Chapitre 349: The Duel
While Ebner pondered which powerful entities might be involved behind Vice Admiral Pale, Gwyn, Terrance, and Lydia pushed open the door and entered. Having assumed they couldn't afford the rare items on sale in the grand hall, the trio had ventured to a hillside where informal trading among pirates was underway.
Once the news of the upcoming duel between "Bone Breaker" Dawak and Vice Admiral Pale reached them, they hurried back, eager to witness this high-stakes confrontation between mid-sequence powerhouses.
"We heard that 'Bone Breaker' Dawak has a bounty of 7,000 pounds as a 'Wind-blessed,' and his fleet was wiped out by Vice Admiral Pale, so he's here seeking revenge," Terrance relayed, excited to share his findings with Ebner and Mr. Gaston.
Hearing this, Mr. Gaston gave a slight scoff. "A ruthless pirate fighting a duel to avenge his comrades? That's a story for the young and naive."
"But he's willing to risk his life for it," Terrance argued, slightly indignant.
"That's likely because he's being controlled or manipulated," Ebner said, casually preparing them with a "heads-up."
"No wonder I felt something off! Pirates aren't knights; they'd sooner use poison, bribes, ambushes, or assassination rather than an upfront duel. That would be their last choice," Lydia exclaimed, suddenly clapping her hands in realization, her belated insight almost amusing.
Terrance, however, lowered his head, muttering quietly, "Detective Bryan, even you think that? Was I wrong again?"
"Don't worry; you'll grow more perceptive over time. I made plenty of mistakes when I first started with deductions, too," Ebner reassured him with a light pat on the shoulder.
He was being truthful. During his days as a "Student of Ratiocination," his success rate without "cheating" was average at best, though the Student's tenet was to focus more on process than on results…
Miss Gwyn, meanwhile, cared little for the intrigues behind the duel. Her sole interest was in witnessing the fight itself, eager to see how mid-sequence Beyonders battled. She joined the group but stayed focused on the upcoming spectacle rather than the conversation.
Mr. Gaston, however, showed a clear reaction to Ebner's implied warning. He pulled Ebner aside and asked in a low voice, "What is it you 'know' this time?"
Of everyone in the room, only Xio and Gaston had glimpsed enough of Ebner's "knowledge" to trust his premonitions, especially after their shared journey through the Dream Labyrinth Tower. Gaston, in particular, remembered those moments vividly.
"There might be complications," Ebner replied after a pause, "but with the 'Five Seas King' presiding, we're unlikely to be affected."
"Good," Mr. Gaston exhaled, then began checking his personal protective artifacts, particularly those used for shielding.
While they spoke, the ten minutes given by Nast for preparation ticked away, and Vice Admiral Pale Maria and "Bone Breaker" Dawak ascended the stone platform.
"Begin!" Nast's commanding voice resounded through the hall with no embellishment.
No sooner had he spoken than Maria vanished from view, reappearing nearly instantly before Dawak with a beautifully ornate longsword in both hands, which she brought down forcefully.
The infamous but ordinary-looking "Pale Justice" remained strapped at her waist.
Such speed! Ebner thought, observing the stone platform where the space had likely been "expanded" by Nast to be ten times larger than it appeared. Even so, Maria closed the distance between them in under a second. This level of speed and power—well beyond what Ebner could replicate with his current mimicry of the "Wraith" ability—hinted at a Sequence 5 in a strength-and-speed-oriented pathway.
On the stone platform, Dawak recovered from his stunned shock just in time to realize he had no chance of evading or countering her attack. Left with no choice, he crushed a small, thumb-sized mirror in his grip.
With a brittle crack, Dawak shattered like glass, scattering in countless shards.
But almost instantly, he reformed mid-air, having used a one-time magical item that enabled a "Mirror Double."
Supported by a gust of wind, Dawak glared at Maria, unable to comprehend how he had almost failed to withstand a single blow. He'd assumed her strength derived solely from her famed sword.
Taking a deep breath, Dawak prepared to taunt her in hopes of provoking a mistake. But before he could get a word out, Vice Admiral Pale swept her ornate sword, sending a searing stream of "Radiant Fire" blazing toward him.
He quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding the radiant flames, only to find Maria suddenly beside him again, blade arcing toward him.
She leaped that high through sheer power?!
With barely a thought, Dawak summoned his signature move: the "Wind Blades," which had earned him the title of "Bone Breaker." Over twenty razor-sharp wind blades materialized in midair, slicing toward her in an attempt to force a trade-off.
If you don't block, you risk both our lives.
To Dawak's disbelief, Maria didn't even flinch, allowing the wind blades to tear into her armor and draw blood. However, the blades appeared to inflict only superficial wounds.
Meanwhile, her sword—poised to bisect him—closed in rapidly. Realizing he was thoroughly outmatched, Dawak sighed inwardly. If this continued, he'd be dead within half a minute.
He quickly made a decision, tearing open a black scroll hidden in his sleeve.
Immediately, a sinister aura emanated from him, spreading across the platform. Countless symbols, arcane markings, and dark runes floated around him, conjuring a swirling storm that deflected Maria's approaching sword.
Maria landed back on the platform, gazing up at the dark spectacle with a grave expression, clearly assessing his next move.
---
In the second-floor lounge of Vice Admiral Iceberg, Cattleya abruptly stood, her deep violet eyes shining with starlight as she murmured,
"A contract scroll of a higher demon?"
She glanced at Maria, whose hand rested on the hilt of Pale Justice, and hesitated momentarily about stepping in to prevent the demon's descent.
As a former "Scroll Professor," this was well within her expertise.
But under the watchful eye of the Five Seas King, she ultimately chose not to intervene.
---
A ritual of self-sacrifice? So this pirate is little more than a pawn, and the summoned demon is the real threat meant to probe Maria, Ebner mused, subtly analyzing the spell's symbols and quietly observing the proceedings.
Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina also recognized Dawak's actions and frowned slightly as she muttered to herself,
"They seek to reveal the source of Maria's 'fate anomaly' through a particular high-ranking demon?"
"But… as Roselle would say, they've overplayed their hand."
---
It was as if Edwina's words triggered something, for the symbols, markings, and runes around Dawak abruptly warped. His incantation ceased to function, and the raging storm of mystic energy abruptly calmed.
The runes already inscribed on the stone platform glowed brightly, instantly forming a spell circle that completely neutralized the scroll's remaining effects.
The Five Seas King Nast had intervened.
"I told you, win or lose, you will accept death," he declared, fingers lightly stroking the iron-black armrest of his throne.
"But if you 'offer' yourself to a demon, I cannot be certain of your true demise…
"And so, such behavior constitutes a second violation of my rules."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone