Chapter 119 - Duel For Leadership [I]

Chapter 119: 119 - Duel For Leadership [I]

"If I lose, do whatever you intended to do. But if I win, let the company decide what comes next."

Vikir repeated Kael’s words quietly as the Bloodfang Wolves spread across both sides of the road.

The Clairmont soldiers remained near the three mana-powered vehicles, while the mercenaries formed a wide circle around Marcus and Kael, leaving enough space between them for the duel.

"That is what he told you, my lord. Do you believe that’s fair?"

Adrien kept Umbral Root manifested in one hand while watching the two Four-Stars move toward the center.

Neither had taken their eyes off the other since Kael issued the challenge.

"We’ll have to wait until he wins and see what he asks for, and what the company decides afterward. But from what I’ve seen of him, I think it’ll be something we can work with."

Vikir looked at Adrien for a moment before lowering his mana rifle slightly. The weapon remained manifested, and the Clairmont soldiers had not dismissed their Items either.

"If that’s what you believe, I’ll follow your decision."

Adrien nodded and returned his attention to the circle. He was allowing the Bloodfang Wolves to handle their leadership dispute according to their customs, but that did not mean Marcus was free to walk away afterward.

The crimes committed on Clairmont roads still existed regardless of who won.

A veteran mercenary stepped into the center. He looked older than both fighters, with a deep scar crossing one cheek and a Three-Star Mana Core that Adrien could sense without effort. From the way the others moved aside for him, he had clearly overseen this kind of challenge before.

"Both of you know the rules," the man said. "I’m saying them anyway so nobody claims otherwise after this is over."

Marcus folded his arms while Kael stood opposite him without moving. Neither looked away from the veteran as he continued.

"There is no surrender once the duel begins. No one outside the circle interferes for any reason. The challenge ends when one fighter can no longer continue."

The mercenary’s gaze moved between them.

"Unconscious, physically unable to fight, or dead. Those are the only endings recognized by the Bloodfang Wolves. If either of you has a problem with that, say it before I start the duel."

Silence answered him, and Adrien’s eyes narrowed slightly. Kael had not exaggerated when he said mercenary disputes were settled through strength.

There was no ceremonial first blood or opportunity to withdraw once someone realized the difference between them.

The rules were designed to produce a leader nobody could question afterward. Marcus finally moved one hand away from his side, showing no hesitation now that everything had been stated.

"Start it."

Kael’s expression did not change.

"I’m ready."

The referee stepped backward, leaving the center entirely. Around them, more than a hundred mercenaries watched in silence.

Some looked toward Kael with concern, while others kept their eyes on Marcus, uncertain what the man who had led them for years would do if he won.

Adrien studied both Mana Cores through Absolute Mana Sense. Four Stars against Four Stars made the matchup appear even at first glance, but rank alone said little about how the fight would unfold.

Marcus was a Knight. Mana gathered around his right hand before his Item began to manifest.

A broad sword appeared from the light, its blade thick enough to withstand heavy impacts and long enough that Marcus could use his greater frame to control distance.

The weapon suited him, built around the same direct physical pressure Adrien expected from a veteran Knight. Marcus lowered it into position without taking his eyes from Kael.

Kael raised his own hand a second later. His manifestation was different from Marcus’s from the beginning. Mana gathered into the shape of a long, single-edged sword, somewhat lighter than Marcus’s broader weapon but still clearly made for close combat.

Adrien focused on him more closely. ’Spellblade.’

That explained the difference between the two. Both Marcus and Kael were warriors who fought primarily with weapons, and both clearly knew how to use a sword. Their Paths simply gave them different possibilities once the fight began.

Marcus was a Knight. His Path naturally suited direct combat, allowing him to reinforce his body and push his physical abilities further while fighting at close range.

Kael, on the other hand, was a Spellblade.

He could fight with a sword like any experienced warrior, but he could also use spells alongside it. That gave him options Marcus didn’t have, especially if Kael had learned how to transition between swordsmanship and magic without giving his opponent room to react.

Adrien didn’t know what spells Kael possessed yet, which made judging the matchup much harder.

Vikir noticed Adrien studying him.

"Marcus is a Knight. Kael is a Spellblade."

Adrien kept his voice low. Marcus had years more experience and probably far more real combat behind him. Kael was younger, but reaching Four Stars at twenty-one was enough to prove that his position was not an accident.

More importantly, Kael had chosen this duel knowing exactly who he was challenging. He had spent years around Marcus and knew the older man’s habits better than Adrien could.

Marcus rolled one shoulder and adjusted his grip. The contempt from earlier had not disappeared, but his posture had changed now that the rules were set. Whatever he thought of Kael personally, he was taking the duel seriously.

"You can still regret this," Marcus said.

Kael held his sword loosely beside him.

"The rules were just explained. So don’t waste people’s time."

Marcus’s expression hardened. Across the circle, several Bloodfang Wolves shifted their weight, but nobody spoke.

Adrien kept Absolute Mana Sense focused on both men. Mana was already building inside Marcus’s body, reinforcing him in preparation for the first exchange.

Kael’s mana was moving as well, but Adrien couldn’t tell yet what he intended to do with it. He could reinforce himself, rely entirely on his swordsmanship, cast a spell, or combine several of those options once the duel began.

That uncertainty was probably one of the greatest advantages of the Spellblade Path.

The veteran mercenary raised one arm, and the entire road seemed to go still as every pair of eyes returned to the center.

Adrien could hear the mana engines of the three vehicles humming behind him and the movement of leaves above the road. Nobody looked away from the two men preparing to decide who would lead the Bloodfang Wolves.

The referee looked at Marcus and then Kael. After one final second, his raised hand dropped sharply between them.

"Begin."

Marcus moved first, the ground breaking beneath his first step as he drove forward. His broad sword came around with enough force to split through a normal man’s guard, while Kael’s purple eyes followed the blade all the way in.

Kael moved his own sword to meet it.

The two Four-Stars collided.