A duel between n.
Whether in the Cultivation world or in Arthur’s place, this ans a fight between them with their lives on the line.
Of course, they could stop at the last mont and spare their enemy, but that doesn’t change the fact that they could lose their lives during the duel.
Xu Tao was troubled. He really was.
As a man, it’d lower his honor to refuse this duel. However, accepting a duel that he can’t win would make him lose face either way.
Whether he agreed or not, his "standing" within their current community would fall slightly. A minor, but possibly fatal, difference.
’Damn it, what did this pretty boy eat to suddenly ask for a duel?!’
Honestly, Xu Tao was confused. He had no clue how he provoked the other party. He thought maybe Arthur was just the type to assert dominance every step of the way—but then, his friendly attitude during summoning wouldn’t make any sense.
’If he were a cultivator, I’d suspect he encountered Qi Deviation and got a demon to possess his body!’
Xu Tao took a deep breath and cald his mind. The ti he spent cursing, deep in thought, was a re one second in reality.
"Arthur, I—"
Just as he was about to bite the bullet and refuse the duel, however, a small figure stepped forward and picked up the gauntlet.
"Picking fights right after arrival," the person—Jehanne—spoke with her usual smile now gone, replaced by a fierce, serious expression. "I thought you’d be a nice person who believes in the sa God... Too bad."
She then threw the gauntlet right back at its owner—caught by Arthur casually, without trouble.
"I’ll take you on in Sir Tao’s stead."
And declared this before everyone else—pulling her spear and waving it around, the long white flag flapping loudly.
Arthur shook his head, parting his lips to speak—
"...!"
But when he saw sothing sparkling on Jehanne’s left ring finger, his entire body froze. His eyes focused on the little trinket, sothing that wasn’t there previously. He could recall that much when he kissed the back of her hand during their first eting.
"I see..." he sighed. "So that’s what it is."
Arthur slowly drew his sword, holding it with one hand, and pointed it forward.
"Although I’d rather not hurt a woman, as you were the one to pick the gauntlet, that ans you consent to this duel," he exclaid, as if spouting excuses. "If I win, I shall be the king here. And you, my fair goddess, shall be mine."
"Stop with the flattery." But Jehanne didn’t seem to humor his words. "I don’t plan on losing. And even if I do lose, I shall never be yours."
Arthur shook his head, sadness filling his expression.
"To think I, who was always chased by won, am now being pushed away by one..." he sighed. "Don’t worry, I’ll slowly change how you see later on, after I rough you up a bit."
Both sides entered battle stances. The air between them beca tense, almost as if they’d explode any second.
Just then, a loud voice intervened.
"STOP!"
It was Xu Tao, jumping down to stand between the two.
"Now’s not the ti for fighting amongst each other!" he growled. "Monsters will arrive in a few minutes, and you want to diminish our fighting strength by half?!"
This ti, he wasn’t just speaking out of turn. He truly ant every word he mouthed.
"But Sir Tao, this fake gentleman here just tried to undermine your authority! He needs to be taught a lesson!" Jehanne argued back, looking a bit panicked.
"No buts!" Xu Tao growled. "I understand that working under soone else after all this ti makes you worry, but I don’t mind at all. If he’s a better leader compared to , so be it."
He then took a deep breath, slowly calming his nerves.
"...But if you insist on dueling right now, undermining the safety of the entire party... then I wonder if you’d be considered fit for leadership like that. You’d just lead your people to ruin, sooner or later, with that kind of attitude."
Words that cut through the heart. Said out of firsthand experience.
Through the long ti he had been a cultivator, he had seen many sects fall just because of an incompetent Sect Leader taking over. May it be legitimate or a forced takeover, it didn’t matter. They all fell from within, crumbling into a no-na sect in just a few years.
Arthur realized his mistakes and quieted down.
However, his sword remained pointed forward, unwavering. He didn’t plan to stop the duel—no, he couldn’t stop the duel now that it had been accepted. A knight’s honor was on the line.
"If you still want to duel, let’s change the thod a bit," Xu Tao offered. "How about in the fight against the wave of monsters, the one who kills the most is deed the winner?"
"...!"
It was a logical solution, solving two problems at once. This way, they could continue the duel and at the sa ti fight against the incoming wave of monsters!
"If that’s what Sir Tao decided on, I have no qualms about it." Jehanne answered imdiately, tapping the butt of her spear on the ground beside her. "Let’s settle this fair and square, Sir Fake Gentleman."
Arthur, on the other hand, nodded reluctantly.
"It can’t be helped then. At least, I can avoid injuring your fair skin directly," he said.
"But still, my chivalry wouldn’t hold if I fought against a helpless woman. Xu Tao, you should join in her endeavor and fight too." Arthur lowered his sword but pointed his gauntlet-less hand—finger—forward instead. "My kills versus the combined might of you two. That way, it should be balanced."
"I don’t mind." Xu Tao nodded instantly.
In fact, this suggestion was in his favor, so there’s no way he’d disagree!
"But no crying foul later, ok? It’s you who decided on this." He warned, just in case Arthur decided to go back on his words.
"I won’t." But Arthur was serious too. "I swear in my na, King Arthur Pendragon of Calot, that I shall respect the terms of the duel no matter who wins in the end!"
"Good," Xu Tao nodded. "Then I, Xu Tao, swear to the Nine Heavens that I shall obey the result of the duel no matter which side prevails!"
And Xu Tao responded with an almost equally intense oath.
Both n glared at each other before smiles crossed their faces at the sa ti. Although the aning behind their smiles differed, the confidence in their eyes was exactly the sa.
Neither of them even considered the possibility of losing!
"M- and Sir Tao... Going out together?! Isn’t this...!"
And while the two n were trying to mount the other, the little saint was acting flustered all by herself.
"Isn’t this..." she whispered. "...what the ladies back in my village call a date?!"
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