Chapter 15

After dropping Ascarm off at the Imperial Infirmary and making sure he was out of danger, Niris and Inja left him in the care of the doctor and headed for their suite where they locked themselves in for the next thirty minutes they had left before the fight.

There, Inja quickly changed from her ceremonial outfit to her light combat gear. She had on soft leather armor that was perfectly suited to her fighting style. She put on the half-plastron that covered her chest and adjusted her gloves over her tunic. Niris helped her put on her kneepads and straightened up, making sure everything fit properly.

"Okay, listen to me. The goal is to achieve a status quo once you get rid of the two mages," he explained as he inspected the equipment settings carefully.

"The best way to avoid a catastrophic situation would be for neither you nor Yusmail's fighter to win this fight. I know it's hard, but you'll have to restrain yourself from defeating her quickly," he continued as his guard moved her arms and legs to make sure all the pieces stayed in place without impeding her movements.

"Your Highness, she's a vampire. And not just any vampire! She is Yousmaïl Namar's bodyguard. She will be difficult to defeat, even for me. Achieving a status quo will be difficult without risking a defeat on my part."

The prince spun around the young woman and then stood in front of her, enjoying the result of their combined work. The outfit was a perfect fit for the guard.

-Don't doubt yourself too much, you are one of the elite of the Egea Guard. Not many people can match you," he replied absently, still concentrating on the leather pieces and their arrangement.

"I can't risk losing, the stakes are too high. Your father may have to intervene again and it's only going to get worse after that...." Inja said, slightly distressed.

Niris looked into her green eyes and thought for a moment before speaking.

"I know, that's why I won't leave you alone in this situation. I'll fight with you. Diplomatically."

The guard looked at him, a little confused. She didn't see what he was getting at.

"Your objective will be to fight as if you were to defeat her. As you said, she's a powerful enemy, a well-trained vampire, battle-hardened. You'll have to give it your all when you face her, or you'll lose."

He paused to make sure his guard was following.

"Meanwhile, I'll find a way to break up the fight," he finished.

The guard bowed her head to the side.

"Break up the fight? What do you mean?"

Niris started walking up and down, arms crossed behind his back.

"Legal duels are not as simple as people think," he began with a smirk. "Most people think that once a fight like this is started, signed between the parties, it is irrevocable. But this isn't true. There are valid causes for interrupting a legal duel without rendering it null and void."

Inja frowned. She had no idea what the prince was talking about. Niris laughed at the sight of his guard wracking her brains.

"It's normal that it doesn't mean anything to you because it's something that the use of these practices has remained very residual and has almost been forgotten, but the traces are there. The jurisprudence is there."

He paused again, insisting again with his sharpest gaze ever.

"All you have to do is hold on as long as you can without ever defeating her. But if you feel she's getting the better of you, then go ahead and fight her. A victory will always be less damaging than a defeat.

Inja looked at him for a moment, herself lost in the intensity of his gaze. She was assessing the feasibility of the plan. In her opinion, defeating the vampire was the easiest and safest thing to do, but Niris was the expert in diplomatic practice. If he considered a victory against the vampires too dangerous, she had no choice but to comply and trust him.

"Very well, your highness. I will do my best," she assured him solemnly.

"Very well. We don't have much time left, the fight starts in seven minutes. Let's get there," he said, glancing at the dematerialized dial projected by his chip.

Nodding quickly, the guard followed him. Concentrating, she was mentally preparing herself for the fight ahead. She walked behind the prince without saying anything, staring intently at his back. She was going to fight for him. For the first time in her life, she was going to fight a legal duel for the prince she admired so much. The stakes were both diplomatic and personal for her.

Tingles of excitement began to run through her body at the thought of defending the honour of the prince with this fight. Her concentration increased tenfold as the adrenaline began to pump, and she walked with a confident step, ready to take on the world if need be. Never since she had joined the Egea Special Guard had she had to deal with a fight so personally important to her.

They finally arrived at the door to the fighters' room. Niris stopped in front and turned one last time before letting Inja in.

-Don't forget our plan," he reminded her. "Good luck."

Inja nodded sternly. She was already fully immersed in the upcoming battle. Slowly, she took a step forward and opened the door that led to the room, then disappeared behind it. The door finally closed, leaving Niris alone in the darkness of the corridor.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and walked towards the broadcasting room, which was reserved for guests who did not wish to take sides with either participant, leaving Inja and her enemy behind to fight a seemingly insignificant battle that could just as easily determine the future of the intergalaxy.

-----

Inja entered the room. The door closed with a soft slam behind her. Opposite her stood the vampire, who had also dressed in light combat gear, and the two mages who accompanied her for form's sake. She took a quick look around the room. It was a classic fighting room. Although physically enclosed in a room bounded by walls within the castle, it had no boundaries once you were inside.

It was one of the miracles of natural energy: to contain an infinite amount of space in a room with well-defined walls on the outside. It was a miracle that only the very best architects could reproduce. There were no more than ten rooms like this in the intergalaxy, three of which were in the intergalactic organisation, one in the angels' home, and one on Esethea.

She looked up at the observation room that was reserved for the one she was fighting for and found it empty, without much surprise. Niris was elsewhere, putting his plan in place, and among the guests, no one would dare oppose Yousmaïl. On the other side, however, the glass room was full. Yousmaïl sat in the center, more contemptuous than ever.

Inja breathed in and out. Her breathing was perfectly controlled. She was both calm and feverish. Steady and ready to pounce. Her self-control was perfect. She was ready for this fight.

"I am Sao, the fighter for his highness Yousmaïl Namar", introduced her opponent with a short greeting that was customary before duels.

"Inja, a fighter for Lord Jangta Okram," she replied, getting straight to the point.

"Your master doesn't even show up for the fight," the vampire said, her face expressionless.

"He's busy elsewhere," Inja replied soberly.

She didn't need to go into details. The vampire didn't insist. She heard the two mages snicker but paid no attention. She observed her attacker. Small, and muscular, Sao seemed to have been cut by close combat, even very close. Two small scabbards of daggers on either side of her waist confirmed it.

She knew nothing about her, either in terms of her fighting technique or her mastery of natural energy. All she knew was that vampires were pros at stealth and speed and that they clearly underestimated angels. That was a good point for her. And then she had a major advantage in this fight: her sensitive skills. She was going to do everything she could to use this asset to the maximum to outwit her opponent's speed.

She relaxed her muscles just before the fight. On the dial that indicated the countdown to the start of the match, she watched the numbers begin to tick away one by one. 5. She closed her eyes. 4. She inhaled deeply. 3. She emptied her lungs of all the air in them. 2. She flexed her fingers and relaxed her shoulder muscles. 1. She opened her eyes again. 0. She jumped forward.

----

Niris pushed open the door to the broadcasting room. The room was full. Of course, no one wanted to miss a moment of the battle! But many of the guests couldn't afford to join the vampire in the viewing room. Vampires and demons liked to see intergalactic relations in a simplified way - for or against - but the reality was much more complex than that.

Many planets had global trade, with other planets and other populations, and the history that bound people together was complex. This history and cross-economy could not be simplified by 'yes' or 'no'. In most cases, it was "why not", "it depends", or "maybe". And it was for this reason that the viewing room was filled with guests who wished to remain neutral without losing any of the action. And among these guests, there was one in particular that Niris was looking for. And as expected, he was there.

He approached deferentially, under the surprised whispers of the guests, to a huge armchair in which sat a tall man with skin tanned by the three hot suns that lit his planet 29 hours a day. With masterful and practiced gestures, the angel bowed to the high dignitary adorned with gold and precious stones. The latter looked at him with an intrigued look, said nothing, and waited for him to speak to explain his presence in this room which was not his own.

"Your Majesty Mischien of Esethea, I come before you because I wish to speak with you about something urgent."

He did so with his right hand resting on his left side as a sign of deference, as was customary in the intergalaxy when addressing someone of higher rank than his own.

The Emperor looked at him for a moment, curious, and then indicated to him to continue with a wave of his hand.

"I suppose you are surprised by this duel and are curious to see the outcome, as are all the guests here," the prince began, straightening up.

The guests had been notified of the duel through the IMI. So they had all gathered, either in the vampire's observation room or in the broadcasting room. Only the demons were absent due to their need to preparation for their declaration at the end of the fight Intrigued by the prince's walk, eyes were riveted on him. He had attracted attention. His first objective had been achieved.

"What are your bets? Who do you think will win this duel?"

The murmurs in the room grew louder. Some were shocked that the angel had only raised the question in front of the powerful emperor. But Niris didn't bat an eye. He held the dark gaze of his interlocutor who seemed to be sizing him up with his black pupils. After a while, he finally spoke.

"I'm not here to take sides with anyone, but it's certain that vampires are seasoned fighters, specialists in close combat," he said.

Niris kept his diplomatic smile.

"Your analysis is excellent, Your Highness. Nevertheless, I would bet everything on my own horse. I'm sure she will surprise you," he replied politely.

The Aesthian did not answer. He turned his half-intrigued, half-suspicious gaze towards the screen. The countdown was on, the fight was about to begin in a few seconds.

----

Without wasting a second, Inja dived towards the two mages and disarmed them with a blow from her katana. Their mage scepters flew across the room and they looked at each other like idiots before she sent them flying to the floor with a powerful kick to the abdomen. On the floor, the two mages coughed as they tried to catch their breath. She didn't give them time to do so as she knocked them out with a blow from her sleeve in the neck. The two men slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The action had caught the vampire completely off guard and she had no time to react. Inja straightened up and watched Sao, who a few feet away had moved into a fighting stance, her two daggers drawn from their scabbards. She had revealed her speed in doing so, but she had removed a thorn in her side by putting them out of action from the start. That was the first point. She needed her full concentration on the vampire to be able to carry out this fight.

The two women stared at each other for a moment. The tension was palpable. Slowly, Inja placed her katana in front of her and secured her grip on it with both hands. Opposite her, Sao had placed those two short blades in front of them in an attack position, knees bent. She was ready to pounce. Time seemed to stand still for a second, then everything fell back into place. Like two cheetahs on the hunt, they leaped forward, hurling themselves at each other with frightening speed.

Inja split the air with her katana but the vampire jumped and did a flip over her, falling back behind her. Without waiting, she lunged to strike her in the back, but Inja turned around just as quickly, parrying the attack with ease. Drawn into her momentum, she spun around again and, raising her weapon above her head, lowered it vertically on the vampire as if to split her in two. The vampire reacted in quick succession and slid the long blade along her two short blades, deflecting the blade slightly, which she avoided by spinning around in her turn.

Facing each other again, they swung a second time at each other. A deadly ballet ensued before the eyes of the astonished spectators. The two women kept pace without any problem, and Inja, who everyone thought would be defeated in five minutes, seemed to be leading the dance at a frantic pace without the vampire being able to impose her own rhythm. It was imperceptible, but those in the know would definitely know the difference. For the moment, Inja had the upper hand and made her opponent play to the tempo of her music.

After a good ten minutes of uninterrupted exchanges, the two attackers separated. Although the technicality and high level of their exchange were undeniable, they didn't seem tired by this first encounter. Both calm and in control from the outside, they had their feet firmly planted on the ground and their weapons well in hand. They had spent the first ten minutes assessing each other. Now came the next step: That of the aggressive attack, the destabilisation. The aim was now to test the limits of the opponent.

Once their breathing was back to normal, they started again.

----

In the broadcasting room, the fatal blow to the two mages caused murmurs of astonishment among the observers. What followed was less of a reaction. Everyone was transfixed. The way the angel had adapted and mastered the exchange had left everyone speechless.

The prince glanced at the emperor, sitting next to him - or rather above him, to be exact! He seemed fascinated by the fight and as surprised as the others.

"Your protege is doing well," he commented, expressing his amazement at the angel's dexterity.

The angel smiled affably.

"She's been trained to do this since she was a child," he replied modestly. "Besides, she has a trump card in her pocket that the vampire will find hard to outsmart."

The emperor raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"You'll understand better with the rest," the angel pointed out.

And so it was. It didn't take long for the merchant to understand. The Esethians weren't fighters, but they knew the techniques of combat and knew how to describe them. To sell weapons and combat equipment, it was not necessary to understand how to fight, but it was important to know how to use them. So they had become experts in analysing fights to get as much information as possible from them. And at the crease that had formed between the man's eyes halfway through his life, Niris determined that he understood. He suppressed a smile. This was where it all came down.

If the emperor hadn't joined the observers sitting next to the Amadean princess, it wasn't because he didn't support vampires and demons, but because he had economic interests to protect. By coming to the broadcasting room, he had made the safest possible diplomatic choice. He wasn't offending anyone he was dealing with since he remained neutral, but he wasn't withdrawing his support from his favourite partners either since he assumed that the vampire would win the fight.

But things would take a different turn if the angel proved stronger than the vampire. If Inja won and the vampire lost, the close allies of the vampires, and indeed of the demons, would find themselves in an awkward, even perilous situation. They would be obliged to acknowledge their opponent's victory since the duel was legally regulated and they would be putting themselves in an illegal situation by refusing to do so. But by doing so, they would alienate the vampires, and by cause and effect, the demons, since everyone expected Yousmaïl to marry Prince Seiran. But they could not afford to let that happen. They risked losing their biggest clients, and several billion dollars were at stake.

So the anguish on the merchant emperor's face when he saw Inja deliver a powerful side kick that made his opponent bite the dust was quite understandable. By taking the wrong gamble, he risked losing a substantial part of the market he owned, and therefore of the wealth.

"Your Majesty, if I may ask you again, what would you answer now?" asked Niris in the same affable tone. "Would you still bet on Yousmaïl's fighter?"

The man twice Niris' size rubbed his chin, lost in intense thought. The angel's hidden asset could be a game changer. No. It would clearly put the vampire in trouble. A possessor of the gift of sensitivity was extremely hard to fight without perfect control of his aura, something few grandmasters were capable of doing. And the vampire was clearly not at that level.

He watched the fight unfold before his eyes for a moment. Rising in power, the angel had changed tactics. Instead of going into close combat, she took distance by dodging the strikes of her attacker, and came back to hit her with a powerful blow to send her rolling on the ground. Destabilised by the technique, the vampire didn't manage to adapt quickly and bit the dust many times before managing to dodge an attack. But Niris' guard was growing in power and speed. The blows became more violent and faster, making it increasingly difficult to dodge.

With her impeccable guard and her quick leaps backwards of several meters, the angel prevented her combat partner from getting close enough to her to threaten her with her daggers. Held at a distance like this, Sao was unable to attack properly, and the angel could threaten her as much as she wanted with her long-range attacks.

Seeing the Emperor's concentration on the fight, Niris took the opportunity to advance his plan.

-Your majesty, if you allow me, I have a proposal to make. A proposal that might suit you," he said more quietly, so as to be heard only by him.

The Aesethian gave him a questioning look.

"Speak," he said curtly.

It was no longer time for politeness and courtesy. It was time for negotiation, for stakes, for tensions. It was a time for political and strategic maneuvering while the showdown was played out before the eyes of the battle-hungry spectators.

"Invoke Article 7 of the Legal Duel Regulation Protocol and end the duel in the name of preserving peaceful intergalactic relations."