Inside the colossal gladiatorial arena, both combatants had already equipped themselves for battle.
The moment they confirmed their weapon selections, a giant countdown appeared in the sky.
10…
The entire arena quieted down.
9…
Thousands of spectators held their breaths.
8…
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Standing opposite one another, Gameliel and Zarrell locked eyes.
Neither spoke.
Yet the killing intent and hatred burning in their gazes were enough to tell everyone that this was far more than a simple duel.
To outsiders, it was merely a battle.
To the two of them, however, it was a clash filled with righteous hatred for each other.
Both men looked as though they wanted nothing more than to tear each other apart limb by limb.
3…
2…
1…
Begin!
Boom!
Like arrows released from their bows, the two figures exploded forward.
Gameliel charged with his massive shield in his left hand and a heavy mace in his right. His full plate armor reflected the light of the arena, making him resemble an iron fortress in motion.
Opposite him, Zarrell rushed forward with a longsword in hand. His movements were swift and elegant, embodying the sharpness and speed of a Sword Warrior.
Their distance closed rapidly.
Everyone expected Gameliel to move sluggishly under the weight of his equipment.
Instead, their eyes widened.
"Heavens!"
"Gameliel is fast!"
"He doesn't look burdened at all!"
"He moves as if the armor is weightless!"
"That's impossible!"
The spectators erupted.
"Look at his footwork!"
"Someone wearing full plate armor shouldn't be this agile."
"He looks like he's wearing leather armor instead!"
"Just what kind of hellish training did the Raine family put him through?"
"If I could reach even a quarter of his level, my family would treat me like a prince."
Many youngster stared enviously.
Although the Raine family was famous for their brutal training methods, few had expected Gameliel to possess such mastery over his equipment.
Back in the arena, the hatred on both faces became more apparent as they approached each other.
Clang!
Sword and shield collided.
A loud metallic explosion echoed across the arena.
The impact alone generated a gust of wind.
Neither retreated.
Instead, Zarrell's eyes sharpened.
Swish!
His longsword transformed into silver streaks, slashing continuously toward Gameliel.
Left.
Right.
Thrust.
Horizontal slash.
Vertical slash.
His attacks flowed endlessly like a raging storm.
However—
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Every strike was blocked.
Gameliel's shield moved with uncanny precision.
Not a single attack slipped through.
Inside the VIP area, separated from the ordinary spectators, Lily and the rest of Zarrell's entourage watched the duel unfold.
Kant, one of the boys Gameliel had previously mocked as a henchman, smiled confidently.
"Lily, who do you think will win? And how long before Zarrell finishes him?"
Another youth laughed.
"Do you even need to ask? Zarrell will crush him effortlessly."
Several others nodded.
Though they admitted Gameliel was strong, none believed he could rival Zarrell.
Lily crossed her arms proudly.
"Gameliel isn't weak, I'll give him that. But compared to Zarrell, he can easily be dealt with."
Her eyes softened slightly as she looked at the young man on the battlefield.
"Let's focus on the duel. It shouldn't last long. We need to capture the most exciting moments."
Everyone nodded.
Yet as they turned their attention back toward the battlefield—
Their smiles gradually froze.
Because things weren't unfolding according to expectations.
At the center of the arena, Zarrell's attacks had become increasingly fierce.
Yet Gameliel stood firm like an immovable mountain.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
His shield intercepted every strike.
Even when Zarrell attempted to exploit blind spots with his superior speed, Gameliel merely shifted his feet slightly or adjusted his posture.
Every opening disappeared before it could even be exploited.
It was as if his defense had no flaws.
The spectators gradually stopped talking.
Many experts narrowed their eyes.
"This…"
"His fundamentals are terrifying."
"Not a single unnecessary movement."
"His defense is airtight."
"Amazing."
Meanwhile, frustration began to appear on Zarrell's face.
He tried circling around Gameliel, attacking from different angles.
Yet the Guardian followed him with smooth, minimal movements.
The shield seemed to be attached to Zarrell's sword like a magnet.
No matter where he attacked—
The shield was already waiting.
Seeing the increasingly ugly expression on his opponent's face, Gameliel grinned mockingly.
"Is this all you've got?"
His words instantly made Zarrell's eyes turn red.
"Face me squarely if you're a man!" Zarrell shouted angrily. "Stop hiding behind that shield!"
The entire arena fell silent for a second.
Then Gameliel stared at him like he was looking at someone with brain damage.
"Are you stupid?"
"Or were you kicked in the head by a donkey?"
"You expect a Guardian to abandon his shield?"
"I might as well come here naked and let you do whatever you want to me!"
The spectators burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"He has a point!"
"What kind of request is that?"
"Should a Sword Warrior throw away his sword too?"
Even many viewers on Skylink were laughing uncontrollably.
Inside the VIP area, Kant and the others wore ugly expressions.
Lily frowned.
Meanwhile, Zarrell nearly exploded from anger.
"Argh!"
"I'll make sure you aren't this cocky when the duel ends!"
His attacks became even faster.
The longsword blurred as it unleashed a barrage of slashes.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Sparks flew everywhere.
Yet Gameliel remained calm.
His expression didn't even change.
"Talk after you've won."
"Right now, you haven't even scratched my defense."
Those words almost made Zarrell spit blood.
The spectators were equally shocked.
Only a few minutes had passed since the duel began, yet the rhythm of the battle was already under Gameliel's control.
Many people had expected Zarrell to dominate.
Instead, the Sword Warrior seemed to be the one forced to dance to his opponent's tempo.
"This isn't right."
"Zarrell is supposed to be a genius swordsman."
"And Gameliel is the Raine family's promising Guardian."
"The gap between them shouldn't be this obvious."
"Could it end in a draw?"
"No…"
Someone swallowed nervously.
"What if Gameliel actually wins?"
Those words spread rapidly among the crowd.
In the VIP area, the smiles on Lily and her companions had long vanished.
Shock was evident on everyone's faces.
Kant's confidence had disappeared.
The others exchanged uncertain glances.
Even Lily's eyes flickered with disbelief.
No one had expected Gameliel to suppress Zarrell's offense so completely.
Still, traces of confidence remained in her expression.
After all, the duel wasn't over.
Zarrell hadn't even used his true trump cards yet.
But as she stared at Gameliel's calm expression and the seemingly impregnable wall he had become—
For the first time since the duel began—
An inexplicable unease quietly emerged in her heart.
And she wasn't the only one.
Because everyone watching had begun to realize something terrifying.
Perhaps…
Just perhaps…
The outcome of this duel would not be what they had all expected.