The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic

Kael saw James' sword flashing through the air, aimed at his side. His body moved on instinct. He twisted his torso, bringing his own blade up in a smooth arc.

The two swords clashed hard, metal on metal, sending out a loud clang that echoed like a thunderclap. Kael took the force of the strike, shifted his footing, and used the enemy's momentum to twist it aside with his Reflection technique. The air around them cracked from the pressure.

The ground split beneath their feet. Dust shot into the air. A tree nearby was sliced through at its base from the shockwave. The cut left behind was deep and long, like a scar across the earth. Kael's arms trembled from the force. He gritted his teeth. His hands started to go numb, but he didn't let go.

James pressed harder. His swings were wild but powerful. There was no finesse, only madness and strength. Kael dodged, barely keeping up. One of James' strikes missed by inches and crashed into the ground behind Kael. The ground exploded. Dirt flew up. A deep crack opened where the sword landed.

Kael felt the pressure building. He was getting overwhelmed. He shifted back and leapt aside. His feet dug into the soil, and he poured mana into his legs. He stomped hard, launching himself away just in time.

James chased after him, laughing. "Coward! Where are you running to? If you've got guts, stand and fight! Kkekek!"

He was fast. In a second, James appeared behind Kael. His sword slashed down with brutal speed. But the blade passed through empty air.

"An afterimage?" James muttered. He stopped. A chill ran down his spine. Something felt off. It wasn't fear, but a strange, cold sense of being tricked.

His instincts screamed. Without thinking, James slashed again with full power, aiming to end it. His sword cut cleanly through the afterimage again.

Kael, just landing from his leap, turned and saw the strike coming. His eyes narrowed. At the last second, he twisted his upper body and let the sword glide across the edge of his blade. Another shockwave erupted. The two forces collided, throwing dust and debris into the air.

Everyone watching froze. They didn't understand how Kael was still standing. Seraphina panicked, shouting, "Damn... He's getting pushed back! He's losing!"

Everyone looked at her. Her voice had cracked with fear.

"What?" she asked, her voice uncertain. Her steps slowed when she noticed the strange look on their faces.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"she said, stepping back in confusion.

Vic frowned. "Shouldn't you ask how he's still alive? How has he lasted this long against that man?"

Seraphina blinked. Then it clicked. She spoke slowly. "Now that you mention it... That's a good question. How is he still holding him off?"

The others exchanged glances.

"We don't know," they all said at once.

Seraphina stared at them in disbelief."You…"

She looked at Ariana.

Ariana ignored them. She was already deep in thought. Something didn't add up. Kael was clearly an A-ranker. But he was facing off against a top-tier S-ranker. It should've been over in a few moves.

Her eyes narrowed. She noticed something. A strange energy wrapped around Kael. It wasn't normal mana. It felt old, foreign, almost divine.

"It's like the blessing of a god," she whispered. "Is that...really the God of War's blessing?"

On the battlefield, James was still grinning.

"Watching you struggle is fun! Hahahaaaa!"

He hacked his sword forward again. But Kael's focus didn't break. He deflected the strike again with his Reflection technique. The diverted energy tore across the side, carving a trench and toppling more trees.

Kael stared at James. His eyes were cold.

"Why did you side with them?"

James laughed. "To get stronger! To have revenge!"

"Revenge?" Kael's voice cracked slightly. He clenched his teeth. "Why are you so obsessed with my father? Did you ever deserve my mother, you bastard?"

James' face twisted. A vein pulsed on his forehead.

"What did you just say?"

He snapped. His swings became even more violent. He charged at Kael like a beast. Kael was forced to parry, block, and deflect with rapid steps. Metal clanged. Sparks flew. The rhythm of their swords blurred.

Kael's body ached. His arms were shaking. Blood dripped from a cut on his cheek. But he didn't back down.

James raised his sword for a heavy overhead slash. Kael ducked under and moved aside, using Reflection to push the force away again. But each time, it got harder.

Suddenly, James realized something. His eyes widened.

"You... You're only using S-rank power at the last moment when you can't take on or when you're about to die. All other times... you're fighting like an A-ranker."

He looked stunned. His grin faded for a second. He hadn't noticed before. He thought Kael was just hanging on. But now... this was intentional.

Kael stood, panting. Then his head tilted to the side. A slow, twisted smile grew on his face.

His lips parted. He licked the blood off.

"You figured that out now.I can't believe it took so much for you to figure out. You dumb head."

Everyone watching went silent.

Kael's body seemed to darken. A crimson tint cloaked him. The air grew heavy. His eyes gleamed, like they belonged to something not human. His smile stretched into something eerie. Not mocking, but cold. Demonic.

James' fists clenched. Thick veins throbbed across his forehead. Rage mixed with something else—unease.

Then he turned to look at Pranjan. His voice cracked.

"Why haven't you started yet?"

Pranjan looked shaken. His fingers trembled as he held a crystal tablet.

"I... I'm trying. But I can't connect. I can't extract. The circle... it's broken."

James stepped forward, eyes wide. "What?"

""The main array. The one we spent months building... it's not working. The channel isn't responding."

James roared. "WHAAAAAT?!"

James took a step toward him.

"What do you mean?"

"The main array… the one we built for months," Pranjan said, still staring at the device in his hand. "It's not working. The channel's broken."

James' face twisted. He took another step forward, chest heaving in fury.

"What do you mean it's broken?! That's not possible!"