"Well, what can I do?
I am Father of Dragons—I have no choice but to be arrogant."
Kael answered with a light smile as he gently rubbed Igni’s snout. Aurelia too grinned at those words.
"Don’t let that arrogance be your downfall."
She spoke as she gently gestured for her Thunder Eagle to move. Reed, the second in command of her army, tried to follow her, but Aurelia raised her hand without looking back.
The aning was clear.
Stay put.
I will deal with this.
"General..."
Reed called out.
He... he felt... uneasy.
He obviously trusted the General he had followed for decades. He, out of everyone, knew just how strong she was. It wasn’t just her strength alone—her battle experience, tactics, and battle sense were all top-notch.
Not many in the world could defeat her in a one-on-one battle.
But...
Seeing how calm that man was, Reed felt like sothing was wrong.
He had read the reports, he read how the enemy had knocked out more than thirty scouts without even showing himself. Just from that alone, he could tell that the enemy was full of tricks—for an enemy like this to stay this calm when surrounded...
Sothing was definitely wrong, especially when he saw how the Hero practically made the General propose a one-on-one battle, sothing that would only benefit him.
He couldn’t understand. They were stronger, they had higher numbers, they had... the power. Then why should they be the ones to give in to his demands?
Wasn’t using numbers to suppress him a much surer idea?
Aurelia, too, knew what Reed was feeling.
This wasn’t the first ti it had happened anyway. This was who Reed was; there was no ’bigger picture’ in his mind. For him, completing the mission in the most effective manner was the only thing that mattered.
This was also the reason she kept him as the second in command—she used him to co up with effective thods, while she worried about the bigger picture and decided whether she could follow Reed’s plan or not.
He had helped her more than a few tis, but...
This ti, Reed’s plan couldn’t be followed.
In the end, Aurelia just looked at Reed one ti and lightly shook her head, signaling him not to say anything else. Reed paused for a mont, then he glanced at Kael, and in the end, he closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Aurelia nodded, satisfied, and finally, she descended. Her Thunder Eagle landed on the ground; she jumped down, and for the last ti, she stared at Kael and—
"Are you absolutely sure you want this?"
"I do not, but I do not wish to co with you either."
Kael’s answer was clear.
Aurelia then clenched her spear even tighter and took her stance, her armor gleaming slightly.
"Then you have no choice but to prove yourself."
She spoke, preparing herself for the battle.
Kael too took out a sword from his Sanctuary and took his stance. As the two stood against each other, Aurelia glanced at her Thunder Eagle. The beast understood what she wanted, so she flew away, leaving the space for them.
Igni too didn’t wait. He spread his wings and flew into the air. Wherever the Dragon went, the Sky Kingdom n made space for him, their Bonds trembling at the presence of an incomprehensible entity in front of them.
Back on the ground, Kael and Aurelia now stood on the vast, plain, and barren land, staring at each other, asuring each other.
Aurelia then picked a nearby stone before staring back at Kael—
"The mont this stone falls on the ground,
we begin.
The battle will continue until one of us surrenders or is no longer in condition to continue the battle."
She laid out the rules. Kael nodded with a serious look on his face, clenching his sword tightly.
The stone arced up, reflecting the first light of dawn.
Every breath in the Sky Kingdom army stopped, their eyes fixed on the stone.
And then—
Tak
The stone hit the earth—
And in the very sa heartbeat—Aurelia moved.
Her silver spear shot forward like lightning, cutting through the cold air. The sudden rush of wind carried dust around her feet as she lunged. Her movents were sharp, clean, and practiced—the kind that ca from decades of fighting.
Kael focused on the battle too, taking her strike head-on. His sword flashed upward, steel eting steel.
CLANG
The sound echoed across the barren field. Sparks burst between them as the impact rippled through the air.
Aurelia’s eyes widened slightly.
She had expected resistance, yes—but... but not this kind of resistance.
The Hero didn’t step back.
In fact, he pushed her back.
She dug her heel into the earth, sliding a few feet before stopping.
"...What?"
She muttered under her breath, a little confused.
Kael... was stronger than her...?
"You..."
She turned to him and tried to call out, but Kael didn’t reply. He simply adjusted his stance and ca at her again—and once again, Aurelia’s eyes widened.
Fast!
Too fast!
The sword in his hand beca a blur, his steps so smooth that it felt like even the cold wind couldn’t catch up.
Aurelia’s expression changed.
’He’s this fast...? How...?’
She thought in her head, but she knew she didn’t have the luxury to zone out.
Clank
She blocked another strike.
Clank
Then another.
Clank Clank Clank
Then another, another, then another one.
Each hit felt heavier than the last; the strength behind his sword wasn’t sothing she’d felt in a long ti.
It... it felt like she was facing a... Demi-God.
The battle had just begun, but her hands had already started trembling, feeling weak from the direct impact.
’He... he has grown to this extent...?’
She couldn’t believe it.
Clank Clank Clank
Kael’s assault continued. Aurelia kept blocking all his attacks, but with each attack, her situation was getting worse, and she could see it. Every single one of his swings carried raw power, clean precision, and perfect control.
But after a few seconds, the Sky Serpent General noticed sothing.
Sothing felt... off.
Too perfect.
Every move Kael made looked straight out of a textbook—flawless, yes, but... predictable.
Yes, he was strong, his movents were mastered to perfection, but it lacked one thing that made a true warrior truly dangerous—unpredictability.
When she thought about it, the General’s expression changed.
Slash
Kael’s sword slashed horizontally. Aurelia ducked under it, her spear sweeping low to cut at his legs. Kael jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack, his fur cape fluttering in the cold air.
"You surprised , Hero."
The General grinned.
Now, this battle was no longer ’embarrassing’ for her. Now, her eyes shined with intense fighting intent.
She dashed forward again, her spear dancing in her hands like silver lightning. Kael blocked the first strike, deflected the second—but the third ca from a strange angle, twisting mid-air before striking his side.
Slash
Her spear scraped across his ribs, tearing through his cape and leaving a shallow cut on his skin.
The fur cloak tore apart, pieces of it flying into the wind.
Kael hissed softly, his eyes narrowing. He then glared at Aurelia, a look that took the General aback for a mont.
Predator.
She felt like she was being glared at by a predator who was ready to tear her into pieces.
But she wasn’t given the ti to think. Kael’s sword spun once, and he launched a counterattack—this ti, much more brutal than before.
Aurelia had to twist her body sharply to avoid it, the blade grazing her armor and leaving a faint dent. The force of the hit numbed her arm.
’He was holding back...?’
Aurelia thought, stepping back quickly.
Kael exhaled, breath misting in the cold air. His blue eyes glinted faintly in the rising dawn.
"You are... good,"
He said calmly.
"Better than I expected."
"So you were underestimating before, eh?"
Aurelia smirked.
Kael didn’t reply, and the General didn’t care. She spun her spear once, and the ground cracked under her heel as she kicked forward again.
CLANK
Steel clashed against steel once more, the sound rolling across the empty land. The two figures blurred through the pale morning light.
For every powerful swing Kael made, Aurelia found a small gap, a small mont where she could slip through his rhythm—forcing him to turn, to step, to adjust.
Slowly, she began to read him.
His movents were clean, but they were too straightforward.
And the General realized it.
Lack of battle experience.
Kael’s movents were flawless, practiced to perfection, but... he lacked experience. At the very least, he hadn’t fought enough enemies who thought intelligently during battle and changed their fighting style.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Kael charged again; Aurelia twisted her spear, redirecting his strike at the last second and stepping inside his reach.
Her gauntlet then shot forward—a clean, precise elbow to his chest and—
Thud
Kael stumbled half a step back, the air leaving his lungs for an instant.
"Got you."
Aurelia grinned.
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