Suezel's eyes widened in awe as he beheld the walls of lava enclosing him. Grim determination set in as he gritted his teeth and lowered his sword, summoning a massive storm that pushed back the encroaching lava. However, as the chaos subsided, he discovered that Fray had vanished from his spot.
Turning around, Suezel scanned through the cracks in the tumult of lava and air, only to find nothing. Suddenly, a sense of danger gripped him, prompting him to look up. To his astonishment, the hatchet dashed towards him in a blurred motion, surrounded by swirling lava energy. Reacting swiftly, Suezel raised his long sword and managed to stop the hatchet.
"Ugh!!..." Suezel grunted through gritted teeth, thoughts racing in his mind. (Why is it so heavy!!)
Suddenly, Suezel's sword began to crack, leaving him momentarily stunned. Before he could even express his surprise, Fray materialized in front of him.
Reacting swiftly, Suezel pushed the hatchet away and launched a punch towards Fray, his fist enveloped in swirling wind.
Fray, undeterred, countered the incoming fist with another punch. The two fists collided in a loud clash.
Clash!!
The impact created a massive wind explosion, causing Suezel's hand to be forcefully pushed back. Eyes widened in surprise, and Suezel grappled with the unexpected strength emanating from Fray.
Seizing the opportunity while Suezel was off balance, Fray summoned his hatchet back to his hand with a swift motion.
With unyielding force, he executed a powerful slice, severing through Suezel's hand. "AHHH!!" A guttural scream echoed through the arena as Suezel, now wounded and in pain, attempted to retreat.
Before the crowd could fully comprehend the unfolding brutality, Fray swiftly pursued. In a relentless onslaught, Fray slashed through Suezel's other hand, leaving him kneeling on the ground, screams of agony filling the air.
The crowd rendered silent by the gruesome scene, watched in disbelief as the once-mighty successor of the Dalma family was reduced to a pitiful state.
Displaying no mercy, Fray, with a firm grip, hoisted Suezel's head and raised his body into the air. The arena fell into an eerie stillness, interrupted only by the anguished cries of Suezel, muffled by Fray's unyielding control.
Calmly, Fray looked at Suezel's face, visible between his fingers, studying the eyes that had once held strong determination.
sensing the tight grip of Fray around his head, Suezel could not help but grapple with a stark realization. Regret clouded his thoughts as he acknowledged, (How foolish I've been. He never unleashed his full power against me when we were young. I underestimated him, deeming him an unfit adversary. How naive I was.)
Despite the haze of pain that blurred his mind, Suezel locked eyes with Fray, whose gaze remained icy and unyielding. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Suezel managed to mumble through battered lips, "Just... just end it."
Fray's cold eyes betrayed no emotion as he coldly agreed, "Alright."
A profound sorrow echoed in Suezel's heart as he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable. Tears streamed down his face as he silently mumbled " I-I'm s-or-ry Mo-ther"
With a relentless grip on his hatchet, Fray raised the weapon high. The arena held its breath as the anticipation hung heavy in the air. In one swift and decisive motion, Fray brought down the hatchet, severing Suezel's head from his body.
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Suezel's severed body fell to the ground, and a collective hush escaped the mouths of the crowd, their shock and horror palpable in the eerie silence that now engulfed the arena.
As the brutal scene unfolded before her, Erma's face turned pale. She clenched her fists, desperately trying to steady her shaking hands. At that moment, a vivid recollection flooded her mind, and she finally remembered who Fray truly was.
It wasn't just Erma; a collective realization swept through all those watching the fight. The haunting truth resurfaced – the reason why Fray was once nicknamed the ruthless monster.
In the succession battle, his ascent to power was marked by a merciless personality, eliminating anyone who dared to stand in his way in the most brutal and unforgiving manner. His tactics were so ruthless that eventually, no one dared to challenge him.
Yet, as time passed and Fray left the family, these harsh memories began to fade. The relentless and unforgiving nature of Fray was gradually forgotten. However, the grim spectacle unfolding in the arena served as a stark and cruel reminder of the ruthless monster that Fray was and still until now.
As Fray's ruthless display concluded, a faint smile danced on Richard's lips as he watched. At that moment, he couldn't help but reflect on Fray's earlier remark about the brevity of the fight.
Amidst the stunned and pale faces in the crowd, Fray walked away from the scene of devastation, descending from the now-destroyed arena.
The shattered remnants of Suezel's lifeless form lay on the ground. As Fray made his way down, a servant entered the arena, navigating through the rubble until he stood before Suezel's beheaded body. With a solemn voice, he announced Fray as the victor.
"The winner of the duel is Fray Dalma!"
The crowd, still recovering from the shock, began to murmur in hushed tones. The realization of Fray's ruthless nature and the merciless victory they had just witnessed lingered in the air.
Amidst the murmurs, voices from the crowd emerged:
"I can't believe he did this, he's very evil..."
"Fray, the ruthless monster... It's all coming back to me now."
"He's even more brutal than the rest of the Dalma family."
The atmosphere was heavy with a mix of awe, fear, and a stark awareness of Fray's unyielding brutality. The crowd, once silent witnesses, now exchanged uneasy glances.
Adam, observing Fray's departure, commented, "Well, I was wrong. This kid always finds ways to make things interesting."
Montaser, with calm eyes but a subtle trace of disbelief, responded, "Yes, actually, you're right. This is interesting. I wonder how this will impact the family." The aftermath of Fray's ruthless victory had left them both contemplating the potential repercussions within the Dalma family.
In the present, Oliver gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure. Suddenly, a memory from several years ago flashed through his mind.
---
Several years ago, Oliver and Elisa stood in front of their pegasus horses, just returned to the family in the secluded landing yard. Elisa wore a complicated expression, her thoughts weighing heavily on her.
Curiosity etched across Oliver's face, he asked, "You want to leave the succession competition? Why?"
Elisa, her voice measured, replied, "I don't want to do this anymore, and I don't want the throne."
Calmly, Oliver proposed, "Well, can you support me then?"
Elisa, her expression serious, lowered her voice sternly, "Oliver, I don't know if you had a hand in what happened, but either way, I won't be able to trust you again. I don't want you to talk to me." With that, she stepped away, leaving Oliver in a state of shock, unable to react.
Suddenly, Elisa halted, turned back to Oliver, and offered a final piece of advice, "And I'll leave you with one last word of caution – stay away from Fray, for your own good. He's stronger than both of us."
---
As the memory lingered in Oliver's mind, the weight of Elisa's words echoed in the present, making his blood boil in rage as he looked at Sezuel's severed head.
In the present, a voice calling his name jolted Oliver back to reality. He turned to find his mother looking at him with a disappointed look. "How could you send someone to fight him without even making sure that he's stronger than the enemy? This wasn't even a fight; it was an execution."
"I'm sorry, Mother. I misjudged the situation," Oliver admitted.
"That kid Fray, I remember him. He has a strong personality. You should get rid of him before he becomes a problem," his mother advised with a serious tone.
"Yes, Mother. I will take him seriously from now on. I promise I will deal with him before the old continent opens again," Oliver declared, his voice cold as ice, thoughts swirling with determination.
.