The wind swept across the battlefield, carrying the stench of smoke and burning earth
Broken branches littered the ground. Dust drifted through the air,
In the middle of the destruction, two figures stood face-to-face.
Varek studied Duke with an amused smile.
Behind Duke stood Janelle and Lena
Janelle watched the confrontation with narrowed eyes, while Lena remained slightly beside her, visibly tense.
Neither of them dared to interrupt.
Duke took a small step forward, positioning himself directly between the two girls and their opponent.
His gaze never left Varek.
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
Then Varek broke the silence.
He chuckled.
"Interesting. I thought the three of you would have run away by now."
He glanced at Janelle and Lena before returning his attention to Duke.
"You're all still children. I suppose I should take it easy on you."
With a metallic SHING, Varek drew his sword.
The blade was long and broad, forged from dark steel. Its polished surface carried faint reddish markings that resembled veins running beneath the metal. The guard curved outward like the horns of a beast, while the leather-wrapped handle bore the marks of years of use.
Varek rested the sword against his shoulder.
"I'll even give you the first strike. Consider it a gift."
Duke stared at him.
Then he smiled.
"You're going to regret that."
His knees bent.
His body lowered.
And in the next instant—
CLINK!
Two iron daggers materialized in his hands.
Their blades were narrow, sharply pointed, and polished to a cold metallic sheen.
Duke held both daggers in a reverse grip, the blades pointing toward the ground.
Varek's smile widened.
"Iron magic, huh?"
Duke didn't answer.
He launched himself forward.
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
His body shot across the battlefield with astonishing speed, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
Varek's eyes widened slightly.
"His fast"
Duke appeared directly in front of him.
His right dagger swept upward toward Varek's chest.
CLANG!
Varek blocked the attack with his sword.
The impact sent sparks flying between them.
Duke immediately followed with his left dagger, aiming for Varek's exposed side.
Varek twisted his wrist and parried the second strike.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The two fighters exchanged blows at incredible speed.
Duke attacked relentlessly.
He slashed from the left, reversed his grip, and thrust from the right. When Varek blocked the thrust, Duke leaped into the air, twisted his body, and brought both daggers down in a crossing strike.
Varek caught the attack with his sword.
The force of the impact disturbed the dust around their feet.
Yet the bandit leader barely moved.
He simply pushed Duke away.
Duke landed several feet back, his boots scraping across the earth.
Varek tilted his head.
"And precise,too"
Duke's expression hardened.
Varek had barely attacked. He was simply parrying every strike with calculated movements, redirecting Duke's momentum and waiting for an opening.
The difference in their fighting experience was becoming painfully clear.
Still, Duke refused to back down.
He charged again.
This time, he attacked with a series of rapid slashes, changing angles with every movement. He ducked beneath Varek's sword, spun around his opponent, and attempted to strike from behind.
Varek anticipated the maneuver.
He turned and blocked the dagger just before it reached his back.
BOOM!
The collision sent Duke sliding backward.
He landed on one knee.
Varek rested his sword against his shoulder again.
"Still think I'm taking it easy on you?"
Duke slowly raised his head.
"I think you're talking too much."
For the first time, Varek's smile faded.
Then—
A strange heat spread through the battlefield.
Duke felt it before he saw it.
The air behind Varek began to distort. Waves of scorching flames rose from the ground, twisting together into a mass of orange and crimson flames.
Janelle's eyes widened.
"What is that?"
The flames gathered behind Varek's back, forming a monstrous shape.
A long neck emerged first, followed by a horned head and a pair of enormous wings. Its body remained incomplete, composed entirely of roaring fire, but its shape was unmistakable.
A dragon.
Not a living creature, but a spectral dragon formed from Varek's flame magic.
Its burning eyes opened.
And the battlefield seemed to shrink beneath its presence.
Janelle stared at the creature in disbelief.
That energy…
Her thoughts raced.
From what I can sense, his energy feels strangely noble. Almost like that of someone from a royal bloodline.
She swallowed.
Could it be? Is this man actually a royal?
She immediately dismissed the thought.
No. That's impossible.
Yet the sensation remained.
Beside her, Lena could barely hide her shock.
"A flame dragon…?"
Varek lifted his sword.
The spectral dragon opened its jaws.
Then it lunged.
ROOOOOAR!
The creature surged toward Duke, its enormous body tearing through the air in a torrent of fire.
Duke's eyes widened.
"What the—?!"
He slammed both hands against the ground.
"IRON MAGIC: RISING WALL!"
KRRRRAAAACK!
The earth split open.
A massive wall of solid iron erupted from the ground directly in front of him. Its surface was thick and uneven, reinforced by layers of metallic plates that rose one after another.
The dragon struck.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Fire swallowed the iron wall.
The explosion shook the forest.
Flames spiraled into the sky, and a shock wave tore through the surrounding trees. Dust and burning fragments scattered in every direction.
Duke's body was caught in the blast.
"ARGH!"
He was hurled backward.
His body spun through the air, his daggers slipping slightly in his grip as the explosion sent him tumbling uncontrollably.
For a moment, he couldn't tell which direction was up.
He twisted his body, trying to regain control, but the momentum carried him farther.
Then he crashed into the ground.
CRASH!
The impact carved a shallow trench through the dirt before he finally came to a stop.
Silence followed.
Smoke drifted across the battlefield.
Duke lay motionless for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath.
Then he planted one hand against the ground and slowly pushed himself upright.
His eyes remained fixed on Varek.
"What… was that?"
He wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Was that literally a flame dragon?"
He stared at the bandit leader.
This dude is insane.
Duke tightened his grip around his daggers.
And that magic… the way he controlled it…
His eyes narrowed.
He fights like someone trained in the academy.
The realization struck him.
Duke straightened.
"Who the hell are you?"
This time, he spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Varek looked at him for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"So you noticed."
He lowered his sword.
"I suppose you really are a perceptive one."
Behind Duke, Janelle and Lena exchanged startled glances.
What does he mean? Janelle wondered.
Varek continued.
"Yes. I was trained at the academy."
His expression darkened.
"But I left when I was still a lower junior scout."
He paused, looking down at his sword.
"I couldn't take it anymore."
The flames around the battlefield flickered in the wind.
"The academy was supposed to be a place where talented people could grow stronger. A place where magic users could learn to control their abilities and earn recognition through their strength."
His fingers tightened around the hilt.
"But that's not what it was."
For a moment, the amusement disappeared from his face.
"The academy restricts people. It decides what you can become before you've even had the chance to discover your limits. And the unfair judgments…"
He laughed bitterly.
"Don't get me started on those."
Duke watched him in silence.
Varek raised his head.
"I eventually realized that there was no point wasting my life in a place that refused to let me grow. So I left."
He spread his free hand.
"And I built something of my own."
His bandit clan.
His own rules.
His own power.
Varek looked directly at Duke, then glanced at the two girls behind him.
"Now, I'll make you an offer."
He extended his hand.
"Join me."
Duke's expression remained unreadable.
"The three of you possess supernatural abilities. With the proper training, you could become some of the strongest members of my clan. You wouldn't have to worry about academy restrictions or unfair judgments."
His smile returned.
"Think about it. Strength without limits. Freedom without anyone telling you what you can or cannot become."
He held out his hand a little farther.
"Join me, and I'll give you the opportunity to become something greater."
For several seconds, Duke didn't move.
Then he laughed.
It was a short, cold laugh that carried no amusement whatsoever.
Varek's smile twitched.
Duke slowly rose to his feet.
"I refuse."
The words were quiet.
But they carried absolute certainty.
Varek's expression hardened.
Duke raised his daggers.
"I don't care what happened to you at the academy. I don't care what you think you're building with your clan."
He lowered his body into an attacking stance.
"But don't stand there pretending that you're offering us freedom."
His eyes sharpened.
"You're just another guy trying to force his will on everyone else."
A faint metallic vibration filled the air.
Iron particles began gathering around Duke's hands.
"And I have absolutely no intention of becoming one of your men."
For a moment, neither fighter moved.
Then Varek sighed.
"What a shame."
His sword tilted downward.
"I was beginning to like you."
Duke smirked.
"Get in line."
WHOOSH!
He launched himself forward once again.
But this time, he wasn't holding back.
Four iron daggers materialized in his left hand, their blades glinting beneath the light of the burning forest.
Varek's eyes narrowed.
Duke hurled the first dagger.
Varek ducked.
The second came immediately afterward.
He deflected it with a sharp movement of his sword.
The third and fourth followed from different angles, forcing him to shift his footing.
Duke was already moving.
He closed the distance before the final dagger struck the ground.
His right-hand blade flashed toward Varek's shoulder.
Varek twisted aside.
The dagger missed his vital organs, but its edge caught his arm.
SHNK!
Blood splashed across the ground.
Varek retreated a step, staring briefly at the wound.
Duke landed in front of him, spinning one dagger around his fingers before catching it firmly.
"What's wrong?" Duke asked. "I thought you were going to take it easy on me."
Varek slowly lifted his head.
The amusement had vanished from his face.
For the first time since the fight began, he looked genuinely irritated.
"You little—"
Duke attacked before he could finish.
And the battle entered its next, far more dangerous phase.