"I think we should wrap this up, your Excellency" Ryker said. The blonde woman pouted.
"Why don't you call me by my name?" she asked, upset for some reason.
"It because I have known your brother for a long time, if you call 4 weeks long. But I only meet you just now, and I want to have an amicable relationship, but you are still a princess, so I need to show some respect," he replied.
"Alright. Do you think we can meet in the future? You are an interesting person I would like to know you more," she asked.
"Maybe. You have to ask Lariz first. I prefer to know if any other royal family members want to meet me before they come see me," he told her.
"Of course, I will take my leave for now," she released his hand, before walking away. Ryker was about to leave the dance floor before a haughty looking man stop him in his track.
"I challenge you to a duel!" the sudden declaration surprise him, to the point he can only reply it like any other time someone ask him for a duel.
"Sure, when?"
-x-
Apparently when is right now, as he find out. They were escorted by a guard at the Half-Noble realm to outside of the palace, where there is a sparring ground, or duelling ground for now.
Apparently, in the Gala, it is common for people to let out their displeasure to the others, and so, the king allowed them to let out their grievance by beating the crap of one another.
He had never seen the man before, so he guess he is one of the princess suitor, or one attempted to be one at the very least.
"Get ready! I am going to beat you for sullying the princess in the behalf of the royal family!" Ryker rolled his eyes extravagantly. He had met them before and he knew while the king may dislike if he dance with his daughter, due to him being a womanizer, at least if one knew of his track record with woman, the man like him for everything else, especially his potential.
So, the man's words are exaggeration to destroy his reputation, not like he has once prior the Gala. Still, the man is at the 7th Stage Genesis Sea, and while he can easily best such experts, the man is a part of a noble family.
Their heritage would allow him access to powerful Cultivation Technique, along with better Cultivation Art, making him stronger than rouge experts at the same realm as he is.
Still, he might have never been involve in a life and death situation, which will make him less experience in combat, but he could not bank on such bias view. After all, he might have experience traveling or maybe even hunting some Genesis Beasts.
In the end, he had to keep his guard up, as there is no telling what he can do.
-x-
"Brother, are you not going to stop them?" Dory asked her eldest brother, who seem intent on watching the duel going on.
"Ryker is going to be fine," he waved her off.
"He is a 2nd Stage going against a 7th Stage! There is no way he would be fine!" she retorted.
"I mean, it is possible for a talented person to fight above their cultivation realm but it just 1 to 3 minor realm above, not 5! Not to mention his opponent is no slouch either!" she continued on.
Lariz merely shake his head, "Dear sister, I think you about to see why I show him so much respect and favor,"
-x-
"Kneel down and beg for mercy! Then I would think of letting you off!" Ryker rolled his eyes once more. At this rate, his pupil will stuck at the back of his head.
The young man is the one asking for a fight, why do he had to keep on postponing it! He could feel the crowd even starting to get annoyed.
"Come on! You don't need to ask him to kneel. Just beat him already!"
"Yeah! Break his legs and arms! That is what he deserved!"
"Show him to not mess with the royal family!"
He could feel his desire to beat up people to get a lot higher. He wonder if he can ask them for a duel as well. He would not take things to far, just rearranging their face to resemble a pig would do.
"Can we get this duel started?" apparently the referee, a guard, is in his side. The man gave him a smug smile as he took out a sword. Ryker could tell it is an artifact, likely a low-level Noble sword.
While it would be troublesome, it won't be much trouble as long as his opponent is not at the Noble realm. He has his weapon but he has no plan on taking it out just yet. After all, the sword is save for the more serious fight.
"Began!"
The man charged at him, his qi envoloping and powering the weapon. He could tell such an attack could even harm an 8th Stage Genesis Sea expert. However, his strength is far beyond that.
"Hhmmph!" he push his palm at the direction of the noble heir before walking away.
"Hah! What a coward! The princess does not need to deal with a person like you!"
"Beat him up! Show them how we treat cowards around here!"
"Yeah, do- it?"
The last one was filled with shock, as the palm break through all of the other man qi, destroying the attack before continuing in its trajectory, blasting the noble heir.
The sword manage to block some of it but it still cause a powerful shockwave, sending the Noble-grade artifact flying. As a result, the heir could barely react as the remnant of the palm, as strong as a full power attack of a peak Genesis Sea expert, hit the man, sending him flying outside the duelling ground.
He would have hit somebody else if not for a guard catching the man. As the retinue of the man check him, they expression darkened. The attack, while weakened, is strong enough to severely injure the heir.
However, everyone else barely paid attention to the defeated heir. They are watching Ryker left the ground with a bored expression, like he knew the result of the fight from the very start.
Even the referee had a dumbstruck expression, clearly shock by the winner of the duel.
-x-
Lariz laughed at the face of both his little sister and the head servant of his mansion.
"And that is why I don't worry about him. Someone weak like that could not even make him took out his weapon, much less be a danger to him,"