Inside the Ironmarch barracks, the sound of swords colliding echoed through the air. Two people were exchanging sword swings, swipes, and thrusts. Around them, thousands of soldiers circled, enjoying the sparring session. Those two were Luceran and Nelez, his butler and personal advisor.
The ground cracked, gusts of wind raged, and loud clangs rang out as testaments to their power. They moved so fast that typical soldiers could not see or track their figures. Blasts of wind and fiery explosions followed as they kept on exchanging movements. The crowd had to stand further back to avoid the impact.
From a distance, Luceran imbued his sword with mana, and a bluish hue enveloped the blade. He then cast an Acceleration spell as he torpedoed himself toward Nelez with blinding speed. Nelez blocked the prince's advance with his own sword, resulting in a loud clang as the weapons collided.
Luceran then stomped his foot on the ground, and a cloud of dust rose, blocking everyone's view of the duel. Luceran used his mana sense to determine Nelez's location before hurling balls of fire the size of coconuts.
From Nelez's perspective, he could see nothing but the cloud of dust. He used his internal energies and swung his sword in a full circle, sweeping the dust away and clearing the arena. Suddenly, he felt an increase in temperature as he saw multiple fireballs flying at him with alarming speed. He raised his left hand and performed a hand sign to raise a thick earthen wall, blocking the fireballs from hitting him directly.
"Dual practitioner of Arcana and Physical path!" Commander Borrin exclaimed.
"Who would have thought that the butler is actually an accomplished dual practitioner?" a soldier said. The men were not surprised that Luceran was a dual practitioner, but they were shocked to learn the butler was also one, especially at the stage of the Mana Engraving and Blood Refinement stages.
The sound of explosions followed as the fireballs detonated against the earthen wall. Cracks appeared on the surface, but the defense failed to crumble.
Knowing his plan had failed, Luceran imbued his sword with a reddish aura and swung it vertically from a distance. At the same time, his left hand grasped the air, and a cone of tornado appeared. He gestured with his hand, hurling the tornado at the butler. The flaming beam of the sword crashed into the earthen wall while the tornado hit at the same time, creating a fire tornado that engulfed Nelez.
"Is it finished?" Lieutenant Greg asked with uncertainty.
"It is about to finish," the commander commented with the voice of experience.
The clouds of smoke and dust dispersed, and Nelez's figure slowly appeared. He emerged from the fire tornado unscathed, patted his clothes, and smiled at the prince. Watching this, Luceran twitched and looked annoyed.
"Your Highness, it is my turn." Nelez bowed. Then, with lightning speed, he appeared beside Luceran and swung his sword horizontally. Luceran was cut in two, but he suddenly dematerialized and reappeared a few meters away. He cast Acceleration and imbued his sword with mana before engaging in the sword fight once more.
They fought and exchanged swings and stabs, aiming for vital parts. Clangs of steel rang across the arena as the crowd watched the two dance with their swords. They continued to showcase sword techniques, countering one another until Luceran parried a sweep and charged, ramming Nelez with his shoulders.
"Woah!" A loud exclamation came from the crowd as they saw the prince gain momentum.
Nelez was thrown a few meters back. Luceran took the opportunity to swing his sword horizontally, sending a windy sword beam crashing into Nelez.
"A direct hit! Did the butler lose the spar?" Lieutenant Dred asked, while Borrin frowned deeply.
Nelez was thrown ten meters before he managed to stabilize himself and stand again. He looked at his torso; his clothes were torn, but there was no visible damage to his body.
Luceran, seeing his attacks had no effect, felt a sense of frustration. He knew he would run out of mana at this rate. In a battle of attrition, his elemental magic was no match for Nelez's raw defensive strength and seemingly endless mana reserves.
"I can barely follow their movements," another soldier replied, his eyes wide. "They're moving faster than I can think."
"My money's on the Prince," a young soldier shouted. "He can use multiple elements!"
"Look carefully again," Borrin said, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the fight. "The Prince is about to lose."
A few soldiers looked confused. "How come, Commander? The Prince should have the advantage with two elements."
"Correct," Borrin answered. "But he's running out of mana and stamina. He's expending too much mana with those various spells. Nelez, on the other hand, was focusing on defense. He had barely broken a sweat, not to mention his Arcana and Physical paths were at a much higher level than the Prince's. He was just waiting for the right moment."
The crowd looked back at the duo, their earlier awe replaced with a tense silence. They could see it now: Luceran was panting and slowing down, while Nelez was as steady as a mountain.
The fight came to an abrupt end. Nelez's body blurred as he suddenly closed the distance, a swift movement that caught Luceran completely off guard. He imbued his left hand with a brownish, earthen energy and sent a powerful punch toward the prince. Luceran had no time to cast a spell or dodge; he could only focus his internal energy into his hands and imbue his sword with his remaining mana. He raised it just in time to block the punch.
A thunderous impact rocked the area, sending a powerful shockwave through the crowd. Luceran was thrown back ten meters. He managed to cast a Feather Fall spell at the last second, landing on one knee with a clang of his sword. His body was panting and trembling. Nelez, on the other hand, was barely sweating, and his breathing was only slightly labored.
Luceran sighed. "I lost," he said, his voice flat after stabilizing his breathing.
Nelez bowed respectfully. "The Prince's progress is amazing."
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but Luceran felt no pride. He knew the gap was still immense. He had only been able to hold his own because he had used up all his mana and energy. He was still far from being able to truly defeat his butler. A sense of inferiority crept into his heart, a feeling he hadn't felt since he had read about his brother's achievements.
He looked up at the sky with a wistful expression, as if he were lamenting his slow progress. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, a silent lament to the vast and unbridgeable gap between him and his older brother, Magnus.
The memory was as vivid then as it had been ten years before. He had been seven years old, a child still learning the basics, when he watched Magnus spar with three royal guards. All of them were at the peak of the Blood Refinement and Mana Engraving realms.
Yet, the fight had been a one-sided spectacle. His brother, at only seventeen, had fought with the wisdom of a veteran general. The three seasoned warriors were nothing more than props in his display of power. Magnus effortlessly combined physical martial arts with elemental magic, his movements fluid and unpredictable.
His body blurred with incredible speed, and his defense was impenetrable. The royal guards could barely land a single blow. The crowd, a mix of nobles and commoners, was in awe. His brother was hailed as an absolute genius.
However, after the fight, Magnus had not been satisfied. A look of disappointment remained on his face. He found the victory too easy and the royal guards too weak. It wasn't a challenge; it wasn't a true test of his strength. In a moment of sheer audacity, Magnus stepped forward and challenged two of the fighting instructors, a Sky Knight and a Mage Lord. The crowd gasped, thinking he had bitten off more than he could chew, but the reality was far more shocking. He fought them to a standstill.
The news caused an uproar across Primordia. His brother was publicly known as the greatest genius of his generation. Even the principal of the Immortal Academy claimed that he had seen fewer than five people of Magnus's caliber in several eras.
From that day onward, the news of Magnus's rise was a nightmare for the invaders of Primordia. He experienced many assassination attempts, which only stopped when he slew an Eldritch Lord alone and was elected as the Supreme Commander of the Eldritch Eradication Army. From that day, the Eldritch forces and all the factions of Primordia knew that sending assassins to Magnus was a death sentence.
Back in the present, the cheers of the crowd brought Luceran back to reality. The soldiers were still buzzing, their faces full of excitement. Some were praising the prince, but most were still talking about Nelez.
Nelez, seeing the prince's solemn expression, approached him. "Your Highness, everyone has their own path. Everyone is unique in their own way," he said, his voice soft and understanding. "Yours is also unique even compared to Prince Magnus. I believe that you will carve your own legend, your own legacy."
Luceran only smiled at his butler's comfort. The two changed back into their noble attire and went to the main hall. Inside, they found three people waiting; the mayor of Ironmarch, Ian, and Liz.