Shield Master was like the 'Number 4' in the Mirror Cult. With the hidden powers of the Cult being firmly placed as the Number 2 and the Mirror Priests as their Lord's useful Number 3, he could only be stuck the Weapon Mistress's 'Dragon'.
To clarify, I mean that he was an evil variation of The Lancer and was similar to how Arthur was to Alex Stuman. He had beef with Jasmine and was competent enough to threaten her position.
That's why the sinister man didn't lose his composure in the face of humiliation. Even as he heard the reaction of the Warrior's he was working hard to befriend, he still kept his actions in check.
"Woah~!"
"A fight? Is he gonna fight?"
The Warriors didn't feel offended and instead found what happened to be hilarious. There were so many fights in the Sword Kingdom happening all the time that it was weird to take it seriously.
"My apologies, this man offended Royalty." Vhalen still explained himself to the Eteropin Warriors.
This made them flustered as they replied:
"It's not a problem! How dare he offend Royalty?!"
"Beat him up good~!"
"I didn't notice this guy to be such a person..."
"If Royalty is getting involved, then this is serious!"
"We're cheering for you~"
Their voices came out simultaneously into a mess of words before they retreated to get a good seat in watching this rare even unfold. This was most likely the first time someone from the Royal Family took action on someone so brashly and openly.
Seeing that he failed to get their attention, he gave a look to the Cultists who were brought here by him and signalled them to stay back. He wouldn't take anyone's help if it was just this person before him.
"Just because you're Royalty doesn't mean you can be unreasonable...! Even the Imperial Ruler is defined by his subjects, much less someone who isn't the heir to the throne." Shield Master spoke sharply as he tried to retain his pride and dignity.
Even a Prince couldn't make him back down!
The guests of the party other that the female Cultists gasped as they didn't expect him to respond. This scene was similar to how it would look if a jock in high school was picking on a defenceless nobody. Most were unaware of the man's identity. All they could see was the Second Prince suddenly pouring his drink on a guest.
"You're right, if you understand that, then why did your comrades threaten my subjects, and even go as far as use them as hostages?" These words quickly enlightened everyone about the context.
Though they had heard rumours, none of them had expected the vile actions they heard about to be the truth. At most, these naive guests had believed the things they heard to be really exaggerated...
Where's the Journalists when you actually need them? Wasn't the news supposed to be shared?
Drake probably had a hand in that...
"So what...?!" Seeing that there was no point in hiding it anymore, he smiled and laughed it off.
The Demon Lord wouldn't feel ashamed to admit it happened, so why wouldn't he? The oppressive pressure Vhalen gave off was met with an impudence that suited this prideful double-tooth.
Oh yeah, did I mention he had a 'Yaeba'? It's those more visible fang teeth that Japanese people think is cute. They perceive it as a sign of youthfulness and natural beauty... on women. When thrown on big men like this Sentinel, it made him look more beastly in nature- No, even scarier that that when he decided to show off his arrogant grin...
"...You're shameless." Vhalen couldn't believe the man before him had the guts to brush it off... and was unaware of what gave him the courage to stand against him. He was Royalty after all...!
"You're just an entitled brat. Do you think anyone cares about the words of someone with a sealed Time Attribute? Can you even count as Royalty without it?" The man still showed his impudence.
His larger body stood tall and pulled back his wet hair with menacing eyes... The shorty felt an unfamiliar feeling, as if he was being looked down on by this Commoner. Those words that entered his ears only served to further infuriate the youth.
"Kneel!" He ordered with his status as Royalty. This was the first time he ever used his great authority.
Citizens were supposed to follow the orders of any Royal Family member without question. They were the ones with a divine authority over Gaia Humans which was certified by the world itself. However, a shocking retort was given after his command:
"Hmph... make me!" Shield Master snorted as he looked at the shorty, who he believed didn't know his own place. This act of defiance even shocked the Eteropin Warriors who were horrified by the sheer arrogance the man showed towards Royalty.
This wasn't anyone else but the Second Prince, a person who was rightfully entitled...! How could someone dare to undermine his authority? The reckless Cultist then continued by saying:
"You're just a weakling. Do you even dare to fight me? If you beat me, I swear by the Lightning Imperial that I'll join the State Security and reform my ways." A flash appeared around his body as his promise was heard administrator of judgement.
This made the guests at the party think of him as a madman who was courting his abysmal demise. A thought that was especially prevalent since Mary Lancelot was watching from the side, who was showing a murderous demeanour as she stood up.
It took three of her personal bodyguards to hold her back from throwing a tantrum that would definitely destroy the place. The elements of nature surrounded her as she glared at Shield Master, only stopping when her brother spoke up:
"You have a lot of confidence about you. What makes you think I won't order your execution?"
"If you COULD do that, you would have already done it when I spoke out. Is that not correct?"
"It is." Vhalen noted that the scum didn't even refer to him as 'Your Highness', which made it ask:
"But does that give you the right to so openly challenge the authority of Royalty? If I accepted this, it would bring me down on your level. That's not even considering how battle isn't my role."
"It isn't your 'role', but you'll have to face reality sooner or later. Sometimes, you can't be so picky on what your role is..." These ominous words seemed to come straight from the man's heart.
Vhalen didn't see a reason to take anything the double-toothed man said that seriously. He merely flicked his fingers. The bodyguards who were on standby above the ceiling jumped down to reveal themselves, which made the Cultist frown.
"These two will take my place in fighting you."
"But-"
"I think you've forgotten how society functions from burying yourself in fake scriptures all day."
"You take that back!" Shield Master lost his composure after hearing him insult his way of life.
"Make me!" Vhalen repeated the words the double-toothed man used with a mocking look.
The infuriated eyes of the man glared holes into the two strangely clothed bodyguards of his. Then a flash of clarity returned to his eyes. He quickly realised something was off about these people...
He glanced at Mary, who he had already noticed from the beginning, but put more emphasis on taking a look at her bodyguards, who looked similar to the ones Vhalen had protecting him. His angry eyes also glanced at the 'dates' he brought.
'Something is not right...' The man instantly went on guard as they looked nothing like the much weaker Royal Guards he heard about. His instincts were telling him that each one was as powerful or even surpassed the strength of Eteropin Warriors.
This made him hesitate quite a bit as he wasn't sure if he could beat all five of them at once...
Two bodyguards, three 'girlfriends'. There was something really off about the people here.
"Let's hold a Imperial Duel. If you lose to them, you uphold your words and cut ties with the Mirror Religion you so love. If you happen to win, I will stop interfering with your religion ever again." The shorty threw out the biggest bait he could offer.
With the Lightning Imperial as their witness, those who swear by him can set up a duel that can end up deciding the fate of its participants. Just saying the title of the one who administers judgment onto liars who swear by his honour makes things serious. The diligent Journalist who had found their way around Drake's oppression and attended this party were ecstatic as they secretly took pictures.
{The Second Prince Defends Citizens!} Was going to be the headline of the new article on the weekly newspaper. They zoomed in their cameras next at the Cultist, who could only choose to agree.
Refusing now would bring humiliation to his religion and Lord, so all he could do is win this duel. A flash of purple energy covered their bodies as the preparations were complete. They were both unaware of the black cloud forming above the venue for the party though, as only those who had actually done this before would know how seriously the Lightning Imperial in the distance took duels.
He was practically the referee for this match in particular since it was rare for Royal Family members to get caught up in them. Who would be so impudent as to challenge a Royal's authority?
The handsome shorty looked down on the overconfident Sentinel in front of him before turning around with a nonchalant air. His eyes held no small amount of resentment towards the double-toothed man who dared to criticise him.
He didn't like being compared to his more superior older brother, which only fuelled his burning anger.
"Make sure he can't stand without a crutch once your done. Don't use lethal force, just injure him badly." Although he could be a wimp at times, he wasn't someone who didn't know how to pay people back for their actions again him.
Forgiveness was only a virtue when given to the right people, and Shield Master didn't deserve it..
That's why he was willing to go through the torment of resisting the 'instincts' of his Class.
The two bodyguards nodded as the woman Archer brought out her Elven Bow and man brought out his Vastlight Sword. They took a stance as Vhalen walked to the three sisters and showed off by sitting really close to them. Understanding his intentions to look cool, Violet and her sisters played along as they subtly leaned on him.
Mary was surprised by the strangely powerful demeanour the shorty gave off after sitting down.
She was an idol to many and someone who many would climb over each other to watch perform on a stage, yet her little brother was someone who didn't need to change himself to attract attention.
All he needed to do was act like a ladykiller he actually was and people would flock in his direction regardless if they knew his identity or not... This was the strength that made up for his lack of physical prowess. After all, even if one person was unable to fight, they could always make up for the difference with friends, and this was how the society of Human Empire differed from others.
No one cared about being wholly independent since they could always ask for help if they ever needed it. Sharing responsibilities with others was a pretty common occurrence for Gaia Humans.
The maestro who was classed as a Conductor watched as everyone pitched in to move tables and create some space for these individuals to fight. A flash of inspiration appeared in his eyes as he whispered to the Bards with different instruments.
Some would think that because Spirit Essences were simple in nature, they couldn't form as guitars or drums. However, that was just looking down on the complexity that melee weapons had... Though it was true that instruments tended to be fragile.
The Sentinel took out his shield as he faced his two opponents with a serious look in his eyes. Those two bodyguards seemed to not be inexperienced at working as a pair since they casually showed how they were able to cover up their weaknesses.
It wasn't just as that the Jungle Archer stood a little more back, but that she took a few steps to the side to get a clear shot of her opponent. The Immortal Warrior beside her waited for him to try to intercept her arrows so he could go for an attack.
They expected this duel to end as just a straightforward fight, but the maestro didn't want to feel left out as he started a new performance with certain instruments. The saxophone and trombone played in harmony as they were introducing an instrumental of music of the genre of Electro Swing. Vhalen lifted his hand and made them stuck repeating the introduction segment until the bodyguards adapted to the Battle Music.
How could Lancia Bards not turn this Imperial Duel into a form of entertainment? Despite the harsh mood that had arose before, the music washed away their concerns as the two bodyguards felt their bodies strangely move to the rhythm.
Shield Master felt affected by the music as well as he realised why the Eteropin Warriors likes Electro Swing so much. It was so easy to lose yourself to the rhythm of the music as one was fighting.
There was no need for words or lyrics, only their bodies were needed to express their feelings.
Once the Imperial Duel finally became a sort of entertainment that was being recorded by a Journalist he noticed, he then begun the battle fairly. His hand descended to signal the maestro to continue to his conducting as he spoke out:
"Begin!"