TN: Fixed :))
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In the midst of the rising clamor, Shao Yun and Clorinde maintained a distance of roughly ten steps between them.
They stared fixedly at each other, not letting even the slightest potential flaw slip by, all while secretly searching for that fleeting chance to end the duel in a single strike.
In a gunslinger's duel without a countdown, the contest was not about who could fire first, but rather whose patience and mental discipline could endure.
If anyone acted impulsively and shot first, they might instead expose their own weakness and hand the opponent an advantage.
The tension grew so thick it felt as though even the air had congealed. People unconsciously held their breath, afraid to miss even a single heart-stopping moment.
But as time passed—more than ten minutes—the two remained locked in stalemate, neither making the slightest move toward a true exchange.
The crowd, which had been silent enough to hear a needle drop, began to shift. It started with a few people whispering in hushed voices, and soon a wave of quiet discussions spread until the entire scene was filled with murmurs.
"Why haven't they fired yet? Just staring at each other like that… what's that supposed to be?"
Among the onlookers, someone who had handled firearms before narrowed his eyes, carefully studying every motion from both duelists as he explained to the clueless spectators around him.
"In my opinion… that guy named Tacitus must be on par with Clorinde. Neither side dares to act lightly—one slip and it's over."
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly triggering gasps all around.
"What? That no-name guy? His marksmanship can actually rival Clorinde's? Is that even real?"
Doubt and shock tangled together, and the atmosphere grew ever more tense.
Finally, Clorinde broke the deadlock. In one swift, lightning-fast motion, she drew the firearm at her waist.
But in the very same instant—bang—a crisp gunshot cracked through the air, and the duel was already decided.
Every spectator's eyes went wide as they stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
Clorinde's firearm traced an arc through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Embedded in its gun body was a still-smoking .45 caliber bullet, silently declaring the power of the shot that struck it.
To Clorinde, everything had happened far too fast.
In her perception, she had only just pulled her firearm free when the deafening gunshot rang out and a numbing shock ran through the web of her thumb. In the next heartbeat, the weapon that had been firmly in her grip vanished as if pulled away by magic.
Silence swallowed all of Court of Fontaine Harbor. Everyone reflexively sucked in a sharp breath.
Before their eyes was a duel worthy of history—Clorinde, Fontaine's strongest Champion Duelist, had lost.
Clorinde held her numbed hand tightly, her gaze drifting toward the firearm lying not far away—the weapon that Shao Yun's bullet had sent flying.
Then an overwhelming wave of humiliation surged through her. Her whole body trembled, her chest rising and falling sharply with anger.
She stood rooted to the spot, staring at Shao Yun with eyes full of unwillingness.
After a long while, she barely managed to calm herself. Still clutching her numb right hand, she walked toward her damaged firearm.
When she bent down and picked it up, her expression darkened instantly, as if she had just swallowed a live, disgusting bug.
Suddenly, she spun on her heels and strode toward Shao Yun, her high-heeled boots striking the stone floor with tap-tap-tap sounds—like rapid, forceful drumbeats.
At last, Clorinde stood before him.
She stopped, raised her head slightly, and her violet eyes locked with his.
Everything around them fell silent, the space between them filled with suffocating tension and a confrontation sharp as drawn blades.
This quiet standoff lasted a full minute.
Finally, Clorinde drew in a deep breath, as if gathering all her remaining strength, and forced several words through clenched teeth.
"You insulted me." Her voice wasn't loud, but the bitterness in it was unmistakable.
Paimon, hearing this, tilted her head curiously. "Insulted? All Shao Yun did was shoot the gun out of your hand. How is that an insult?"
Shao Yun gave a smooth flourish of John's cowboy-style revolver before holstering it, then answered Paimon calmly, "To a true gunslinger, having your weapon shot out of your hand in a life-or-death duel is a humiliation worse than death."
"Death still lets a gunslinger keep their last scrap of dignity. But losing your weapon and living… that's the same as being called a worthless fool—right to your face."
Paimon blinked her big eyes, turning to Clorinde with suspicion, hoping for confirmation.
Clorinde didn't speak, but her slight nod showed she acknowledged every word Shao Yun said.
In an instant, Clorinde—Fontaine's strongest Champion Duelist—losing her weapon and the duel overshadowed Shao Yun's earlier accusation about Furina's racial discrimination.
After all, an accusation of discrimination requires judgment—both by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale and by Neuvillette. For now, one can only say that Furina's behavior had offended Shao Yun's group.
But this was a duel, not a trial!
Dueling was a legally recognized alternative within Fontaine's judicial system, allowing disputes to be resolved through combat rather than relying solely on courtroom verdicts.
Within Fontaine's cultural context, it was considered a legitimate resolution.
Which meant—Shao Yun had not offended Furina. It was Furina who had picked the fight.
But everyone was still too shocked by Shao Yun's victory over Clorinde to think about it that way.
Clorinde held Shao Yun's gaze a little longer.
As time passed, her eyes grew unfocused, her mental state appearing slightly dazed.
Step by step, she ascended the platform and finally stood before Furina.
"I'm sorry… Lady Furina… I lost…" Clorinde lowered her head, looking utterly exhausted.
Furina, at this moment, no longer carried even a trace of the arrogance she had shown minutes earlier.
Instead, her face overflowed with concern and distress.
"It's all right. How could I possibly blame you? I… I… Clorinde, what's wrong with your hand? Why is it shaking so badly? Are you hurt?"
Furina reached out anxiously, wanting to hold Clorinde's trembling right hand.
Clorinde instinctively looked down. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably, though she could not tell whether it was from the earlier numb shock or something else entirely.
But right now, she had no time to worry about herself. One thought filled her mind—Get Lady Furina out of here, now!
If the crowd regained their senses, then her loss would have been for nothing.
Forcing herself to steady, she spoke urgently, "Lady Furina, the public opinion around you is still extremely unfavorable."
"Before everyone fully reacts, you must leave immediately! Any later and it'll be too late! I'll cover you!"
Hearing this, Furina's panic eased a little.
She nodded repeatedly. "All right… all right… but we're leaving together. I'm not abandoning you, and I won't let you clean up this mess alone!"
With that, Furina grabbed Clorinde's hand, and together they stepped onto the lift platform, vanishing in an instant.
Paimon suddenly realized Furina was gone. "Huh? Where'd the Hydro Archon go? She disappeared in the blink of an eye!"
While Paimon was still puzzled, Yanfei clapped her hands as though remembering something important.
"Oh—right, Fontaine's unique duel clause!"
Yanfei briefly explained to Lumine and Paimon the basics of Fontaine's dueling law.
In short: if you win a duel, you don't need to undergo trial or serve a sentence.
Paimon's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Woah! You can do that? That's so weird…"
Lumine looked equally confused. "I think it's strange too. According to that logic, criminals with enough strength could just get away with anything, couldn't they?"
Shao Yun watched the three girls animatedly debating Fontaine's legal system.
Seeing the conversation spiraling further, he finally cut in. "Okay, okay, let's stop overthinking it. We're not even from Fontaine—why stress over their laws?"
"Let's just take the lift up. Don't you want to relax a little?"
At his reminder, the three girls let the discussion go for now.
Paimon agreed. "True! Since we can go in openly now, let's hurry to the Court of Fontaine—find a place to stay and something to eat!"
Yanfei nodded. "Right. I've already delayed my friend long enough; they must be worried."
Paimon noticed Lynette and Lyney still frozen in place and waved at them loudly.
"Hey! Lyney! Lynette! What are you two staring at? Come on, hurry up! Don't tell me you've got something else to do?"
Lyney blinked, startled, then stammered, "Ah—right… coming!"
He grabbed Lynette and hurried after the group.
…
Meanwhile, the crowd finally snapped out of their daze and instantly erupted.
"Clorinde—the strongest Champion Duelist of Fontaine—had her weapon shot out of her hand during a duel!"
Someone else shouted, incredulous, "No way! Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
The first man declared firmly, "Absolutely certain! Clorinde lost the duel!"
"Feels like Fontaine has gotten itself a truly terrifying newcomer…"
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