Soulbound: Dual Cultivation-Chapter 447: Humiliation

The aftermath of the clash settled over the valley like a heavy veil, not of silence alone, but of realization, a collective understanding that what they had just witnessed was far beyond what any of them had prepared for when the duel began. The soldiers of Valerion stood frozen in place, their earlier cheers fading into stunned quiet, their eyes locked onto the battlefield where the impossible had just unfolded before them in full view.

It was no longer just about survival.

It was no longer just about resisting a Celestial.

They were watching something that stood on equal ground with one.

"That… that's not normal…" one soldier muttered under his breath, his voice barely carrying as though speaking too loudly might break whatever fragile understanding he was trying to grasp.

Lira's gaze remained fixed on the Ice Belle, her expression no longer just filled with hope but with awe, a quiet pride mixed with disbelief as she watched the transformed figure stand at the center of the frozen domain like an embodiment of absolute power.

"She's… incredible," she said softly, almost to herself.

Selene nodded faintly, her eyes shining with a renewed sense of belief.

"She's not just helping anymore," she added. "She's leading the fight."

Henrietta, who had not witnessed this form before, could only stare, her usual composure completely shaken as she tried to reconcile the small, unserious creature she had known with the overwhelming presence now before her.

"This is the same… ice spirit?" she asked, her voice low, almost disbelieving.

Princess Nyx folded her arms slowly, her gaze sharp and analytical despite the awe in her eyes.

"No," she said quietly. "This is her true self."

Captain Varran remained silent, but the look in his eyes said enough, because he had seen this power once before in the Abyss, and even then it had been overwhelming, yet now it felt more refined, more controlled, and far more dangerous than it had been in that chaotic battle against the Shadow Dragon.

Across the valley, the reaction was far less admiring.

Ken stood still, his expression completely stripped of the earlier confidence he had carried so effortlessly, his eyes locked onto the Ice Belle with an intensity that revealed far more than simple concern. What he felt was not just caution or recognition.

It was something deeper.

Something darker.

Jealousy.

His jaw tightened slightly as he observed her, taking in every detail of her transformation, the way the domain bent to her will, the way even a Celestial like Dravok had been forced into a defensive position, and the more he watched, the clearer it became to him that this was not just a temporary threat.

This was something that could grow.

Something that could evolve.

Something that, if left unchecked, would become unstoppable.

"…What a waste," he muttered quietly, his tone low and edged with something bitter.

His eyes narrowed further.

"If she were mine…"

The thought lingered.

Unpleasant.

Unavoidable.

Because he could see it clearly, the potential, the scale of power she had not even fully mastered yet, and the realization that someone like Lucas had formed a bond with such a being only made it worse.

His gaze hardened.

"No," he said under his breath, his voice colder now.

"She can't be allowed to grow."

It was not about the duel anymore.

Not about Dravok winning or losing.

Ken had already made his decision.

Regardless of how this battle ended, regardless of who stood victorious at the end of it, the Ice Belle had to be eliminated, because if this was her current state, if this was what she could do now with incomplete mastery over her abilities, then the future she represented was something far more dangerous than any single opponent.

A menace.

One that would not be controllable.

One that would stand above others.

And that was something he could not allow to exist.

Back on the battlefield, the difference was no longer subtle or arguable, it was brutal, visible, and deeply humiliating for one side to witness. Dravok, who had once stood like an immovable force, now struggled to even maintain his footing, his breathing heavy, his body riddled with wounds that had accumulated beyond what even a Celestial could easily shrug off, and for the first time since the duel began, there was no dominance left in him, only resistance.

Lucas saw it.

And he did not hesitate.

He moved.

Not with the careful distance he had maintained earlier, not with the reliance on space to evade and reposition, but directly, closing the gap until he stood within melee range, his presence sharp, his intent clear. This was no longer about testing or probing, this was about finishing what they had started.

Dravok raised his arm instinctively, trying to gather wind for a counter, but the domain suppressed it, slowed it, weakened it just enough that Lucas got there first.

The first punch landed.

It connected cleanly against Dravok's jaw, the impact sharp and heavy, snapping his head to the side as the force traveled through his already weakened body.

Lucas did not stop.

He followed immediately with another strike, then another, his movements fast, controlled, and relentless, each punch carrying not just physical force but the weight of everything he had endured in the fight. Dravok tried to retaliate, his arm swinging forward, but it lacked the speed it once had, lacked the precision, and Lucas slipped past it easily before driving another blow into his midsection.

A grunt escaped Dravok.

It was small.

But it was there.

And that alone said everything.

From the distance, the reaction shifted again.

"…He's beating him," a soldier whispered, disbelief heavy in his voice.

Lira's eyes widened, her hands tightening slightly.

"He's actually beating a Celestial…"

Selene did not speak, but her gaze burned with intensity as she watched Lucas press forward without hesitation.

Back in the battlefield, the Ice Belle joined in.

She moved with the same calm elegance as before, but now there was a sharper edge to her actions, a deliberate intent to end the fight decisively. As Dravok staggered back from one of Lucas's strikes, she appeared behind him almost instantly, her movement seamless within her domain, and without pause, she struck.

Her fist connected with a force that carried both her physical strength and the amplified power of the domain.

Dravok was sent forward.

Right into Lucas.

Lucas stepped in.

And struck again.

The rhythm formed.

Back and forth.

Dravok was caught between them, his body becoming the center of a relentless exchange where neither Lucas nor the Ice Belle allowed him even a moment to recover. Every time he was pushed back by one, the other was already there, another strike landing before he could stabilize, another impact forcing him off balance again.

Punch.

Impact.

Shift.

Another punch.

The coordination was not spoken.

It was instinctive and perfect.

At one point, Lucas drove a heavy blow into Dravok's ribs, sending him stumbling backward, only for the Ice Belle to meet him mid-motion with a sharp strike that redirected his body again, throwing him back toward Lucas, who stepped in and delivered another punishing hit across his face.

The sound echoed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Dravok tried to resist.

He tried to gather his strength, to push back, to reclaim even a fraction of the dominance he once held, but every attempt was crushed immediately, the domain suppressing him, their combined assault overwhelming him, leaving him no room to breathe, no space to think, no chance to recover.

He was being toyed with.

Not out of mockery.

But out of inevitability.

From across the valley, the effect of that scene was devastating.

Ken's soldiers stood in silence, their earlier confidence shattered as they watched one of their strongest fighters reduced to this state, unable to fight back, unable to regain control, being struck repeatedly without any sign of recovery.

"This… this can't be happening…" one of them muttered.

Ken himself said nothing.

But his expression had darkened completely, his jaw clenched tightly as he watched every blow land, every moment of control lost, every second that dragged Dravok further into defeat.

It was humiliating.

Not just for Dravok.

But for all of them.

Because what they were witnessing was not just a loss.

It was domination.