It was the following morning.
The crowds that filled the streets on the previous day did so again, but this time for a different reason.
The crowds surrounded the local arena in preparation for the big event.
Nobles took their seats with the best views, merchants started a betting event where people could bet on the winners, and commoners flooded the arena, filling all nine thousand seats in the circular-shaped arena.
As many got their food, drinks, and seats and others placed their hard-earned gold on the bets, soon fireworks went off in the arena, marking the start of this grand event.
*In Alex's Locker room*
Alex was gearing up for the fight; he had chosen to wear a black suit to this fight, which was unconventional to say the least.
"Master, if I may ask, why are you wearing a suit?" Kaede asked.
"Yeah, where's your armor?" Eve asked.
The two maids were with him to help him prepare for the fight. Anna and Raven had their own private sky box in the arena, which Kaede and Eve would go to before the fight began.
"It's fine; the suit looks nice, right?" Alex asked the girls.
"Yes, master, but you should wear something that will help you in case you get hit." Eve pleaded.
Alex simply smiled and said, "I'll be okay, Eve; I don't plan on getting hit."
Alex was confident in himself; he knew how strong he was in comparison to Oliver, so he didn't even worry about what was going to happen.
"Overconfidence can lead to a quick defeat, Master." Kaede said.
Alex laughed in response, saying, "It's not overconfidence if it's true; besides, between me and Oliver, I feel he's in a similar mood as I am."
*At Oliver's Locker Room*
"Oliver, perhaps you should rethink this."
"No mother! He embarrassed me in front of all the other nobles. He made me look like a fool. Challenging me like this." Oliver ranted.
Ellen showed worry in her face; while she wasn't close to her son, he was still her child, and she didn't want to see him hurt.
"I know, son, but perhaps there is a better way to settle this matter."
"There isn't mother; now go back to the sky box with Father and Randall; I need to get ready." Oliver said.
"I understand." Ellen started to leave the room but gave some final words to him before she left "Please stay safe, Oliver."
"No need to worry; Im going to make this bastard beg for his life."
*Back at the Arena grounds*
There was a man standing in the middle of the arena floor with a microphone in hand; he also had graying hair that seemed to be styled with gel.
The microphone, instead of using speakers like in Alex's previous world, uses specialized sound magic. That way, anything spoken into the mic comes out as if there were speakers around the arena.
"Welcome, Ladies and gentlemen, nobles and commoners alike, to this beautiful arena created to worship our divines. Now today, we have a duel between two noble families. As many of you know, yesterday Alex Blackwood used the right of objection to stop the marriage of our very own Oliver Tarren and Alex's sister, Raven Blackwood."
Many boos were heard throughout the crowd.
Alex, who was waiting in his tunnel, realized he was definitely the away team in this fight.
The announcer continued.
"Now fighting out of the left tunnel, born from the prestigious Tarren family and the current family heir. He is currently a student at the Kearis Royal Academy and is one of the top students. Our city's very own, Oliver Tarren!"
As the announcer pointed his hand to the left tunnel, Oliver Tarren walked out dressed in his academy's dueling outfit, an outfit that covered someone head to toe in a protective magic-enhanced fabric. It could resist most magic spells that it came into contact with. He also had a blacksmith-made halberd in his right hand.
This wasn't his first duel, so he was pretty confident in his abilities and saw himself as superior to Alex.
"There's no way that bastard can win now, not with this protecting me from his magic." Oliver thought to himself.
The Announcer put his mic back in front of his mouth and began speaking again.
"Now, out of the right tunnel, born to the Blackwood family, he is the only current surviving son of Edward Blackwood. He came to this city and immediately caused an uproar. Alex Blackwood!"
The crowd erupted into boos; there was not a single cheer to be heard in the city. Not even on the screens in people's houses all over the western region of the empire. It wasn't every day that a massive duel was called in the capital of the region.
Alex walked out in his black suit with a smile on his face. He paid no attention to the crowd at all and kept his eyes straight on Oliver. He expected Oliver to attack him before the fight really began, so he had to be ready at all times. However, unlike Oliver, he didn't bring a weapon out with him, which shocked everyone, especially Oliver.
Alex walked to the middle of the arena and looked Oliver in the eyes.
"This fool didn't even bring a weapon? This will be easier than I thought." Oliver thought to himself.
"Hmm, a halberd, huh? Well, this shouldn't be an issue." Alex thought to himself.
However, before the fight began, Oliver gave the referee an order.
"Hey referee, I would like to make this fight into a life-or-death duel." Oliver said. Oliver thought to himself that he could kill Alex and, while doing that, stop anyone from interfering with his marriage—two birds with one stone.
"Well, both sides have to agree-" the referee was saying before Alex interrupted him.
"I agree."
The referee and the crowd were shocked at hearing this; suddenly, a normal match became one where one of these fighters would be killed. Both of the fighters families got worried after hearing this. Especially Raven and Anna for Alex and Ellen for Oliver.
However, to the shock of many, both of them were smiling, each of them believing themselves to be superior. Issue was...
Only one of them was right.
The Announcer climbed up a staircase leading to the stands before announcing.
"Let the duel begin!"
*Ding Ding Ding*
The two immediately clashed as soon as the bell rang. Alex stayed on offense while Oliver was forced into a defensive stance. Oliver was panicked; he was forced to stay defensive while under assault from Alex's fists. Alex had used his lightning magic to enhance not just his personal speed but also the speed of his strikes. Oliver couldn't keep up with Alex because he could barely see what was happening.
Oliver, however, soon realized that Alex was stronger than he thought. One of Alex's strikes hit the halberd and snapped the weapon in half.
"All fair and square now." Alex taunted.
He knew he could easily get into Oliver's head and was succeeding.
"Just watch you, bastard!" Oliver yelled out.
Oliver tried swinging with his own punch, but Alex countered it by delivering an uppercut right to Oliver's stomach. Oliver spit out blood as a response, and he nearly dropped to the ground. However, Alex wasn't done with him yet. Alex kept swinging at Oliver; he hit him in the face with a right hook, then hit him with a knee to the stomach, right where he had uppercutted before. Oliver, now disoriented, tried to stumble backwards but was once again caught by Alex.
Alex continued to hit Oliver, who couldn't even defend himself, as the crowd gasped in horror as they witnessed Oliver be beaten to a pulp where he was half conscious.
Ellen started to cry seeing Oliver be so brutally tortured by Alex. The truth was, in Oliver's state, Alex could kill him whenever he wanted, but he didn't, and Ellen could realize that.
Alex was making Oliver suffer, something that didn't go unnoticed by Anna and the others.
However, Alex gave Oliver a break; he dropped him and stopped fighting him as he walked away.
Alex just waited, not doing anything until Oliver managed to get back on his feet.
Oliver was desperate; he was fading in and out of consciousness; he couldn't even open one of his eyes, and he couldn't tell if it was because of blood, if he had a black eye, or both.
Oliver, in a desperate attempt, surrounded himself with water magic; he created almost a barrier that he was swimming in as some of his wounds started to heal.
Oliver laughed, thinking he now had the upper hand. Alex just used tons of energy and was tired while he was healing himself with his magic. After all, water and life magic work in similar ways with the right training.
Oliver started to gloat "Haha, see Alex, with my water healing magic, you can't beat me! You can beat me up all you want, and I can just heal."
However, many people who knew Alex's magic were horrified.
"Oliver No!" Duncan tried to yell out.
Soon, Alex generated a lightning strike in his palm. He looked at Oliver and said "Hey Oliver, did you ever pay attention in your magic lessons?"
Before Oliver could answer, Alex threw his lightning directly at Oliver, and while the strike didn't hit him directly, something else entirely happened. The water he used to heal himself conducted the lightning, and it started to electrocute Oliver as he trapped himself inside his own magic. He tried to yell out, but to no avail. Soon the water barrier vanished, leaving Oliver on the ground, barely clinging to life after suffering through that torture.
Alex walked up to Oliver, who was barely conscious and had life fading from his eyes.
"Oliver, your overconfidence was your undoing; you were so confident you could beat me, and what happened? You couldn't even dirty my shoes. There is a very thin line between overconfidence and foolishness. You should've just let me walk with Raven. I wish you have a better attitude in your next life."
As he said his final words to Oliver, Oliver stopped drawing breath and died at the center of the arena for all to see.
Many praised Oliver and saw him having a bright future, only to have it snuffed out because of his foolishness.
The Announcer went back to the arena and said
"I hereby declare the winner of this duel to be, Alex Blackwood!"
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