Cyruz charged forward, sword gleaming under the light as he swung down with all his might. Axelius watched him come, his eyes sharp and unblinking. At the last possible second, he sidestepped, the blade whistling past him with barely an inch to spare. Cyruz stumbled forward from the force of his own swing, and Axelius took the opportunity to jab him in the ribs with the end of his staff.
"Oof!" Cyruz gasped, staggering back. He glared at Axelius, eyes blazing with rage. "Stop dodging and fight me properly, you coward!"
Axelius grinned, twirling his staff between his fingers. "Fight you properly?" He tapped the side of his head with the staff, feigning deep thought. "Well… I would, but you see… it's kinda hard to fight someone who can't even land a hit. Maybe you should work on that first." He wiggled his fingers in a taunting wave. "Go on, I'll wait."
A ripple of laughter broke out among the onlookers, their whispers loud enough for Cyruz to hear:
"Is this really happening? Cyruz can't touch him!""The youngest Dravenhart… he's not as weak as I thought.""Look at him… he's barely even trying!"
Cyruz's jaw clenched tighter, his knuckles white around the hilt of his sword. He took a deep breath, then pointed the blade straight at Axelius. "You want me to fight properly? Fine. No more playing around!"
Axelius raised an eyebrow, his grin never fading. "Playing around? Oh, is that what you were doing? I thought you were just flailing like a drunk."
"Shut up!" Cyruz roared, his aura flaring with fiery energy. The sword in his hand began to glow faintly with embers flickering along the edge. "Let's see you dodge this!"
He lunged forward, faster than before. His sword came down in a sweeping arc, flames trailing behind it like a comet's tail. Axelius's eyes sparkled with excitement as he watched the blade approach. But instead of dodging back like before, he stepped in, ducking under Cyruz's arm with a speed that left the older boy stunned.
Bam!
Axelius slammed the end of his staff into Cyruz's thigh, right above the knee. Cyruz yelped, nearly dropping to the ground as his leg buckled. He recovered just in time to turn and face Axelius again, but by then, the young master had already circled around him, tapping the back of his shoulder with his staff.
"Tsk, tsk," Axelius mocked, clicking his tongue. "Gotta watch your back, Cyruz. I thought you were the strong one here?"
Cyruz spun around, flames sparking from his sword as he slashed horizontally. Axelius ducked gracefully, his hair barely moving with the force of his dodge. Without missing a beat, he jabbed his staff into Cyruz's stomach—not hard enough to do real damage, but just enough to wind him.
Cyruz staggered back, gasping for air. His eyes burned with fury and embarrassment, his cheeks flushed red. "You… you little—!"
Axelius stepped back, twirling his staff like it was a baton. He tilted his head, mocking concern plastered across his face. "What's wrong? Getting tired already? Cedric would've lasted longer, you know."
That did it. Cyruz roared, flames erupting from his blade as he charged once more, his movements wild and desperate. Axelius, however, looked almost… bored. He sidestepped gracefully, tapping Cyruz on the shoulder, the back, the leg—each time just hard enough to be felt, but never enough to cause real harm.
The crowd's whispers grew louder.
"How can he avoid it?""I didn't even know Young master Axelius could move like that.""Look at him go… it's like he's toying with him!"
"Come on, Cyruz!" Axelius called out, waving his staff lazily. "I know you can do better than that! Or maybe you just need another nap? You did look kinda sleepy after that last match."
Cyruz's eyes blazed with anger, but there was something else there now—fear. He swung again, his sword blazing with fire, but his movements were getting sloppier, more desperate. Axelius dodged with ease, spinning around him like he was dancing.
"You know," Axelius began, prodding Cyruz lightly in the ribs with his staff, "for all that big talk, you're really bad at this. I expected more." He leaned in, his grin widening. "Maybe you should stick to watching Cedric. He knows what he's doing."
That final jab seemed to break Cyruz's composure. He roared in frustration, flames flaring up wildly from his sword as he swung with all his might. But Axelius had already moved, ducking under the wild swing and coming up behind him. Before Cyruz could even react, Axelius tapped him on the back of the head with his staff.
"Tag," Axelius said cheerfully. "You're it."
The crowd gasped, and even Owen, who couldn't see, laughed from where he sat in Elias's hands. "Damn, Axel… you really are a psycho."
Axelius twirled his staff again, looking positively delighted. "Only on good days," he replied cheerfully, bouncing on his toes as he waited for Cyruz to get up.
But Cyruz was slow to rise this time, panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face. His hands shook as he gripped his sword, flames flickering weakly around its edges. Axelius watched him carefully, his grin never faltering.
"Well?" Axelius asked, tapping his staff on the ground. "Are you done already? I'm just getting started."
Cyruz's glare hardened, but there was something different now—a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
Cyruz's eyes blazed with frustration, his grip on his sword tightening as flames began to swirl around the blade, licking up its edge like a living fire. His breathing grew ragged, and his aura flared dangerously, casting long shadows across the courtyard. Axelius, still bouncing lightly on his toes, raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you finally getting serious?"
Cyruz snarled, taking a step forward, his sword now engulfed in bright, roaring flames. "You think you can mock me?! I'll show you what real power looks like!"
The ground beneath his feet began to crack, thin lines of smoke seeping through as the temperature rose. The audience gasped, some even stepping back instinctively from the sheer heat radiating from his blade. Axelius squinted through the light, but his grin only grew wider.
"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Axelius taunted, tapping his staff on the ground. "Go on then, show me what you've got!"
Just as Cyruz was about to bring his sword down in a sweeping arc— "That's enough!"
The powerful voice echoed across the courtyard, cutting through the tension like a blade. Everyone froze. Even Cyruz's sword halted mid-swing, flames flickering uncertainly. All eyes turned toward Vivienne, who stood at the edge of the arena, her posture regal and unyielding.
Her phoenix, perched elegantly on her shoulder, spread its wings with a shrill cry, and in one fluid motion, it launched itself into the air. Its wings glowed with embers as it swooped down, talons outstretched. Cyruz barely had time to blink before the majestic creature snatched his flaming sword right out of his hands.
"What the—?!" Cyruz staggered back, reaching out in vain as the phoenix flew high above the courtyard, circling once before dropping the sword safely outside the training grounds. It clattered loudly on the stone, the flames snuffed out on impact.
Murmurs erupted from the crowd, whispers of awe and disbelief. Cyruz's eyes shot back to Vivienne, wide with disbelief and barely contained rage. "Sister! What are you doing?! I had him! You saw it!"
Vivienne's eyes were sharp, unyielding. "You broke the rules, Cyruz," she announced, her voice clear and commanding. "Hand-to-hand combat. No magic. You're well aware of that."
Cyruz's face twisted in indignation. "That wasn't magic! It was just—"
"It was elemental enhancement," Vivienne cut him off, her gaze never wavering. "And that is strictly forbidden during hand-to-hand bouts. Or have you forgotten our family's rules?"
Cyruz clenched his fists, his face flushing red. "But he was mocking me! Toying with me! I had no choice!"
Vivienne stepped forward, the phoenix returning to her shoulder gracefully. It nestled its head against her cheek, and she gently stroked its feathers before looking back at her brother. "There is always a choice, Cyruz," she said firmly. "And you chose to break the law of the duel. For that, you are disqualified."
The whispers grew louder, some chuckles even escaping from the crowd. Axelius stood there, still holding his staff, looking utterly entertained. He leaned back on his heels, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, so there are rules after all. Good to know," he said with a chuckle.
Cyruz's glare shot toward him, full of venom. "Shut up! You're just lucky she stopped me!"
Axelius laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the courtyard. "Lucky? Oh no, I was just getting started. But it seems you're not as good with rules as you are with fire." He twirled his staff around, balancing it on his palm. "Better luck next time, Cyruz. Maybe read the rule book first?"
Cyruz stepped forward, fists trembling, but Vivienne raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks. Her eyes were colder now, a flicker of disappointment crossing them. "That is enough," she commanded. "Return to your place, Cyruz. This duel is over."
Cyruz hesitated, his fists clenching and unclenching as he stared daggers at Axelius. But with a final frustrated growl, he spun on his heel and marched back to his side, shoulders stiff with tension.
Axelius watched him go, then turned to Vivienne, giving her a mock bow. "Thank you for the intervention, Sister. Much appreciated," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Vivienne did not respond to his mockery. She only watched him with those calculating eyes, her phoenix blinking serenely on her shoulder. "Enjoy your victory, little brother," she said simply. "But remember, the real battles are yet to come."
Axelius's grin flickered for just a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, I'm counting on it," he replied, brushing dust off his clothes.
The training area buzzed with excitement and murmurs of disbelief, but one thing was clear—Axelius had just made his mark. And it seemed like the entire Dravenhart estate was beginning to take notice.