บท 9: Trial By Combat
T-This crazy fucker must have finally lost his senses!
No, really! Had he gone insane?
Challenging me to a duel—a mere teen not even half his age, leagues beneath his Soul Rank?
And his own flesh and blood at that!
If he desired me dead to this extent, why not simply arrange for my execution?
Even the onlookers seemed to share my thoughts as a deafening silence enveloped the hospital's courtyard. The air was thick with a dreadful anticipation, every breath laden with tension.
I gulped hard, struggling to keep my composure even as my mind raced in frantic circles.
After a long stretch of stunned silence, I found the strength to voice my disbelief.
"A-Are you serious, Father? How could I possibly fight you? You're a [SSS-rank] Hunter... while I am barely at the cusp of the breakthrough of [C-rank]... This is sheer madness! It's not fair! It's not just!"
My father's eyes glinted in a cruel light as he sneered.
"Of course, it isn't. You should know that by now. This world isn't fair, nor are the heavens. So, decide what path you would take. Or I'll decide for you."
"B-But… I–" I was petrified on the spot.
Right.
He was right.
How could I have forgotten such an undeniable truth?
The world was never fair. It had always been this way. The will of the strong is undeniable, while the weak are crushed beneath their feet every day.
The elites of the world dictate the fate of the masses. This harsh reality has remained unchanged throughout the ages.
Ultimately, those who hold the power get to decide what's fair and what's just, because power is absolute – the very thing that I craved. But how could I ever hope to seize it when I myself was so weak?
"Young Master," Juliana whispered in a hushed tone as she appeared to my right, her voice barely a warm breath against my ear. "Just back down. Do not accept his duel. I know you don't usually run from a fight, but this is one you can't win."
She was right, of course.
But what other choice did I have? Refusing would mean not only getting disowned but also forfeiting all my Cards.
Unlike the protagonist, I didn't have any cheat to help me in this world aside from my family's wealth and resources.
Well, I still had my knowledge of the future plot, but that was it. That was my only edge.
That won't be enough.
I needed every possible asset I had at my disposal. So, I couldn't just surrender. But I also could not fight my father and hope to live through it unscathed!
Damn it!
Seeing the stubborn determination etched on my face, Juliana pressed on, her voice still low and urgent:
"Young Master, please, think this through! Don't fight him! He's setting you up for failure. He's playing with your pride the same way you tried to play with him–"
"Shut up," I snapped, my frustration boiling over. "You think I don't see it? And why do you care if I accept this challenge or not?"
Actually, I knew why she cared. She needed me to get herself enrolled in the Apex Academy, where she could set her plans for gaining power into motion.
If I got injured here and failed the entrance exam, her plan would collapse as she would not be allowed to enter the academy on her own.
But she couldn't just admit that right to my face. So, she swallowed her retort, clenched her jaw, and silently stepped aside.
I continued to stand there wordlessly for several more minutes, thoughtfully weighing my options and grappling with the knot of frustration in my chest.
In the end, I dropped my head, feeling the sting of defeat settle over me.
There was nothing I could do here.
Seeing my resignation, my father smirked in contempt. "I thought so. Despite the tough act you put on, you're just a scared little boy, Samael."
He stepped forward, reaching out toward my face, his hand slowly inching closer.
"People have asked why I chose your sister over you as my successor, even after you Awakened. You both possess the same [SS-rank] Potential—the highest among all your siblings and cousins. Yet, I chose her, a girl, over you. Do you know why?"
He touched my cheek, letting out a disdainful chuckle.
"Because she is, in every conceivable way, superior to you. You're not even worth my time. Sometimes, I'm grateful your mother isn't alive to witness the failure you've bec—"
—Thwap!!
I slapped his hand away before he had the chance to finish speaking. Still looking down, I uttered just two words in a voice stripped of any emotion:
"I accept."
Yes, there was indeed nothing I could do here… but fight.
I knew my chances of victory were slim to none, but I refused to be belittled by this scum of a man any longer.
I wouldn't go down without a struggle. I won't give him that satisfaction.
If I backed down now, I knew regret would haunt me forever. And I had vowed to live this life without regrets.
Besides, I'd be satisfied if I could land just one punch on that smug face of his.
Just one punch.
I gritted my teeth, hatred blazing in my eyes as I glanced up.
"I don't know how you justify a duel with a child, but if that's what the Duke wants, then that's what you'll get."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Juliana palm her face, torn between vexation and disappointment.
Honestly, I couldn't blame her.
Who in their right mind accepts a duel against Arthur Kaizer Theosbane?!
Who does that?!
Apparently, yours truly right here. Maybe I had gone insane, too.
I let out a sigh, watching my father's reaction closely. As I had anticipated, he was stunned, his surprise leaving him wide-eyed.
He hadn't calculated this outcome—me taking him up on his challenge. He thought I would quietly concede and grovel before him like I had always done.
Well, not today.
Not anymore.
Especially not against him.
If I wanted to change my fate, I had to start by changing myself.
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