Chapter 25: The Asura’s Warning

BZZZT!

The red holographic letters floated above the massive arena.

[Aegon Logcheville vs. Cedric Thorne]

Aegon stood in the center of the dueling ring. The stone beneath his boots felt warm. A faint, blood-red aura clung to his skin.

Cedric Thorne gripped his rapier. He laughed nervously. "You are pathetic. I will end this in ten seconds."

Aegon did not take a formal stance. He simply raised his right hand.

FLASH!

His massive silver spear vanished into his spatial ring. He stood completely unarmed. He dropped his hands casually to his sides.

"Do your worst," Aegon said flatly. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Cedric’s face turned beet red. It was the ultimate disrespect. The crowd gasped in shock.

A warrior putting away his weapon before the match even started was an open insult to his opponent’s entire bloodline.

"Match start!" the referee yelled.

Cedric exploded forward. He channeled wind mana into his legs, blurring across the stone floor.

SWISH!

He thrust his rapier directly at Aegon’s chest.

To the crowd, it was a blindingly fast strike. To Aegon, it was pathetic.

The Crucible had unlocked his Level 20 perception. The stagnation was gone. The world around him moved through thick molasses.

Aegon simply tilted his left shoulder.

SWOOSH!

The sharp steel blade passed harmlessly by his ear.

Cedric snarled in frustration. He unleashed a furious flurry of rapid thrusts and slashes.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Aegon walked forward. He did not block. He just shifted his head. He twisted his hips. He let the sharp steel slice the empty air around him. He did not even blink.

Down in the competitor’s tunnel, Draven watched from the shadows.

He smirked. The Vanguard was performing perfectly.

"Stand still!" Cedric screamed.

His chest heaved. Sweat poured down his face.

His rapid footwork and endless attacks had completely drained his mana reserves. He stumbled, gasping for air.

Aegon stopped walking. "Are you done?"

Cedric lunged one last time in a desperate, sloppy attack.

Aegon stepped inside his guard. He grabbed Cedric by the collar of his uniform. His grip was like a steel vise. Cedric could not move an inch.

Aegon did not look at the boy in his hands. He turned his head and locked his crimson eyes directly onto Neville Hennessey outside the ring.

The Golden Boy froze.

"Call my mother a whore again," Aegon said, his voice echoing loudly across the silent arena. "And you will not have a tongue to speak."

CRACK!

Aegon drove his right knee brutally upward. It smashed directly into Cedric’s face.

BAM!

Cedric’s nose shattered. He was launched backward like a broken doll.

He flew out of the dueling ring and crashed hard onto the dirt outside the bounds.

He did not move.

"Ring out! Winner, Aegon Logcheville!"

The stadium erupted. Tens of thousands of people screamed in absolute shock.

Up in the student stands, Kael grabbed his friend by the shoulders and shook him wildly.

"He didn’t even use a weapon! The defective noble just destroyed a top-tier swordsman with his bare hands!"

Neville stood by the ringside. His blue eyes burned with toxic fury. His perfect smile twitched violently.

He finally realized the truth. Aegon was not a joke anymore. He was a genuine threat.

Neville forced his heroic mask back into place. He walked quickly toward the medics loading Cedric onto a stretcher.

"Cedric!" Neville called out loudly for the cameras.

"You fought bravely, my friend. Rest now. The Light favors your courage."

The civilian crowd cheered the Golden Boy’s immense compassion.

Neville leaned down close to Cedric’s bleeding ear. He dropped his voice to a venomous, hateful whisper.

"You are pathetic," Neville hissed.

"You embarrassed me in front of the entire Academy. You are no longer part of my team. Do not ever stand near me again."

Neville stood up instantly and smiled warmly at the medics.

---

High above the arena, the VIP box was in absolute chaos.

Lady Logcheville gripped the armrests of her plush chair. Her cold, detached demeanor completely cracked.

Her crimson eyes widened in sheer disbelief. The son she had thrown away had just dominated the ring without breaking a sweat.

’He broke his bottleneck,’ Lady Logcheville calculated rapidly in her mind. ’The investment is finally paying off. I must bring him back into the main House immediately.’

Lord Tokks shook his scarred head.

"That Thorne boy had pathetic stamina. But Aegon’s perception is terrifying. He saw every single strike before it was even launched. The boy is a natural killer."

Seraphina Vance threw her head back and laughed loudly. She looked over at Lord Hennesy.

"Well, Hennesy," Seraphina smirked, swirling her glowing blue wine.

"It looks like the Logcheville boy finally woke up. At this rate, he might just mop the floor with your Golden Boy."

Lord Hennesy snapped. He slammed his glass down on the wooden table.

"Watch your mouth, Seraphina!" Lord Hennesy barked, losing his aristocratic cool entirely.

"My son possesses the supreme holy bloodline. He is the chosen Hero. He will crush that feral spearman into the dirt. Get off your high horse!"

Seraphina just smirked and took another sip.

"We will see about that."