Chapter 194: The Duel

The courtyard had turned into an arena.

Nathan stood at one end, gripping Moonlight. The silver bow glowed softly in the dull, grey light. At the other end stood General Kael, resting a massive, rune-covered warhammer easily on his shoulder. Hundreds of Iron Court soldiers formed a tight, silent ring around them. The tension in the air was so thick you could choke on it.

"Rules are simple, Climber," Kael called out, rolling his massive shoulders. "We go until somebody quits or dies. And just so we’re clear—I don’t quit."

"Good to know," Nathan said, adjusting his stance. "Because neither do I."

Kael didn’t waste time talking. He moved.

For a guy built like a brick wall, the General was terrifyingly fast. He crossed the yard in three huge strides, swinging his hammer in a flat, brutal arc that would have taken Nathan’s head clean off. But Nathan was already gone. He triggered [Nimble Feet], sliding under the swing just as the massive hammer smashed into the stone wall behind him, blasting chunks of rock into the air.

Nathan spun and fired. Three [Mana Arrows] snapped off his string in less than a second.

Kael swatted two out of the air with his hammer handle and took the third right on his chest. The arrow sparked and shattered against the thick black iron, not even leaving a scratch.

"You’re going to need a bigger bow!" Kael barked, laughing.

Nathan didn’t blink. He activated [Multi-Shadow Clones]. Four identical copies of Nathan popped into the courtyard, instantly scattering in different directions. Kael grunted in annoyance, his eyes darting between them. He swung wild at the closest one—it popped into black smoke. He lunged at another—gone.

The real Nathan was already sliding into his blind spot, aiming high. He fired [Death’s Homing Compass].

The arrow didn’t fly straight. It hooked sharply around Kael’s heavy guard and slammed right into the small gap of armor at his shoulder joint.

Kael hissed, stepping back and ripping the arrow out. He looked more annoyed than hurt. "Cute tricks, boy. But magic tricks don’t win wars."

He charged again, lifting the hammer high. This time, Nathan didn’t just run. He turned on [Hunter’s Insight]. The world around him slowed down slightly. Kael was a monster, but he was a predictable one. Every heavy swing had a big wind-up. Every charge threw his balance forward. Nathan started dancing through the strikes, dodging the heavy iron by inches and firing quick arrows to keep Kael off balance.

The soldiers watched in total silence. Nathan could feel them judging every move. He had to win this, but he couldn’t just survive. He had to prove that raw, brute strength wasn’t the only way to fight.

Kael let out a roar and swung downward. Nathan rolled out of the way, popping up on one knee. His bowstring was already pulled tight. He held it, feeding his B-Rank mana into the weapon. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Twenty.

He let the [Focus Shot] fly.

The arrow streaked across the yard like a bolt of silver lightning. It slammed dead center into Kael’s chest plate with a deafening CRACK. The sheer force of it lifted the giant man off his feet and shoved him backward.

The soldiers gasped. A thin line of blood ran down Kael’s chin.

Kael wiped the blood away with his thumb and stared at it. The anger melted away, replaced by a cold, dangerous focus. "Well, look at that. You actually put a dent in me."

He gripped his warhammer with both hands. The ancient runes carved into the metal flared bright, angry red. "Let’s see how you handle this."

Kael slammed the hammer straight down into the cobblestones.

KRAK-BOOM!

The ground literally exploded. A shockwave of pure force ripped through the courtyard, tearing up the stones. Nathan was thrown backward like a ragdoll. He tumbled hard across the dirt, all the air blasting out of his lungs. His shadow clones popped instantly. The stone walls of the arena cracked from the pressure.

Nathan forced himself up onto his hands and knees, coughing dust. Before his B-Rank upgrade, a hit like that would have broken every bone in his body. Now, his deep mana pool absorbed the worst of the shock, quickly pushing the pain away.

He looked up. Kael was walking toward him, the hammer still glowing red. "You’re quick. You’re smart," Kael said, breathing heavily. "But brute strength always wins in the end. It always does."

Nathan stood up and grabbed a physical arrow from his quiver. He had enough mana to keep blasting, but trading heavy blows wasn’t going to work. He needed to be smarter.

He pushed [Hunter’s Insight] to the absolute maximum. Everything slowed to a crawl. He watched Kael step forward, calculating the giant’s weight, his momentum, and his stance. There it was. It wasn’t a weak spot in the armor. It was his left knee. Whenever Kael put all his power into a downward swing, he leaned too far forward on that leg, totally throwing off his center of gravity.

Nathan waited.

Kael swung the hammer down with everything he had. Instead of jumping back, Nathan lunged straight forward, stepping right inside Kael’s guard. The heavy hammer crashed into the dirt just inches behind him.

Nathan didn’t try to punch through the armor. He drove the heavy metal riser of his bow hard into the back of Kael’s left knee.

The joint buckled. Kael stumbled, his eyes going wide.

Before the giant could recover, Nathan grabbed the handle of the warhammer right below Kael’s grip and yanked it violently forward. Kael’s own massive weight worked against him. Pulled completely off-balance, the general crashed face-first into the dirt with a loud, heavy thud.

Before Kael could even push himself up, Nathan stepped over him. He had an arrow pulled back tight on the string, the silver arrowhead resting less than an inch from Kael’s bare throat.

The red runes on the hammer slowly faded out. The entire courtyard was dead silent.

"Yield," Nathan said, his voice steady.

Kael stared up at him. His grey eyes were wide with shock, and for a second, Nathan thought the man was going to fight to the death. But slowly, the anger washed away. What replaced it was total, grudging respect.

"I yield," Kael grunted, spitting a mouthful of dirt. "You win, Climber."

Nathan slowly lowered his bow and let the tension out of the string. He reached down, offering his hand. Kael looked at it for a second before grabbing it. Nathan pulled, and with a groan of heavy armor, the giant got back to his feet.

Suddenly, a loud, rhythmic sound echoed through the courtyard. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

The Iron Court soldiers were slamming the butts of their spears against the ground. They weren’t angry. It was a warrior’s applause.

"The Iron Court respects strength," Kael said, brushing the dirt off his chest plate. "And you’ve got it. Come inside. We’ll listen to your pitch."

Nathan let out a long breath, feeling his heart pounding against his ribs. "Then let’s talk."

The meeting took hours.

Nathan laid out his whole plan on a large stone table. It wasn’t about conquering anyone. It was an alliance. The Iron Court and the Legion, fighting side-by-side instead of against each other. They would bring the other factions to the table using diplomacy, not swords. They could rebuild the Shattered Throne by combining their strength, rather than fighting until there was nothing left to rule.

Kael leaned back in his heavy chair, crossing his massive arms. "You really think the Vine Council is going to sit at a table with me? We’ve been slitting each other’s throats for a hundred years."

"They’ll listen if we show them a better way," Nathan argued. "And they’ll definitely listen if we show them the only other choice is an endless, pointless war."

Kael tapped his fingers on his armrest, looking deep in thought. "You’re either a real visionary, or a complete idiot."

"I get that a lot, too."

The general let out a harsh, booming laugh. "Alright, Climber. I’ll give you a chance. But hear me clearly: if this blows up, and the other factions refuse to play nice, the war is back on. And I won’t hesitate to crush them."

"That’s all I’m asking for," Nathan said. "A chance."

As the party finally walked out of the fortress gates, the soldiers watched them closely. The dirty looks were gone. They weren’t looking at them like enemies anymore. They were looking at them with something Nathan couldn’t quite put a name to.

Captain Aldric matched his pace, shaking her head. "That was reckless. That was incredibly stupid. And it might have been the bravest thing I have ever seen."

"Thanks. I think."

"So, what’s next?"

Nathan looked out past the jagged rocks, toward the distant horizon where the Throne of the Old Kings hung in the grey sky. "Next, we go convince the others."

He glanced back at his team. They looked exhausted, but they were smiling. Mirko was puffing her chest out, practically glowing with pride. Shiro’s golden eyes were bright and focused. Kuro just gave him a quiet nod. Dillon was spinning his katana with a huge grin on his face. Garrett looked incredibly relieved, and Elise offered him a soft, proud smile.

The Shattered Throne was still broken into a million pieces. But as they walked back toward the rope bridges, it actually felt like they could put it back together.