"Demacia!!"
Sebastian and the shield warrior roared in unison as they launched their charges.
The shield warrior surged forward with his kite shield raised, like an unstoppable armored war chariot. Each step shook the earth, and with a speed shocking for such a massive figure, he closed the distance between himself and Sebastian in an instant.
That towering frame, the heavy armor, and a shield weighing hundreds of pounds—yet in the blink of an eye he burst forth with such ferocity that the entire arena gasped.
"What explosive power!"
From the stands, Duke crossed one leg over the other and pulled a flask from his coat. His eyes narrowed slightly. Armor plus shield, that warrior was carrying close to a ton of weight.
For a common-born soldier to temper himself to this level was truly no small feat.
But…
"Too bad," Duke muttered, shaking his head. "It's not enough."
He had already seen the shield warrior's fate.
Defeat.
Utter, complete defeat.
The exoskeleton armor he had designed had gone through several generations of improvement, far beyond the crude prototype he had first unveiled.
Now, a user wearing one could reach the very peak of mortal strength—
—if they could wield its full power.
Duke took another long swig from his flask and turned his gaze back to the arena, just in time to see the first flash of blood bloom like a crimson flower.
Against all expectations, Sebastian slipped past the shield warrior at the very moment of contact. In the blink of an eye, his dueling sword struck, and blood trickled down the blade's edge.
"How is that possible?!"
"What did he just do?"
"He must have taken something!"
"Nonsense! No combatants are allowed to use potions in a duel, aside from their armor and weapons."
"Wait—look at the armor!"
One sharp-eyed noble cried out: "It's his armor!"
"That's… that's… that's—"
"Piltover's exoskeleton armor!!"
The outcry rippled through the stands. The technology had long been banned from entering Demacia. How could Sebastian be wearing it now?
Other than the first batch that had leaked years ago, exoskeleton suits had completely disappeared from the market. Where had Sebastian obtained his set?
Duke ignored the murmurs and speculation. His attention lingered on Sebastian's strike—steady, precise, ruthless, and yet elegant.
Laurent swordsmanship truly was extraordinary.
No wonder Fiora bore the title of the Grand Duelist. "Unmatched" was no exaggeration.
That sword strike had been impossibly fast, vanishing from sight—yet Duke had seen it.
At the instant their bodies met, Sebastian had sidestepped with exoskeleton-enhanced speed, slipping into the shield warrior's blind spot. In the same movement, he thrust his dueling sword precisely into the minuscule gap in the armor—barely wider than a sheet of paper.
Timing perfect, angle flawless. He used the enemy's own forward momentum to drive the blade deeper, cutting through flesh hidden beneath steel.
Such was the entire exchange.
On the royal dais, Tianna's face darkened. She needed no explanation to guess where Sebastian's exoskeleton had come from.
Who else on Runeterra could produce such a thing besides Duke Sanchez?
But what baffled her was why, at such a critical moment, Duke had chosen to support Sebastian.
What did Sebastian have that made him worth Duke's aid?
Her expression grew uglier by the second. Drawing a deep breath, she turned toward Fiora and her mother, forcing a stiff smile.
"The Laurents truly are resourceful," Tianna said coldly. "To acquire not one, but two exoskeleton suits!"
Her gaze flicked to Fiora, clad unusually in a black robe. Tianna understood at once. This duel was already lost.
From the moment she saw Sebastian wearing the exoskeleton, she knew the outcome was sealed.
Sebastian would win.
After falling out with Duke, Tianna had investigated the exoskeletons. Reports poured in: Piltover's creations had become coveted across the continent. Noxus, Bilgewater, Shurima, even Ionia—all displayed feverish demand for the armor.
Rumors told of a Shuriman mercenary woman who, clad in one, annihilated an entire rival company by herself. They called her the Goddess of War afterward.
Only then had Tianna realized the weight of Duke's words. And she cursed old Durand Ein for his greed—had Demacia been able to import the armor in bulk, their borders would have nothing to fear from foreign aggressors.
Now, regret prickled her heart. But it was too late.
She rose suddenly, tore the cloak from her shoulders, and cast it into the arena.
Gasps filled the stands.
The act was unmistakable.
Surrender.
The Crownguard had yielded—Tianna herself had yielded.
"What's happening?"
"The Grand Marshal threw down her cloak!"
"She surrendered? But the duel only just began!"
"This makes no sense!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Tianna clenched her fists. The shield warrior she had sent forth was one of the most seasoned veterans of the Dauntless Vanguard. He had stepped into this duel because of her. And as Marshal, with her pride and responsibility, she could not allow such a soldier to die in a hopeless match.
"Your Majesty," Tianna said, bowing stiffly toward Jarvan III, "the Crownguard family yields. From this day, our feud with House Laurent is erased."
Jarvan nodded slightly at her trembling hands.
"So be it. What is past is past. It shall not be raised again."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
His gaze shifted to the Laurent side, lingering on Fiora.
"And you?"
"Yes," Fiora answered firmly. She remained cloaked in black, hiding her form. The reason was simple—she could not remove the exoskeleton.
It clung to her like it was welded in place, detaching only briefly for personal necessities like bathing. Once time elapsed, it reattached itself, refusing to part from her flesh.
Thus, she had to wear robes to conceal it.
Yet despite her resentment, she could not deny the armor's power.
Especially when she remembered Duke's hand striking her tailbone, a humiliation she had never known before. Not even her father had ever struck her.
The duel was over.
Sebastian stood in the arena, watching his opponent retreat with shield in hand. He remembered his agreement with Duke, hesitated, then swallowed his pride.
"I'll just give him other compensation," he decided.
In the stands, Duke's eyes narrowed. Sebastian wasn't following the plan. Was he trying to cheat him?
As Duke rose to confront him, Dick appeared, clutching the ridiculous oversized hat, face flushed with shame.
"Th-this is yours!" he stammered, holding it out.
The other noble youths looked equally humiliated. What had seemed a sure win for them had ended in utter defeat.
Duke plucked a coin from the pile, then pushed the hat back.
"The rest, use it to treat yourselves."
He smiled faintly and turned to leave.
Dick stared after him, then gathered his courage.
"Sir, how did you know Sebastian would win?"
Duke paused, looked back, and grinned.
"Because the exoskeleton he wore was made by me."
Leaving behind a trail of stunned nobles, Duke strode from the stands.
"He… what did he say?"
"He said Sebastian won because he built the armor!"
"But isn't that Piltover technology?"
"Didn't he just admit he's from Piltover?"
Faces turned pale, eyes widened. One boy leapt to his feet.
"I just remembered something—I must go!"
He bolted in Duke's direction. The rest quickly followed. If this man truly was the Father of Exoskeletons, what fool wouldn't seize the chance to cling to his leg?
Yet by the time they reached the corridors, Duke had vanished.
Elsewhere, Duke found Sebastian.
"Sebastian," Duke said coldly, "you seem to have forgotten something."
"I can explain, Master Duke!" Sebastian blurted, as Fiora and her mother approached. Fiora sensed the tension and asked quickly:
"Father, what's going on?"
"Nothing," Sebastian assured her with a smile, then gestured for Duke to join him privately.
Duke gave Fiora a glance, then followed, granting the man some dignity.
"I'm sorry, Master Duke," Sebastian admitted once they were alone. "I failed to keep our agreement."
"You know the price," Duke said softly, eyes narrowing. "No one stands me up, Sebastian. No one."
"I understand. That's why I offer you this as compensation."
From his coat, he withdrew a thin booklet and handed it over.
"This is our family's secret sword manual—the 'Dance of the Duel.' I offer it in exchange for my failure."
End of chapter....
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