Chapter 38

---Three Days Later, 3rd Person POV, Academy Arena---

Looking around the packed arena, Duke Redgrave was surprised by how many people showed up for the trial. Seeing noblemen who rarely visited the capital in attendance today, he wondered why they made the long trip here for such an event. Feeling a bit uneasy about this, Vince asked his son if he had any thoughts on the matter. Shaking his head in response, Gilbert was just as confused by it as he was.

"Angelica, do you have any idea why most of the nobility is here today?", Vince inquired, hoping his daughter knew something they did not.

"Your guess is as good as mine.", she replied, with a conflicted look, "I have been busy dealing with the fallout of my cancelled engagement. Not only have I lost most of my subordinates, but our enemies are also spreading baseless rumors about me. They are trying to justify Julius' actions by claiming I have been unfaithful to him over the past few years. While some of my classmates are smart enough to dismiss the allegations, they stay away from me to avoid drawing attention to themselves and their families."

"Who are the students spreading these baseless accusations?! I will see that their families are dragged before the Royal Court to answer for spreading defamatory rumors!", her father said, ready to tear into the people abusing his daughter to get at him.

"Father, everything is under control for the moment. I have two amazing friends who have stuck by me throughout this whole ordeal. Olivia has been an invaluable rock for me to lean on when everything gets to be too much, and Victor has been silencing everyone who utters a slanderous word against the four of us.", Angelica said, with a warm smile, "He has challenged everyone he hears say something to provide proof of their claims. When they admit to having none, Victor ends up running them off while calling them blithering idiots."

Cracking a smile, Vince and Gilbert were happy to hear someone was challenging the rumors head on. While the Royal Court was the more reasonable method, exposing their enemies as liars before their peers would do far more damage to their household than anything the court would. Demonstrating how untrustworthy they were, their households would quickly lose all credibility and slowly sink into obscurity.

As the academy's clocktower began to signal the top of the hour, Marie's proxies stepped onto the Challenger's balcony on the west side of the arena. Waving to the few people who cheered for them, all of them could feel the disdain lingering in the air.

"Not the welcome I was expecting to receive, but it will have to do.", Brad chuckled, grinning like a moron, "You sure you two are fit for combat? Last thing the three of us want is for you to be crippled for the rest of your lives."

"We are a bit sore, but overall in peak condition. Mylene ensured the best healers in the palace tended to our injuries.", Jilk said, looking out at the dozens of Clarice's subordinates glaring daggers at him, 'Continuing to attend the Academy after this is going to be quite difficult. With the Viscount backing them, they might try to kill me when no one is looking. I will have to double my training regimen to prepare for that eventuality.'

"Do not worry about us, we are ready to clear Marie's name and take her away from this place.", Julius stated, as he looked up at the Redgrave's booth, 'Even though I hate to admit it, Victor was right. Both of us suffered greatly because of arranged marriage and I did owe you the truth much sooner than the nights ago. I hope you can forgive me one day and find your own special person like I have with Marie.'

"So where is the Viscount? Do not tell me he chickened out at the last minute!", Greg laughed, confident that the five of them had chased him away.

"The Viscount is a lot of things, but a coward is not one of them. Do not forget he easily defeated my father in practice duel and has genuine combat experience. While we were trained by the most prestigious instructors in the Kingdom, his metal was forged in the most dangerous places in our country.", Chris reminded his friends, 'Do not underestimate him, he is a monster disguised as a human being.'

Arriving a few moments later, the transport vehicle carrying Marie and Stephanie descended into the arena. Stopping at the designated seats for the two prisoners, the women and Victor's soldiers disembarked and took their sets in the stands. Waving to her, the five men shouted her name hoping to get her attention over the ambient noise.

"Marie's right arm is back!", Jilk pointed out, as the transport vehicle left the area, "I guess the Viscount does have a bit of humanity in him!"

Chuckling at his joke, a shadow suddenly blocked out the sun for a moment causing everyone in the stadium to be silent. Dropping down at a high rate of speed, Victor slammed into the arena floor generating a powerful blast of air that almost blew a few people into the sky. Holding to the nearest, secure object they could, Julius and company looked at the towering, mechanized suit standing before them in terror.

 "Son of a bitch!! It is huge!!", Greg proclaimed, "It has to be at least double the height of our mechs!"

'We are screwed…', Chris thought, understanding now why his father warned him in the past not to cross the Holfort Prodigy.

"Alright gentlemen, how are we going to do this? Are the five of you fighting me together, or will you challenge me one at a time?", Victor inquired, using his loudspeakers to communicate with them, "It does not bother me either way, the results of our fight will not change one way or the other."

Annoyed by his perceived arrogance, Greg almost ran at the mech without a second thought. Quickly restraining him, Brad and Jilk struggled to hold him back while Julius gave his response.

"We will not use numbers to win this fight, all of us agreed to face you one after the other till one of us comes out victorious.", Julius answered.

"Very well, send out your first combatant.", Victor responded, as his mech crossed its arms.

"Let me at the bastard!!", Greg roared.

"No, we already agreed to the order. I will go first followed by Chris, you, Jilk, then Julius.", Brad reminded him, "You swore you would follow the order, do not back on your word!"

Snapping him back to his senses, Greg quickly tempered his anger and relaxed. Telling him to get going already, Brad turned and headed into the hanger where his mech was awaiting him.

---Victor POV---

Disappointed that the five of them did not want to face me together, I let out a sigh and looked to my right.

"Good morning.", I said, waving to Angelica and Clarice, "Are you two interested in getting something to eat after I wrap up here? Lucoa, Olivia, Roxanne, and I are headed to breakfast after this, thought you might want to join us."

Turning to their fathers for their approval, the two men readily nodded their heads in agreement. Assuming they wanted their daughters to put this whole mess behind them, I figured they would not have an issue with it. Noticing Brad's purple mech coming out of the hanger, I turned my attention back to him and readied myself for combat.

<Master, Jarvis and I have confirmed that Hyper Mode is stable now. If you wish to use it during this trial run, the option available>

"Thank you, Jarvis and Luxion. Are the troops in place, in case they attempt some underhanded shit?", I asked.

<Sir, Commander Yoma confirmed his troops are in position and watching for any threats to the ladies.>

"Perfect, thank you again for your work.", I said, as Brad got into position.

Deploying his two semiautonomous drones, Brad did a quick calibration while the referee explained the rules. As this was a Trial by Combat, there were only two rules to worry about. First, outside interference from either side would count as an automatic disqualification. Second, trying to kill your opponent was completely legal and to be expected. Once the trial was over, neither party had any right to come after the winner in court or via another trial. The matter was settled once I defeated all five of them, or they defeated me.

"Are both participants ready?", the referee inquired.

"I am ready!", Brad acknowledged.

"Ready and on standby!", I responded.

"Alright, as both of you are ready, I declare this match started!!", the referee shouted, moving his hand in a downward arc.

As soon as he gave the green light, Brad launched both drones straight at me. Before Brad could fly after them, I blitzed past the drones and ripped his cockpit right out of his mech as I slid past it. Holding the spherical, steel shell that protected the cockpit between my fingers, Brad looked out at the crowd in stunned silence as his mech violently exploded.

"I…uh…Viscount Stark wins!!", the referee proclaimed, taken aback by his swift defeat.

Setting Brad's cockpit down gently on their balcony, I leapt back to my corner and waited for my next opponent. Watching the cleaners quickly remove the wreckage of his mech and his drones from the arena, reality sank in quickly for Brad.

'He…he could have killed me before I knew what happened.', he thought, as his body began to tremble violently, 'I…I was less than a second away from death…'

Looking over at their mortified comrade, the fact they were in over their heads sank in immediately. Watching Brad have a mental breakdown, while still strapped into his cockpit, Greg began to regret opening his mouth earlier.

"I…I guess I am next…", Chris said, as his face lost all color.

Turning around and heading into the hanger, Chris left without another word. Out in the stands, the crowd did not know what to make of what happened. Logic told them that my mechanized unit should not move that quickly, but what they just witnessed debunked that logic completely. Whispering among themselves, the students began to understand why their parents respected me so much.

"That was less than three seconds…", Gilbert said, looking at his watch, "That must be the fastest defeat in the Academy's history."

"More like the Holfort Kingdom's history.", Vince remarked, "As I have said many times, there is a reason the Principality and other neighboring nations have avoided our airspace these past few years. That right there is why they are afraid to invade us, and why the Black Knight most likely went into retirement early."

"Queen Mylene must be worried sick about her children…", Angelica said, looking over at Mylene who was sitting all alone, "Though her son broke my heart, I still see Mylene as a second mother. May I go see her, if she permits it?"

"Of course dear, by all means, do as you wish.", Vince replied, with a smile, 'She is just like her mother, always worried about others even when she is in distress. I wish more young girls like her could be like that. This country would be a lot better off for it.'

Excusing herself, Angelica silently left the booth as Chris' mech entered the arena. Drawing his sword from its scabbard, Chris took his position opposite of me and took a deep breath. Lowering myself into a striking position, I positioned my hands as if I were holding the hilt of a katana and prepared to attack.

"Are both combatants ready?", the referee asked, this time taking a few steps back from the ring.

"I am ready.", Chris replied, gripping his controls tightly.

"Ready.", I said, steadying my breathing.

"Both combatants are ready…GO!!", the referee proclaimed, before running for cover.

Instead of moving the instant the referee started the match, the two of us stood there for a moment waiting for the other to move. Cool, calm, and collected, I was prepared to stand there as long as needed for an opportunity to present itself. Already on edge from the realization that I was not taking this seriously, Chris' nerves got the better of him after a few moments causing him to slip.

"I refuse to lose here!!", he shouted, lunging forward like an idiot.

"Sorry to break it to you.", I said, appearing behind him, "This match is already over."

Imagining myself sheathing my katana, the instant it clicked in, Chris' mech suddenly fell to piece and scattered across the ground. Having drawn an energy blade, sliced his mech to bits, and re-sheathed it again in a matter of milliseconds, only the most skilled swordsmen would have seen what I did just now.

"The winner is, Viscount Stark!", the referee announced, relieved it was over with.

Glancing back at the wreckage of his mech, Chris sat in his cockpit staring at the cleanly cut edges of his new sunroof. Carrying his cockpit over to their balcony, I waited for the cleaners to remove the wreckage before returning to my corner. Now that the least annoying of the five men were out of the way, I intended to pumble the remaining three men into the stone floor. Watching Greg proudly walk back to the hanger, this next fight was going to be quite enjoyable.