šÆļø The Letter That Reeked of Challenge
Achilles sat alone, cross-legged on the stone floor of his temporary quarters at House Aldren.
In his hand: a violet-sealed envelope with no crest.
The paper shimmered faintly with arcane encryption.
> A distraction, he thought.
But perhaps a useful one.
He opened it with surgical precision.
> "To the boy who doesn't chantā
You've made your move.
I'm next.
āA."
He read it twice.
Then burned it without a word.
---
š The Duel Grounds ā Morning
The nobles whispered even before the challenger arrived.
When he finally did, it was without ceremony. A dark-cloaked figure with an unreadable face. No guards. No smile.
But a sigilāsubtle but unmistakableāmarked his collar:
The Dragon of the Empire.
Gasps. Silence.
> "Prince Asrael Caelum Altair."
Achilles stepped into the ring without hesitation.
No bow.
No words.
Just cold calculation behind his gray-blue eyes.
---
š§ Interface Engagement
> >>> Combat Profile Engaged
>>> Opponent: Asrael Caelum Altair
>>> Threat Level: High
>>> Subsystem Signature: Partial Match
System-like behavior detected.
Possible unregistered interface under imperial research.
Achilles narrowed his eyes.
> So I'm not the only variable.
---
āļø Duel Begins
The signal cameāand Asrael cast instantly.
Three spells. Simultaneous.
Gravitas Pull
Ignis Lance
Cage of Steelwind
A brutal opening.
Predictable.
> >>> Parsing Chain: 3-Spell Link Detected
>>> Counterpattern Injected:
Deflect vector bias by 31Ā°
Redirect fire.lance into magnetic sync error
Prematurely activate cage glyph through feedback loop
To the crowd, it looked like divine luck.
To Achilles?
It was debugging in motion.
---
š Interlude of Exchange
Asrael smiled.
> "You're not surprised."
Achilles replied flatly.
> "Should I be?"
> "You rewrote my spell."
> "You failed to encrypt it."
The crowd murmuredāhalf in awe, half in fear.
Asrael's grin sharpened. "Do you even feel anything?"
Achilles tilted his head.
> "Only when the code is elegant. You're close. But still inefficient."
---
š© Final Clash
Asrael launched ten ring-bound spells at once.
Achilles activated Execution Layer 2.
> >>> Full Override Mode Initiated
>>> Prioritize: Control > Disable > Dismantle
Target Protocol:
Hijack casting channel
Erase embedded commands
Return null output
The sky lit up whiteātwenty spells colliding, rewriting mid-air.
Then silence.
Both boys still stood.
But only one had eyes like ice.
And it wasn't the prince.
---
š§¾ Aftermath
No celebration.
No bow.
Just a final glance from Asrael.
> "You're not human."
Achilles turned away, cloak brushing the scorched ground.
> "I was human once. That didn't work out."