"You did not use your Aspect."
Harus's rough voice echoed throughout the hall as he looked down at Xeleray, who was still sitting on the stone floor where the duel had ended. Despite losing in front of nearly the entire Bright Castle, the leader of the Night Watchers did not appear particularly bothered by the outco. If anything, he looked more thoughtful than disappointed.
Xeleray smiled.
It was not the smile of soone trying to hide frustration, nor was it the smile of a man pretending defeat did not matter.
It was simply the smile of soone who had already accepted the result.
"You didn't use yours either."
The answer ca imdiately.
For a few seconds, neither lieutenant spoke.
The surrounding Sleepers watched quietly.
Then Xeleray shrugged.
"And I wanted a fair fight between the two of us."
Harus stared at him for a mont.
Nobody knew what the executioner was thinking.
Then, sowhat unexpectedly, he extended a hand.
The gesture attracted more attention than the duel itself had in so parts of the hall.
Xeleray looked at the offered hand for a second before taking it.
Harus pulled him up with little effort.
The two n stood facing each other briefly.
Neither looked upset.
Neither looked pleased.
The duel had simply ended.
There was no reason to dwell on it.
Without another word, they turned and walked back toward the platform where Gunlaug's throne stood beneath the towering arches of the castle hall.
anwhile, the Pathfinder who had been accused earlier was visibly relieved.
The man was trying very hard to maintain his composure, but his grin kept growing wider every few seconds.
To him, the outco seed obvious.
His representative had won.
His life was safe.
On the other side of the room, Jubei stood alone.
Unlike the Pathfinder, he did not look relieved.
Nor did he look frightened.
There was disappointnt in his eyes.
There was sadness.
There was regret.
But there was no panic.
No pleading.
No attempt to escape what was coming.
The forr Night Watcher simply stood there and waited.
Then Gunlaug rose from his throne.
The atmosphere in the hall changed imdiately.
Conversations died.
Whispers faded.
Hundreds of Sleepers instinctively straightened their backs.
Even people who had been distracted monts earlier suddenly focused their attention on the Bright Lord.
Gunlaug slowly descended the stairs.
His golden armor reflected the light of countless lanterns scattered throughout the hall.
Every polished surface acted like a mirror.
Anyone who looked directly at him inevitably saw their own reflection staring back.
And with that reflection ca pressure.
It was difficult to describe.
The feeling was not physical.
Nobody was being crushed.
Nobody was being touched.
Yet the presence of the armor seed to settle directly onto a person's thoughts.
So Sleepers lowered their heads.
Others struggled to maintain eye contact.
A few looked visibly uncomfortable.
Sunny felt the enchantnt attempting to influence him.
Yet it never truly gained any ground.
Whether it was because of his attributes, his connection to shadows, or simply his stubborn personality, the effect felt muted.
Beside him, Cassie remained completely unaffected.
She could not see the reflections.
As far as she was concerned, Gunlaug's armor was just armor.
Elysia was similarly untouched.
Her Aspect revolved around consciousness, identity, thought, and the deeper structures of the mind itself.
Compared to most Sleepers, her resistance to ntal influence bordered on absurd.
The enchantnt brushed against her thoughts and imdiately lost any real effect.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Gunlaug continued descending the stairs.
The entire hall remained silent.
Then suddenly—
"My lord."
The voice echoed clearly throughout the room.
Everyone turned toward Jubei.
The forr Night Watcher stood straight despite his ragged appearance.
His clothes were worn.
His body carried old injuries.
His face looked exhausted.
Yet his eyes remained steady.
"My lord, may I have the privilege of dying while fighting you?"
For a mont, nobody seed to know how to react.
Several Sleepers stared at him as though they had misheard the question.
Others imdiately began whispering to the people beside them.
Even Sunny found himself caught off guard.
The request sounded less like courage and more like madness.
Cassie tilted her head slightly.
Elysia remained quiet.
The question itself did not surprise her very much.
Long ago, she had seen soldiers make similar requests countless tis.
So wanted to prove themselves one last ti.
So wanted to preserve their dignity.
Others simply wanted to decide for themselves how they would face death.
The outco rarely changed.
But people still asked.
Gunlaug stopped halfway down the stairs.
The Bright Lord looked at Jubei for several long seconds without speaking.
The polished surface of his armor reflected the forr Night Watcher from dozens of different angles, making him seem even smaller than he already was.
Despite that, Jubei did not lower his gaze.
Eventually, Gunlaug spoke.
"Bring forth your weapon, Jubei."
The hall imdiately grew quieter.
If that was even possible.
Then the Bright Lord added:
"Give a fight worthy of a man."
A grin slowly appeared on Jubei's face.
For the first ti since entering the hall, he genuinely looked relieved.
Not because he believed he could win.
Not because he expected to survive.
But because he would die standing.
The forr Night Watcher summoned his mories.
Crimson scale armor materialized around his body.
A sturdy shield appeared on his left arm.
A curved scimitar ford in his right hand.
He rolled his shoulders.
Adjusted his grip.
Then raised the sword.
"Bring your worst, my lord."
Gunlaug nodded.
A golden trident appeared in his hand.
The weapon looked deceptively simple.
Yet even from a distance, Sunny could feel that it was far from ordinary.
The Bright Lord spun it once.
Then lowered the weapon.
The duel began.
Jubei moved first.
His body surged forward with surprising speed.
The distance between them disappeared almost instantly.
The shield ca first.
The sword followed imdiately afterward.
The curved blade flashed toward Gunlaug's neck in a clean and efficient strike that would have killed most Sleepers before they even realized they were under attack.
Gunlaug blocked it effortlessly.
The trident intercepted the scimitar.
Steel collided against steel.
The impact echoed throughout the hall.
Jubei stumbled backward.
Yet he did not stop.
The mont he regained his footing, he attacked again.
Then again.
Then again.
Each strike flowed naturally into the next.
His shield pressured forward.
His sword cut from different angles.
His feet never stopped moving.
The spectators watched quietly.
For the first ti, many of them realized why Jubei had once belonged to the Night Watchers.
The man was skilled.
Far more skilled than most ordinary Sleepers.
Unfortunately, the person standing opposite him was Gunlaug.
The Bright Lord defended calmly.
Every strike was redirected.
Every opening was denied.
Every attack failed.
It slowly beca obvious that Gunlaug was barely exerting himself.
The difference between them was enormous.
Yet Jubei continued fighting anyway.
He knew the outco.
Everyone knew the outco.
But he continued regardless.
Then Gunlaug finally attacked.
The golden trident moved.
A crimson spray burst into the air.
Jubei's shield arm separated from his body.
The severed limb struck the stone floor with a heavy sound.
Several people flinched.
Others looked away.
Jubei scread.
The sound echoed throughout the hall.
Blood poured from the ruined shoulder.
His body trembled violently.
Yet instead of retreating, he stepped forward.
Sunny stared.
At that point, he was no longer sure whether Jubei was incredibly brave or simply too stubborn to accept reality.
The forr Night Watcher attacked again.
His remaining arm swung the scimitar toward Gunlaug's chest.
The Bright Lord blocked it.
Jubei attacked again.
Blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
The duel had beco hopeless several exchanges ago.
Yet Jubei refused to stop.
Finally, the golden trident thrust forward.
The weapon pierced straight through his heart.
Silence fell.
Jubei froze.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
His body swayed.
Then dropped to one knee.
Gunlaug slowly withdrew the trident.
"Any last words, Hunter Jubei?"
For several monts, the dying man struggled to breathe.
Then he raised his head.
"Please..."
Blood dripped onto the stone floor.
"Avenge the young recruit, my lord."
The hall remained silent.
Gunlaug nodded.
"I will investigate the matter personally."
Relief appeared on Jubei's face.
Then the trident moved.
One clean strike.
One swift execution.
The hunter's head separated from his shoulders.
The body collapsed.
Blood splashed across Gunlaug's armor.
The Bright Lord remained standing for a few monts.
Then he looked down at the fallen man.
"Kido."
The young lieutenant imdiately stepped forward.
"My lord."
"Give this man a proper burial."
His voice remained calm.
"Whether there is soone left to mourn him or not, ensure that his grave is rembered."
Kido lowered her head.
"It will be done."
Gunlaug dismissed the trident and turned away.
The blood staining his armor slowly disappeared, absorbed into the golden tal itself.
As he walked back toward the throne, his gaze briefly passed over the Pathfinder who had survived the trial.
The man's grin vanished imdiately.
For the briefest mont, genuine fear appeared on his face.
Then Gunlaug continued walking as though nothing had happened.
Among the crowd, Elysia scratched her cheek thoughtfully.
Sothing about Xeleray felt strangely familiar.
She could not explain why.
The feeling appeared and disappeared just as quickly.
Eventually, she made her way back toward Sunny and Cassie, weaving through the crowd without drawing much attention.
Almost nobody noticed.
Almost.
At the edge of the hall, Xeleray quietly watched her retreating figure.
His tired eyes lingered on the pink-haired girl for a second longer than necessary.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
A smile nobody noticed.
'Interesting.'
The thought crossed his mind briefly.
Then the smile disappeared.
A mont later, the leader of the Night Watchers looked away and returned his attention to the hall as though nothing unusual had happened at all.
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