""Ehh??!"" ［Grey and Yuna］
A pair of loud exclaims echoed throughout the crowd, two figures filled with shock and surprise, their eyes locked at the Azure Sword Emperor, mouths wide open in agape. The latter who was still smiling ever so brightly.
Well, it wasn't just them, everyone else, even the members of the Imperial Family were also quite surprised by his proposition. They have always known their ancestor was the reserved type. They didn't think he would be the one to extend the invitation.
"Your Majesty, you must be joking, right?" ［Grey］
"Hahaha, is that how it seems? I'm not as reserved as people think I am. Have you forgotten? Though it was already in the past, I was also an adventurer. It is a part of me to seek out and fight strong opponents." ［Richter］
Reasoned Richter, everyone put in deep thought soon after. It wasn't like no one could understand what he meant. Them, as knights and adventurers themselves, they knew full well the feeling of wanting to challenge strong opponents.
The problem here was the gap in power between the two parties. By combat power alone, Richter was more than a dozen times stronger than Grey and over 70 times stronger than Yuna. It was simply too overwhelming.
Even if Grey and Yuna were to team up and considering the Divine-Grade equipment on them, winning would still be quite difficult, chances close to impossible. Even with the familiars, their chances would only improve slightly.
"So, what do you think Lordー No, Adventurers Grey and Yuna?" ［Richter］
Yet despite how unfavorable the fight was towards them, Grey and Yuna couldn't just decline Richter's offer. Instead, the adventurer blood inside them started to boil with excitement, smiles soon blooming on their faces.
"What do you think, Yuna?" ［Grey］
"Fufufu! Is there even a need to ask? Let's do it!" ［Yuna］
"Alright... We accept the challenge, Your Majesty." ［Grey］
"Hahaha. I'm looking forward to our duel, Lord Grey, Lady Yuna." ［Richter］
There was no need to think too much, both parties agreeing on the duel. Before long, their request for duel was handed towards the facilitators, the latter's eyes popping out of their sockets as soon as they saw who would be dueling.
Though they tried to contain it to themselves, the rumors still spread like wildfire after an accidental slip of the tongue. People soon gathered from all over the place, faces full of curiosity and excitement as soon as they heard the news.
"Oh, dear... It seems that we've caused quite the commotion..." ［Richter］
Or so he says, but such words were but a mere understatement. Even then, neither of the three really paid much attention to it. They'll only be staying in Erdea for a short while. They wanted to go all out at least once.
Time passed some more, and after a couple more duels, it was finally time for their match. They then went up the stage, all eyes on them as they went to their respective sides, itching to engage in battle as soon as possible.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! The unexpected moment we've been waiting for!... On the left side we have the Azure Sword Emperor, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Richter!!"
The Azure Sword Emperor's name rang in the air and a loud uproar followed soon after, people exclaiming in disbelief and excitement as they witnessed a legendary figure stand before them.
"And on the opposing side, we have the superstar adventurers! The Heroes of Alfrione! Their Venerable Highnesses, Archduke Grey and Archduchess Yuna!!"
The announcer cried out once more, a much louder cheer following suit. They weren't as popular as the former, but their names have spread all throughout the continent as heroes of three countries. Everyone was excited to see the fabled heroes perform.
"Without further ado...! Let the duel begin...!!"
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Barrier!!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩
The announcer started the match, but rather than trading blows, three resonating voices rang out in the air, an extremely high level, multilayer barrier erected throughout the whole stage, extending towards the blue sky above them.
As soon as the barriers were erected, a fierce storm of mana brewed all over the place, Yuna disappearing from everyone's view before they even noticed it, only leaving a mirage of where she used to be.
CLANG
The first clash rang in the air, a pair of daggers appearing all of the sudden, clashing against Richter's trusty sword. And as light sparks flew towards all directions, Grey followed suit after Yuna, charging towards the opponent before them.
Though, Richter didn't just let them do as they please. He brandished his longsword, creating a large wave of mana rushing towards Grey's direction. At the same time, he also struck Yuna, shockwaves rupturing the air as his punch bolted towards her.
"Hm?" ［Richter］
Yet despite how fast he was, his punch simply passed through towards Yuna, her figure vanishing soon after. Meanwhile, Grey faced Richter's attack head on, blocking it with his shield as she continued to rush towards the latter.
He took quite a bit of damage, but if he wanted his plan to work, he needed to endure at least that much. His body trembled from the impact, but there was not a speck of hesitation in his eyes, a smile soon appearing on his face.
⟨⟨Lashing Gale!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
There was no warning. As soon as he was in range, Grey suddenly launched a rush of deathly chains, bolting towards Richter at breakneck speeds. Chains which broke one after another as the latter crushed them with his sword.
Yuna didn't simply let the chance slip by. As Richter was preoccupied with Grey's barrage of chains, she once again creeped out towards him. A technique worthy of her nickname as the "Phantom".
⟨⟨Death's Grasp!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Yuna's daggers came from the depths of hell, rushing towards Richter once again. Unfortunately for her, it was a futile effort. With how wide the gap between them was, Richter easily evaded her attack, countering her with a bolt of lightning from above.
The lightning was fast, however, it wasn't fast enough. Before it could even reach the young lady, its target had already vanished once again, soon appearing on the other side, daggers pointing towards him once more.
"Quite the persistent one, aren't you, Lady Yuna?" ［Richter］
"Fufufu! That's just how I am, Your Majesty... Though, please forgive me in advance. This is going to hurt quite a bit." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha, how confidー !!!" ［Richter］
Richter tried to strike Yuna once again, but before he could reach out his hands, an ill premonition loomed over him. He then completely ignored her, and looked up, soon moving away from his spot for the first time since the match started.
As soon as he did, blades of mana came raining down, carving large scars on the tiles on the stage, the figure of a young lady appearing soon after. The very same figure which also appeared behind him, once again pointing her daggers as Grey's chains dated towards his direction.
⟨⟨Sword Dance⟩⟩ ［Richter］
There was no need to panic. As soon as Richter realized the predicament he was in, he then started brandishing his sword in all directions, dancing with grace and beauty as he basked under the sunlight. Not a single attack passed through his bladed wall.
"I didn't think you'd be proficient in illusion magic as well." ［Richter］
"The more cards we have, the better, after all." ［Grey］
It was no exaggeration. All of the Yunas which rushed towards him were but mere illusions, the young elf hiding in the shadows. Every time she launched an attack, she would then create an illusion of herself and vanish from thin air,
And that's not all. They have also been using illusion magic to share Grey's vision, using both "Heaven's Eye" and "Eyes of Destiny" at the same time, using the abilities to know when to attack and when to flee.
Their teamwork was perfect. So perfect, in fact, that before Richter even noticed it, Yuna had already used "Phaseless" and passed through his wall of blades, platinum daggers pointing towards him like the fangs of a starving tiger.
Yuna couldn't hit things when she's using "Phaseless", but it was enough to make Richter wary, once again moving away from his spot towards where Grey was already lying in wait. A pair of sinister smiles soon appeared on both their faces.
⟨⟨Hell's Invitation!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
The stage quake and darkness swallowed the unsuspecting emperor. Darkness which cling onto him like damned leeches, seeping away his strength with the passing of time. The plan was a success.
"What a potent curse, however, this would also quickly drain your mana, Lord Grey. You're acting reckless once again." ［Richter］
"Worry not, Your Majesty. I just happen to have the solution for that." ［Grey］
Said Grey, a dark smile painted on his face. It was a smile which let Richter know he had messed up, and big time at that. He only had his carelessness to blame for not going all out at the very start.
"I see... Then, I shall get serious then..." ［Richter］
The atmosphere throughout the stage suddenly changed in an instant. As Richter's words drifted along the wind, two similar-looking figures suddenly appeared out of thin air. However, unlike Yuna's illusion, they were clones which packed the same power as the original.
At the same time, dozens of swords also appeared all over the place, floating midair and ready to strike at Richter's command. Swords which were covered with dragon-shaped lightning whose roars could even rock the heavens.
"E-Eh?! What just happened?!" ［Violet］
"I can't believe it... To think I would witness it again after so many years... Great Great Grandfather is getting serious..." ［Reinhardt］
"Triple" which creates two clones of himself, "Coiling Dragons" which turns his azure
lightning into fierce, living dragons, and "Phantom Swords" which allows him to create and control dozens of swords.
He may have been weakened by Grey's powerful curse, but the battle only got more dangerous for the two of them. They could only smile bitterly as they watched the Azure Sword Emperor unleash his full power.
"I apologize for the wait. Shall we proceed?" ［Richter］
It was all too sudden. As soon as his words echoed in the air, he suddenly bolted towards three different directions, wielding an array of swords and dragons with him. It wasn't even a fight anymore. It was already bullying.
Towards his merciless assault, Yuna could only remain in her "Phaseless" mode, not wanting to get hit as it would spell her doom. She tried to find an opening, but it was futile. All angles were covered by the swords and dragons.
Meanwhile, on Grey's side, it was even more difficult. Not just one, but two were attacking him at the same time, not letting him rest. He could only defend with his shield, relying on its ability to boost his defenses to shelter himself from the assault.
Still, even with all the boosts, he could barely withstand Richter's barrage of attacks. Each heavy strike which connected to him dealt internal damage towards him, a little bit of blood spilling from his lips.
"Oh? You can still withstand this, Lord Grey?" ［Richter］
"Hahaha. I've had it worse, Your Majesty." ［Grey］
Fortunately, it wasn't just Richter who possessed such broken abilities. As he was driven into a corner, Grey activated his "Bellowing Heavens", letting the surroundings scream as countless little shockwaves ran rampant all over the place.
It could barely damage Richter, but it was more than enough to deflect the swords and dragons coming his way. At the same time, it also created an opening from the initial surprise it gave to Richter.
In that little time window he bought himself, Grey abruptly activated both Authorities, tripling his strength at the cost of rapid mana exhaustion. He then clenched his fist, readying for an attack at point-blank range.
⟨⟨Judgement: Excalibur!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Putting his all into it, Grey blasted a punch towards Richter and rushed at breakneck speeds towards his chest. It was a punch which could easily destroy mountains as if they were but brittle glass, ear-deafening roars reverberating in the air.
"You need to try harder thanー !!!" ［Richter］
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Albeit sloppily, Grey's punch still connected towards Richter, heavy echoes ringing soon after. Though Richter managed to defend against one, the proceeding attacks caught him off guard and cracked open his defense.
It wasn't just a coincidence. It was Grey's "Spectral Echoes" which have improved ever since. Now, not just once, but it repeats Grey's successful hits twice, making it seem he landed three attacks at the same time.
『Yuna, now!』 ［Grey］
『Un!』 ［Yuna］
There was no time to waste. As Richter was blasted towards the air, Yuna used the opportunity to charge towards him. One of the clones tried to chase after her, but he was quickly halted by Grey, keeping both clones preoccupied.
⟨⟨Thousand Bleeding Streams!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
⟨⟨Guard!⟩⟩ ［Richter］
Still in a state of shock, Richter could only lace his body with a barrier as he tried to endure Yuna's attack. Countless blades of mana rushed towards him, pain coursing through his body, only a few tiny wounds appearing as soon as the attacks finished.
But such tiny wounds were all she needed. With the Divine Dagger's "Bleeding Edge", each wound she inflicts not only would be aggravated, but her strength would also be increased temporarily. The more she slashed, the stronger she became.
Now, the tide of the battle has started to waver. With Yuna launching attacks left and right, creating small yet effective wounds, she gathered more and more strength, slowly closing the massive gap between her and Richter, vanishing just as the latter was about to counterattack.
"Not so fast! ⟨⟨Northern Wind: Boreas⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
Some swords and dragons tried to head towards Yuna, but they were all held back by Grey's torrent of spears, not letting even a single one pass through. He needed to hold them back as long as he could to make sure Yuna gets powerful enough.
"Don't get distracted now, Lord Grey." ［Richter］
"Kugh...!" ［Grey］
Of course, he also needed to do so whilst keeping the clones at bay. Thankfully, he had his "Multitask" with him, casting recovery spells at the most crucial moments without fail. An endless cycle of pain and recovery.
⟨⟨Winter Gale's Parade!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
⟨⟨Blue Judge!⟩⟩ ［Richter］
Richter increased their distance, and so, Yuna shot out several ice spears towards his direction. But they couldn't even get near him, when suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning fell from the sky, eliminating all of them in an instant.
Even when Yuna already activated her Authorities, her strength was still far below from Richter's, only able to chip away at him slowly but surely, all while keeping in mind that each attack from him could put her in grave danger.
Still, Yuna didn't lose hope. As soon as the lightning bolt vanished, she then covered the distance between them, rushing in with her daggers ready to strike. She was now about as powerful as Grey, not needing to hesitate as much as before.
She slashed, she stabbed, she dodged, and she casted spells one after another. As frost devoured the stage whole, Richter's lightning dragons also laid waste to all there was to see, painting the whole place blue.
⟨⟨Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Meanwhile, Grey also fought with his life on the line. Though his body was already aching with so much pain, he still continued to wave his fists, also using both chains and the shield to expand his choices. An odd combination which made it hard for Richter to predict his next move.
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Deathly Chariot!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Richter］
And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, two azure blades of mana were released from the Azure Sword Emperor's blades, bolting towards his direction. It was then that Grey saw the worst future there was, one he couldn't change.
Though one of the blades was really rushing towards him, the other was actually aiming for Yuna. She also foresaw the same future. The very moment she uses "Phaseless", it would be the end of the match.
On the other hand, she couldn't also just take on the attack. Though her strength had increased, her defenses remained the same. To top it all off, she doesn't have the same defensive buff Grey had because of the Divine Shield. Such a dilemma.
『Yuna, just do it!』 ［Grey］
Reluctant as she was, Yuna quickly activated "Phaseless", and let the attack pass through her. However, the moment she did, Richter then headed towards where Grey was and aided the clones in taking him down.
Yuna tried to help, but she was blocked off by the swords and dragons. She tried using "Phaseless" to pass through them but even if she did, she couldn't find an opening to assist Grey. Instead, she'll just become a burden.
Even if she did use "Physical Concealment" and "Presence Concealment", Grey still wouldn't be able to escape Richter's tight grasp. The tide of the duel has completely turned once again.
⟨⟨Western Wind: Zephyrus!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Blood Rain!⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ⟩⟩ ［Richter］
Grey tried to fight back, but with three people ganging up on him, there was barely anytime to breathe. Even with "Eyes of Destiny", he only managed to dodge by a hair's breadth, narrowly escaping defeat.
⟨⟨Winter Gale's Parade!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Yuna also tried to help from the outside but before her attacks could even reach, they were quickly intercepted by the swords and dragons. There was nothing she could do but watch her beloved struggle under immense pressure.
It was all pointless struggle. The more time passed, the more damage Grey incurred, his guard breaking down even when he used the stage to create walls for him. They still have yet to surrender, but the outcome of the match was already decided.
In the first place, they only got so far because Richter let his guard down in the beginning and that there were a couple of restrictions. If they were in a real battle and Richter used his Authorities as well, things would have already been over long ago. Such was the bitter reality.
"Grey!!" ［Yuna］
Before long, Grey's guard was finally broken, the Divine Shield deflected away from him. He tried to cross his arms and defend but Richter's all out assault was simply too much for him to handle at his current state.
"This is the end... ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨ ⟨⟨Blue Judgeー !!!" ［Richter］
RING RING DING DING
Richter was about to land his final strike, but before he could even do so, the timer already beat him to the punch, stopping him midway as bitter smiles appeared on Grey and Yuna's faces.
"Whoooh! That was an amazing match!!"
"As expected of the Azure Sword Emperor! He really is the strongest!"
"Hey, the Heroes are also amazing! They could even stand up to the Emperor!"
Loud cheers followed soon after the bell rang. Though the people's eyes didn't quite catch how the battle unfolded, they could see glimpses of it, all the while experiencing the fierce atmosphere which brooded all over them.
They were all filled with excitement and admiration as they cheered and sang praises for everyone on the stage. Now, their reputation soared even higher than the clouds, people unable to stop talking about them.
"So it's a draw, huh... How unfortunate... Should we continue for a couple more minutes, Lord Grey?" ［Richter］
"Hahaha. Sorry, Your Majesty, but I don't think I can fight any longer..." ［Grey］
"Grey...!" ［Yuna］
The pressure now over and tension leaving his body, Grey could finally release all the abilities he was using and feel all the pain coursing throughout his whole body, it was so painful, he couldn't even begin to describe it.
Thankfully, Richter was there to catch him when he was just about to fall. Soon, Yuna rushed towards his side and casted recovery spells as quickly as he could with an extremely worried expression painted on her beautiful face,
"That was a good match, Lord Grey, Lady Yuna." ［Richter］
"Hahaha. Thank you, Your Majesty." ［Grey］
It was a tough battle, countless difficulties within just ten minutes. However, despite all the hardships they had to endure, there were only smiles of satisfaction on Grey and Yuna's faces. The duel was a lot of fun.
"Should we have another match sometime?" ［Richter］
"That... I don't think we can yet, Your Majesty..." ［Grey］
"Un... Our bodies are still hurting..." ［Yuna］
Well, no matter how fun it was, there were still limits on the things they could do. If they were to simply continue like mindless idiots, their bodies would be the one to suffer from their recklessness. It was best to take things in moderation.
And so, with the color of the sky slowly turning amber and the crowd dissipating one after another, it continued to unfold and everyone continued exploring around after a bit of rest. Before long, night finally came and the first day of the festival was over. A day unlike any other.
CHAPTER 288 END