Chapter 228
Not Over
The gates of the House of Aetherion stood wide open. People watched from the walls in tense silence. No magic filled the air, no shifting, only steel and men stood ready.
Gavriel stepped forward first. He removed his cloak and handed it to Osman without a word. The weight of the sword in his hand felt different now. He could feel every ounce of it, every strain on his muscles. Once, this blade would have been an extension of his Lycan strength.
Now, it was simply steel. And yet, he felt calmer than he ever had.
Across the open ground, Archon Lemuel Cross emerged with a slow, confident stride. His armor gleamed darkly, ornate and heavy, more ceremonial than practical. A smile curved his lips as his gaze swept over Gavriel, then Zander, then the warriors standing behind them.
“So this is what remains of the Alpha King,” Lemuel said mockingly. “A man stripped bare of everything that made him feared.”
A few of the Cross Clan soldiers chuckled nervously.
Gavriel did not rise to the taunt. He only raised his sword and planted his feet firmly against the stone.
“I am here for Aetherion,” he said evenly. “Not for your words.”
Lemuel laughed. “Still pretending to be in great power.” He drew his blade with a sharp hiss of metal. “Very well. Let us end this farce.”
He remained confident in this fight, even without the magic he once wielded. It was not only their continent that had been affected. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, the entire world had been stripped of its power. Yet he knew this strange phenomenon would not last.
A smirk curved his lips. The King of Darkness was on his side, and he had promised that everything would return to how it once was. His power would come back soon enough, as long as he remained loyal to the darkness.
The signal was given.
Lemuel attacked first, fast and vicious, his sword swinging with raw force. Gavriel met the strike head-on. The clash rang loudly across the open area, echoing against the walls. Pain shot up Gavriel’s arm as he absorbed the blow, his muscles protesting instantly.
Lemuel grinned. “Slower already.”
He pressed forward without pause, forcing Gavriel back step by step. Each strike was heavy, brutal, meant to overwhelm. Gavriel blocked, deflected, retreated when needed. He refused to be baited into recklessness.
Around them, the warriors stood still, watching. No one interfered. This was the duel that would decide Aetherion’s fate.
Lemuel feinted left and then slashed low. The blade caught Gavriel’s side, tearing fabric and skin. Blood bloomed warm and dark.
Zander’s jaw tightened. Lemuel was the greatest warrior on their continent. Even without magic, his strength was formidable. That was why Zander wasn’t confident he could face him relying on skill alone.
Gavriel sucked in a sharp breath but did not falter. He adjusted his grip, his stance lowering. He stopped trying to match Lemuel’s strength and instead began to read him. The way his shoulders tensed before each swing, and the impatience behind his aggression.
“You hesitate now,” Lemuel taunted, circling him. “Is this faith of yours failing you already?”
Gavriel said nothing.
He remembered Althea’s face, pale and unmoving… He would save her no matter what.
Lemuel lunged again, aiming for his chest. This time, Gavriel did not retreat. He stepped inside the strike, knocking Lemuel’s blade aside and driving his shoulder forward. The impact sent Lemuel staggering. Surprise flashed across his face before fury replaced it.
They traded blows in close quarters, steel scraping, breath harsh and loud. Gavriel felt every ache, every pull of muscle, but he also felt something else. Focus. He was no longer fighting like a beast. He was fighting like a man who knew exactly why he stood there.
Lemuel overextended in his anger. Gavriel seized the opening. He twisted, struck low, and kicked Lemuel’s knee hard. Lemuel fell to one side with a curse, barely managing to roll away before Gavriel’s blade came down where his head had been.
The crowd gasped.
Lemuel scrambled to his feet, breathing hard now, his confidence cracking. “You think this proves something?” he snarled. “You think winning a duel makes you king here?”
Gavriel leveled his sword. “It proves you are finished.”
Lemuel’s eyes darkened. With a final, desperate roar, he charged.
Gavriel met him head-on and their blades locked. Gavriel pushed forward with everything he had left, teeth clenched, legs shaking. Lemuel resisted for a moment longer, then his strength failed him. Gavriel twisted sharply and knocked Lemuel’s sword from his grasp.
It clattered across the stone and silence fell.
Lemuel dropped to one knee, panting. For a heartbeat, it looked as though he might accept defeat.
Then he smiled. The smile was wrong, too calm and too sharp.
“Kill him,” Lemuel suddenly shouted.
Chaos exploded.
Cross Clan soldiers surged forward, blades drawn, attacking Gavriel’s men from behind and from the flanks. Lemuel lunged for a hidden dagger strapped to his arm, aiming straight for Zander.
But Gavriel had already moved.
“Now!” he roared.
Gavriel’s warriors reacted instantly, as if they had been waiting for this exact betrayal.
Shields came up. Swords met flesh. Simon and the others closed ranks around Zander and Gavriel, intercepting the attackers with brutal efficiency.
Gavriel struck Lemuel’s wrist, sending the dagger flying. He grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the ground.
“You truly believe I would not expect this?” Gavriel growled.
Lemuel laughed even as blood spilled from his mouth. “You lost your power, not your arrogance.”
Zander stepped forward with his expression cold. “You lost before this duel even began.”
The Cross Clan soldiers were quickly overwhelmed. Outnumbered and disorganized, they were forced to the ground, disarmed and restrained.
Lemuel struggled beneath Gavriel’s grip, spitting blood and hate. “Aetherion will never bow to you.”
“It already has,” Gavriel replied.
He stood and stepped back, allowing chains to be brought forward. Lemuel was dragged to his knees, fury blazing in his eyes even as defeat closed in around him.
Gavriel turned to the gathered people of Aetherion. His voice carried across the courtyard, steady and clear.
“The Cross Clan seized this house through deceit and darkness,” he declared. “Their rule ends today. Any who stood with them may lay down their arms and live. Any who resist will answer for it.”
One by one, weapons fell to the ground.
Lemuel screamed in rage, thrashing against his restraints. “This is not over!”