49: The Duel Begins

The next day, after the ball, Void was in Rubianna's cabin with his five fiancées—Aoi, Cassey, Arcane, Luna, and Alfrin—who had removed their weapons and were ready to cut Rubianna into pieces.

"How dare you take Void hostage, huh?" Alfrin says, with the blade's edge pointed at Rubianna's neck.

"See... it was a fair deal. I just did that to make him aware of my presence. And honestly, I told him to only enter when I told him to, but he didn't listen to me!" Rubianna says.

At her revelation, everybody lowers their weapons while focusing on Void, who was currently entangled in Arcane's webs. "Yeah, she's right! But she helped me in my bad time to save you all, risking her noble status. That's why I had to do this. Moreover, I'm fighting for Vivienne too!"

"Vivienne...?" everyone says in sync.

"Yeah! That Leo must learn a lesson for dumping my sister!" Void says, cutting the webs and freeing himself again.

"Now, let's go and have some fun!" Void stands up, saying that, and pinches Arcane and Alfrin's ears a little. He then leaves the room, followed by his fiancées.

"Void...! I know you're angry, but things may get wild again!" Aoi says while walking behind him.

"That's right, and I don't think Mamma will help you either!" Luna says, holding Void's hand.

"Don't worry, your highness, Miss Aoi! Sir Void predicted this long ago!" Alfrin says.

"What? You're saying that lad predicted this mess long ago?" Astrid Hazelwood, the woman who stopped the tension forming at the party with her sudden entry and heavy aura, asks.

"That's right! My cupcake saw this the day we boarded the Elysian Majesty," Meisheng says, having tea with Astrid, Anette, and Zoe.

"So you mean that lad made arrangements with whom...? I think many connections were blocked as I can't contact the queen myself!" Astrid says, narrowing her eyes.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean we can't use the strength and potential present in Elysian Academy," Arcane says while walking behind Void.

"What do you mean by using potential inside? Do you mean...?" Cassey asks, sweat forming on the back of her neck.

"Vanessa Michelle Allainette, the first in the lineup, is beside Void this time to save her love Samuel and help his highness get back to where he must be!" Anette says, sipping her tea.

"I see...! So he will play nice and take all the support from his influence to fight... I guess the duel will surely be perfect cinema!" Astrid says, while a wicked smile appears on her face.

"That's the best thing we found in him. He doesn't fit the norms of this world. He acts like a femboy, does whatever his heart says, and even though he's spoiled a lot, he's still strong-willed and strong-hearted, not like the whining crybabies. And one thing above all..." Zoe says, after chuckling at Astrid's comment.

"He's not just a paragon!" Vanessa says, having tea with Rubianna.

"Or just a strong boy with eight fiancées..." Leonard says, discussing strategy while sweating.

"He's..." Alfrin continues,

"An absolute monster!" everyone—Aoi, Arcane, Anette, Luna, Vanessa, Leonard, Zoe, Cassey, Meisheng, Alfrin—adds.

The three weeks we were given to prepare, as many other duels were in line, were held by Astrid Hazelwood! Now you may ask who she is—well, I had the same question, but Luna explained to me that she's the Grandmaster's B-rank Supreme Dark Valkyrie and the mother of Cicely, yes, the girl who met us at the ball.

You may ask me, "Wait, is she a mother or an 11-year-old girl? Then why's she in the academy?" Well, the answer is weird to explain.

She's the strongest warrior of Allainette, and as far as Alfrin knows, according to her, mother fought her in her academy years. I mean, back then, she was Mother's junior and her admirer. They both used to train together.

And Mother was a warrior, but after the incident of me being kidnapped and that winter cheating on her, she quit being a warrior, became a mafia boss, and took the seat of head.

The point is just that she's far stronger and in her late thirties. And according to Luna, she just came here to find a perfect groom, as her daughter demanded a father! Yeah, you heard it right—yesterday that girl Cicely was trying to find a father and a groom for her mother...

And as things are going, I'm afraid things might get messier for me. How, you ask? Well, Astrid is a side villain—a pure evil character who has no mercy nor bears emotions. For her, the strong ones must be supported, and the weak ones must be thrown away or killed. And I didn't expect her to be here... well, let's just hope I don't die tomorrow...

The three weeks were very tough for me—not because of the tension or nervousness for the duel, but because Aoi, Arcane, Cassey, and everyone else were staying around me like my guards, as the fans and admirers of the Prince and the other two were trying to protest against me.

But now, I'll end it right now... I don't know how much hate this will bring to my idol image, but at least I won't regret anything...

Void enters the dome, where many people were bad-mouthing him, while some were cheering him. Aoi and his other fiancées were in the crowd with Void's fans, trying to cheer him up.

"You still have a chance to quit and go back. Void, there are many things you're risking!" Rubianna says, entering the dome.

"That may be true! But I'm a man of my word! My words are equal to an honest guy's promise, and my promise is like a prophecy I made!" Void says, summoning the 'Frostbane.'

"Void..! You are well aware of these rights. By crossing blades with his highness like this, you'll be acting against our country!" Leonard says, unsheathing his sword.

"Shut the hell up! He's my brother-in-law. I have the right to even kick his ass!" Void says, at which half of the dome bursts into laughter.

"Ab... I mean... even after that, who are you to the kingdom? Are you even of noble blood? Moreover, aren't you just the spitting image of that Winter Frost, the one who cheated your mother and betrayed all of Allainette?" Samuel says.

His words bring silence to the dome, as no one in the world has the guts to say such things to Void, even heir-ranked nobles and royal blood.

Void, who has heard this a lot by now in rumors and learned to ignore it, steps forward with his blade.

"This is Frostbane, a mythical weapon passed down by a long-ago vanished family named Frost and Maria Middletown, the one who married the last child of the family, Winter Frost!" Void says, walking closer to him. He was silent, his ice crystal eyes glowing.

"As you said, I'm the spitting image of Winter Frost!" Void exclaimed. "But I've got Middletown blood flowing in my body. As for being of noble blood or not, you'll get the answer soon...!" Void grabs his Frostbane again, and as rage takes over him, the dome starts shaking as Void activates his Zone.

"I swear, Samuel! I may let his highness and Leonard off the hook, but I'll make you see what it is to face a monster! An Absolute Monster!" Void says. His words were not too loud, nor were they whispers, but they were audible to every single person in the dome.