[The duel shall continue on until one party is either killed, incapacitated or chooses to submit to the other. The winner shall be awarded with the temporary title of Citadel Governor and assume their position immediately after the duel is concluded. ]

[Surrendering will result in a forced oath of servitude.]

A great deal of stress evaporated after Tim saw that notification, and he genuinely wanted to thank the system for not forcing a battle to death. He wasn't sure how he would react if the system asked him to kill the adorable girl gazing inquistively in front of him, and he probably wouldn't be able to go through with it. Sure, if she lived in the multiverse, perhaps her scale of values and metrics that defined 'righteousness' were completely different, and she had no problem killing a thousand people like Tim if it meant accomplishing her goals.

But he didn't know that for sure.

The 'maxim' innocent until proven guilty was a fundamental cornerstone of law for a reason. It was indeed flawed, but the alternative was too egregious to imagine. Without it, one could be labelled a criminal merely because the government believed him to be one, essentially being no different from a dictatorship. If Tim killed this girl today, only to realize she was no more than another pawn doing what she could to survive, instead of some villian who enjoyed tormenting recently integrated cultivators, would he be okay with that?

Would he too, be forced to adapt his way of thinking if he wished to survive in the multiverse?

Tim found himself struggling with this question. Perhaps Indranath would laugh at his deliberations if he knew what Tim was thinking, coming from a world governed by the ruthless system that would do anything to raise powerful cultivators. Was Tim simply being decieved by her appearance, and the right thing to do was to exact vengeance for the suffering they've been put through, to simply kill her because she was classified as an 'invader'?

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Fuck that.

That was not the legacy Amanda would want, and neither would Tim stand for it. Since the 'concept of law' no longer existed in this world, then he would just have to use his eyes and witness the truth for himself.

He would not let the system decide what was 'good' and 'evil'. It could fuck right off.

"Is it too late for a peaceful, non-violent resolution?" Tim sheepishly asked, in a mostly joking tone.

The girl looked quite taken aback, as her eyes slightly widened at the ridiculous question the somewhat handsome looking man asked her.

" I apologize, but I have reasons of my own and I cannot afford to lose." said the girl, after which she lightly curtsied.

"Hmm, I see." Tim calmly replied. " I have a lot of questions to ask you, but without any basis of trust most of them serve no purpose. There is only one thing I want to know. Are you here to kill me?" Tim asked without skipping a beat, as if his death was an inconsequential matter that was being discussed.

The girl didn't immediately respond to Tim's question, but took a small breath of air, composing herself. After which, she said "It is not my objective to kill you. However, if you plan on resisting, you will die. I am not skilled enough to hold back in actual combat. I would recommend surrender. Though like you mentioned, there's no reason for you to believe anything I say".

Tim's usually sullen face widened to a grin upon hearing this answer.

"Oh, don't worry. I believe you. You see, I don't let this blue screen right here decide what I'm supposed to believe in or who my enemies are." he replied making a tapping gesture towards the air in front of him, after which he began readying his weapon and transitioning into combat stance.

The girl looked at Tim with increduility, but didn't let her mental state be affected by Tim's off kilter remarks.

"The name I inherited from my mother is Transient Lily. As is tradition, before engaging in a battle to the death may I have the honor of knowing yours?"

"I am....Earth's Vengeance."

"LET THE DUEL BEGIN" stated the System's trademark loud, booming voice in all its glory.