On the other side of the platform, where the dukes and kings were seated, silence followed the intense duel... but not for long.
Callista broke the silence, "Now that was something."
Dorian added, "It felt like they were fighting each other as if they held grudges."
Nyssa commented, "It didn't just feel like it, they actually were."
Aurelia, Vivienne's mother, said with a sad expression, "I think I know the reason."
Callista smirked and added, "I think I know it too."
Sophia spoke with a calm demeanor, "I guess me too."
Raul, Alaric, and Mark glanced at their wives, waiting for an explanation.
Sophia continued, "I think we shouldn't talk about that right now."
Aurelia and Callista nodded in agreement with Sophia's suggestion.
While some were curious, they ultimately shrugged it off, deciding it wasn't worth delving into the children's personal matters at the moment.
------
Back where Cassian and the others were gathered, Vivienne and Helda returned and sat down, avoiding each other.
Neither seemed interested in speaking for now.
The girl from before approached the group and announced, "As only the last pair remains, please come to the platform."
Theon stood up excitedly, brimming with energy.
Cassian sighed, got to his feet, and walked toward the platform, his steps calm and measured.
------
On the other side of the platform, the anticipation grew.
Raul said, "The real fun is starting now, huh."
Dorian smirked, "Looks like it."
Isolde, Theon's mother, turned to Sophia with concern. "How is Cassian now, Sophia?"
Sophia smiled warmly at Isolde's concern. "He's fine. He even started training a month ago."
Zoren chuckled, his confidence evident. "Good, good. He'll need that training to keep up with my son."
Sophia frowned at Zoren's overly confident tone, but she decided not to respond.
------
On the platform, Cassian and Theon stood opposite each other, the crowd of lesser nobles growing silent with anticipation.
The girl from before stepped forward and announced, "The last battle will be between Theon Ironbrook Gale and Cassian Evros Myrr!"
Theon held a wooden spear, its length gleaming bright blue as he infused mana into it.
Cassian gripped a wooden sword, which glowed faintly with a dull blue light as he did the same.
Cassian cursed inwardly, 'Dammit, I still can't manipulate mana efficiently.'
Although he retained the memories of the previous Cassian, his ability to control mana hadn't reached the same level.
'I didn't even want this duel to happen. I was sure I could avoid it.'
Sigh
'I was over confident'
His focus had been more on physical training than mana control, as there wasn't much use for complex mana techniques before obtaining a class.
For now,mana was limited to physical enhancements and coating weapons to sharpen it.
The girl's voice broke his thoughts. "Are you both ready?"
Theon nodded, taking a stance with his spear parallel to the ground.
Cassian adjusted his grip on his sword, holding it with both hands in front of him.
Before he could nod, a translucent panel materialized in front of his eyes.
[Quest Generated]
Condition: Defeat Theon in the duel
Reward: Based on performance]
Cassian sighed, 'That's what I was waiting for.'
He gave a slight nod.
"Then..."
"Start the battle!"
The duel began.
As she gave the signal, Theon rushed toward Cassian with determined speed.
The moment Cassian came within the spear's range, Theon thrust it toward Cassian's midsection.
Cassian sidestepped, letting the spear pass by, and used the opening to slash toward Theon's exposed side.
Theon quickly deflected the sword with the blunt side of his spear, stepping back to reset his stance.
They both charged again, their weapons colliding with a loud thwack.
They began exchanging blows.
Theon swept and thrust his spear with precision and force, trying to outmaneuver Cassian.
Cassian sidestepped or parried Theon's attacks, countering with calculated stabs or slashes.
Theon's spear deflected each counter with its blunt side, maintaining his defensive rhythm.
------
On the other side of the platform
Zoren remarked, "I didn't know that kid could train for just a month and still hold his ground like this."
Everyone nodded, except Mark and Sophia, who exchanged knowing glances.
Raul added thoughtfully, "It might look like an even fight, but Cassian's strength is slowly giving out against Theon."
---
Back on the platform:
Theon stepped back, realizing he couldn't win in this balanced exchange. He decided he needed to overwhelm Cassian with speed and aggression.
'His strength isn't enough to match mine,' Theon Noticed.
He dashed toward Cassian, switching to a rapid and relentless attack style, similar to what Felix had attempted earlier.
Cassian, seeing Theon's intentions, adjusted his stance into a Turtle stance.
Theon's spear thrusts came rapidly, giving Cassian no time to counterattack.
Cassian, however, kept calm, deflecting each thrust and waiting patiently for an opening.
------
Zoren smirked confidently. "It's going to end soon."
Mark, unflinching, replied, "You can't be so sure just yet."
Zoren laughed, "You seem awfully confident in your son, don't you?"
Even Isolde, Theon's mother, couldn't help but twitch her lips at Zoren's bold statement.
------
As Theon continued thrusting, Cassian deflected each attack, deep in thought.
'This feels strangely familiar,' he mused.
But before he could dwell further, he spotted an opening.
Acting on instinct, he deflected Theon's spear and charged.
However, just as Cassian slashed at the supposed opening, Theon deflected the attack with the blunt side of his spear.
Using the spear as leverage, Theon planted the blunt end into the ground and jumped. Spinning mid-air, he kicked toward Cassian.
Cassian raised his sword in time to block the kick, but the force pushed him back. Sliding to a stop, he cursed under his breath.
'Damn it, that's my technique from the game,' he thought.
Back when he played as Theon in the game, whenever he disliked the outcome, he'd restart the game.
Through repetition, he had developed a unique technique.
In the game, this technique made Theon nearly unbeatable in non-class duels.
'How ironic,' he thought. 'Now I have to figure out how to beat my own move.'
An idea began to form in his mind... a risky one, but it might work.
Theon charged again, thrusting his spear in rapid succession.
Cassian resumed deflecting, waiting for the right moment.
When Theon thrust toward Cassian's midsection, Cassian surprised everyone by not deflecting.
Theon hesitated, confused by Cassian's inaction, but his momentum made it impossible to stop his attack.
The spear struck Cassian, stabbing into his side but not passing through. Despite being enhanced with mana, the weapon was still wooden.
Cassian grabbed the spear embedded in his body, ignoring the pain. With his free hand, he pointed his sword at Theon's neck.
"Now, surrender, hero," he said.
'Ugh, that's so cringe,' Cassian thought to himself.
Theon smirked, a mix of admiration and disbelief on his face. "Crazy bastard."
"I lose."
Cassian released his grip, and Theon slowly pulled the spear out of his side.
As the spear left his body, Cassian's wound began to heal at an abnormal rate. Within seconds, there was no trace of the injury.
The crowd, being at a distance, hadn't seen the wound or its rapid healing.
But on the other side of the platform, the dukes, duchesses, king, and queen all witnessed it.
Cassian turned to face Elisa, Vivienne, Helda, Felix, and Theon, who had also seen his regeneration.
---
On the other side of the platform:
The nobles were stunned, except for Mark and Sophia, who remained composed.
Sophia, however, glared at Cassian with a mix of anger and concern... a reaction he'd likely have to face later.
Dorian broke the silence. "Did that really happen? Did I see what I think I saw?"
Callista added, "Did his wound just heal on its own?"
Raul's voice carried a note of disbelief. "Is this what I'm thinking it is?"
Mark sighed and answered, "Yes, Your Majesty. Cassian has awakened his curse."
Everyone there understood what Mark meant.
They were already aware of what had happened to Cassian when he was twelve and his unique physique.
Zoren clicked his tongue. "So that's why you were so confident in your son, huh?"
Raul, meanwhile, looked regretful. Losing Cassian as his daughter's fiancé now felt like an even bigger loss.
Callista, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear.