Drake had been obsessed with marrying Lia since she was just fourteen years old. Despite her lack of interest in any boy, he remained fixated on the goal of becoming the emperor of the Shamor Empire.
The strongblaze Clan had also been supportive of the royal family, hoping to see Drake and Lia become a couple. But with the arrival of Rio, their grand plan had been shattered, and he felt like he had lost everything he had worked for.
As the room fell silent, all eyes turned towards Rio as he was going to face Drake in the challenge. The murmurs started in the room, each guest whispering to their neighbor, wondering what would come of this unexpected challenge.
Dylan exchanged worried glances with Lia, their concern for The boy's safety was noticeable. However, the one who stepped forward in Rio's defense was someone they never expected.
Helia's voice sliced through the air, devoid of any warmth, "But Zero is merely sixteen years old this year, while you, Drake, are already twenty-three. That would hardly be a fair challenge for him," she said, her tone unwavering and cold as ice.
As her words hung in the air, the buzzing of guests' voices in the room grew even louder. The weight of her statement caused the protester to shrink, looking inferior and embarrassed for having challenged Rio.
Drake's confident expression faltered, taken aback by Helia's icy tone. He opened his mouth to reply but found himself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond.
While the heated discussion was still ongoing, an unexpected interruption occurred.
The white-haired boy, who had been standing beside Lia and had remained silent up until now, spoke up.
"Don't worry, Lioness, it's just one little blow. I'm sure it won't take long at all," Rio said, his voice flickering with sarcasm.
The guests couldn't help but stare at him in shock for calling Helia by such a funny nickname. Everyone was aware of her fierce nature and how she detested other boys.
Even Drake had experienced her wrath whenever he tried to approach her. Despite Lia's cold refusal of his advances, Helia was notorious for communicating with her fists. They all waited with bated breath for her reaction, but to their surprise, Helia didn't seem to mind Rio's comment.
Furthermore, the audience was taken aback as the young boy stepped forward to accept the challenge. It was evident to everyone that he was much younger than Drake Strongblaze, with a fragile aura that appeared incapable of withstanding a single blow from the heir of the Strongblaze family.
The onlookers were torn between feeling impressed by his bravery and pitying him for his apparent foolishness.
Unknown to everyone, Eve had utilized her spiritual power to conceal Rio's true strength. Her spell made it impossible for anyone to detect his level of strength or determine if he was truly a black stage warrior. Even Emperor Dylan was powerless in the face of Eve's spell to be able to inspect Rio.
The old man's voice dripped with cunning as he spoke, "Since Zero is accepting the challenge, why don't we put it to the test right here? Just one blow wouldn't affect the grand hall much," he suggested, a sly smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
Emperor Dylan's worried eyes met with Lia's as she gave him a reassuring nod. Though hesitant, he finally relented and allowed the challenge to proceed.
Excitement and guesses rippled through the crowd. Some guests were genuinely curious about Rio's abilities, while others hoped to see him humiliated by Drake.
The grand hall split into two groups, clearing a path for the impending duel. Drake strode confidently to the center, his gaze fixed on Rio, who approached with a small, calm smile.
As they met in the middle, the tension in the grand hall became thick. The room fell silent, every eye glued on the two young men.
"Are you ready?" Drake said, his face adorned with an arrogant smile as he was hoping the white-haired boy would back off from the duel.
Rio's expression remained unchanged, "You should hurry and come. I don't want you to waste any more time from my wifey's special day," he said in a cold tone, his words flickering with confidence and authority that left some of the guests momentarily stunned.
"Well, well, look who's trying to be all tough with his fancy words. Let's see if you can back up your words with some real action and handle my single blow," Drake said in a mocking tone, his lips curling into a smirk as he prepared to attack Rio with his strength.
Drake's feet kicked against the ground, making a small crack on the floor and dust flying behind him as he charged towards Rio with a confident expression.
As he closed in on his opponent, his hand began to glow with an intense red light, which quickly grew in size until it covered his entire palm. The light soon transformed into a fiery blaze, which crackled and sparked as Drake directed it toward the boy.
The guests in the room gasped as they watched the spectacle unfold before them. Some of them could barely watch, fearing that Rio would be fatally injured by Drake's attack.
Emperor Dylan was about to intervene, his hand poised to protect the boy, but Lia reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him from interfering.
Lia met her father's gaze, her expression unreadable, Dylan was confused and worried about the white-haired beauty's actions. She had always been protective of Rio and had even fought with him over the boy in the past.
Now, His daughter was putting her husband in a dangerous situation. Emperor Dylan had many questions swirling in his mind, but he decided to trust his precious daughter's judgment and remained still.
________________________________
Please vote with power stones and Golden tickets to support this book. The more, the better.
I'll add the important character images on the:
Like it? Add to the library!
Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
