Chapter 187: The Event [7]

The first person to make a move was Nyx. She sprang into motion, charging forward at the golden-armored prince, her sword flashing several times.

Shing! Shing!

No trace of fear could be seen on him; in fact, he hadn't even unsheathed his sword. The prince looked so calm that it was alarming. Just as everyone thought the blade would bite into his flesh through the armor, he finally made his move.

He moved like a ghost, twirling his feet and spinning his body at angles that weren't supposed to be possible for a normal human, effortlessly dodging all the attacks. Then he stood with a taunting smirk that would provoke most people to punch him to death. Yes, he was wearing a helmet, but one could sense the smugness he exuded.

"You're so predictable," he spoke, his voice filled with mockery. Then he unsheathed his sword. Grinning, he said, "It's my turn. Prepare to suffer, you bitch."

Boom!

The armored prince turned into a flicker of golden mirage as he charged at Nyx, his blade encased in brilliant golden light, cutting through the air and leaving a golden trail that made the air shimmer.

'Hmph! This fool. If I told you I want you to think I'm predictable, you'd probably not believe it,' Nyx thought as the golden trail grew larger within her mesmerizing, lightless eyes.

From the stands, King Aldric held his armrests tightly, excitement coursing through his body. He had purposely instructed the knight commander to include the 'you may go all out' and non-interference rule; that way, not even Nathan could assist his granddaughter.

Aldric's eyes turned bloodshot... he needed to see this little girl bleed.

He needed to see Arthur's child bleed.

"If I can't make her father bleed... then she will suffer for his sins," he thought. Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Brawn's expression wavered slightly as he saw the approaching golden trail... he was anxious that the little girl wouldn't be able to stop the attack. Then he looked at Nathan, but the old man didn't seem as restless as he was. Instead, his expression was unreadable. Though he wasn't saying anything, Brawn could feel the unwavering belief Nathan was emitting.

At first, even Nathan had doubted his granddaughter's fighting prowess, but after she assured him, the little strings in his heart had been pulled. For some strange reason, he believed his granddaughter could beat the domineering Sun Knight.

At that moment, Nyx made her move. She ducked to the side; however, the blazing golden sword seemed to follow her as if it were alive, trailing just behind. With a quick twist of her body, she evaded the fiery arc, but the heat brushed against her skin. Her white skin was slightly burned.

Nyx tightened her lips into a frown and assessed the situation with clearer eyes. Nyx was very observant. From their few clashes alone, she could tell the prince was faster than her, his astonishing speed beyond her own.

'If I use speed-related skills, we should be even,' Nyx thought, then frowned, a contemplative expression crossing her delicate, serious face. She couldn't just blindly use skills like *Holy Speed.*

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[Holy Speed (Intermediate): Increases the user's movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds. Cost: 10 MP to activate, plus -1 MP per second activated. Cooldown: 1 minute]

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Seeing her pondering expression, Ainsworth smirked, saying, "Where did that sharp tongue go? Where did that fearless girl go?" he taunted as his blade lashed out again.

"I know your kind!"

Shing!

"In front of real strength, you'll always crumble and kneel!" As he said this, Prince Ainsworth went to strike again, his eyes shining with a calculative gleam.

Seeing the approaching blade, Nyx ducked. She thought she had successfully dodged the attack. However, at that moment, an elbow slammed into her face with crushing force.

Bam!

Blood and spit flew from Nyx's mouth as she staggered back. Pinning her sword to the ground, she regained her footing, then shot a glare at the prince, who was about to follow with a sword strike.

"Hahahaha. All is fair in war!" King Aldric chuckled loudly as he saw Nyx's blood on the ground.

"I'll drag this fight out as long as I can! I'll make sure you suffer!" The golden light encasing the sword seemed to grow bigger with each passing second and started to pulse as though it was about to explode.

Similarly, the sword in Nyx's grasp also began to pulse with white holy light, sharply contrasting the golden glow. This was Nyx's skill!

Holy energy!

It was a skill that she had found in the dimensions back in the Barony. Though it was just an intermediate-tier skill, it was very compatible with the Paladin class, so she had learned it. As the name suggested, the skill allowed her to manipulate holy energies.

Nyx had initially planned to use this skill when the battle reached its peak because she could only use it for 1 minute and 50 seconds, and it took -5 mana points for each second.

'But... it seems this is the only skill that could counter this golden energy,' she thought as she glanced at the sword in her grasp.

It was now shimmering intensely with pure white light, pulsating in time with her heartbeat. The glow was rivaling that of the golden light. Ainsworth's eyes briefly flashed with worry.

"A Paladin! She's a Paladin?"

Whispers spread through the dignitary area when they saw the skill in use.

"She... how? I heard the patron goddess of the Paladin class is very selective. How did she accept this fake noble?" Seraphina couldn't help but look at Nyx with a mixture of confusion and envy.

"Hey, old man, how did you do it?" one of the nobles seated there called out, still struggling to believe what he was witnessing.

Nathan didn't say anything. Arthur had made sure to hide all traces of Aina's heritage and bloodline from the nobles... except for people like Brawn, no one else knew that the twins were only half-human and something more. They'd kept the secret for all these years, and he wouldn't expose it now.

Looking at the noble, a sneer on his face, Nathan said, "And you think I'll tell you? Get lost!"

"Y-you!" the noble stuttered, rage crossing his features. Before he could say anything, Nathan shifted his gaze to the platform...

Meanwhile, inside the Royal box...