each of Azriel's attacks with calculated precision.

A quick lunge from Azriel forced Caleus back, making him grit his teeth.

He countered with a sweeping strike aimed at Azriel's legs.

"!!"

Yet to Caleus and everyone's surprise again, Azriel leaped, his body twisting unnaturally mid-air, Void Eater slashing downwards, forcing Caleus to roll to the side.

"Tch... were you out surviving in the Void Realm or secretly training under some master!?"

Caleus shouted, a little frustrated, yet everyone could clearly see the grin on his face.

Azriel didn't answer.

His eyes still looked at him with detachment.

They clashed again, Azriel's katana slicing in a horizontal sweep that Caleus blocked with his spear's shaft.

Clang—!

Azriel shifted his weight, pivoting to bring Void Eater down in a powerful overhead strike, but Caleus raised his spear just in time.

Clang—!

Celestina and the others were absorbed, watching the two try to gain the upper hand.

Caleus spun his spear in a wide arc to create distance, making Azriel leap back.

Clang—!

Clang—!

The duel took them across the ballroom, their movements a violent dance.

"Haaa!"

With a scream, Caleus retaliated with a series of rapid jabs, forcing Azriel to defend with Void Eater.

Clang—!

Clang—!

Clang—!

Azriel moved like lightning, parrying almost every thrust, but even he couldn't defend against them all.

His black tuxedo began to tear, and his cheek was grazed, causing him to leap back once again.

Drip... Drip...

The sound of his blood staining the floor resounded through the room.

"Azriel!?"

Jasmine shouted worriedly as she saw his wounds, yet...

Azriel didn't react.

Only a few managed to notice the slight twitch of his right eyebrow.

But that was it.

'Caleus is still stronger... he can't win in a contest of pure skill!'

Celestina had already concluded that it was going to be Azriel's loss.

The fact that he could fight Caleus evenly for this long was already tremendous.

But...

She clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white.

'...I want to see more.'

She didn't want it to end.

Celestina wanted to see more.

More of the one who was once called the unworthy prince.

*****

'Interesting.'

A singular thought ran through Azriel's mind as he gazed at Caleus.

Wiping the blood from his face, he looked at his red-stained fingertips.

Or at least, they should have been red since the world around him had turned colorless.

'I never thought I would get this far.'

Though [Void Mind] allowed his emotions to be suppressed and his thinking to be clearer, it didn't provide a physical boost.

But that didn't matter.

Winning was never his original plan.

At most, he wanted to draw against Caleus.

All he needed to do was put on a good performance for Freya.

At least that was what he was supposed to do, but now...

'It seems winning is a bigger possibility than I had thought.'

It was strange.

Azriel might have trained diligently, but not to the extent that he could keep up with Caleus.

It didn't take long for him to consider why he was managing to hold his own.

'The missing memories...'

It seemed that he had grown stronger than he realized, as his body was reacting instinctively against Caleus.

Azriel was sure of it since his footwork resembled a bit of Leo's as well.

There was a time when Leo had won the Muay Thai tournament in middle school.

But after winning, he had stopped practicing that sport, having grown tired of it.

'So I have managed to integrate a battle style consisting of Leo's and the old Azriel's.'

Truly interesting.

His plan had originally been to put on a good performance and, at best, draw against Caleus.

But now...

'Plans have changed.'

He was going for the win.


AUTORENGEDANKEN
Crypthh Crypthh

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Also, please give me all of those golden tickets and power stones you have hidden!

Kapitel 36: Christmas Banquet [6]

"So, what do you think? Are you finally convinced?"

Freya didn't answer Solomon's question, her gaze fixed on the ongoing duel.

Clang—!

Clang—!

'He looks so different now...'

Solomon couldn't tell which Azriel was the real one.

Was it the one back in Europe?

The devil in the café?

The charming prince just before the duel?

Or the one before him now, who didn't even seem human?

Solomon had to hold back a chuckle.

'And they dare call me the clown.'

"His battle style is certainly strange... If he were on my level, even I would have been caught off guard multiple times."

Only praise left Solomon's lips as he observed Azriel dueling with Caleus.

The fight had grown more intense ever since Azriel started bleeding.

Everyone had already forgotten this was supposed to be a friendly spar.

"Muay Thai..."

"Huh?"

Solomon looked at Freya, surprised she had spoken.

"It's a forgotten martial art. Look at his stance, the way he shifts his weight. It's unmistakably Muay Thai, at least the basis of his style is."

Observing Azriel more closely, Solomon realized Freya was right.

As Azriel parried Caleus's spear thrust, he shifted his stance, delivering a swift knee strike to his ribs.

"Argh!"

The unexpected move threw Caleus off balance, and the crowd gasped. Azriel didn't relent; he followed up with his katana slicing through the air in a deadly arc.

His footwork was fluid.

Clang—!

Clang—!

Clang—!

Solomon narrowed his eyes, his face becoming serious. Anyone looking at him would be surprised to see such a rare expression.

"How did he learn something like that?"

It was ridiculous.

To integrate such an unconventional martial art with his swordsmanship—a monstrous feat.

'Ah... I was right to choose you, Azriel.'

No matter what happens, Solomon wouldn't regret his choices, even if it resulted in his downfall.

*****

'What the hell is wrong with this guy?!'

Every time Caleus lunged forward, his spear slicing through the air with deadly precision, the tip would graze past Azriel by mere inches.

It was as if the man was dancing around him, a ghostly wraith shifting just out of reach.

Azriel's movements were fluid and unpredictable, his body bending and twisting with a grace that made him seem almost untouchable.

Azriel would always shift his body or parry his attacks just in time.

His footwork constantly kept Caleus almost off guard.

His entire focus was on Azriel's body, moving like a snake trying to coil around him.

'Just how much did he train!?'

Even if Azriel spent two years in the void realm, the mere thought of him being able to be on par with Caleus on pure skill alone seemed absurd.

It made Caleus wonder if Azriel had perhaps been training in some secluded place instead of just surviving.

But nonetheless...

Caleus's grin never left his face.

It was fun.

The fact that Azriel wasn't weaker than him like Celestina or stronger like Jasmine or the Dusk Prince made him happy—and excited. 

His predatory smile only widened as he looked into Azriel's deep crimson eyes.

To Caleus, it felt as though Azriel viewed him like some insignificant ant. 

But...

'Are you enjoying yourself as well?'

To Caleus, it also seemed like Azriel was merely suppressing himself. 

'Are you having fun like me?'

'Is your heart racing?'

'Can you feel the adrenaline coursing through you?'

The subtle twitch Azriel had when Caleus first grazed him was proof enough that he could feel pain.

He wasn't entirely emotionless, even if the sight of the blank-faced crimson prince made the hairs on Caleus's neck stand on end.

"Haa!"

Caleus lunged forward with a roar, aiming to sever Azriel's neck with a vicious swipe of his spear.

Azriel, anticipating the attack, dropped to one knee, the spear whistling overhead. In a single fluid motion, he whipped his katana upward in a deadly arc.

'Fast!'

Slish—!

Caleus's instincts kicked in just as the blade descended. He twisted to the left, feeling the air crackle with the force of the near miss. A thin line of blood traced his jawline as the blade grazed him.

Drip... Drip...

Instead of retreating, Caleus gritted his teeth and adapted on the fly. He switched his spear to his left hand with a practiced flick and thrust his open right palm toward the kneeling Azriel.

Azriel tilted his torso to the right, narrowly evading the strike.

'Gotcha!'

In that split second, as Azriel moved, Caleus's spear lunged toward his exposed neck.

But Azriel's reflexes were razor-sharp; he sprang backward with just enough speed to avoid a fatal wound, though the edge of the spear still drew a shallow cut across his neck.

'Tch...! always narrowly escaping.'

Azriel gaze remained as cold as ever. Blood seeped from the wound, but he didn't flinch, his expression betraying nothing of the pain this time.

Caleus narrowed his eyes, a complex mix of frustration and begrudging respect etching across his face.

'Always just out of reach...'

He could feel the duel dragging on longer than it should, his stamina waning with each passing moment.

The reliance on pure skill and the self-imposed restrictions made the fight feel like a relentless grind.

'...Once you're in the academy, I'll have a rematch with you, Azriel.'

A duel with no restrictions.

A fight where they could unleash their full power.

Caleus tightened his grip on his spear, muscles coiling as he bent forward, aiming the spearhead directly at Azriel's chest.

'If you win this exchange, then it will be my loss.'

Azriel, catching the shift in Caleus's stance, braced himself, gripping Void Eater with both hands.

He bent his knees and raised the blade in a defensive posture.

Neither had managed to land a decisive blow, but it wasn't due to lack of effort or hesitation—both were capable of getting healed almost instantaneously if deeply injured.

The reality was...

The Crimson and Nebula Princes were evenly matched in skill and resolve.

In a heartbeat, they sprang forward, their movements synchronized.

The ground trembled beneath them, sending ripples of wind that rustled the spectators' clothes and hair.

Caleus's spear thrust forward with deadly precision, targeting the narrow gap in Azriel's defense.

Simultaneously, Azriel's Void Eater arced through the air, a diagonal sweep intended to intercept.

Swish—!

Clang—!

The collision of their weapons rang out like a thunderclap, and they instantly vanished from sight.

A heartbeat later, they reappeared a meter apart, their backs turned to one another, panting heavily.

The crowd gasped, their breath collectively catching as they processed the scene.

Azriel's right shoulder bore a deep, gaping wound, blood seeping from the gash.

Caleus had a diagonal cut running from his left shoulder to his right waist, the blood already beginning to pool beneath him.

Their bodies swayed, struggling to maintain balance as they fought against the pull of their injuries.

Thud—!

Caleus was the first to fall to his knees, his spear clattering to the ground beside him.

Thud—!

Moments later, Azriel also crumpled to the ground, his blade slipping from his grasp.

A tense silence enveloped the arena as the crowd stared in stunned disbelief at the fallen princes.

The winner of the duel is...

Azriel Crimson.


AUTORENGEDANKEN
Crypthh Crypthh

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

Also, please give me all of those golden tickets and power stones you have hidden!

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