The moment Lephisto's challenge left his lips, the atmosphere in the Scarlet hall changed.
Not visibly.
Not loudly.
But everyone felt it.
Like pressure building before a storm breaks.
Aldrich stood still.
Ellistra's hand rested lightly on his arm, but she didn't stop him.
She trusted him.
And that trust… grounded him.
Lephisto smirked slightly, stepping forward.
"You accept too easily," he said. "Confidence without backing—"
Aldrich interrupted him.
Calm.
Measured.
Cold.
"Confidence without control is arrogance."
A pause.
Aldrich tilted his head slightly.
"But control without intent is cowardice."
Silence.
Then—
A small, faint shift in the air.
Aldrich's aura didn't explode outward.
It compressed inward.
Refined.
Focused.
Lephisto's eyes narrowed.
"…Interesting."
The Scarlet estate's main hall was spacious enough to accommodate high-level combat.
Servants and attendants quickly began clearing the space.
Michael Scarlet crossed his arms, watching quietly.
Krishna's gaze remained sharp.
The Morningstar patriarch observed with quiet interest.
This wasn't just a duel.
This was a statement.
Lephisto removed his outer cloak, revealing a refined combat uniform beneath.
Elegant.
Controlled.
He drew his blade.
The metal shimmered under the hall's light.
"I'll give you one chance," he said.
"Bow."
Aldrich didn't move.
He simply responded:
"I don't bow to blades."
A subtle silence followed.
Then—
Aldrich reached to his side.
And slowly drew his katana.
The sound of steel leaving its sheath echoed softly—
But carried weight.
Presence.
Aldrich adjusted his stance.
Feet grounded.
Shoulders relaxed.
Breath steady.
Stillness.
Absolute.
Lephisto moved first.
Fast.
Explosive.
A forward lunge that cut the distance instantly.
A straight thrust—
Clean.
Sharp.
Lethal.
But—
Aldrich didn't block.
He didn't retreat.
He shifted.
Just slightly.
The blade passed by him—
And Aldrich's katana moved with it.
Not a clash.
A redirection.
Steel sang as the blades brushed.
Then—
Aldrich stepped forward into Lephisto's space.
Too close.
Too fast.
Too controlled.
Lephisto's eyes widened slightly.
He twisted his body, forcing distance.
Aldrich didn't chase.
He reset.
One step back.
Stillness.
Lephisto exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
Lephisto's stance changed.
His aura flared.
"Let's see how you handle this."
He surged forward—
This time faster.
Stronger.
More aggressive.
His strikes came in rapid succession.
Horizontal slash.
Vertical cut.
Diagonal strike.
A chain of pressure.
But Aldrich moved differently now.
Not reacting.
Anticipating.
His body flowed with the attacks.
Every movement economical.
Every step precise.
He didn't block everything.
He didn't need to.
He avoided.
Redirected.
Positioned himself.
Then—
Aldrich spoke.
Calmly.
"Your blade is strong…"
He slipped inside another strike.
"…but your intent is loud."
Lephisto's expression tightened.
Aldrich continued.
"And loud opponents are easy to read."
Lephisto gritted his teeth.
"Enough."
He unleashed a stronger burst of power.
The ground cracked slightly beneath his step.
This time—
He pushed forward with overwhelming force.
Aldrich narrowed his eyes.
For the first time—
He moved faster.
Not reacting.
But deciding.
Their blades collided.
Clang!
The force rippled outward.
For a moment—
Neither moved.
Then—
Aldrich whispered:
"Then let's end the noise."
Aldrich's breathing shifted.
Barely noticeable.
But everything in his posture aligned.
Breath.
Intent.
Movement.
Blade.
He stepped in—
And everything compressed into a single point.
Not rushed.
Not forced.
Perfectly aligned.
But before the strike landed—
Lephisto reacted.
Barely.
Just enough.
The clash that followed sent both of them sliding back across the floor.
Wood groaned beneath their feet.
The hall shook slightly.
Gasps echoed through the room.
Both stood.
Breathing steady.
Neither injured beyond minor strain.
But the message was clear.
They were equals.
Lephisto exhaled slowly.
"…I see."
Aldrich lowered his blade slightly.
"You're not weak."
A pause.
"But strength alone doesn't win this."
Lephisto smirked faintly.
"…Good."
Then he lowered his blade.
Not in defeat.
But in recognition.
The tension dissolved slightly.
The patriarch of the Morningstar clan studied Aldrich closely.
Michael Scarlet finally spoke:
"He's the one."
A quiet statement.
But one that carried weight.
Ellistra walked up beside Aldrich again, her hand gently finding his.
"You didn't go easy," she whispered.
Aldrich shook his head slightly.
"No."
A small pause.
"But I didn't go all out either."
He glanced at her.
His voice softened.
"…not yet."
The room's intensity slowly settled into conversation.
But for Aldrich—
Everything had already shifted.
He had proven something.
Not dominance.
Not superiority.
But presence.
He leaned slightly toward Ellistra.
"Looks like I made it just in time."
She smiled softly.
"Yeah…"
Then she whispered back:
"You always do."
And somewhere in the hall—
The future quietly began to move again.