Astelion POV
The courtyard had gone completely silent. Even the wind seemed to pause, refusing to disrupt the tension building between us. I stood directly across from Aheem, the glowing purple spear resting lightly, yet firmly, in my hands. It's magic responding directly to the restless, coiled power vibrating in my veins.
Aheem looked nothing like the nervous, submissive guard who had been dragged forward moments ago. Standing tall now, his heavy sword held in a flawless grip, he looked entirely relaxed almost amused by the situation. His copper curls caught the bright morning light as he tilted his head slightly, studying the way I held my weapon.
"You look nervous," he said quietly, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. Behind us, the entire courtyard watched in breathless suspense. Dozens of hardened imperial guards stood frozen along the stone edges, their weapons held tight. No one dared to move, no one dared to breathe too loudly for fear of drawing the king's wrath.
Above the broken pavement, Castel floated effortlessly on his bench like a bored god watching a trivial game. His glowing eyes burned with a sick, sadistic anticipation. Beside him, Kiono stood perfectly still, a statuesque figure of military compliance. Emotionless. Defiant in his indifference.
Aheem twirled the heavy sword in his hand once, a seamless display of casual mastery, before settling into a low, aggressive combat stance. "You should know something," he said softly, a dark smile touching his lips. "I'm very good at this."
I lifted the double-bladed spear slightly, my grip tightening as I locked my eyes onto his chest. "So am I."
Castel's voice sliced through the silence "begin."
The exact moment the word left the king's lips, Aheem moved. He exploded forward with incredible, unnatural speed, his heavy leather boots striking the stone with cracking force as his polished blade flashed through the air, aiming directly for my throat.
CLANG.
My spear snapped upward in a instinctive arc, catching the descending strike perfectly in the center of the shaft. Metal screamed against metal, throwing off a shower of bright sparks. Aheem's eyes blinked in visible surprise. I was fast.
He pushed harder, using his superior body weight to twist his blade downward, attempting to force my guard open and drive me back. But I didn't move an inch. My telekinesis anchored my boots to the floor, holding the spear completely steady against his straining muscle.
Our eyes locked over the clashing weapons, a breath of pure adrenaline passing between us.
Then, I shifted my weight.
With a sudden, fluid twist of my wrists, I spun the spear shaft, knocking his heavy blade aside before the blunt end of the weapon slammed directly into his exposed ribs.
THUD.
The breath hissed from Aheem's lungs as he staggered backward two large steps, his boot heels grinding into the dust. A collective gasp rippled through the ranks of watching guards. Above us, Castel leaned forward slightly, his chin resting on his hand as his interest peaked.
Aheem straightened his posture, rubbing his bruised side with a faint grimace. "Well," he muttered, shaking his head. "That's embarrassing."
Then, he smiled again. But this time, the playfulness was completely gone from his eyes. He lunged again.
He was faster now, much faster. His heavy sword became a silver blur through the crisp air, striking at my defenses again, and again, in rapid, brutal succession.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
I blocked each lightning-fast strike smoothly, the double-bladed spear spinning in precise, mathematical arcs around my body. My movements were calm, controlled, and almost graceful a stark contrast to the frantic chaos Aheem was trying to initiate. I wasn't panicked. I wasn't rushed. I simply let my telekinesis predict the trajectory of his blade before it even arrived.
Aheem's confident grin slowly began to fade into a tight, frustrated grimace. "You're not just some servant," he hissed between heavy strikes, his blade grinding against my spear.
"Maybe not," I whispered.
I pivoted suddenly on my left heel, dropping my weight low to the shattered pavers. The glowing spear swept in a wide, vicious circle along the ground, catching him completely off guard and knocking his legs out from under him.
Aheem rolled tightly across the stone floor, absorbing the impact, and sprang back up onto his feet immediately.
But this time, he stopped smiling completely.
Above us, Castel's terrifying power rippled through the courtyard like a physical wave of heat. His glowing eyes narrowed into razor-sharp slits.
Aheem wiped a thin streak of blood from his split lower lip with the back of his hand. Then, he let out a soft, dark laugh. "Well then, little bunny." He adjusted his iron grip on his sword, his posture changed. "Let's stop playing."
His body shifted, his stance lowering significantly as his center of gravity dropped. And suddenly, the very air around his frame began to warp.
Kiono noticed the shift first. Beside the floating bench, his cold blue eyes narrowed slightly, his body tensing as he recognized the technique.
Aheem vanished from my sight entirely.
The watching guards let out a synchronized gasp. A sudden blur of violent motion reappeared directly beside my right flank
SLASH.
His heavy blade cut a vicious path through the air, aimed directly at my exposed shoulder. But before the steel could make contact with my flesh I moved. This was nothing new I could still follow his movements. I didn't retreat backward, I lunged straight into his guard. The blunt end of my spear shot upward like a striking snake
CRACK.
The solid wood of the weapon slammed heavily into Aheem's jaw, a spray of saliva and blood flying from his mouth. His head snapped back from the sheer force of the impact, his balance shattering. Before he could even begin to recover
WHAM.
I drove the spear shaft horizontally into his stomach. The absolute force of the blow sent Aheem flying backward across the courtyard. He skidded roughly across the broken stone floor before crashing heavily into a solid marble pillar.
The entire courtyard froze into total silence. Fine white dust drifted slowly through the air settling.
Aheem let out a low, pained groan, his fingers clutching his stomach as he slowly pushed his battered body up from the cracked stone. "Well, damn," he muttered, his voice raspy. He wiped a fresh smear of blood from his mouth, his eyes locking directly onto mine with a touch of genuine fear. "You're going to get me killed."
Above us, Castel's smile grew wider, turning into a horrific, delighted expression. Because now... now the king was truly entertained.