CHAPTER 29: HUMBLING A YOUNG MASTER [III]

Aegon was annoyed.

No — more than that — he was infuriated.

He wasn’t perfect... no human on Earth was perfect.

Everyone had their own flaws and things they excelled at.

He was a genius with the sword — that much was undeniable — but even so... where did this boy come from?

He was younger than him, maybe by a year or two, but still so infuriating.

How was he able to match his movements so easily, without even using a style?

He was just relying on raw swordsmanship with a bit of aura, yet he was countering him, a Prince who was pushing his aura to the absolute limit.

It was disgraceful.

It was disgraceful to the Royal name!

Aegon’s aura flared outward, burning wildly like an untamed flame.

Blood began to drip from his ears and nose, but he didn’t care.

He hadn’t mastered this next art — he knew the risks — but his father had once said it was the most erratic, the most deadly of the royal techniques.

"Eighth Style!" he roared, his body twisting unnaturally as his aura spiraled out of control.

The energy exploded outward, a storm of crimson aura engulfing Azel completely.

"Royal Realm!"

The air trembled.

It was a domain-type technique, one that forcibly expanded the user’s aura into a contained zone — a zone meant to crush and obliterate any opponent within it.

Aegon’s knees buckled, his body collapsing onto one knee as the pressure of his own unstable technique bore down on him.

Gasps erupted from the spectators.

Even from outside the battlefield, the sheer pressure of the domain could be felt.

Mira’s eyes widened in alarm.

He hasn’t mastered it!

This was an incomplete Royal Realm... this is dangerous!

Without hesitation, she darted forward.

The unrefined domain would kill Azel if she didn’t intervene.

But then —

A violent blast of wind tore through the arena, scattering Aegon’s aura as if it were nothing more than mist.

The crimson haze dissipated like a shattered illusion, revealing Azel standing calmly at its center, his sword raised.

He stood poised in a stance Mira recognized instantly.

"The Second Style..." She whispered.

She had seen Steven use it once or twice but it felt different as he took the stance, from the confidence in his sword and the way he stood, one could tell that he had mastered it to the absolute limit.

Azel’s aura surged violently around him, condensing with flawless control.

His voice rang out steady and cold

"Second Style – Reversal."

In that instant, Azel’s sword slashed outward, and a wave of pure aura erupted forth — a devastating counterforce that slammed toward Aegon like a tidal wave.

Aegon’s eyes widened in horror.

’I’m... going to die.’

He saw it clearly in that moment — his death, the unstoppable surge about to consume him.

His body refused to move.

But before it could strike, a blur of violet intercepted it.

"Enough!" Mira’s voice cut through the battlefield like a whip as she swung her blade, coated in the glowing aura of the Violent Serpent.

Her strike cleaved through Azel’s wave, dispersing it into harmless sparks of light.

It might look that she had dispersed it effortlessly, but she had to use the full power of her first form to do it.

Silence fell.

"The winner of this match," Mira announced firmly, lowering her sword, "is Azel Thorn."

Cheers erupted from the servants and spectators alike.

Azel lowered his sword and glanced briefly at Aegon, who was pale, shaking, and bleeding.

Then at Mira, whose stance was still tense from the effort of stopping his attack.

Without a word, he sheathed his blade and turned, walking off the field casually — like none of it mattered.

But inside, his thoughts were excited.

’He’s strong... if I hadn’t used Reversal there, I could have died.’

Though it was obvious that Aegon hadn’t mastered it at all, it was still far too early for him to master it.

He exhaled slowly, muttering under his breath.

"Thinking back on it, Reversal really is a cheat code..."

It was an advanced counter-art that allowed him to turn an enemy’s own technique against them.

The more complex the attack, the higher the risk of failure, but with strong fundamentals? It was devastating.

Another day to thank Steven for teaching him.

...

The cheers of the servants echoed through the air, but the royal family was silent, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Naelia was the first to break the silence.

"Azel... won," she whispered in disbelief, her hands clutching the hem of her dress tightly.

Her lips curved into a smile, her eyes glittering with relief. "He actually won!"

She shook Ira who was next to her and was smiling as well.

Beside them, Edna let out a sigh she didn’t realize she had been holding.

She placed a hand over her heart, calming its frantic rhythm.

"Thank the heavens," she murmured.

The tension in her shoulders eased, and for the first time since the duel began, a gentle smile crossed her lips.

Anyone who had seen battles before could clearly see that the first prince was going for the kill, while Azel was cautious.

Naelia turned to her mother, her excitement bubbling over. "I knew he’d win, Mother! I just knew it!"

Edna chuckled softly, brushing a strand of her daughter’s hair aside.

"Your faith in him is admirable, Naelia. And... it seems it wasn’t misplaced."

Across the seating area, Steven grinned proudly.

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with satisfaction.

"That’s my boy," he muttered, loud enough for the people near him to hear.

His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed with unmistakable pride.

But still he was surprised, Azel seemed even faster than before.

’Oh well I’ll ask him when we finally get home, this is a suitable vacation,’ Steven thought.

Meanwhile, The Emperor remained silent.

His expression was unreadable as he sat upon his ornate chair, fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest.

His gaze followed Azel until he disappeared from view, and only then did his lips curl into a faint smirk.

’Interesting,’ he thought. ’Not only does he possess the talent to counter my son’s techniques... but he even completely wields a style capable of neutralizing a Royal Realm.’

He leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes sharp as blades.

A boy of his strength... in time, he could become a powerful asset to the empire.

That much was certain, he didn’t care what Azel wanted, he could provide it to him but this boy...

He must become a weapon of the Starbloom Empire.