The excitement that permeated the stands surrounding the duelling platform was indescribable. Even in the mortal world, Sett would have doubted that even the cream of the crop of celebrities could bring forth such fervent exhilaration.

There were those that had been attracted by the large commotion, but they too were quickly engulfed in the atmosphere and soon joined in on the pre-fight excitement.

Sett, too, could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest and it was not only because he had been stricken with the atmosphere. Who would not feel that way when someone who could very possibly be at the apex of their generation, nay their civilization, was about to fight without restraint?

Just how strong were the two elders? Sett had seen Captain Thomas fighting the colossus a couple days back and he had felt that they were plenty strong. The captain, however, had only been somewhere around the third tier of ascendancy. Although the colossus had been indescribably strong, it had been unable to utilize it due to its non-existent intelligence. Their fight had been incredible, but that had mostly been the case because of the peculiarities of the fight. The strength displayed in that fight would surely not even reach the feet of the two elder’s fighting prowess.

Thus, Sett could not help but feel his own excitement rising at the thought of the upcoming fight.

Another person soon entered the duelling platform and placed themselves just before the two elders, who were staring daggers at each other.

“I must thank Elder Harriet for your swift arrival. I apologize for requesting your assistance in our matter on such short notice.”

Adriel lightly bowed his head at the newly arrived Elder Harriet.

Elder Harriet looked much like Elder Ironskin. She was likely in her mid-fifties with lightly whitening hair, but her disposition was of an uncanny perfection. On the surface, she looked like a friendly middle-aged lady that you could find anywhere in the mortal world, but that was merely a façade. The awe-inducing power that radiated from her body, which promised great pains to anyone foolish enough to cross her, was definitely not less than that of Elder Ironskin.

“There is no need to mention it, Elder Adriel.” Elder Harriet lightly chuckled behind her hand. “I have been waiting for nearly twenty years for an opportunity to pay you back for the many times that you have assisted me in my younger years. Though acting as a referee on this duel hardly allows me to return your favour, it is still a start, nonetheless.”

“Hah. Favours.” Elder Ironskin harrumphed. “I do hope that your verdicts will be impartial, Elder Harriet.”

“Naturally, Elder Ironskin. The role of referee hardly works to deliver the verdict of the duel but is in place to ensure that you two do not kill one another inadvertently.” Elder Harriet, having her impartiality questioned, spoke with a cold voice. “Now, then. Elder Ironskin, considering that you were the one being challenged, you will be the one to pick the rules of the fight.”

“Is it not obvious? This fight will be done with lethal weapons and without any kind of restraint. The fight will only be concluded once one of us is incapacitated or have given up.”

Elder Ironskin’s words brought a wave of whispers along with it. In the order, duels were not uncommon, but they were mostly fought with non-lethal weapons and combatants would often be disallowed from using the essence methods. The reason was simple. Without any restraint, it was far too common for someone to accidentally die during a duel. It was naturally something that the order’s chain of command did not want to happen.

Thus, it surprised many people that an elder, of all people, would choose to make use of the second most lethal type of duel. The only way it could be any more lethal was if it was a fight to the death.

“Sigh, is there any way that I can convince you to lessen the dangers of the fight?” Elder Harriet attempted to bring down the lethality of the upcoming fight but was ignored by the other party. “Elder Adriel, do you accept these rules?”

“I do.”

Not a ripple of emotion could be seen on Adriel’s face and no one could read what he was thinking.

“Very well.” Elder Harriet, knowing that there was no way to get these two angry men to back down, continued on. “Elder Adriel, as the challenger, what do you wish to receive should you win?”

“My terms are simple. Elder Ironskin will have to willingly step down from his position as an elder of the crusader order and he will have to denounce his recent actions that were done in that position.”

Another wave of whispers spread out among the crowd. Those terms were truly incredible. To force the other party to abdicate from his position of power. Although the power of elders was often ambiguous and hard to understand, they were incredibly powerful. Even the privilege to move around hundreds of crusaders without much oversight was enough to make many people’s greed shine through. That privilege was only one of many.

Even Elder Harriet looked shocked at the words and was at a loss for words for a couple of seconds.

“Ahem, Elder Ironskin. What are your terms?”

“I see no positives in having a half-dead man removed from his position of power. I have, however, heard tales of your frightening powers as a beast tamer. Should I emerge victorious in this duel, I wish for you to grant me your tamed beast.”

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No large wave of whispers erupted from the stands this time around. Those that were watching the show from the elder’s stand and knew some details about Adriel’s life felt a chill down their spine.

The simple act of asking the other party to secede their tamed beast to them was an act that many would look down on greatly. In Adriel’s case, it was even worse. Those that knew him, knew that Ivis had been in his life since the day the fox had been born. To part those two was comparable to forcing two deeply in love newlyweds to part unwillingly.

Such terms were abhorrent beyond all doubt and were most definitely deliberately made to target Adriel’s weakness.

Surprisingly, Ivis, who was sitting next to Sett, did not make any kind of ruckus when he heard the terms.

“The rules and terms have been established. This will be your last chance to retreat before the fight starts.”

The last chance to evade the upcoming battle was extended towards the two combatants, but none of them took it. It was only natural. They had gathered such a large crowd, that had only assembled to watch them fight. If one of them were to flee from battle, it would surely be a great stain on their honour and dignity. They would never be able to hold their head held high in the order ever again.

“The duel will commence. Combatants, retreat to the fifty-meter mark from the centre circle.”

Elder Harriet retreated from the duelling platform as she spoke. The two elders also travelled to two spots that were exactly fifty meters from the spot they had been standing in before.

“The combatants are ready and the time for waiting is over! Begin!”

With a simple word, the fight between elders, that could very well send one of them to an early grave, began.

Elder Ironskin was the first to show any kind of movement. From seemingly out of nowhere, he brought out a weapon. It was a large halberd, comprised entirely out of metal. The head of the weapon was enormous and looked almost akin to an executioner’s axe.

To a mortal person, this weapon would surely weigh many times more than they could ever dare to lift, but to an ascendant, at the level of Elder Ironskin, it was the perfect weapon.

Not one to be outdone, Adriel soon followed suit. Once again from thin air, another weapon appeared. Surprisingly, it was not all that different from Elder Ironskin’s weapon. It was a glaive, a weapon that was closely related to the halberd, considering that both weapons came from the polearm weapon family. Although Adriel’s weapon was not as huge and frightening as the opposing elder’s oversized halberd, it made up for it in its uniqueness. Adriel’s glaive was double-bladed, meaning that it had long thin blades protruding from both ends of the staff.

In a mortal’s hand, such a unique weapon would long since have been disregarded because of the absurd difficulty in controlling it. Only in an ascendants hand would its strengths be brought out properly.

Slowly, the two elders began to approach each other. Their faces were completely placid and devoid of emotions. Unnecessary feelings could easily cost them the victory. There was nothing else than the enemy in front of them.

Many seconds passed as the tension rapidly built on the duelling platform and on the stands that surrounded them.

Elder Ironskin was the first to lose his patience. When the distance between the two elders had shrunk to a mere twenty-five meters, he sprang into action.

Gathering a great amount of power in his arms, he sprung forward. There was no external indication that essence had been used and there certainly was no special techniques or methods included in his attack. It was plain and simple.

“Hmph.”

With a light scoff, Adriel met the blade that was aimed directly at his head. He could easily have evaded the attack by merely sidestepping but had decided to meet the attack head-on.

*Boom*

The two colliding forces created a huge gust of wind, but it was only for a single second. With a slight twist of Adriel’s glaive, the blade of Elder Ironskin’s halberd, which still contained much power, was sent to the ground. Then, with a light kick that landed on Elder Ironskin’s exposed stomach, Adriel sent the attack elder back to where he started.

“It is good to see that your legend is not entirely made up, old man.”

With an overconfident smirk, Elder Ironskin began to banter.

“Silence. The duelling platform is not a place for talking.”

“If that is what you wish for.” Elder Ironskin lightly stretched, clearly not taking the other party seriously. “I will show why they call me Ironskin.”

With a large shout from Elder Ironskin, the essence in the air suddenly grew chaotic. It was clear for all to see that he was using an ascendant method. Slowly, his skin, which had been a healthy pink, suddenly turned completely white and reflective. It was almost as if his body was made entirely of iron.

Elder Ironskin took a single step forward. The moment his foot made contact with the tiles on the ground, cracks spread out from the impact and the arena’s floor lightly trembled.

Shaking his head, Adriel soon began to use his own ascendant method. His method was definitely not as flashy as that of Elder Ironskin, but its impact on the surrounded essence was just as great. With a bright flash, the blades, on either end of the glaive, suddenly lit up with a golden light.

Adriel did not bother showing the strength of his method like Elder Ironskin and instead readied himself for the imminent attack of Elder Ironskin.

With a great gust of wind and a violent tremor, Elder Ironskin set off. His advance made many of those in the stands think of an approaching train. The force and weight that was contained in his frightening charge was almost the perfect replication of an unstoppable force.

Adriel, on the other hand, was far from an immovable object. Before the rapidly approaching Elder Ironskin, he looked incredibly small. He was akin to a small child who stood before a ten-meter-tall tsunami. In the audiences’ mind, there was no way that he could possibly take receive such an attack and live to tell the tale.

Many people looked away from the carnage that was sure to happen. There were few that wished to see a flattened elder.

Especially Sett felt this way. He had felt partially responsible for this fight breaking out in the first place and now that Adriel’s chances looked more than grim, he could not help but close his eyes in fright.

*Woosh* *Woosh*

“Sett…”

Sett heard Adina calling for him with a disbelieving voice and wearily opened his eyes. He looked to the pale face of Adina, but she simply pointed at the field.

With his heart in his throat, Sett looked at the platform and felt beyond surprised.

Adriel, who countless people had expected to be flatter than a pancake, stood leisurely in place without a hair out of place. Let alone mortally wounded, it did not even look like he had been in a fight.

Elder Ironskin, on the other hand, did not at all look good. His originally shiny skin, which had seemed completely impenetrable, had countless cracks and slashes on it. These slashes glowed with a bright glow, that seemed to mimic the light on Adriel’s blade perfectly and seemed to cause the Elder no small amount of pain.

With a heavy thud, the elder fell to his knees.