the era of calamities-Chapter 82: A duel of chivalry
One Hour Before the Duel
In the city leader’s house.
"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, shocked by what she had just heard.
She wasn’t the only one; the three others looked equally stunned.
"My people have no trust in the Order. We’ve always handled our own problems, and that’s not about to change."
"We’re talking about a duchy. You can’t handle this alone. You’ll have to put your people before your pride," said Elizir, trying to change his mind.
Renard remained silent, until the clinking of armor echoed through the room.
"Father, I’m ready."
He nodded before turning to the four enforcers.
"However, Eternit has laws I am obliged to follow. Since you fought alongside us, I cannot dismiss you as mere bandits."
The four enforcers saw a glimmer of hope in those words, but they weren’t prepared for what came next.
"If Eternit’s laws constrain me, then let these same laws decide how I deal with you..."
He paused before declaring:
"A duel. You will fight my son in a duel as the young leader. If you win, the city of Orion will fight at your side against the duchy’s invasion. And if you lose, you will leave this city forever, and I will owe you no more favors."
A silence fell before Gracia asked:
"And the treaty? Does this join that?"
Renard shook his head.
"Fighting the duchy is one thing; joining the Order is another."
The four exchanged glances before Gracia, Lucy, and Fidri volunteered for the duel.
"I’ll fight."
"I accept the duel."
"Arnaud, making a fine show."
The three spoke at once without realizing it, but before they could decide, Renard raised a finger, pointing at Elizir.
"You will represent the Order and fight my son."
"Uh..."
"Who?"
"Uh... me?"
The four flinched. Yet Renard stood up and left the room.
In no time, Elizir was clad in armor, helmet, and sword before being thrown into the arena.
---
Back to the Present
"I forgot to warn you , you can’t win against me."
Seeing such a twist, the audience erupted.
"Young leader , you’re the best!"
"Young leader, I love you!"
"Young leader, congratulations!"
However, Fidri, a seasoned spectator, had already seen the move Arnaud made and was even more dismayed.
Arnaud had barely shifted his feet during one of Elizir’s attacks, but the timing was precise.
He seized the opportunity, striking the back of his sword onto Elizir’s leg, knocking him down, disarming him, and pressing the sword to his throat.
It was executed with such grace that Fidri wondered:
("If I had been in his place, could I have parried that?")
He shook his head.
("Without using my resonance, I have no chance against this guy.")
But then he realized:
"This match... no, this duel is unfair. Whoever had taken Elizir’s place would have lost."
At this, Lucy growled.
"Tsk, I’ll make him eat dust with my fists.
A sword genius... he’s never met Iris, and even Sirius would make him a mere morsel."
Fidri scratched his head, confused by her words, while Lucy gnawed her lip in frustration.
Glancing at Gracia, he saw a faint spark in her cold eyes, as if she thought:
("I could have beaten him, with or without resonance.")
Putting aside the speculation and the crowd’s cheers, Renard asked Elizir:
"Do you surrender?"
Elizir clenched his fists, shook his head, and spoke to Arnaud:
"It’s not over. Let’s move to the second round."
Arnaud laughed at the mention of a round but made no comment.
"Fine, try as many times as you like."
He stepped back without turning his back to Elizir.
Elizir got up, picked up his sword, assumed a stance, and fixed Arnaud with his gaze before planting his sword in the ground and approaching Renard, whispering something.
The audience thought he was conceding. But the next moment, after Renard signaled a page nearby, the page entered the arena and began removing Elizir’s armor.
The crowd gasped:
"He’s crazy!"
"Fighting the young chief without armor is courting death!"
"What an impulsive fool!"
Elizir paid no attention to their words. Feeling light without the heavy armor, he removed his helmet himself, tossed it to the ground, picked up his sword, and assumed a guard stance.
"I struck first. Your turn."
Arnaud saw determination in Elizir’s eyes.
("Is this madness or courage?")
He had no answer but decided to treat his opponent seriously, facing him as an equal.
"Remove my armor too," he ordered the page.
The page obeyed, and moments later, both were free of their armor. Renard commanded:
"Resume."
This time, Arnaud struck first, closing the distance between him and Elizir in seconds.
"Get ready," he said as his sword came down.
Elizir gritted his teeth. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
He parried Arnaud’s strike but was knocked to one knee by its force.
"You can do it!" Fidri cheered.
"Is that all you’ve got?" Elizir asked.
Arnaud smiled and lifted his sword, retreating slightly.
Elizir seized his sword with both hands for a thrust.
Arnaud, with a footwork trick, easily dodged the attack, and his blade sliced through the air, ready to strike Elizir’s right flank.
Elizir held his ground, moving his sword to defend, but the next instant, feeling a cold blade graze his left side, he realized it was a feint.
"You let your emotions control you. You must master them if you want to tame your blade," Arnaud remarked.
Elizir ran a hand over his ribs. The wound was superficial, Arnaud had ensured it.
"It’s not over," Elizir reminded him, launching another attack.
Arnaud parried again, leaving a scratch on Elizir’s leg.
"Move your legs, you’re too static," Arnaud continued.
Elizir was annoyed and muttered:
"Go to hell!"
The clash of swords became more frequent, and new cuts appeared on Elizir’s body.
Arnaud parried, dodged, and exploited gaps in his defense, inflicting small wounds while correcting his mistakes.
"You overcommit."
"Keep your shoulders straight."
"You’re gripping your sword too tightly."
Each piece of advice frustrated Elizir more. Until now, he hadn’t landed a single hit on Arnaud.
Yet some in the audience cheered for Elizir, finding him endearing in their way.
Fidri and the others remained silent, simply watching.
Ten minutes passed. Elizir was cut all over, his clothes soaked in blood, yet he continued attacking with fervor.
Unknowingly, he began applying Arnaud’s advice. Though clumsy, progress was noticeable.
"Good, you move better than at the start."
"You’ll shut up soon! I’m not your student , nor one of those idiots you teach. Fight seriously!"
"If I fight seriously, you’ll get more than scratches," Arnaud warned, taking a stance.
Elizir yelled:
"I’m your man!"
One second, Arnaud was three meters away; the next, his sword carved an arc across Elizir’s body. Blood sprayed as he fell to his knees.
"It’s over. I warned you. Now get treated," Arnaud said, sword pointed at him.
Yet, to his surprise, Elizir grabbed his sword and refused to let go.
"It’s not over."
His determination caught Arnaud off guard; he failed to dodge the first strike, leaving a slight cut on his cheek.
The audience was amazed. Their cheers grew as more people encouraged Elizir.
Despite his injuries and exhaustion, Elizir stood and continued the fight.
Arnaud said nothing. He merely brought him down, over and over. Yet Elizir rose each time, more wounded but resolute.
"Stop, that’s enough!" Lucy shouted. But Elizir no longer heard and pressed on.
Even the audience called for the duel to end, yet Arnaud did nothing, respecting Elizir’s resilience, risking his life.
This spectacle continued until Elizir was on the brink of death. Lucy, unable to hold back, tried to intervene, but the knights held her.
It was unnecessary, for before she could act:
"Stop!" Renard shouted, stepping between the duelists.
He turned to Elizir:
"Surrender, you’ve lost."
Elizir said nothing. Indeed, he had no strength to speak. Only his will kept him standing.
Renard sighed, a trace of admiration in his gaze, and declared the end of the fight.
Yet, before Renard spoke, a voice thundered, surprising everyone present:
"I surrender. I forfeit."
Arnaud dropped his sword and raised Elizir’s arm, proclaiming him the victor.
