In the colossal hall, adorned with treasures and vast enough to contain thousands, the emperor sat on his throne, grinning as he observed Rin. His voice, deep and resonant, echoed through the grandeur, "The aura of the throne room, the golden royal knights, and even my presence, can make the strongest warriors feel worthless and kneel in respect, yet your cold expression didn't even shake. Even in my time, I didn't meet many people, I like you, Kid," said the emperor with a deep voice.

Rin, unmoved by the emperor's words, only harboured a single thought, "Can you make me strong?"

"Ha-Ha-Ha," the emperor couldn't control his laughter. "You're a very interesting kid, haha well See for yourself."

As the emperor spoke, the scene in front of Rin transformed once more. Now, he found himself floating in the air amidst a nightmarish fantasy battlefield.

Tens of thousands of humans in organized formation clashed with enormous creatures, resembling mountain-sized lizards with massive wings. Rin stoically contemplated, "Are those the dragons from the legends?" The creatures painted the sky, covering the sun with their massive forms.

Explosions and magical attacks echoed in the air, emanating from both dragons and humans with the power to destroy entire cities. Rin marvelled at the strength of the humans, an army where each warrior was as formidable as the strongest in the continent now. However, despite their strength, the dragons proved stronger, and the humans were slowly losing.

Suddenly, a loud voice shook the sky, "I heard that the animals got loose, so it was true." Ten beams of pure golden energy erupted from the ground, and familiar faces emerged — the Linyar emperor and his knights.

The dragons, angered by the newcomers, suddenly exhibited fear in their eyes as Their eyes fell on the emperor and his guards who emerged from nowhere. "It seems we need to domesticate our transportation tools once more," declared the emperor.

In an orchestrated move, the emperor and his knights raised their weapons, unleashing massive beams of pure golden energy that merged mid-air, creating a wall of destructive energy. Rin watched in awe as the attack collided with the dragon hordes, creating a blinding white flash.

"W—," Rin attempted to articulate, wide-eyed, as the attack moved with incomprehensible speed, obliterating the hordes of dragons and causing a profound shockwave that reverberated through the space. And a strong flash that blinded Rin,

Then, as Rin's vision was restored, he found himself back in the familiar setting of the training yard, his face pale from the intense scene he had witnessed.

. . .

In the grandeur of the emperor's throne room, a sly grin played on the ruler's lips as he peered down at his knights positioned beneath the throne. Intrigued, he inquired, "What is your assessment?"

The knight nearest to the throne responded, "Regrettably, he doesn't match up to the one we witnessed twelve years ago. Nevertheless, he shows great promise."

"Twelve years ago! Indeed, I'm still grappling with the events of that day. The being that manifested was no ordinary spirit," mused the emperor, his expression pensive.

However, one of the knights dared to question, "Your majesty, would it not have been better to reveal the entire scene to him?"

"No," declared the emperor with a resolute tone. "He is still too weak for the truth. Despite his strong personality, there is no assurance that he won't lose his resolve upon witnessing the existence of these beings." A momentary flicker of concern passed through the emperor's eyes, underscoring the delicate nature of the situation.

. . .

Seated in the room, Elisa's face reflected confusion as she faced Oliver and Liam. Puzzled, she asked, "Deal? What do you mean?"

Oliver, maintaining his stoic expression, delved straight into the matter. "Well, then I will go directly to the subject. I heard that Suezel is planning to ask for an organized duel to fight Fray. I noticed that you cared about that kid, so I thought I would intervene to ask Suezel not to kill him in the duel."

The concept of an organized duel in the Dalma family was a method to resolve differences, but it lacked rules and often became a means to eliminate other successors in the succession battle, especially since the head of the family almost always accepted the demands of the duel, even if one party refused.

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"That, of course, if you agree to join me," Oliver added confidently.

To Oliver's surprise, Elisa's face remained devoid of signs of surprise or concern. Calmly, she replied, "Not interested." Just a month ago, Elisa might have been actively worried about such a battle and would have done her best to prevent it. However, after learning about Fray's real power, Elisa felt no concern.

"Interesting. I was sure that would be enough," Oliver remarked, his eyes revealing surprise while his face remained calm. "But it's not the only thing I have."

With that, Oliver produced a blue triangular gem, the size of a necklace. Elisa and Liam looked at the gem with confusion as it began to emit a radiant glow.

The glow ascended into the air, transforming into a holographic window. It revealed a nightmarish scene — a path in a forest with deep holes and remnants of what seemed like a massive battle. More than twenty bodies lay scattered, bloodied and lifeless, including knights, servants, and individuals in casual attire. Elisa stood amidst the gruesome sight, her hand on the bloodied forehead of young Fray who knelt before her, seemingly unconscious. Nearby were the bodies of Fray's sister Erma and his mother Isabel, both bloodied and unconscious.

Elisa's expression turned pale as she absorbed the shocking scene that continued from the direction where the video was being recorded, Oliver's voice spoke, "Are you trying to erase his memories? Is it really necessary?"

Unfazed, Elisa, as if not hearing him, activated an unknown skill. A strong white aura enveloped her and Fray's bodies.

As the scene ended, Oliver looking at Elisa's pale expression spoke, "I don't know what happened that day, but I know you don't want Fray to see this. So, even if he survives the duel, I'm afraid he will witness this scene."

Liam, his eyes still fixed on the spot where the video was, couldn't help but wonder ( what the hell is that !?..)

But, suddenly, a strong pressure pressed on Liam, as Elisa's eyes filled with rage, emitting a wild and monstrous aura. With deadly intent, she looked at Oliver and questioned, "Are you threatening me?"

Despite Elisa's overwhelming aura, Oliver calmly unleashed his own, countering hers and nullifying the pressure in the room. He said, "You left me no choice."

Elisa, grinding her teeth with anger, thought, (Did he cancel my aura? He's stronger than I thought.)

Meanwhile, Oliver, having shared his intentions, rose from his seat and stated, "I will give you time to think about what I said, and I hope you will make the right decision for us to become as close as we were when we were young." With that, Oliver exited the room, followed by Liam, leaving Elisa seated there with a complex expression on her face.

. . .

In the training yard, a towering and muscular man, his upper body exposed to reveal rippling muscles, gripped a longsword as he observed the figure in front of him – Jared.

"So, you want me to fight Fray?" inquired the man with a deep voice.

"Yes, I thought you would be happy with this mission. You used to compete and fight with him when you were young, but if I remember correctly, neither of you ever emerged as the clear victor. Isn't this a good chance for you to settle the score, Suezel?" Jared said.

Suezel, his expression indifferent, replied, "That was a long time ago before I honed my skills. Now that I've perfected my fighting style, the difference between us is significant. It would be a waste of time to fight him."

"Well, it doesn't matter. It's an order from Oliver, and even if you don't want to, you need to do it," Jared stated with a cold tone.

Suezel maintained his stoic expression, clenching his teeth as he glared at Jared. He knew they were pressuring him, but unfortunately, he understood that he had no choice if he wanted to protect his mother.

. . .

Later that day, in Fray's office, Suezel sat across from Fray, his expression stoic, while Fray casually sipped from his coffee, an indifferent expression on his face.

"It's been a long time since I saw you," Suezel remarked, observing Fray.

"Why are you here? Is it because of the duel?" Fray answered calmly.

"So you already know. Yes, I'm here to tell you that you should apologize to Oliver. I don't want to fight someone weaker than me," stated Suezel with stoic eyes. "If you apologize and ask him to accept you into his ranks, I'm sure he will reconsider this duel."

Fray, maintaining an indifferent look, thought about Suezel's perspective. (Suezel, because of our similar fighting styles when we were young, considered me a competitor, always wanting to fight to prove the superiority of his style. But none of us ever won. He has the morals of a warrior, but at that time, he hadn't activated his energy-fighting skill, a powerful skill from his mother's family. Now, with it activated, he may not see me as a competitor anymore.)

Thus with this thinking in his mind, Fray answered Firmly"No, unfortunately, I don't have any plans to follow anyone,"

Sighing, Suezel got up from his seat. Looking at Fray, he said, "Well, then it seems we don't have much to talk about. But I respect your decision, and although I will be forced to take a hand or a leg, I promise I won't kill you in the duel. "

"Well, I will kill you," Fray stated with indifferent eyes. "Even if you're not planning to kill me, since you decided to fight, I've decided to kill you."

Suezel, showing a hint of surprise in his expression, couldn't help but feel a sense of fear while looking at Fray's cold eyes.

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