As Koal had said, Kiel challenged Nero to a duel just one week later.

The challenge came rather unusually. Kiel went to Nero's house and in the middle of the night hammered a long note on Nero's door that said:

"By my right, as a future mage and successor to the gods, I challenge you under my lords to a duel in the arena in two days. In all my magnanimity, I will leave it up to you to choose what kind of fight we will have.

- The highly honored magical keel"

Christina just shook her head in frustration as she and Koal read the note, "'In all my magnanimity, I will leave it up to you to decide what kind of fight we will have'" she quoted from the letter, "It is your right as the challenged to decide. That's what the rules say, and he acts like it's his magnanimous gift to you. What a complete idiot."

"No, it's not like that," Koal corrected, "It just shows that despite his madness he can still think clearly. That's not good. If he had lost his mind, it would be significantly easier for Nero to fight him!"

Nero listened silently to the two discussing. He thought about what final preparations he should make before the fight. He already knew what kind of fight he would choose.

And so, already two days later, Nero stepped into the arena. The arena was massive, with thousands of people gathered around it. Even magicians had assembled there.

The ground was sandy, and Nero stepped in slowly.

In his right hand, he held a long double-edged sword, which he let hang loosely downward. His eyes were cold, and he appeared calm.

He wore no armor, but only a black t-shirt and long pants. His shoes were sturdy and fit well on his feet. Koal had provided him with this clothing, which was meant to give him both mobility and balance.

Additionally, they had to be very lightweight to not be a burden to him. Nero knew he couldn't win with strength alone, so he had to rely on skill and speed.

Across from him stood Kiel, a heavy sword resting on his shoulder. He smiled confidently as he looked at the pale and feeble Nero.

"You will pay for daring to touch me. I will destroy your life," he threatened.

Nero didn't reply; he simply stood there silently, waiting for the fight to begin.

During the past week, Nero hadn't wasted a second and had prepared for this battle. He had talked to Koal, Christina, and many other mortals, gathering as much information about Kiel and his fights as he could.

He had spent a considerable amount of credits on this endeavor, but Koal had been diligently supporting him.

Nero analyzed his chances. According to the people, despite his madness, Kiel was very talented in combat, but luckily for Nero, he wasn't skilled in sword fighting.

That was Nero's only chance.

The man also wore no armor, which disappointed Nero. If he had been wearing heavy armor, the fight would have been easier. Nero's strategy was to rely on endurance. Although he wasn't strong, he had worked in a mine every day for over a decade with very few breaks.

That made him relatively certain that he had more endurance than Kiel. Nonetheless, Nero had very little confidence in his victory.

One wrong step or wrong strike, and he would be severely injured. Nero would try to last for five minutes and then surrender immediately.

He wouldn't take any unnecessary risks.

A soft chime signaled the start of the fight. Nero didn't move an inch; he simply stood still. Every second that passed without anything happening was good for Nero. But he wasn't the only one who knew this; Kiel apparently intended to really let Nero suffer.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He charged at Nero. No warning or preparation, not even trash talk. He was fast. Much faster than Nero, that was certain.

But Nero only slowly stepped back and raised his sword. The man closed in on Nero and swung his large sword, screaming. Nero immediately felt a life threat and dodged to the side.

The man's sword crashed into the sand with great force. Nero stepped forward and made a swift cut with his sword, but Kiel evaded as well.

He swung in a wide circle again, but Nero simply leaped over the sword. Kiel stopped his swing in mid-air and pulled his sword upward. Nero swiftly lowered his sword and blocked the strike.

He used the force of the impact to throw himself several meters back. He landed skillfully on his feet.

This sequence had only lasted a few seconds, but it had already been life-threatening. Nero was shocked by the skill this giant man demonstrated with the sword.

The man charged at Nero again and swung his sword at a forty-five-degree angle toward Nero's neck. Nero ducked under the sword and thrust his own sword forward. Kiel easily evaded and swung his sword in an arc.

Nero used his sword to guide Kiel's sword over his head. Sparks flew, and Nero dropped to his knees, but it worked. Kiel couldn't immediately stop his sword as it still had a lot of momentum, and as a result, he was spun around slightly.

Nero rolled forward and thrust his sword. It struck Kiel's leg, but unfortunately, the attack lacked the power to cause a fatal wound.

Kiel screamed and kicked at Nero. He rolled away but still got hit in the shoulder and was thrown back a few meters. Nero clenched his teeth. He cursed internally; his left arm had gone numb. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder.

Nero had to fight against it and forced himself not to lose focus. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, but he knew he didn't have time to tend to his injury. The fight just started, and he had to continue giving everything to withstand Kiel.

Nero looked up and saw that Kiel remained motionless, staring incredulously at his hand. Nero had slashed at his leg, and now blood was flowing. Kiel had run his hand over the wound and looked in shock at the blood that was on it.

A change came over Kiel's face, contorting into a grimace marked by pure hatred. Nero slowly rose to his feet, preparing for the next, potentially more dangerous attack.

"You... You've injured me... How did you do that?" Kiel said, his voice filled with disbelief.

Nero was briefly taken aback but immediately saw his opportunity. He smiled slightly, relishing the moment.

"Quite simple. I plunged my sword into your leg. Any mortal would be seriously injured by that."

As Nero had anticipated, this revelation was too much for the man's comprehension. He seemed to have never expected to be genuinely wounded. Usually, the man fought only with his fists, and his opponents did the same, thinking it was less risky. Thus, Kiel had never been truly injured in any of his fights.

"You're lying," the man whispered. He lifted his head, his eyes burning.

"YOU'RE LYING! NO MORTAL CAN HURT ME! I AM THE SUCCESSOR OF THE GODS! I AM INVINCIBLE!"

"And yet, you bleed ordinary mortal blood like everyone else here," Nero provocatively replied.

He knew this was a significant risk. This man was mad, and now he would stop holding back and try to kill Nero. However, Nero also knew that he had thrown the man's mind into chaos. Anger alone would greatly hinder his concentration and block his clear thinking. Nero had to seize this chance.

The man screamed in rage and charged at Nero.

He swung his sword recklessly and mercilessly, with full force. The attacks were brutal, and Nero could barely defend himself. He felt his entire body starting to lose sensation.

Nevertheless, the fight became easier for him. Nero managed to land more hits on the man, but he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the man didn't seem to tire, while Nero grew weaker with each passing moment.

He would lose, he knew it. Although he could now evade the man's attacks more easily than before, they were relentless and filled with hate.

After a few heartbeats, Nero knew he couldn't endure any longer. His whole body was numb, and his hand was broken. He had also lost his sword. He was only alive because he narrowly dodged every strike from Kiel.

Nero evaded another swing of Kiel's sword, which raced past him with incredible force, and Nero was about to leap away. But he was slightly too slow. A fist as large as a baby's head struck Nero squarely in the face.

Nero fell backward but managed to roll and put several meters of distance between himself and Kiel. Kiel's sword embedded itself in the ground where Nero had just been.

Nero breathed a sigh of relief. He had barely made it.

Then his eyes rolled back into his head, and he lost consciousness.

Christina watched in shock as Nero collapsed to the ground, motionless.

At that exact moment, the bell rang, signaling that the five minutes were up and someone could surrender. Kiel roared and rushed toward the unconscious Nero, but suddenly he was yanked back.

He couldn't resist as an invisible force pulled him to the edge of the arena, where he was bound.

A man approached Nero and checked his condition. Everyone held their breath as the man stood up and raised his thumb. Nero was alive!

The stadium erupted in cheers. While Nero had still lost, he had managed to inflict serious injury on Kiel.

Moreover, Kiel violated the tournament rules by attempting to kill Nero after he had already lost consciousness. He would be severely punished, especially since magicians were also participating in the tournament, making it of great importance. This was a great liberation for many mortals.

Christina heard Koal lightly clap his hands and let out a relieved breath.

"He actually survived..." he muttered to himself.