The arena trembled under the force of the ongoing duel.
Emperor Tiberius and the mana-forged dragon that was Duke Draconus clashed repeatedly, each impact sending shockwaves through the magical barriers.
Mikhail watched intently, his young eyes missing nothing as the two titans of the empire battled for supremacy. The air crackled with energy.
Duke Draconus, transformed by the artefact, was a sight to behold. His draconic form, woven entirely from threads of pure draconic mana, towered over the arena floor.
The wireframe construct pulsed with raw power, each movement leaving trails of luminous energy in its wake. Within its crystalline heart, the Duke's human form floated, suspended within its embrace.
Emperor Tiberius stood tall in the face of the Duke's transformation. His sword, Stormbreaker, glowed with light that seemed to grow brighter with each passing moment.
The Emperor's face was a mask of concentration, his eyes never leaving the massive construct before him.
As Mikhail watched, the Emperor began to move in a pattern he recognised from his studies - the opening stance of one of the highest Imperial Sword Arts.
"Imperial Sword Art: Heaven's Domain," Mikhail breathed.
Emperor Tiberius made his move.
The air around the Emperor began to shimmer. With each step, each swing of his sword, he left behind afterimages that seemed to take on a life of their own.
Soon, the arena was filled with dozens of Emperor Tiberiuses, each one moving in perfect harmony. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a display of power that few in the empire had ever witnessed.
The dragon construct responded by opening its geometric jaw, unleashing a beam of concentrated mana that carried the full might of ancient dragon magic.
The space between its teeth distorted with the sheer density of power being channelled.
But as the attack reached the Emperor's afterimages, something extraordinary happened. Each image of the Emperor raised its sword, and the beam split around them, harmlessly dissipating into the air. It was as if the very concept of 'Emperor' was rejecting the construct's power.
"Imperial Sword Art: Sovereign's Mandate," Mikhail murmured, recalling a passage from one of the advanced texts Grand Mage Thorne had left him. "A technique that allows the Emperor to impose his authority on reality itself."
As the dragon's attack faded, the true Emperor Tiberius emerged unscathed. His eyes glowed with light, and when he spoke, his voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"You have fought well, Duke Draconus," the Emperor said, his tone carrying both praise and warning. "But it is time to end this."
With those words, Emperor Tiberius moved faster. His speed was beyond anything Mikhail had ever seen, leaving streaks of golden light in his wake.
The dragon construct, despite its enormous size, could barely track him. Its wireframe claws passed through empty air as the Emperor danced between them, each dodge precise and purposeful.
Stormbreaker flashed again and again, each strike precise and devastatingly powerful. Mikhail could see the mana threads of the construct fragmenting where the blade struck, the dragon's form briefly destabilising before the Duke could reinforce it. The sword seemed to sing as it cut through the air, each note a testament to the Emperor's mastery.
But Duke Draconus was far from defeated.
With a thunderous roar, the dragon construct began to pulse with increasing intensity. The mana threads making up its form started to vibrate at impossible frequencies, creating a resonance that made reality itself shudder.
"Ancient Art: Draconic Resonance!" the Duke's voice echoed from within the construct's chest, as the entire dragon form became a weapon of pure harmonic frequencies.
The attack was unprecedented in its power. Mikhail could see the strain on the faces of the mages maintaining the barrier as they poured more of their own energy into containing the blast. The air seemed to crystallise under the resonating frequencies, and small objects in the arena began to shatter.
The dragon was imposing the universal law of destruction upon reality itself, any living being within this ability's area of effect would be untterly destroyed at an atomic level.
But Emperor Tiberius stood firm. As the waves of resonating power approached, he raised Stormbreaker high. The sword began to glow, brighter and brighter until it rivalled the sun itself. Mikhail had to shield his eyes, the light so intense it threatened to blind him.
"Imperial Sword Art: Sundering Heavens!"
The Emperor's voice rang out, clear and powerful, each word seeming to carry the weight of the entire empire behind it.
With a single, downward slash, the Emperor cleaved through the resonating frequencies. Reality stilled, the shattered air reforming in the wake of his blade.
Mikhail watched in awe as space itself seemed to split along the path of the Emperor's slash.
But the Emperor wasn't finished. Before the dragon construct could recover, Emperor Tiberius closed the distance. Stormbreaker moved in a complex pattern, too fast for the eye to follow. All Mikhail could see was a blur of golden light, and then...
Silence fell over the arena.
The massive dragon construct froze mid-motion, its network of mana threads suddenly still. A lattice of golden lines intersected with its form, remnants of the Emperor's final attack. One by one, the threads of mana began to unravel, the construct dissolving like morning mist.
Duke Draconus descended slowly to the ground as his magnificent creation faded away, magical exhaustion evident in every line of his body. His ornate mage robes were in tatters, and the shattered remains of the artefact lay scattered around him.
"It's over," Mikhail whispered, awe in his voice.
Indeed, as the golden lines faded, Duke Draconus fell to his knees. But more than that, the fight seemed to have gone out of him. He looked up at Emperor Tiberius, who stood before him unscathed, and bowed his head.
"I yield," the Duke said, his voice hoarse but clear. "The victory is yours, Your Imperial Majesty."
A hush fell over the arena, broken only by the Emperor's voice, ringing out clear and strong: "Rise, Duke Draconus. You have fought with honour and brought glory to your house."
As Duke Draconus struggled to his feet, supported by his house mages who had rushed to his aid, Emperor Tiberius turned to address the assembled nobles and officials.
Mikhail noticed how the Emperor's posture remained perfect, showing no signs of fatigue despite the intense battle.
"Let this serve as a reminder," he proclaimed, his voice carrying easily to every corner of the arena. "The Ironforge Dynasty rules not by divine right alone, but by strength and wisdom. We are the shield that protects the empire, the sword that expands its borders, and the crown that unites its people."
Cheers erupted from the crowd, the sound deafening in its intensity. Mikhail joined in, clapping enthusiastically while his mind raced with the implications of what he had just witnessed.
He could see the other noble houses reacting, some with awe, others with barely concealed fear or calculation in their eyes.
This duel had been different from the one in his past life – more intense, more decisive, and the use of the artefact never happened in his past life. The ripples from this event would spread far and wide.
Mikhail turned to look down at Valerie. The young noblewoman sat in stunned silence, her eyes fixed on her defeated father.
Mikhail could see the conflicting emotions playing across her face - pride in her father's magical prowess, fear for his condition, and uncertainty about what this meant for their house.
"Your father fought brilliantly," Mikhail said softly in a whispered mana transmission. "Few mages in history have ever achieved such a transformation. He has brought great honour to House Draconus."
Valerie turned to him, surprise and gratitude flickering in her eyes. "Thank you, Prince Mikhail," she whispered. "You're... not what I expected."
Mikhail allowed himself a smile. "Neither are you, Lady Valerie."
[System Alert: Quest "Duel of Destinies" completed. Rewards: Increased insight into imperial politics, potential skill improvements, chance to alter future events.]