“Thrash car tilapia... door... vacuum!” I screamed with all the force my lungs could muster. I expected a reaction from the devil before me—anger, bloodlust, or maybe amusement—but instead, he just stared at me, his eyes partially narrowed, his face unreadable.

“By the dragons, what did you just say?” the devil finally asked, spreading his arms in bewilderment. “Did you understand any of that?” He looked to his right and left, and I could only imagine the two devils holding me shrugging at the same time.

“Something about a car, wasn’t it?”

Only now did I realize why their voices sounded so strange yet familiar. Aside from their guttural tone, the system had given the freaking devils a primitive and heavy British accent. Elk’s was so subtle I almost didn’t notice, but these two spoke like dock workers who hated docks—or fish, or boats.

“He challenged you to a formal duel,” Elk’s voice came from somewhere near the ground, weak and raspy. Beneath the shadows, I saw him massaging the spot where he’d been hit as he moved slowly.

“Thrak'shar tilen, dor'vaxis?” the devil asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I accept your challenge!” I declared instantly.

That seemed to catch the giant devil off guard. He stepped back, blinking in surprise. A few seconds of silence passed before I heard guttural laughter erupt from both my left and right.

“He got you, boss,” the devil on my left said between bouts of laughter.

The one on the right released me as he joined in, and the second devil let me go moments later, still chuckling.

“We’ve been here for only a few hours, and this hornless piece of crap is already teaching our ways to humans. We should’ve killed you,” the leader growled, his voice full of spite as he glared at Elk.

The lanky devil wasn’t entirely hornless—he had two small horns on his forehead. But compared to the giant, circling pairs of horns our captors carried at the tops of their heads, Elk’s were almost nonexistent.

Is that why they ostracized him? Because his horns weren’t big enough?

“You would’ve killed me if you could,” Elk shot back, his tone steady as he slowly got to his feet. He was distant enough from the trio to maybe attempt an escape, but his body language showed no sign of it. If anything, he looked calm.

The lead devil spat on the ground near Elk’s feet.

“Things have changed. We’re not on sacred soil anymore,” he threatened, stepping toward Elk. The men behind me growled in approval, like pigs ready for a feast.

“Are you ready to challenge the duel tradition?” Elk shot back, defiance clear in his voice as he closed the distance between himself and the devil. The larger creature scowled but didn’t move. After what felt like an eternity, the devil finally looked away.

“I’ll honor my ancestors and the dragons above us. I accept your challenge, vermin.”

His gaze snapped toward me, his scowl twisting into a mad grin. Was that a mistake? The thought barged into my mind, but I pushed it away. I had only one option—challenge him or die in the grip of his friends. I wasn’t ready to die. Not without putting up a fight. At least this way, I had a chance.

“Choose your weapons,” Elk said, looking at me. With a wave of his hand, I summoned both my dagger and wand. The devil smirked and conjured a massive club into his right hand, slapping it against his palm as if testing how much force it would take to crush my skull.

“I’ll count to three, and the duel will begin. It’ll only end when one of you is dead or under submission. Do you agree?” Elk asked, though I knew there was no choice. Once the challenge had been issued, there was no turning back. This was life or death.

You are being watched.

You are being watched.

You are being watched by a deity.

You are being watched by a deity.

You are being watched by a deity.

You are being watched.

“Even the gods want to see your death, human,” the devil growled, his voice dripping with venom. “The dragons know what you did to us—what you did to them. Reckoning has arrived for you, and it’ll come for your kin as well.”

He spat the words like poison, his glare shifting to Elk, waiting eagerly for him to start the count.

I stayed silent. I had nothing to say—nothing that would make this easier. Some foes responded well to provocation, but I had no illusions about this one. Trying to get under his skin would only make things worse. I needed to study him, watch for the gaps in his guard, and let my weapons do the talking.

It wouldn’t be easy, but there was only one outcome I could afford: victory. Every move I made had to count.

Elk’s eyes met mine, and I gave him a firm nod.

“One.”

I took a deep breath, locking eyes with my opponent.

“Two.”

I gritted my teeth, shifting one foot forward, ready to strike. My mind raced through every possibility, every opening.

“Three.”

The word had barely reached my ears before I was already moving. Like lightning, I dashed forward, my speed—enhanced since I’d entered this cursed place—caught the devil off guard.

In less than two seconds, my dagger sliced across his exposed, crimson chest. He stumbled back, but not fast enough. Blood poured from the wound as he staggered out of range.

Without hesitation, I raised my wand, summoning the Lightning Strike.

The magic erupted through me, crackling and surging to the tip of my weapon. My bones vibrated with the force of it, and the energy exploded toward him in a brilliant flash, striking with a critical force I knew it was meant to deliver.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I expected the devil to be hurled into the far wall, broken and defeated, but instead, a guttural grunt of pain echoed through the room.

The magic faded from my wand, leaving my arm numb and useless.

In that fraction of a second, I had no time to react.

Yeah, the devil was big and strong, but that same attack had sent an overleveled hobgoblin flying. And here the devil was, halted with only a grimace of pain as my reward.

I commanded my body to retreat and prepare for another attack, but before I could step back, the club was already moving—fast. It came diagonally from the ground and struck me in the stomach.

Whatever skill or shard that devil had to tank my attack, I didn’t have it. The blow sent me flying, every bit of air driven from my lungs as my back smashed into the wall.

A lamp fell from above, hitting my forehead and blurring my vision. For those few seconds, my senses scattered. The tunnels became a mess of gray and orange, with a slow-moving pool of red inching toward me.

My ears, however, worked just fine. I caught the devil’s labored words.

“That was… unexpected,” he spat, his voice pained. “Strength coming from a weakling. From a human of all species. I commend your bravery!” He roared the last part as my vision began to clear.

He may have endured part of my attack, but it had cost him. His movements were sluggish, giving me time to gather myself.

The devil dragged his massive wooden club along the floor, his long arm outstretched, his face twisted in exhaustion and pain. Damn, I struck the perfect blow. He should be on the ground.

I coughed, forcing myself to rise, but I was too slow. I was still on all fours when his club came crashing down toward me. I only had time to roll, stopping just near his hooves.

He raised one to stomp my head, but this time I was ready. I brought my dagger up, and just as his leg came down, the blade sank deep into the soft meat beneath his hoof. If he kept the pressure down, it would crush my hand, but as my force collapsed with his and the pain travelled through him, the blade entered deeper. The hilt touched his skin and there was no more force into his strike.

I couldn’t see his face, but I heard his scream—raw and pained. He tried to step down, but the pressure only made him scream louder.

Gritting my teeth, I summoned every ounce of strength I had and rose to my feet. He gripped the dagger’s pommel, his face twisted in agony, and with a quick, brutal motion, he yanked it from his limb.

The devil looked at me, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. Rage burned in his eyes as they darted around, searching for his weapon. Somewhere in the chaos, he’d dropped the club.

My dizziness faded, and battlelust consumed me. This was my chance.

Realizing what I was about to do, the devil hurled my dagger at me and lunged for his club.

That was his mistake.

As the blade flew through the air, I did exactly as Max had taught me. I dismissed the weapon, and it vanished into my inventory—only to reappear in my hand a millisecond later.

I tackled the devil, crashing into him just as his hand grazed the club’s handle. The inertia of my body slammed him back, keeping him from reaching it.

He struggled, trying to fight me off, but not for long.

As soon as the cold steel of my dagger touched his neck, the devil froze.

No matter the race, the chill of near death was enough to paralyze anyone.

His frantic breaths hit the blade, and a single drop of blood trickled down his skin.

“I’d calm the fuck down if I were you,” I grunted through gritted teeth, pressing my dagger against his leathery skin.

He swallowed hard.

“What are you waiting for? Finish it. Honor the gods,” he said, his voice raspy yet resolute.

I heard movement behind me—his friends closing in. Elk stepped between them and my defeated enemy.

“So I can die at the hands of your friends? I don’t see the honor in that.”

“That’s what you humans lack—honor.” He spat the word as if it were poison, like saying it might kill me.

“Surrender, let me walk away with my friend, and you’ll live to see another day,” I said, forcing my voice to remain calm.

But he focused on the wrong part of what I’d said.

“Friend? Is that your sick sense of humor? Not even a hornless would submit to such low standards.” He tried to move his head, but I pressed harder, drawing another trickle of blood. Behind me, his friends grunted, and I heard the crackling sound of a fireball forming in Elk’s magical staff.

“I’m not who you think I am. My ancestors aren’t even from the same planet as you.”

“As if I’d believe that,” he growled, his eyes bulging as he suddenly screamed, almost making me flinch. “Kill me and spare me your foul words!”

“I saved his life from someone who showed no honor, and then he saved mine in return. It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not, but I’m telling you the truth—about my heritage and my friendship with him. I’m trying to save your life here. Promise to stay out of our way and ensure your friends do the same, and you’ll walk free.”

Even as I spoke, I was positioning myself to slit his throat and spin to face the others if needed. My head was pounding, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength for another fight, but I had no choice.

The devil beneath me stared for a moment, his body unmoving. Then, to my surprise, he spoke.

“I accept your terms.”

His words made my eyes widen. Instinctively, I searched for Elk’s face. He met my gaze with a nod.

I loosened my grip on the dagger’s pommel and heaved myself up. The devil instantly moved both hands to his neck, wiping the blood, his skin darkening to an even deeper crimson.

With a single, swift motion, he stood, towering over me. Anger still smoldered in his eyes, but he didn’t make a move to attack.

A deep grunt escaped his throat, and he glanced to his sides before offering me his hand. I gripped his forearm tightly, and finally, his gaze met mine.

“I’m grateful for your acceptance. May the dragons oversee your journey,” I said, unsure if my words were enough but feeling they were better than silence.

Another grunt came from him, but this time I could swear there was the shadow of a chuckle at the end.

“Be on your way, human. It was a good fight.”

“Yes, it was,” I replied, releasing the strange ‘handshake.’

I reached for Elk’s robe and tugged him forward. He resisted at first, his eyes locked in a silent standoff with the other two devils.

“Come on. Let’s go before the other two decide to challenge me—or you.”

That snapped him out of it. Elk blinked, then quickly fell into step beside me. His footsteps were fast, the distance between us and the devils growing with every hurried step.

“That was close!” Elk said over his shoulder. “I’m not sure I could’ve kept the pose much longer. I was about to piss myself.”

“Me too,” I lied. The truth was, I’d never felt so alive. But that feeling unsettled me. Maybe it would’ve been better if I had been scared out of my mind.

“We were lucky. That could’ve ended very differently.”

“At least now you’re a Champion.”

“Am I? What does that mean?”

“It means you’re now… how can I put this in a way you’ll understand? You’re… important, I guess.” He glanced behind him, as if making sure we weren’t being followed. “I’m not sure how it works with humans, but Champions are well-liked. The ones with a lot of victories are even worshiped. When word gets out that you defeated one of us, the others will think twice before challenging you.”

“I guess that won’t be a problem,” I said, just as the system flashed two messages in front of me:

Congratulations, you earned the Title [Duel Champion].

Congratulations, you’ve gained a sponsorship. Golden chest arriving in…

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