Quinus looked at Rudolf with contempt.

"Rya, may I have the Kings Slayer head please?" Quinus asked as he stretched out his hands.

"Huh? Sure." Rya said and handed the severed head over to Quinus.

Rudolf eyes went wide in shock seeing his right-hand man's head in the hands of the crown prince.

'Impossible! He was supposed to be a kind-hearted fool! He must have freed that dark elf somehow and had her kill Jeremiah!' Rudolf thought to himself.

Quinus looked at the severed head for a second before he showed it to Rudolf who was about 15 yards away from them.

"It's over, Rudolf! Surrender now and I will spare your men's lives!" Quinus yelled out.

'Hmm. So this kid is still naive to think I would care about my men's lives over my own. I could use this against him!' Rudolf thought to himself.

Rudolf smiled and then stabbed his sword into the dirt before him.

"I wish to have a trial of the champions, in one on one combat!" Rudolf announced as he turns to face Quinus. "If you win I will my men will lay down their arms and surrender. If I win I get the city of Ironside." Rudolf added with a grin.

'Huh? But my other golem is wiping out the rest of his forces? He's trying to play us!' Rya thought to herself.

"Like hell! There no way I would let you take my city!" Zellin yelled out as he pointed his hammer at Rudolf.

Rudolf raised his blade into the air and pointed it at Zellin.

"Hmph! That's why dwarves are dishonorable!" Rudolf spat out as he turned back to Quinus.

"Your Highness can't be th~"

Quinus motioned for Zellin to calm down.

Rya walked up to Quinus to whisper.

"Quin, he's right. Rudolf is playing us if you do as he says." Rya whispered in his ear.

Quinus looked Rya in her beautiful azure eyes and cracked a smile.

"So you do care about me." Quin joked with Rya.

"Quin!" Rya yelled out in protest.

"Haha. Sorry... Yeah I know he's trying to play us. So, let's play him." Quin whispered into her ears.

Rya nodded and whispered back, "Okay. So, what's the plan?"

Quinus smiled and then answered her, "Well, the only rule to this trial is no one can help me fight him."

Rya frowned at him before saying, " I know that, Quin. How can I help you if~"

Quinus interrupted her, "Rya... You can do anything but fight him."

Rya paused for a second, 'Quin, is saying that I can only heal him? Really?'

After realizing what Quin wanted her to do. Rya's frown transformed into a smile as she gave him a wink.

"Oye! Are you saying goodbye to your whore? Or are you backing out like the toothless lion that the world knows you as!" Rudolf taunted Quin.

'This motherfucker! Oh, I can wait to see the look on his face when Quin kills him!' Rya thought as she started mussing Quin's hair.

"I'm just giving him some luck! You prick!" Rya said with a wink.

Rudolf looked annoyed and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Quinus.

"Fucking dark elves are nothing but whores" Rudolf said under his breath but Rya and Nieren heard him.

Quinus smiled, "Thank you Rya. Now, it's time to get serious."

Zellin was pacing around the area worrying about this fight. Laika was able to help Hajdah up after regaining consciousness.

"So, the Toothless Lion is going to expect my challenge!? Or will you hide behind that long ea-" Rudolf yelled out before Quinus interrupted him.

"Sheath your tongue! I accept, Rudolf! And it will be an honor to put your head on a pike with the Kings Slayer's right next to yours." Quinus said as he held up Jeremiah's severed head for Rudolf to see.

"Tch! Were you the one to kill him!? I think not!" Rudolf yelled.

'You may have hidden Jeremiah's ability from my father's spies but we know all about you, Rudolf!' Quin thought as he threw the severed head at Rudolf.

"YOU BRAT!" Rudolf yelled as he blocked the head with his shield.

"I've heard worse insults... And I'll say this one if you keep speaking ill of Lady Rya. I'll have to make your death as painful as possible." Quin said with anger as he pointed his sword towards Rudolf.

Rya blushed when she heard Quin defending her and Rudolf was taken aback by his statement, 'Just the words of a worthless royal. Just focus on killing him!' Rudolf thought as he took another step forward, readying his sword and shield.

They stood there in position waiting for one of them to make the first move.

The wind blows across the battlefield as the sun shines brightly overhead, illuminating the area for everyone to see.

Quin's golden eyes are glowing from the mana inside his body. His hair is fluttering in the wind as his black armor with gold trim glistens in the sunlight.

Rudolf's eyes glow bright red as his armor shimmers with light.

'Is this kid going to stare at me all day or what?' Rudolf thought as he prepared to strike.

Rudolf stepped in first with his shield raised and swung down with his sword.

*SWING! CLANG! THUMP!*

Quinus blocked the attack using his sword and then kicked Rudolf's leg out from under him, sending him flying backwards onto the ground.

"FUCK!" Rudolf yelled as he rolled back to his feet.

Quinus sighed, "What's wrong? You're supposed to be the best mercenary in the world but you are having trouble with the toothless lion?"

"Cocky little shit!" Rudolf growled out as he charged Quinus.

As they both approached each other, Rudolf swung his large sword with all his might.

*CRASH! THUD! CLANG!*

Sparks went flying as Quin deflected the attack with his blade. He was doing it with grace and skill.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Rudolf snarled out as he brought his shield around to block Quin's next attack.

"Heh! This ain't nothing!" Rudolf growled out as he brought his shield around again.

Quin blocked the hit and sent a powerful swing towards Rudolf's chest. He was able to parry Quin's attack with his sword bringing them inches away from each other's noses.

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'Come on Rudolf! You were wise to hide Jeremiah's ability from my father's spies but we know you like to use poison. Or will I break through that barrier with my Razor Ray ability? Quin thought as he had a close-up look at Rudolf's eyes.

"Tch! So, you think you are something special, huh? Well, let me show you how you're nothing at all!" Rudolf said as he swung his sword into the ground.

Then he stomped on it and a massive spike shot up from the ground.

Quin's channeled his mana through the sword blade causing it to glow white hot.

*ZZSINGZZ!* The blade became engulfed in flames as it slammed into the flaming spike, slicing it in half.

The heat was intense enough to burn Rudolf's skin if he didn't cast his barrier.

"Damn, you are strong! But you still have another thing coming!" Rudolf growled out as he kept the barrier up.

"Got you!" Quinus yelled as he sliced his mana-infused sword into the barrier. There was a loud *THWACK!* as Quin's blade hit the barrier.

'Gah! He has this amount of mana!?' Rudolf panicked as he saw his barrier failing to hold back Quin's attack. 'The only people that have destroyed my barrier before had a bigger mana vein! Fuck! I shouldn't have believed what that Duke told me about this kid!'

*Crack! CRACK! CRASH!*

*CLUNG!*

Quin's sword pushed through the barrier and cut deep into Rudolf's shield stopping five inches away from his arm.

"Fuck!" Rudolf screamed as he saw the sword blade stuck in his shield.

"Time to end this," Quinus said with confidence in his voice.

Rudolf looked over to see Quin holding onto the handle of his sword.

'Shit! He's going to cut my sword in half if I try to take a swing at him!'

"You are a skilled swordsman but not a match for me, Quinus!" Rudolf yelled as he dropped his sword so he could grab a vial of green liquid hidden in his left gauntlet on his shield hand. And once he gets it and breaks it on his shield causing a cloud of green smoke to form around them.

Quin's vision was blurry as he got hit with the smoke. Then Rudolf tried to charge towards Quin with his sword drawn.

But the smoke cleared as Quin was able to see again. His head snapped around to see Rudolf charging towards him.

But before he could attack Quin moved out of the way just in time to avoid a direct hit from Rudolf's sword.

"Haha! I wonder how long you'll last before the poison gets you, boy!" Rudolf asked as he spun his shield to deflect a quick strike from Quin.

"I doubt it will be long," Quin said with confidence in his voice.

Quin moved backwards away from him. His complexion wasn't looking too good as the skin under his eyes were turning purple and his veins were bulging out of his arms.

"Yeah, I'm immune to that poison kid. So, why don't we end this now?" Rudolf asked as he readied his sword.

"No! The prince is poison!" Zellin panicked as he felt that he should do something to save the prince and his city.

"All is lost," Liaka whispered as she felt the same thing.

Hajdah was speechless as he heard that no one knew what poison Rudolf uses.

But Rya knew this was her time to come in and shatter Rudolf's ego and spirit once she heals Quin from the poison.

Rudolf started swinging his sword wildly towards Quin.

"Come at me if you dare!" Rudolf taunted as he swung his sword again.

Quin then moved closer to Rya as best as he could.

"Oh? You're going to say goodbye to your whore? How noble of you," Rudolf mocked as he waited for Quin to get close enough to him.

Rya ran up to Quin's side and knelt down next to him. "Jeez, Quin... I have no idea what you did before I found you. How will you ever survive?" she said as she put her hands on his forehead.

"Haha... *Cough!* Rya. I can't live without you. I need you in my life. That's all..." Quin said with a smirk as Rya's magic started to heal him from the poison.

'W-Why is he saying that?' Rya thought as she couldn't help but feel her heart race when Quin looked at her with those kind golden eyes of his. 'What does he mean by living without me.'

Rudolf on the other hand saw Quin's complexion slowly change back to normal.

It was then that he was struck with the realization that the dark elf was a healer. And the last time anyone saw a healer was over five hundred years ago. When a orc how a beast-kin healer he captured and when on a campaign to take over three continents before someone killed his healer.

'I-I had a healer under my control all this time?' Rudolf thought as his heart sink into despair.

"I could have taken over Agon. I could have taken over most of the world..." Rudolf muttered to himself as he started to panic.

Zellin, Hajdah, Laika, Hieren, and the soldiers watching the fight couldn't believe their eyes as they saw a healer for the first time in their lives.

Quin was feeling much better as he stood up and stared into Rya's eyes. "Thank you, Rya. I promise I won't take long."

"T-That's not a problem," Rya said as she felt her heart race even faster when Quin looked at her like that.

"Hmm? What's the problem, Rudolf? You look like you've seen a ghost," Quinus says with a sarcastic tone.

'No! I can still kill him! I just need to alter the deal!'

"I wish to alter the deal! Instead of Ironside, I want~" Rudolf couldn't finish his sentence before Quin's golden eyes glowed brightly as it looked like his vanished, but in reality, Quinus was moving so fast that no one could see him move towards Rudolf.

*ZZSINGZZSINGZZSINGZZ!*

"GAH!" Rudolf's arms were cleaved off at the wrist and his stomach had a sword impaled through it.

'How did anyone think this kid was a weakening? Duke Alaric Revelia, you need to pray to the goddess of balance for forgiveness!' Rudolf thought as he looked at Quin's face.

A face that look neutral with a bit of annoyance as he looked at him. There was no joy in seeing his enemy defeated before him.

*Cough! Cough!*

"Haha-gah! Ohh! Ah! So, this is how my story ends?" Rudolf thought as he realized that he was going to die.

Quinus frowned at him as he continued, "*Cough!* Aahh... Killed by the next emperor of Agon... May your reign be long and prosperous."

Quin didn't know what to say to this man who he considered a coward.

*SWING!*

*THUD!*

Quinus pulled his sword out of Rudolf's stomach while making a sweeping motion to behead him.

After Rudolf's head hit the ground, Quinus quickly channeled his mana through his sword and swung it one last time as he set Rudolf's body ablaze.

Zellin and the other dwarves cheered upon seeing the leader of the Black Rose Mercenary's group was defeated. In the end, around 250 soldiers of the Ironside army were still alive and 12 mercenaries were captured by the dwarves.

Hajdah and Liaka were very happy that they didn't have to fight anymore.

Zellin and the other dwarves bowed their heads to Rya and Quinus as they thanked them.

"We'll take care of the rest," Zellin said as he turned to the other dwarves.

As the flames engulfed Rudolf, Quinus took a deep breath and sighed, "Ahh... Why do these assholes think I want to rule the world?"

Quin turned around to find Rya looking at him with blushed cheeks.

"I just want to live a peaceful life with Rya." He whispered to himself as he looked down at the smoldering body on the ground.

'Quin... God, I wish we could have a peaceful life. But I got a feeling that nothing will ever be easy in this world.'

"Heh..." Quin chuckled at himself as he turned around to see Rya looking up at him. She blushed deeper as she looked away from him and gulped. 'Come on! Why am I acting all shy with him? T-This isn't me!'

Rya kept her hands behind her back as she watched him walk up to her, "I'm sorry for everything thing, Quin. I-If I didn't get enslaved none of this would have happened."

Quin looked at her and smiled, "It's alright. We would have needed to deal with them sooner or later, since they were in league with my uncle."

'Hmm? I guess Quin's right. But, I killed some of the Ironsiders. That makes me feel shitty about myself,' Rya thought as she walked up to Quin.

Quin smiled at her as he placed his hand on her head gently. It sent shivers down her spine as she gasped and grabbed onto his arm.

"Don't worry, Rya. If you like you could probably heal a lot of the wounded." Quin said as he gave her a reassuring smile.

'Huh! Oh course! God, I feel like I'm oblivious when I'm around Quin. Anyway least get to saving some lives!'

Rya nodded and looked at the three mages that were knocked out by Rudolf.

"Okay, but you watch my back!" Rya smiled and walked up to one of the mages.

Nieren walked up to Quinus, "Prince Quinus, I can watch over her if you like?"

"Hmm? No. Thanks for the offer though." Quin smiled and shook his head.

Nieren nodded, "Are you sure? If I watch her surroundings then you could watch her, watch her. If you catch my drift, Prince Quinus," Nieren said before leaving to go check on the injured.

"On second thought, having two sets of eyes is better than one," Quin smiled as he approached Rya as she healed up Akashia.

"Nah? Huh? HAJDAH! HIS STILL~" Akashia snapped awake while Hajdah and Liaka calmed her down.

"It's okay Akashia. The prince finished him. The battle has been won," Hajdah said as she rubbed Akashia's back.

Akashia sighed and looked up at Quinus. "Thank goodness... I was worried for a moment there... I almost died because of his surprise attack."

"U-Uh, it's okay." Rya giggled nervously as she saw the shocked expression on Akashia's face.

"You're the Dark Elf?! How?!" Akashia gasped as her mouth hung open.

Lilith walked up to Akashia, "She's a healer, Akashia. We'll explain it later. Right now we need to rest and recover."

Laika looked up at Quinus, "Your Highness! I've never seen someone move so fast!"

Quin smiled, "Yeah, that attack takes a lot out of me. It's more of a one-and-done move."

Nieren chimed in, "Wait! You can use your magic this way too?!"

"Oh yeah. That's what I call the 'Lightning Bolt Style' which is a last resort move for me." Quin said as he tapped his head.

"Well someone is gloating?" Rya joked as she moved to the next person to heal.

Nieren chuckled, "I guess not."

"Hey, Rya. Just make sure you don't exhaust yourself doing that," Quin warned her.

"Ahaha, right? Gotta save up my energy for the future! Don't worry about me though. I'm fine," Rya replied with a grin and a wink.

***

This went on for a few hours until Rya healed up to around 300 men bringing the Ironside army to 550 men.

They were still missing around 150 men that weren't able to be saved due to being killed during the battle.