Chapter 423
Chapter 423
«Ha-ha… Yes… I’m not the man I used to be. Some girl has overtaken me! Wow…» – Isaac pretended to complain. – «As I said, she is too dangerous for us. You saw everything yourself.»
«What’s going on here? What does all this mean?!» – Valeera whispered incredulously, uncomprehendingly shifting her gaze from one person to another.
«Don’t you understand yet, you fool?» – the old man grinned bloodthirstily. – «You lost as soon as you came here! Such a dangerous person is not needed in the shadow world. No matter how much truth is on your side, hyenas will not allow a lion cub to grow into a lion. Well, to be completely frank, I brought everyone up to date in advance, and we have already divided your property, including the money from the sale of metal, among ourselves. As for this circus, everyone already knew the answer to most of the questions, and as for the details… Well, who of us would refuse to try to save face for himself and his grandson in a «fair» fight?»
The other clan heads laughed in unison.
Bernard and Alexander turned pale, and only Kyon was not particularly surprised.
Understanding of what was happening gradually began to appear In the beautiful eyes of the girl, it became increasingly difficult for her to maintain the appearance of calm on her face. She looked hopefully at Diego, who had previously sided with her: «Please help me, as you did recently! Take my side! Please…»
The man burst out laughing: «You fool, I was just having fun!» – he stared at Arpha with unblinking wolf’s gaze, and then turned to Edward with a dirty grin. – «Boy, I’m going to play with her tonight. Don’t die by the time I come.»
«She’ll be busy tonight, Mr. Diego. Come to us in the morning.» – Edward replied in the same manner. After a moment, the guy forgot about all the recent humiliation, plunging into his obscene fantasies.
Another unanimous guffaw echoed through the mansion.
Valeera was overwhelmed by a wave of despair. Even Diego looks at her like she is a juicy piece of meat. All of them united against her one alone, the weakest clan head of only the eighth rank, laughing and smiling… The pretense is over!
Why didn’t she listen to Zosimos? He had warned her that all this could be a trap, but she was so focused on the plan. She believed so much that she would win in a “fair” trial against Isaac, that she did not pay attention to the state of affairs in general. Stubbornness played a cruel joke on her, not allowing her to assess the situation from different angles, and now her fate is unenviable. The old man set a double trap for her.
Uniting against Arpha, the clan leaders were guided by pragmatism. In the next few years, no one wanted to kneel in front of a talented woman who had come from nowhere, give her part of his income and carry out her orders. The very thought of it irritated the men and caused a sickening reflex.
When Arpha was already being surrounded, pale Bernard suddenly stood up for the girl: «DREGS! From the very beginning, you all conspired against the poor girl! How can you be such NONENTITIES?!»
«For the sake of their prosperity, the shadow clans have never shied away from taking vile measures against outsiders.» – Diego retorted. – «If you have not yet understood this, then you are stupid.»
Edward looked from the desired beauty to the big man: «Old man, I’m tired of your constant yelling! Somebody, rip his head off!»
«Do you HAVE THE BALLS to defeat me?!» – Bernard shouted defiantly, banging his fist on his chest.
Edward snorted contemptuously: «With ease!» – he wanted to finish off the freak for a long time. With his combat experience, it will not be difficult to defeat a practitioner with equal development (5,6).
The guy took out a short sword and pointed the tip at the man: «Let’s go out. There is no need to dirty the mansion with your guts.»
«If I win, will you let Lady Arpha go?»
«Why would I promise something to a dead man?»
«Are you afraid of losing to me? This was to be expected from the grandson of a rotten man like Isaac! MOTHERFUCKING COWARD, you take after your GRANDFATHER!» – Bernard quipped.
Isaac frowned, already figuring out how to finish off the suicide with a long tongue.
Edward rolled his eyes. It is easy even for him to see through such an undisguised manipulation. However, considering how he recently disgraced himself in front of everyone, he would really like to regain at least a little respect, so the guy said with a grin: «Well, you convinced me. I give my word of the future head of the clan: if you defeat me, I will let her go!»
As soon as Edward finished this phrase, he received a slap on the head from the old man: «What an idiot you are! I should have beaten you more often as a child! Maybe you would have become smarter! Now go and destroy the tot, otherwise I will break your arms and legs!»
Edward rubbed the back of his head and said angrily: «I will not lose to him!»
The heads of the clans talked animatedly for a while, then nodded and followed outside. Why not diversify this event with a spectacular fight to the death? Anyway, all the members of the Silent Horror clan present, except for Arpha, will not be released alive.
Kyon mentally thanked his friend: {Bernard, thank you. You created a great opportunity for Valeera to avoid a tragic fate…} – he wanted to put the plan into execution right now, but he gritted his teeth and restrained himself: it’s not the time yet.
Bernard’s act touched Valeera. He deliberately provoked Edward so that she would have a chance to escape, but the girl did not believe in the naive fantasies that she would be released if the man wins, so she hurriedly said: «Bernard, this will not change anything! They won’t let me go!»
«I’m doing what I have to do, Lady Arpha.» – the hero courageously said.
{Bernard…} – the girl clenched her fists, trying to come up with something. No matter how you look at it, the situation is hopeless: she is surrounded by a group of powerful practitioners. Any sudden movement will instantly provoke them to act.
In the backyard of the mansion, the earth magician organized an improvised arena: he created a round stone platform with a diameter of twenty meters, which was immediately surrounded by spectators. Diego erected an ether barrier, trapping the two fighters.
«Fight!» – Isaac commanded, raising his hand.
«A-a-a-aa-aa-a-aaa-ah!» – Bernard roared furiously, rushing at the enemy with a dagger.
«What a clown…» – Edward muttered with a grin, seeing many gaps in the enemy’s attack. He immediately recognized the dilettante. The guy with a lightning swing knocked the weapon out of the man’s hands and with a kick in the stomach sent him flying to the nearest wall of the barrier.
A terrible grin spread across Isaac’s lips. Many others shouted praises towards the guy. One way or another, it became clear to everyone that they would not see a battle on equal terms, but the butchering of a pig, even though both fighters were equally developed.
Valeera moaned softly from her own weakness.
Clearing his throat, Bernard loudly demanded: «Give me the weapon!»
«Get down on your knees and ask your master properly, and then maybe I will return it!» – Edward put forward the condition with a sense of superiority, twirling the dagger in his hand.
«No way!» – the man barked, this time rushing into the attack with only his fists.
Edward snorted, put Bernard’s dagger in the ring and stabbed the approaching man in the heart area. At the last moment, his eyes widened in surprise…
Bernard fearlessly grabbed the cold weapon with his bare hands, stopping it right near his chest, and kicked the guy. At the cost of his cut palms, he tore out the weapon. Blood sprinkled the floor.
The brave act caused a wave of gasps among the audience.
Edward was not hurt at all when Bernard kicked him, but the fact that his weapon was also taken away from him was a very humiliating event for him: «You sick bastard, I didn’t expect such shit from you… You won’t be able to use my blade anyway!»
Bernard tried to pour pure energy into the weapon, but immediately realized that it hardly penetrated inside, and this significantly reduced his combat capability. This means that it is personalized, that is, a formation has been imposed on it that suppresses any energy, and no one, except the owner, will be able to use it to the fullest.
«In that case, let’s exchange weapons. Your blade in exchange for my dagger.»
With a slight smile, Edward took out the same blade and pointed it it at the big man.
~Bang~
A thick silver lightning bolt came out from the guy’s weapon, which instantly hit the second blade, at the same time hitting the opponent holding it. Immediately after that, the weapon, as if magnetized, escaped from the man’s hands and returned to its owner.
Bernard’s hair stood on end, and his body shook uncontrollably. He never understood what had happened. The enemy did not even move from his place, but struck him with lightning at a staggering speed and regained his weapon!
Watching the carnage, Valeera felt worse and worse. Edward has ether, or even one or two more elements, while Bernard has only pure energy. And although the man is well developed, he is not a warrior at all. He never killed people or fought to the death. Even a miracle will not help him to win this battle…
«Impressive!» … «The highest grade of ether?» … «Your grandson will achieve a lot!»
«Is that why Edward is called the “Two-Headed Thunder Dragon”?» – Diego rubbed his chin.
«He hasn’t really shown anything yet.» – Isaac replied dryly.
Edward said contemptuously: «You are not worthy of fighting with you in full force. Even if you were three steps higher, I would still win! That’s how pathetic you are…» – hiding the blade, he moved to the attack.
As soon as Bernard regained consciousness, he had to tumble to the side from the blow.
The audience laughed at how ridiculous he rolled.
Before the man had time to get to his feet, he had to jump to the side again… However, this time Edward managed to change the trajectory of the blow and leave a deep wound near the elbow. Bright scarlet arterial blood splashed onto the ground.
«Bernard!» – Valeera shouted excitedly.
«He-he, he doesn’t have much time left!» – someone commented.
Seeing the man’s desperate plight, Kyon could only watch. He really wanted to put the plan into action now and save his friend, but Valeera was dearer to him…
Bernard gritted his teeth and covered the wound with his hand. He felt as if his palm was on fire. The last of the color was draining from his already pale face. With such blood loss, he won’t last two minutes. He doesn’t want to die, especially here… For the sake of Arpha, he needs to do his best!
«A-AA-AA-A-A!» – roaring, the man rushed into a reckless attack on the petty scumbag.
Edward foresaw the intentions of the enemy and at the last moment jumped back from the grip, and then jumped forward sharply, piercing the big man’s chest in the heart.
«Bernard!» – Valeera shouted, arching her thin eyebrows in pity.
«Dead!» – Edward said triumphantly, when suddenly the man, whom he considered already dead, wrapped him in a steel embrace and threw him over his back, arching like a bridge.
~Boom~
The audience witnessed how Isaac’s grandson was thrown on a solid floor. Despite all his boasting, Bernard was still able to cause damage to the guy, and, judging by the booming sound, he got hit hard.
«Uh, it’s not bad…» … «Ha-ha, and this man is devoted to his lady, since he tried to protect her honor at the cost of his life…» … «Yes… I would need such people in the clan.» … «Death worthy of respect. I didn’t think I would ever say that.» – the heads of the clans commented on the incident.
Edward quickly recovered, jumped to his feet, pulled the blade out of his opponent and with a reddened face kicked him with all his strength: «Bastard, how dare you!»
The man landed very close to the lady, slumping helplessly on the floor of the arena.
Seeing Bernard’s whitening face, and the way his gaze was filled with despair in half with some otherworldly calm, Valeera’s icy heart clenched in pain. She jumped abruptly and hit the barrier with her fist.
Those who surrounded the girl did not even have time to react: she broke off too suddenly and quickly for some lord phaser at the 8th stage! One can’t be prepared for this.
~BANG~
«What a strength!» – Diego whistled in amazement, discovering that his barrier had burst with one blow, like a soap bubble. Since he was the royal phaser at the finishing stage, his massive ether barrier should withstand any attack of the lord phaser, but the girl was able to destroy it with the first blow!
Isaac reacted instantly and stood in front of his grandson in order to protect him from a possible unpleasant incident, but it turned out to be useless: the girl did not even look at him.
Valeera hastily bent over the dying man, under whom a bright scarlet puddle was spreading more and more, and gently ran her hand over his ashen face: «Bernard… Why…»
Bernard struggled to focus his bleary eyes on the girl. There was an inexhaustible warmth and tenderness in his sad eyes. He only looked at her and his children like that. Summoning the last of his strength, the most devoted member of her clan barely uttered: «Lady… I am so glad to see you… before I die… I do not want to lose you… Like my wife… Please live… For… Me…» – having finished, he let out his last breath.
Valeera closed the eyes of the deceased. Two lonely tears ran down her pale cheeks. A brave man has just died, to whom she could easily entrust even her life. He always showed his care and attention to her openly, and it seemed that he did not care at all that they would forever remain unrequited. Until the very end, he did everything for the sake of a woman who warmed his soul by her very existence. Bernard never asked for anything in return.
Once again, the world deprives the girl of what is dear to her. Alexander and Zosimos are next, and then she herself… Nothing changes. Fate, with the same mockery, weaves its cruel loops from her nasty life in order to close them on her throat at one moment. And this damn apathy comes again…
She doesn’t want to live. Everything. Must. Disappear.
All those present simultaneously shivered from the inexplicable omnipresent cold, which affected not only their bodies, but also their souls. They could not resist this feeling. It seemed that its source was the head of the Silent Horror clan, which was a little alarming.
Kyon’s eyes twinkled. Here it is, the chance! Coming forward, the man loudly barked: «Sucker, are you going to hide behind your grandfather? Come out now! I’ll kick your ass for my friend and Lady Arpha! Well, why are you silent?! Are you afraid?!»