Chapter 1157: A Duel

With his current strength, Varian never stood a chance against either of the ministers. He's just too weak against a rank 4.

But when they're severely injured, weakened, and exhausted while he remained at his peak?

The figures of the three men blurred and clashed somewhere and everywhere. The shockwaves from the blows they exchanged were far weaker than the epic battle between the Duke and the Lord. But ironically, this battle was going to decide the fate of the Duchy and the Province.

The demon sword was splashed with lots of blood, mostly Varian's as the battle progressed.

Right from the first clash, Varian had been at a disadvantage. Thanks to demon sword, he could injure a rank 4, but his defense wasn't enough. So, he got heavy injuries every single time.

'Should I use the crystal armor...' After a light thought, Varian decided not to. This fight was his whetstone. It's better to get as injured as possible without risking his life and improve his strength for the real battle.

Varian's gaze turned to the main palace which had now collapsed into rubble. From time to time, beams of dazzling red and purple lights would shoot out from the ruins and fly into the dark night.

Before he could withdraw his gaze, a terrifying space shockwave erupted from the rubble followed by a familiar aura that continued to weaken.

'She's losing?'

Varian frowned and gripped his sword tighter.

'Status'

[Mystic Rank 2: 249/250 (+24)

Famine Rank 2: 249/250 (+49)

Spirit Rank 2: 249/250 (+99)

Matter Rank 2: 249/250 (+99)

Energy Rank 2: 249/250 (+99)

Space Rank 2: 249/250 (+149)

Time Rank 2: 249/250 (+99)

Comment: You've hit up the bottlenecks in all seven paths. These can't be solved just by battles. You need to sit down and delve into the intricacies of these powers. Better, visualize a path ahead for these paths.

As you get closer to the divine ranks, battles would remain extremely useful but strict meditations will become an essential part of the practice.]

'So this is why I couldn't feel any more improvement.' Varian clicked his tongue and decided to end the battle. He promised not to kill them, for now.

A strand of chaos power merged into the aura he was pouring into the demon sword and slashed at the two ministers.

They thought this was like every other attack before and raised their own weapons to defend themselves.

But thanks to the chaos power, their aura grew erratic and acted against themselves.

"Fuck!"

They quickly suppressed the rioting aura but the gap created by their distraction was already more than enough. Varian's sword beam sliced off both their arms and left them heavily injured.

"This concludes the match." Varian sheathed the sword calmly and turned to the main palace.

Lord Jorand and Akira stared at the night sky with blank eyes. Whether Varian won or lost wouldn't make their situation better.

Varian glanced at them for a moment and then at the Duke who couldn't wipe off the big grin off his face.

'This guy...he's really okay with me taking over as long as I can rejuvenate Centaurus.'

Varian didn't like the things Duke did in his younger years. If it weren't for him being such a scum, there wouldn't be so many betrayals today.

Should he really let go of such a person? And should he let the revenge of those wronged fail?

"Hm..." Once he took the reign of his race, Varian decided to stop operating from the framework of morals. An Emperor should never look at good and bad, only what's best for the empire.

But as an individual, he still retained some sense of morals, however weak.

"No one kills anyone until I get back. You don't want to imagine the consequences if you disobey." Varian said calmly and stepped forward.

With one step, he moved by a hundred miles and the next, he entered the main palace.

Once Varian left, some wanted to slaughter the defeated Barix warriors. But the Duke stopped them.

With a very complicated expression, Lord Jorand, Akira, and others entered a military prison.

What's going to happen to them?

Not just the losers, the 'winners' of the battle also wondered the same thing.

— — — —

"You didn't tell him that only royal family members could enter?!" Prince Theoron said with a face full of disbelief.

"No." Princess Catherine replied lightly as she drove the spaceship back to Centaurus.

"You're insane! Didn't you say he helped you find me? And he saved your life?"

Catherine frowned for a moment before relaxing. "I've thought through this. If his goal had been the treasury from the start, he might've saved me to get in. Finding you was also for the same end."

"But he did save you."

"If he didn't, Akira would've."

"He did find and get me in."

"I would've found you at the last minute. Even if I didn't, the marriage would've never happened."

Theoron looked at the stern woman and shook his head.

Catherine sighed softly and said. "Even at the risk of looking like an ungrateful wench, I don't want an unknown visitor to get into the treasury. If he messes up, whatever hope Centaurus has for rejuvenation will be gone. Father will lose the will to live.

The young girl Catherine doesn't want to betray the hero but Princess Catherine cannot hesitate. "

A disgruntled growl sounded from behind and the two looked behind with an apologetic smile.

"No, don't apologize again, you little bastards," Director Baldur of Proxima crossed his arms and gnashed his teeth. "It's my mistake for following you two on a moment's notice."

The prince and princess escaped right when the fighting began and rushed to Proxima space station.

Even though they hid it well, Centaurus' intelligence did find the personnel behind the attack on Havocs—Director Baldur.

Once she did enough digging, Catherine also found that he was under a secret identity.

With the stick of exposing his identity and the carrot of promising him a favor, the Princess asked him to help them out.

Unlike other Duchy members who thought the battle would end as soon as it began, Catherine listened to Theoron's words and knew that the other side came with a good plan.

She correctly devised that they needed help to get out of this safely. But what she could've never predicted was that this external help came in the form of Mr.Constantine she thought would be long dead.

"C-Cathy?" The Duke struggled onto his feet and looked at his daughter rushing out of the spaceship with a frown.

When he sensed the aura of Baldur, his expression grew grave and he channeled his aura. Turning towards Varian who was standing in front of the palace's rubble, he sent a message wrapped in aura. "If he shows hostility, I'll take the risk and heavily injure him. Then, cripple him."

Varian who was about to dive into the treasury paused and turned back. Baldur got down from the spaceship and looked at him with crossed arms.

"You should learn the price of scamming me. No one cheats me and gets away. No one." With each step, Baldur took towards Varian, the ground under him continued to crumble and crack.

The Duke was ready to attack but Varian stopped him and said with raised arms. "We got into trouble. Me and that powerhouse."

Baldur sneered. "Do you still think I'll believe that nonsense?"

Varian narrowed his eyes. "Her clone is fighting inside against a guy in red robes. They call him Crimson Specter."

Baldur's expression froze and he tilted his head in confusion. As the Prince, he knew enough that there was indeed a spy with that title.

"I don't trust you. Once I beat you down, I'll check inside. If he's there, I'll beat him up." The Prince cracked his knuckles but didn't follow up his words and instead stood in place.

The aura shockwaves coming from the rubble did convince him that there was a fight going on. Especially the space fluctuations that came out made it clear as day that there was indeed a powerful space awakener fighting.

While it's not impossible for space awakeners to appear in the Alliance, they typically wouldn't reach Celestial ranks. And they definitely wouldn't break down a Duchy's palace to rubble.

"If you're afraid of being scammed by me again, just follow me as I dive in." Varian shrugged.

"..." Baldur wanted to say that he'd go in first but he had no idea about the dangers posed inside.

Reluctantly, the Prince nodded. But he was very unwilling. All the times they met, Varian never suffered. It was always him on the short end.

"And you." Before he jumped into the rubble, Varian's eyes locked onto Princess Catherine tending to her father and sneaking dumbfounded glances at him, "I'll pay you back for your help."

Catherine's face paled as did Theoron's. Without waiting for them to respond, Varian broke into the rubble and reached the treasury.

Baldur cursed under his breath and followed. If Varian was lying, he'd make 'Constantine' pay a heavy price.

But if he was telling the truth and the powerhouse behind him was indeed pursuing a 'Specter', Crimson or Green or Yellow, then this matter would escalate and invite a lot of prying eyes of the kingdom powerhouses.

By that time, staying hidden would be useless and even his purpose for coming here could likely be exposed.

The only way he was ever going to come on top of this situation was to win the favor of that powerhouse.

If a clone itself was alone to fight against a Specter, then the real body would be powerful enough to help him immensely.

'I hope I am not scammed this time.'