Chapter 91: Kill Him

    Chapter 91:

    Umara sat nervously on the stands around the arena. Her parents and sister were to her side, as well as the Chief and several other high level spectators.

    Hundreds had already gathered from out of nowhere. Most of them were students of the Martial League. Tindereye was one such student.

    She wasn’t worried about the amount of attention directed at John; the Magisterium and his anomalous performance had already run him through that gauntlet. She was worried more about whether John could avoid killing Tindereye.

    She knew how his weapons worked better than anyone: it was incredibly difficult to reign in their power.

    All that was setting aside the fact he was drunk.

    She watched as he took another swig from a bottle of alcohol. She wasn’t sure where he got it from. Maybe he pulled it out of his ass.

    A drunken man with those weapons was a recipe for disaster. She hoped Tindereye was stronger than he looked, for his own sake.

    It would be problematic if he killed someone of the Raven Family, after all.

    “Allow me to establish the stakes of this duel.”

    Tindereye’s voice echoed through the stands.

    “If you lose, you will stop pursuing Lady Umara!”

    “Huh? Guy, I really hope you don’t actually want to make those the stakes.”

    “Why? Are you afraid of your own weakness? A Summoner isn’t worthy of her hand, so you should face that reality now.”

    “Son, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m saying, if you make those the stakes, I’m going to have to kill you. So don’t, for your own sake.”

    Shotgun in hand, John racked the slide and flung a shell skyward, nabbing it out of the air and turning it over a few times.

    “This is a slug, right? Hey, do you have armor on?”

    “...I do not.”

    Tindereye responded, unsure of what to make of John’s antics.

    John looked between him and the shell a few times, making Umara’s anxiety spike.Vissit  for updates

    She shouted.

    “No slugs!”

    “...Fine.”

    He shrugged and tossed the shell, littering the rest over the arena floor before slotting in buckshot.

    She sighed in relief, sitting back and earning her mother’s curiosity.

    “What are slugs?”

    “It’s a type of projectile his gun shoots. They’re meant for punching through tough armor, so if he uses them while Tindereye doesn’t have armor, he’ll kill him.”

    “He was serious about that?”

    Looks of surprise spread on the faces of those nearby who overheard.

    Umara massaged her temples.

    “Please stop underestimating him. His summons are wholly devoted to killing and he regularly fights above his Authority. Now he’s been challenged to a duel by a knight while half-drunk. If Tindereye really threatens his life, then John will kill him.”

    “Hm, well, at least you know he’ll kill for you.”

    “How romantic.”

    Feay nudged Umara with a teasing face, causing her to blush a bit while pushing back.

    “Umara.”

    A voice interrupted their play fight. Umara turned and found Shadowbane walking over.

    She waved.

    “Hi Shadow.”

    “So someone is trying to unseat your man, hm? What happens if he loses?”

    “He won’t. If he does it would be on purpose.”

    “That seems like a convenient excuse. It’s a good thing I trust you.”

    Shadowbane sat down in front of Umara, resting her back on Umara’s legs.

    “Let’s just watch. I’ll step in if you want me to.”

    “Thank you.”

    Umara smiled at her friend’s courtesy.

    By now, John and Tindereye finished their preparations.

    Almost 300 people had gathered in the stands, and more were still streaming in.

    Umara looked around and suddenly understood why this was getting so popular.

    It wasn’t every day that a summoner appeared in their city, let alone one that could fight. They were all curious.

    Not only that, but Tindereye was somewhat famous himself. There were rankings for each of the years at the Martial League, much like in the Magisterium Elites, and Tindereye was regularly on top. He was also a direct descendant of the Chief, giving him the same familial status as Shadowbane. He had both a name and the power to back it up.

    It was the reason he was one of Umara’s suitors. If he married her, it would strengthen the alliance between the families. And Umara wasn’t particularly opposed to his character by principle.

    It was precisely because of the alliance between their families that he actually treated her very well. While he may be a bit impassioned as evidenced by his eagerness to duel John, he was still a good person. It was just unfortunate for him that the two never saw much of each other given their geographical separation.

    Regardless, there were several good reasons to watch this fight, and people didn’t want to miss it.

    Umara watched as John pulled out a pistol, holding the Trench Gun in his spare hand.

    “Alright, I’m ready.”

    “As am I.”

    The two finished their preparations, and the Chief raised his arm.

    “Fighters ready. Fight!”

    ————

    But Tindereye’s indignation wouldn’t allow him to stop. He raised his head, eyes full of spirit, and reached out with his hand.

    How could a summoner resist his grasp? He would fall with a mere flex of the fingers.

    His hand brushed by John’s leg, intending to grab it, though hardly having the time to.

    Complex purple lines on John’s coat flared to life, his Aura surging out with panic and unbridled killing intent. His head and shotgun snapped downward in unison, finger on the trigger and already squeezing.

    He was going to end Tindereye’s life. He was practically screaming it to the world.

    “Don’t do it!”

    The Chief yelled, realizing what was happening, his body flickering faster than anyone could follow.

    Shadowbane was only slightly slower, her body flying so fast across the ground that dust kicked up in a thin line behind her.

    *BOOM*

    Everything happened all at once, everyone holding their breaths as the shot was fired directly at Tindereye’s face.

    But luckily for him, John’s body was ordinary. Even with the powers of his coat and mind, his body couldn’t completely keep up with his thoughts, much less the Chief’s Invigorated body.

    The Chief’s hand rested in front of TIndereye’s face, buckshot pellets flattened across his palm.

    And Shadowbane’s sword was skewered through Tindereye’s wrist, pushing it away from John’s leg.

    The four were interlocked for a moment before John caught himself, muttering with a scoff.

    “Fuck. Way to kill my buzz. Sorry for making you move, Chief.”

    “No need to apologize. One of our students didn’t know when he was in over his head. I don’t blame you for reacting the way you did. Even half drunk, you’ve got better instincts than most.”

    “Thank you, Chief.”

    His face was filled with a goofy grin, conveniently explained away by the remnants of alcohol in his bloodstream. However, Umara sensed there was something more behind it than just inebriation.

    Shadowbane turned to address John.

    “My turn now. Let’s do it later though.”

    “I’m down. Just let me know when.”

    “Mm.”

    She nodded, pulling her sword out of Tindereye’s arm and causing him to yelp.

    After that, some healers came and took him away.

    The Chief looked around as chatter rose in the stands again.

    “I announce the result of this duel as John Cooper’s complete victory! A talented Cold Summoner has appeared within the Magisterium! May his future be prosperous, and may the Scourge quake at the sound of his weapon! Invictus!”

    “Invictus!”

    Everyone cheered with the Chief, John looking around in confusion.

    After that, everyone cleared the arena, retreating to the dining hall for the initial celebration.

    ......

    ...

    After the fight, Umara took away my bottle of alcohol and stuffed a cigar in my mouth. I was being forced to sober up.

    Thankfully there was nobody else who wanted to duel me. If anything, I became a bit respected. There were many students from the Martial League who came to converse with me, wondering how a cold summoner, the weakest type of Magus, was able to defeat a knight like Tindereye.

    With some explanations about my weapons, they were able to understand a bit more. Besides, they had all seen it in action. Some had even retrieved some of the pellets and bullets as souvenirs, passing them around.

    However, shock was further amplified when they learned I was still an Authority 4, an entire level below Tindereye.

    Most weren’t sure what to say, while many doubted my words. I didn’t bother trying to convince them though. I could only shrug and let them believe whatever they wanted to.

    After an hour or so the time for conversation passed and I was allowed some reprieve. A big feast was also prepared during that time, so everyone took their place at a grand table seating over 100. That wasn’t to mention the side tables holding everyone else surrounding it.

    Just the waiters numbered 5 dozen, all of them rushing around to cater to their guests. Platters of meat slabs were constantly replaced as they were devoured. Wine flowed like a river, the volume consumed placing everyone solidly into “alcoholic” territory.

    I didn’t partake, but it was still fun to watch.

    A large chunk of the night was spent eating and drinking. It was toward the end when the Chief suddenly spoke up with a small announcement.

    “Duchess and Duke Talerria. I have some gifts I’d like you to accept. But first, I can’t help but mention something I overheard. Mr. Cooper. I heard that you wanted a lute.”

    “Hm?”

    I looked up, caught off guard by the mention of my name.

    Looking around, I just nodded, making the Chief smile.

    “The six string lute you had been eyeing during the theater performance was a Bassan, and while we don’t have a Bassan specifically, we have one rather similar. For your victory during the duel, I’d like to reward you with one.”

    “I-”

    (Accept it! Don’t deny his generosity.)

    I heard Umara hastily command within my mind, preventing me from denying the gift, as I had just been about to do.

    As I was silent, a butler brought out the instrument. It was carried in what was essentially a guitar case, and when he presented it, I saw the instrument within.

    It was very similar to a guitar, with six strings and a body that could be comfortably held within one’s arms. So while the shape wasn’t the same, a bit slimmer than a normal acoustic, it still looked to have the same function with the sound hole and frets.

    However, it was incredibly nice. The wood was an odd deep blue bordering on black, and the strings were made of slightly golden metal. There were also some enchantments across its back.

    The craftsmanship was extraordinary. I couldn’t help but reach out, too excited to use it.

    I grabbed it out of the held case, taking it in my arms and plucking a few strings, letting their somewhat unfamiliar notes play across my ears.

    *Thrum*

    After a bit of tuning, I ran my thumb across all six, hearing that familiar blissful sound, smiling contentedly.

    “It’s amazing. Thank you, Chief.”

    “I’m glad it meets your standard. Now, allow me to present the Talerria family with their gifts.”

    With his word, more butlers appeared with items in hand.

    I looked up, interested to see what they would get.