Chapter 11: The Fateful Battle: Franz vs. Geoffey

More than 15 minutes had passed, and there was still no progress in the arena. Both fighters were extremely cautious. However, the situation was becoming unfavorable for Sothe, as he couldn’t stay in stealth mode for much longer. Finally, unable to maintain his stealth, Sothe reappeared behind Grey and delivered a palm strike to Grey's heavy armor in an attempt to knock him down. However, Grey reacted quickly, dropping his large shield and using his spear to push himself forward. Sothe didn’t miss the opportunity and rushed forward, thrusting his dagger toward Grey's throat. Unexpectedly, instead of retreating, Grey advanced, ramming his heavy armor into Sothe’s chest. Seeing no way to avoid it, Sothe quickly rotated the hilt of his dagger and struck Grey’s chest with his palm instead.

*Boom*, *crack*.

Both fighters were blown backward and couldn't get up. Sothe had several broken ribs, and his arm was fractured from the impact with Grey's heavy armor. Grey, having taken two of Sothe's palm strikes, suffered internal injuries. When he fell, the combined weight of his heavy armor and body worsened his condition. The battle ended unexpectedly in mutual destruction.

--- Divider ---

No one knew how the Council of Elders arranged it, but Franz’s next opponent turned out to be Leona. However, when she stepped onto the platform, Leona declared her forfeit, citing various reasons, such as Franz having already promised to fight Geoffey and not wanting to interfere with that match, *bla bla,…* However, Franz knew that Leona was giving him the chance to advance. And so, Franz moved directly to the finals. As for Geoffey, things were simpler—both Grey and Sothe were unable to continue fighting, so they forfeited as well.

“The final match: Franz and Geoffey.”

“Geoffey will win!”

“Geoffey's the champion!”

“He's so handsome!”

“I love you, Geoffey!”

...

Seeing the crowd go wild, Franz’s face darkened. *Do they think I’m that bad?*

“Go for it, little brother!”

“Handsome young master, you're the champion!”

In the end, the only ones supporting Franz were Leona and that guy, Emon. Franz stepped onto the stage with a wry smile.

“Looks like you've got quite the fanbase,” he joked.

Geoffey smiled lightly. “I believe after this match, you’ll be just as famous as I am. Let’s fight.”

With that, he spun his spear around his back and pointed it forward.

“Good.”

Franz drew his sword. It was a straight, single-edged blade, and electricity coiled around it like snakes, giving it a menacing, otherworldly appearance.

“Nice sword, cousin. Be careful.”

Geoffey complimented him as he suddenly lunged forward, thrusting his spear with incredible speed. Franz calmly sidestepped, but Geoffey immediately followed with a sweeping strike, a technique known as “Sweeping the Army.” Franz quickly raised his sword to block.

*Clang!*

Franz was pushed back three steps before he could neutralize the force of Geoffey’s strike. He knew Geoffey hadn’t even used his full strength yet. It was clear that the power of a Grand Duelist was not to be underestimated. Winning against Geoffey wouldn’t be easy, but if Franz activated his *Tōrangan*, everything would become much simpler. However, Franz didn’t want to reveal that trump card just yet. Keeping a hidden ace was always a good strategy.

*Shadow Clone Jutsu.*

*Poof!*

Three clones of Franz appeared around him, all charging toward Geoffey. The elders in the audience were shocked.

“Is that an illusion spell?”

Only the First Elder sneered. “He’s trying to train both magic and qi at the same time? That’s a death wish.”

Illusion magic belonged to the psychic element, a rare branch of magic on the continent due to its difficulty in training. Not only did it require a psychic affinity, but training it was so challenging that those who had the talent often specialized only in it, or else focused solely on qi or other branches of magic. Splitting one’s efforts between qi and magic often yielded poor results, leaving them weaker than others at the same level.

Seeing the shadow clones, Geoffey was briefly surprised but quickly recovered. He shouted, “Seven Dragon Strikes!”

The speed of Geoffey’s spear increased dramatically, the friction against the air producing a high-pitched whistling sound. Seven spear images shot toward the four shadow clones.

*Poof, poof!*

The clones vanished in quick succession, leaving none behind. Geoffey frowned slightly.

*Lightning Blade.*

Suddenly, Franz appeared behind Geoffey, his Kusanagi sword crackling with lightning as he aimed for Geoffey’s shoulder. Victory seemed within reach, but Geoffey leaned forward and countered with a powerful backward kick that struck Franz squarely in the stomach. Caught off guard, Franz spat out blood, his HP immediately dropping by a third. He was sent flying across the arena, skidding along the floor. Geoffey wasn’t about to let him recover, charging forward with his spear to finish the fight. Franz hastily pulled out an explosive talisman (these things had to be prepared beforehand—no buying them mid-fight) and attached it to a kunai, hurling it at Geoffey.

*Boom!*

The talisman exploded, creating a crater in the arena and halting Geoffey’s attack.

“Cousin, your strength is truly impressive. You’re only 15 this year, and I have no doubt you’ll surpass me one day.”

Geoffey planted his spear into the ground as he spoke. Franz slowly stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth with a smile.

“You’re truly worthy of being called the family’s genius, Brother Geoffey. But I’ll show you who the true eagle soaring in the sky is.”