## Liam's Perspective
Golden light radiated from every pore of my body. Power surged through like nothing I'd ever experienced before. Each breath felt electric, each heartbeat thunderous.
The courtyard fell silent.
All eyes were on —the man who should have been dead but instead stood glowing with otherworldly power.
"Impossible," Erson Hols whispered, his voice carrying in the silence. "He's reached... Marquis level?"
Murmurs erupted among the spectators. Several backed away instinctively.
"The chaotic body," soone hissed. "The legends were true. At Marquis level, he becos unstoppable."
I didn't care about their theories. I only knew that everything had changed. My vision was sharper. My thoughts clearer. My body humd with energy that demanded release.
Dashiell stared at , his face drained of color. The borrowed power still flickered around him, but compared to my golden radiance, it looked like a dying candle next to the sun.
"What's wrong, Dashiell?" I asked, my voice carrying a new edge of confidence. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"This isn't possible," he stamred. "No one survives the Extinction Wave. No one!"
I smiled. The expression felt foreign on my face—cold, predatory. "Seems like today's full of firsts."
I took a step forward. Dashiell flinched backward.
The crowd parted as I approached him. I could feel their fear—not just of , but of what I represented. A commoner defying destiny. An outsider breaking their rules.
"Your borrowed power is already fading," I observed. "The technique is eating you alive."
Desperation flashed in Dashiell's eyes. He launched himself at with a primal scream, dark energy swirling around his fist.
I didn't even move to dodge. His fist connected with my chest—and shattered against my golden aura.
The crack of breaking bones echoed across the courtyard. Dashiell howled in agony, cradling his mangled hand. Readaheadandgetupdatesbyvisiting*.
"My turn," I said.
My fist moved with blinding speed, connecting with his sternum. The impact lifted him off his feet. He flew backward twenty feet before crashing into the ground, sliding through dirt and stone.
"Get up," I commanded. "You wanted this fight. Now finish it."
In the crowd, I spotted Roderick Blackthorne's face twisted with fury. Beside him, Corbin Ashworth looked equally livid. I'd forced their hand—they'd cheated with the Blood Sacrifice Technique, and I'd still survived.
Dashiell struggled to his feet, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. "I am... a Blackthorne," he gasped. "I won't be humiliated by—"
"By what? A commoner?" I was suddenly behind him, moving faster than the eye could track. "Too late."
I grabbed the back of his head and slamd his face into my rising knee. The crack of his jaw breaking was sickeningly loud. More blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed.
"You borrowed power that wasn't yours," I said, circling him as he writhed on the ground. "But this power? This is mine. All mine."
Dashiell tried to speak, but only managed a bloody gurgle. His eyes darted desperately to his father in the crowd.
Roderick Blackthorne stepped forward. "Enough! This has gone too far!"
"Has it?" I asked mildly. "Your son was ready to kill monts ago. The crowd was cheering for my death. Where was your concern then?"
Roderick's face darkened. "You will regret this insolence."
"No," I said, my voice hard. "You will regret thinking you could treat like dirt and face no consequences."
I turned my attention back to Dashiell, who was attempting to crawl away. With one foot, I pinned him to the ground.
"Where are you going? We're not finished."
With deliberate slowness, I bent down and picked him up by his ornate collar. His feet dangled above the ground as I held him aloft with one hand.
"Look at him," I announced to the crowd. "The great Dashiell Blackthorne, pride of his family, reduced to this."
I turned so everyone could see his bloody, broken face. So of the spectators looked away, unable to bear the sight of their champion so thoroughly defeated.
"Your fancy techniques failed you," I told him. "Your family na couldn't save you. Your borrowed power wasn't enough."
I brought his face close to mine. "Rember this mont, Dashiell. Rember what it feels like to be powerless."
With casual ease, I tossed him aside. He landed in a crumpled heap at his father's feet.
Roderick imdiately knelt beside his son. "Get the healers!" he barked at his attendants.
I stood in the center of the courtyard, golden light still pulsing around . I could feel it beginning to fade, the borrowed ti running out. But it had been enough.
The crowd watched in fearful silence. No one moved against . Not even the Martial Marquises present dared to challenge what they'd just witnessed.
I locked eyes with Isabelle across the courtyard. Her expression was complex—shock, relief, and sothing else I couldn't quite identify.
"The terms of the duel were clear," I announced loudly. "Victory ans Isabelle Ashworth's freedom from this forced marriage."
Corbin Ashworth stepped forward, his face purple with rage. "This changes nothing! The alliance between our families—"
"Is broken," I interrupted. "Just like your champion."
Several Martial Marquises moved to surround , including Erson Hols. Their auras flared in warning.
"You've made powerful enemies today, Knight," Hols growled. "Very powerful enemies."
I didn't flinch. The golden light around pulsed brighter in response to their threats.
"I've been making enemies since the day I refused to stay in my place," I replied calmly. "What's a few more?"
Michael Ashworth stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "The duel has been decided according to ancient custom. Neither the Blackthorne family nor the Ashworth family can contest the outco without losing face."
He turned to Corbin. "The marriage alliance is dissolved."
Corbin's face contorted with fury, but he remained silent. Even he wouldn't publicly challenge the elder's declaration.
I felt the borrowed power beginning to slip away more rapidly now. I needed to end this quickly.
With deliberate steps, I walked toward Isabelle. The crowd parted before , no one willing to stand in my path.
When I reached her, I extended my hand. "It's over."
She hesitated only briefly before placing her hand in mine. The contact sent a jolt through that had nothing to do with my temporary power.
I turned to face the assembled crowd—the nobles, the masters, the elders who had looked down on for so long.
"I've won," I declared coldly. "As promised, I'm taking Isabelle with today."
Reviews
All reviews (0)