Chapter 218

[Third Person's PoV] 

Alpha stepped forward, her voice calm but laced with urgency. "If I may speak out of turn," she interjected, her gaze flicking between the two figures at the center of their discussion. "You referred to her as the Monarch Princess… may I ask why?"

Igris, standing with a casual yet deliberate stance, kept his hand resting lightly on his sword hilt. "Simply put, that is exactly what she is—a Monarch Princess. The daughter of the Shadow Monarch. One day, she will grow into a Monarch Queen in her own right."

A sly smile curved onto Shadow's face. "The Shadow Monarch, huh?" he mused, a glint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Never been called that before… I think I like it—"

His words were cut short as Igris blurred into motion, appearing mere inches before him. The air shivered with deadly intent. Portions of the stone wall lay cleaved alongside the grand throne, and Igris's blade was poised, its edge a hair's breadth from Shadow's neck. His dark eyes locked onto Shadow's, cold and unyielding, the very aura around him exuding a lethal chill.

"Let's set one thing straight," Igris intoned, his voice a deadly whisper. "It appears we've had a grave misunderstanding."

Shadow's eyes narrowed, glinting briefly with a crimson hue. He didn't flinch, didn't recoil; instead, he held Igris's gaze, his tone dropping into a deadly calm. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the room like frost.

In a fluid motion, members of Shadow Garden had drawn their weapons, closing in with fierce resolve. Alpha and her comrades appeared around the throne, their blades aimed unerringly at Igris, ready to strike on command.

"This is your third offense," Igris murmured, his eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of his helmet. "Commit another, and I promise you won't live to complete it. You are fortunate you're dealing with me and not *Him*. Otherwise, your existence would have ended with your first offense."

Alpha's voice was sharp, steady. "If I may ask… what offenses has our lord committed?" Her tone was edged with a coldness that spoke of her loyalty and distrust in equal measure.

Delta, barely restraining a low growl, was tensed like a coiled spring. Her gaze was fixed on Igris, her body poised. "Just say the word," she muttered, her voice vibrating with barely contained aggression.

Igris's voice held a steely edge. "First offense—he dared to point his weapon at the Monarch Princess. That alone is a crime punishable by death. Second offense—making the Monarch Princess shed tears. Third offense… thinking he is *Him*."

Beta's eyes narrowed as she analyzed his words, suspicion flickering across her face. "And who is this 'Him' you keep speaking of?"

Igris's gaze remained locked on Shadow. "The *true* Shadow Monarch," he stated, his tone resolute. "You may wear his face, bear his name, and gather the same loyal followers, but you… you are *not* Him."

Shadow's eyes flashed, his voice now a chilling challenge. "Listen here, Blood Red Knight… Do you think you can come into my domain and dare to threaten me?" His words rang with unyielding defiance. "I know nothing of this being you speak of. There can only be one me. I am the true, the only Shadow. Whoever this so-called Shadow Monarch is, he's clearly an imposter. A pretender. A Fake."

Igris's expression was unreadable as he withdrew his sword sheathed on the ground as he was stepping back from the throne. Without another word, he bent down, lifting Celeste from Shadow's lap. Gently, he wrapped her in his cape, shielding her from the tension that had gripped the room. He carried her to Alpha, placing her safely in her care. "Look after her," he instructed quietly.

Alpha took Celeste, confusion flickering in her eyes. She barely had a chance to respond before Igris vanished from her side, reappearing an instant later with his sword gripped tightly in hand, already in mid-swing.

Anticipating Igris's attack, Shadow had his own blade ready, but Igris's strike was like a bolt of thunder. The impact sent him hurtling backward, shattering through the wall in a storm of debris. As he spun through the air, Shadow managed to twist mid-flight, landing with a skidding slide across the ground floor. When he looked down at his hands, they were trembling from the sheer force of the blow. An appreciative grin spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Will I finally get to go all out?" he murmured, a glint of exhilaration flashing in his gaze as he exposed his canines in a feral smile.

Through the dust and rubble, Shadow spotted two glowing red eyes piercing through the haze, their menace palpable. Igris's form emerged, shadowed and imposing, his every step echoing with intent. And then he lunged, transforming into a streak of darkness.

Shadow shifted to the side, Igris's blurred form flashing just past his face, static electricity crackling along his skin as the knight's sword swung down, a lightning bolt unleashed with brutal precision. The ground trembled underfoot, splitting wide as Igris's sword cut deep, carving a jagged fissure across the ground.

Igris's expression remained impassive as he extended an arm with lightning speed, his fingers closing around Shadow's face before he could react. In a single, fluid motion, he slammed Shadow into the ground, the impact sending fractures spiraling outward.

Shadow snarled, his grip tightening around Igris's armored wrist. Channeling mana into his limbs, he delivered a powerful double-kick, launching Igris over his head. Igris twisted mid-air, landing effortlessly, his feet hitting the ground with controlled precision.

Shadow scrambled back up, rubbing the back of his neck with a smirk. With a low, focused breath, he conjured an obsidian blade from his own slime, its surface glistening with a dark, venomous sheen.

Neither wasted another second. With a burst of speed, they hurtled towards each other, swords flashing. Their movements were a flurry, a tempest of strikes and parries, too swift for the untrained eye to follow. Sparks erupted as their blades collided, the air charged with raw, crackling energy. 

They both suddenly stopped mid fight, circling each other, sizing up their opponent before clashing once more in a fierce crescendo.

Each step, each swing sent waves of force through the ground beneath them, as they fought, the two figures moving like twin shadows locked in an unending duel. 

The fierce battle between Igris and Shadow raged on, with each clash growing more intense and primal. Igris maintained an air of calm dominance, his movements precise and unyielding. Shadow, on the other hand, fought with wild, feral energy, his smirk widening with each hit he received, his eyes blazing with exhilaration despite the growing bruises and cuts marking his body. Blood now trickled down his cheek, staining his dark armor, but he seemed almost to relish it.

Igris's expression, as ever, was unreadable, betraying nothing as he advanced with his sword raised, each strike backed by a power that shook the very ground they stood on. Shadow struggled to match his strength, and though he fought back with skill and speed, Igris always seemed one step ahead, his every move both calculated and relentless.

With a grunt, Shadow launched another attack, his blade arcing toward Igris with lethal intent. But Igris sidestepped, twisting his sword to parry with ease, and in a fluid motion, he brought the flat of his blade crashing against Shadow's side. Shadow staggered, his body reeling from the sheer force, before he righted himself, eyes gleaming defiantly.

Panting slightly, Shadow wiped the blood from his lip, his defiant grin never faltering. "You're the first being that has managed to take blood from my being without me willing it," he muttered with admiration, "You have my respects, Igris!" 

"Keep it, I have no need for it" Igris said as raised his sword in response. He watched as Shadow steadied himself, his gaze unwavering, before lunging forward again, his movements swift and seamless, almost as if he were gliding through shadows. Their swords clashed once more, a chaotic symphony of blades against blades, sparks flying with each deadly strike.

This time, however, Shadow managed to break through Igris's defense, his blade grazing Igris's armor, leaving a thin line of damage. Igris paused, glancing briefly at the mark, before his gaze returned to Shadow with a glint of something almost akin to acknowledgment. He gave a barely perceptible nod, a silent acknowledgment of Shadow's skill, but that was all he was getting.

And so they continued, pushing each other to the very brink. The air around them crackled with energy, the ground splitting and trembling beneath their feet. Both warriors seemed to lose themselves in the clash.