Once Upon A Bride (M×M)

Chapter 23: Duel And Desire.

The surroundings have quietend down a bit while we wait for the crowd to shuffle to one side.

There was enough space made to the front of the lake, so we could probably have the duel there. Although I'm not sure why we were having the duel right here and right now.

Probably because the idea itself was sudden, so it was better to get to it just as suddenly.

It took a few minutes, but soon enough the 'dueling grounds' were ready. We didn't go to the arena for unknown reasons, so the lakeside it was.

"You ready?" I half-smiled at the man besides me.

It was supposed to be more of a challenging tone, really.

"Whenever you are." He responded.

I shrugged, walking around the dinner table to the open area, and then looking back at Alaric with a raised eyebrow.

Now, in a proper duel we would have atleast drawn a circle on the ground to limit the area used, but there wasn't one here so I took it upon myself to do so.

A ring prepared, I stepped into it, waiting.

Good thing my attire was chosen with dragon riding it mind, it is just right for a fight as well.

While the Emperor made his way over, the crowd seemed to have found a direction, as they hurried to gather around the newly made ring, perhaps hoping to get a front row viewing.

I suppose it makes for nice entertainment after a relaxing night of drinking, eating and dancing.

Alaric stepped inside the ring a few moments after me, and without a second wasted, he summoned his sword.

A beautiful obsidian blade manifested in his hands, it's entire length was dark, and seemed to be frozen black water, or glass rather than anything else.

The hilt was as simple as it gets, but...just the pressure exuded by the spiritual weapon was enough to make one understand it was no ordinary weapon.

Who would have thought such a day would come?

Clearing my head of such random thoughts, I curled the fingers of my right hand as my own weapon materialized.

It was...in pure fae style, an eye catching weapon. Now, one might think, what a useless piece of decoration it is. But trust me, it did the job. And did it good.

Really though, it was flashy, a silver longsword with its entire length studded with jewels in a line at the center.

The biggest one was an enchanted sapphire around an inch in vertical diameter at the hilt. Beautiful, but well and truly just a decoration.

Here it begins.

I met eyes with Alaric, and we simultaneously bent down to the waist, crossing the lengths of our swords together for a moment before separating them.

A formal greeting before the fight.

The crowd was as quite as it could be, and it only added to the strange atmosphere in place.

Without waiting for him to start, I made the first move.

A testing slash to his upper right, which he parried effortlessly. Movements fluid, strength exerted just enough to block the slash.

A perfect response.

I suppose it would be folly to expect any less.

And so the first few minutes of the duel, I spent trying to get a read on his fighting pattern. A precise degree of control was behind every movement, and his sword moved as an extension of his arm.