The atmosphere in the room became even more suffocating as seconds passed by. The people within couldn’t help but wish they could disappear, desperate to avoid getting caught up in the inevitable aftermath.

The two culprits behind the escalating tension continued to stare at one another, their eyes filled with ominous intent. Neither wished to back down—especially when victory meant triumphing over their most hated rival.

Their ceaseless exchange of insults continued uninterrupted, growing nastier with each passing moment. They hurled every scathing remark they could think of, each word more outrageous than the last while the spectators' faces turned even paler.

Then, the rising tension finally erupted like a volcano.

Merina moved first. She grabbed her plate and hurled it at her cousin. Zamel, expecting this, deflected the projectile and launched himself toward her, a fork and knife in each hand.

Merina leaped out of her chair, flipping backward just in time before Zamel could reach her previous position.

Zamel wasted no time. As she soared through the air, he hurled the fork in his left hand straight at her. At the same time, he kicked her chair toward the spot he predicted she would land, hoping to disrupt her footing.

Merina, sensing the incoming object, quickly adjusted her position. She twisted her body midair and deflected the chair, displaying her impressive flexibility. With a swift motion, she kicked the fork away with her foot. Effortlessly repositioning herself, she landed gracefully on the top rail of the chair, balancing on one leg.

Then, in a single fluid motion, she caught the knife that was dangerously close to her face.

Merina grinned, her once round, doll-like face twisting into something far more sinister. When she spoke, her voice dripped with malice. "Just as I expected—that's all your pathetic self can muster. You're still weak. Nothing's changed."

She then shouted at one of the family’s guards. "You! Throw your weapon at him. Maybe it'll give him a chance to fight me properly, because right now, he's pathetic."

The unfortunate guard she had singled out couldn't help but curse his luck. Of all the people present, she had to choose him. He quickly replied, hoping his excuse would be enough. "Young Lady, with all due respect, I am a proud knight of this family. Our swords must never leave our hands, nor shall they be given to anyone, even if that person is the Young Lord himself." He deliberately referred to Zamel as "Young Lord," hoping it wouldn't draw the attention of the other troublemaker.

Zamel, seeing the exchange between Merina and the guard, jumped into their conversation, intending to save the unfortunate man. Despite their disdain for him, the guards were among the few who never bothered him as much as the servants did.

"I don't need a real sword. A wooden one will be more than enough to defeat you—hell, even a broom would do the job."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Merina, hearing the taunt, became even more infuriated at the gall of his words. "You heard him! Hurry up and fetch him a wooden sword. Let’s get this started already!"

Ezekiel, watching the spectacle unfold, couldn’t help but feel unnerved by how the situation had escalated. An incident like this, occurring on such an important day, needed to be stopped. He cleared his throat loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room—including the two culprits.

"You two, please calm yourselves. On a day as important as this, we must no—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Merina shouted at him, her voice so loud it rang in the ears of the servants.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, EZEKIEL! No one gives a damn about your words, you quack."

Ezekiel, being cut off for the second time, couldn’t help but feel furious. Being called a quack was already a low blow, but what infuriated him even more was Zamel looking at him with an expression of pure annoyance.

How dare these two treat him with such blatant disrespect, as if it were the most natural thing in the world?

He took deep, steady breaths—one step at a time—until he felt confident that his temper had cooled. With one final deep inhale, he finally turned toward the two.

As he reassessed the situation, he noticed a servant sprinting toward Zamel, a wooden sword clutched tightly in his hands. Now that his mind was clear, Ezekiel felt a wave of disbelief wash over him. Are they seriously fighting right now? He exhaled sharply, realizing just how absurd the entire situation was.

For a moment, irritation flickered within him—his pride still wounded by the earlier insults—but then his gaze shifted to his little sister. She met his eyes with an unimpressed look, arms crossed, as if daring him to act foolishly again. He sighed, a reluctant smirk forming on his lips before giving her a slight nod.

His sister, however, was far from amused. She merely rolled her eyes, exasperation evident on her face, as if to say, At least you have some sense left.

Once again, he looked toward the two, this time with the intent to remain an observer and not get involved.

Zamel, now armed with a weapon, shifted his gaze to meet Merina's eyes once more. His eyes burned with such intensity that it seemed as if they could bore a hole through her skull.

Pointing his sword at his adversary, he spoke, his tone fierce like that of a beast. "Let’s start this shit right now, Merina. Or are you going to back down like the coward you are? That would be truly disappointing."

Merina, watching her cousin’s amusing behavior, laughed at his actions—but instead of a sound befitting her doll-like appearance, what emerged was a cackling reminiscent of a demon reveling in the thought of tormenting its prey.

This time she didn’t waste her breath on words. Instead, she kicked a chair toward Zamel, quickly following behind it.

Zamel, undeterred by her actions, reacted swiftly by jumping to the side, he narrowly dodged the incoming chair. But Merina had anticipated this. The moment he moved, she shifted mid-stride, launching herself into a dropkick aimed directly at him.

Realizing his predicament, Zamel quickly adjusted his stance, raising his sword as a shield. gripping the hilt tightly with one hand while steadying the blade with the other. He braced for impact.

But instead of the force he expected, Merina twisted mid-air, her body shifting fluidly. In a stunning display of agility, she transformed her attack into an aerial flip, redirecting her momentum. Before Zamel could adjust, she came down with an axe kick, aimed straight at him.

This sudden maneuver caught Zamel off guard. Panic flickered in his mind, but he quickly composed himself. His thoughts accelerated, searching for a way to counter Merina’s relentless assault.

At the last moment, he twisted his body once more, positioning his sword to intercept the incoming strike—But in doing so, he threw himself into an even more awkward stance, leaving him vulnerable.

Then, the blow landed. A deafening impact rippled through the room, the force so powerful it was reminiscent of a cannon blast at close range.