The Magician overseeing the Duel raised an eyebrow at the display. While to the average men this might have been no more than a fancy or badass transformation, people who had reached a certain level attainment could see more. People like him could see the astonishingly huge amount of pure raw mana contained inside those gantlets. To people like him, there was no little to no point in watching the duel.

They already knew the winner.

While Adeline was now capable of much more than before, she had yet to be taught how to perceive by Atem and so, could not see any of that. Instead, to her, it seemed like Shen equipped some impressive arm protectors. She was marvelling at the sheer beauty of the design. It began with the claws and went all the way to his shoulders making circles as if you had placed armor over armor again and again.

While the sight was already very entertaining, it was a duel that was to happen. And as such, the magician overseeing the duel gave the go.

Magician ??? : As per the laws dictate, as the one overseeing, I declare this duel to the death has started!

Before anyone could react, Shen had moved. Or rather rushed. In fact, as soon as the maggician's words were finished, he had arrived in front of the elephant-bear-man. While the poor warrior was still looking towards where Shen had been before, Shen had one of his hands on the warrior's chest.

"BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!"

There was a sound incredibly loud coming from that hand and then utter silence as the big warrior fell down face first. His body collapsed onto the stage at the feet of Shen. He was dead. One move, one kill. There had been no suspense and there no longer could be. Only mere seconds after it began, it ended.

The audience, the overseeing magician and even the now dead man had yet to react. Though one never would now. Shen did. He turned towards the Magician and said:

Shen: It's my win. Now, it's time to claim a head.

Lemington's 2nd son: Wait! He must have cheated! There is now way Jean could have been killed so easily! I request a trial!

Magician: This...

The overseeing magician was in quite the dilemna. On one side, the warrior was dead but on the other, it is true that even he did not comprehend what happened. What if there had been a cheat? After all, this duel had the life of a noble that laid on it. The weight of this was too heavy for him to bear. He was a good magician but confronting a noble house? If there had truly been cheatings involved...

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

While he was incapable to make a verdict, someone was and did. Before the crowd could even react properly to the first death, Shen had disappeared from the stage and reappeared on it with the second son in his clutch. He stared coldly at him and said:

Shen: You who hit weaker ones and abuse what you have does not deserve life. I won and it is time to claim the reward. Hand over your life.

As Shen released him, the Noble got up and cursed at him while asking for the magician and the guards to intervene. Too bad this would not happen.

"BAAAAAAAAM!"

This time, the hand had been on his chest. And now, the Noble was falling head first lifelessly onto the arena ground. Just like his poor proxy. After this, Shen looked towards the Magician and with a smile that sent shivers down the poor man's spine, said:

Shen: Case closed, right?

The magician was so scared that he nodded while repeatly acknowledging the win of Shen. Which fear is the strongest: a dead noble or a living monster's wrath? To the magician who felt it himself, the answer was obvious. And so, he decided to stand for the monster without hesitation.

While the crowd was still reeling from shock, Shen and his entourage left. The strange yet awe-inspiring arm protectors were now gone and back were his usual human arms. While they were on the way, Adeline asked Atem while Shen was still cursing at Tempest:

Adeline: What kind of items are those arm protectors? They made him so strong!

Atem: Hm? They weren't arm protectors. Those are the arm restraints.

Atem said so while pointing at the human arms. Seeing Adeline's confused gaze, Atem sighed and explained it to her:

Atem: Shen is a puppeteer, Miss Adeline. His real arms are the white metallic ones. What you see there, the human ones? They are fake. Proesthetics. Incredibly well made for sure, but fake.

Adeline: What?! But that's impossible!I mean, isn't Shen human?

Atem: That is a tough question. The best answer might be that he was? His body is no more human than a chair would be. By that, I mean that it is not. 0%. Only the appearance is.

Adeline: No way...How is that even possible? It doesn't make any sense!

Atem: Magic, Miss Adeline. Magic has no limits. Only the mind has limits. Free yours and an even brighter and larger world will open itself to you. I await greatly such a day~

Adeline: ...

And so, they went back home to the Mansion.

...

Meanwhile, in House Lemington.

A robust old man whose stance was filled with elegance was scanning a man from behind his desk. He was the current Patriarch of House Lemington, Don Esteban Lemington.And he just received horrible news.

Don Esteban Lemington: Care to say that again?

Messenger ???: T-T-That is...

Angered at the stuttering, D.E Lemington crushed a glass and threw it at the poor messenger. He couldn't be blame for the stuttering. After all, he had the delicate task of telling this powerful noble man that his son was killed legally. How was he supposed to do such a thing without being beheaded himself for being the bringer of such horrendous news?

He did not know.