"Simond?!" Aldred was shocked and immediately entered a battle stance.
Mally was shocked as well. She held her face, making sure her mask was in place.
"Are you offering yourself to us?" Mally said, pointing her gunblade at him.
"No. I am here for a duel," Simond said.
"You think we will let you fight Aldred? There are more than eighty of us. We won't fight fair," Stella said.
"I know," Simond said. "That's why I bring my fleet."
Suddenly, dozens of warships threw their magic camouflage away and revealed themselves. Two motherships were in the distance, and dozens of warships were aiming their cannon at this island.
"If you kill me. The warships will engulf this island with flames," Simond said. "But if Aldred can defeat me one against one, all of you will live."
Aldred frowned. "You could have stayed at a safe distance and told someone else to lure me here. Why take the risk for a mere duel?"
"Unlike you, I have honor," Simond said.
"What honor? What have you done to deserve the honor?" Aldred asked.
"I prevent misguided women from taking arms and fighting. It should be men who grab the swords and shields and then die on the battlefield. It has been that way since ancient times, and it should be in the future."
"Times change," Aldred replied. "You sound like a nagging old man."
"Your radical views will bring the entire empire down. Men have their roles on the battlefield, and your ideas to let women participate will destroy our future!"
"That's where you're wrong. My team consists of men and women, and you see us just fine. We have killed so many powerful monsters and enemies. I trust them with my life. In fact, it's much more fun that way. Right, guys?" Aldred asked his soldiers.
"Yeah!"
Of course, it was fun. Not only could they eat and sleep together, but men and women also match up letting them release their sexual urges any time they want. Soldiers were very active physically, but other than swinging swords, they needed to do something before bed too.
"Seems like you are blinded," Simond said, "Raise your weapon. Because you're a Ceraisian, I will let you die with honor."
Simond raised his dark sword, and for a second, all the light around ten meters from him was engulfed, and there was complete darkness. The force was so powerful that space and time were bent, but only for a fraction of a second.
"You have become stronger," Aldred said.
"I cannot let you defeat me," Simond said. "I have to grow."
Aldred sneered and raised his Phantom Doomblade. Terrifying blood lightning crackled around the blade.
Simond frowned as he could feel an ominous feeling from that sword. It was an oddly-shaped blade. It looked like a combination of a spear, and a long sword with demonic flair to it. He didn't doubt that the weapon was powerful because he had exchanged fights with Aldred before. But the blade seemed much stronger as well.
He was suspicious… Could that sword grow just like his own Dark Eater sword?
If that was the case then his odds against Aldred weren't that far, to begin with. p
But even if he had smaller odds, he would fight to the death. He was no coward.
"Are you ready?" Aldred asked.
"I am your enemy. You don't need to ask me."
"That's what I thought." Aldred smiled.
Simond widened his eyes, and spun around, blocking an attack, before he pulled his head back as another sword came for his throat. Within that one-second time frame, two of Aldred's clones attacked at the same time.
Simond stepped back and stared at the four Aldred one by one.
"It's four against one," Aldred said. "My clones are as strong as me. You cannot fight four of me at the same time."
"You're not the only one with the power." Simond's dark sword shot out three globs of black goo and they morphed into his own figure.
Clone technique!
Aldred was quite surprised. He thought he was the only one with a powerful clone technique that could mimic 100% of his own power and treasures. This made Aldred even more curious about that sword, and he wondered how much stronger he would become if Phantom Blade could devour it.
Phantom Blade let out a terrifying aura, showing its thirst to devour that dark blade as well. Just like Aldred, it was hungry for power.
Aldred and Simond rushed at each other, and their blades clashed. Nobody knew which one of them was real or a clone. They fought with the same style, power, and treasures.
Their blurry movement impressed everyone there as they should. Any warrior, even at Platinum Rank, would be impressed by their battle skills. Some Platinum Rank would say they were inferior in techniques and skill compared to Simond and Aldred.
As they fought, Aldred was annoyed that he couldn't activate his godly eyes. If he could activate it, this fight would end much sooner.
Simond kicked Aldred on the stomach and his feet slid a few meters back.
Aldred snorted. "Execution Strike!"
Simond got cold sweat on his forehead when he realized the powerful technique Aldred executed. It was nothing like he had ever seen before.
"How can you be this strong so fast?" Simond hastily raised his sword to block the incoming attack.
Bang!
When the swords collided with a bloody aura, a powerful trembling sensation went from the blade to the hilt, and finally to Simond's arms. It felt like he was holding the entire weight of a mountain as his arms became weak immediately. And that lingering blood aura siphoned a tiny part of his soul, making him weaker.
"I will kill you now!" Simond burst the dark aura, and darkness engulfed his whole body, ripping his clothes, and turning his skin into shadows. Only a pair of hollow glowing eyes made his appearance resemble that of a human. His legs were nothing but floating darkness of mist.
"What kind of form is that?"
The dark figure then suddenly appeared behind Aldred and stabbed his body from the back. He spat out blood as he saw the dark blade go through his chest.
"You…"
A sinister laugh came from the dark figure. Nobody knew if it was still Simond or not.
"You… just got fooled!" Aldred's lips curved into a smile, confusing the dark figure.
Suddenly, Aldred burst into a blood mist, and then a blade went through the dark figure's body. Simond turned around and saw Aldred smiling at him as he pushed the blade even further.
His clones disappeared, and Simond morphed into his real form.
When Aldred pulled the blade, he fell to the ground, breathing heavily as he stared at Aldred.
"Any last word?" Aldred said, raising his sword.
"Stop this nonsense and kill me."
"If that is what you wish then—"
"Wait!" Mally walked toward Simond and then lifted her mask.
Simond widened his eyes in shock. "You… is it possible that you are…?"
"Hi, Simond. Yes, I am your sister."
"Wait what!" Aldred and his wives were shocked. Even Bartrem and the soldiers were shocked by this revelation.