The Genius Son-in-law of the Swordmaster Household—Blessed by Authority Chapter 67

Spider Web (4)

The terms set for the duel, decided by a brief exchange, were simple.

If Aris won, Jonathan's side would surrender immediately, be taken to the detention center, and cooperate willingly with the investigation.

If Jonathan won, Aris's side would give up custody of Yuria and withdraw from the city.

'I like it.'

They were excellent terms for Jonathan.

'Even if the sky falls, there's always a way out.'

This duel was nothing short of a heaven-sent opportunity.

'If Aris had simply pressed forward with sheer force, we'd all be as good as dead right here.'

This side had only two Grandmasters. The other side had no fewer than four.

'And yet, I'm given an opportunity like this, thanks to Aris's reckless arrogance.'

If he won, not only could Jonathan continue his plan to turn Yuria into a puppet, but he would also buy himself time to escape and hide from the Heavenly Sword Lord, who would soon return from campaign.

'If possible... it's best if I kill Aris here as well.'

Now that things had come to this, even if Jonathan won the duel, he would have to continue dodging the Heavenly Sword Lord.

'Serving Young Master Theo for a while will be difficult.'

So—

'I'll kill Aris Hisperion here and increase Theo's chances of becoming the next family head, even just a little.'

Then, on the day Theo became head, Jonathan himself might escape the life of a fugitive.

"Lady Aris!"

Jonathan called out.

"The duel's terms are agreeable, but there's still a problem."

In response, instead of Aris, her chief retainer—the commander of the Heavenly Guardian Knights, Roxy—answered.

"Whaaat!? You sure make a fuss over every little thing!! Do you think Aris is a pushover!?"

Aris turned to look silently at Roxy.

"Roxy?"

"Ah... ah...!"

The moment she met Aris's gaze, Roxy bit her lips and her eyes started to quiver.

"S-sorry... I won't interfere..."

Mumbling in a voice tiny as an ant's, Roxy bowed her head.

Once she firmly closed her lips, Aris turned her gaze back to Jonathan.

"What problem do you mean, sir Jonathan?"

"Mutual trust."

Jonathan stabbed his greatsword into the ground and shrugged with both hands.

"Even if I defeat you in the duel, there's no guarantee the people behind you will withdraw obediently."

"... You make it sound as if you're sure you'll win. And? Are you saying you want to call off the duel now?"

"No, not at all."

Jonathan snapped his fingers.

"Let's take an Mana Oath. Everyone present."

"Mana Oath..."

A magic in which one stakes their own heart and dantian, etching a vow into oneself.

If someone broke the oath, their dantian would be destroyed on the spot, and their heart's mana circuit would collapse, causing them to lose all strength—and in serious cases, die or be crippled for life. It was a terrifying contract magic.

"If that's what will put your mind at ease... I don't mind. Fine. We'll do it."

Despite the fact that a single misstep could turn everything upside down, Aris nodded without much hesitation.

"What is the vow's content?"

"Everyone here, without exception... will absolutely abide by the results and terms of the duel."

If Jonathan won, Aris's side would all withdraw.

If Aris won, Jonathan's side would all surrender.

"Alright. Agreed."

Aris did not refuse this either.

–Sssmirk.

Jonathan's lips curled up in a wicked grin.

'Stupid woman.'

With this, Jonathan could now ensure his survival completely—and perhaps even kill Aris right here.

'With her head full of flowers, she doesn't entertain even a shadow of doubt.'

Jonathan was convinced.

He wouldn't lose this duel even if he wanted to.

It was just a single-clash match, after all.

A blow from Aris, who'd only just stepped into Grandmaster.

Honestly, he was confident he could easily fend off even ten blows.

'First, I'll lightly block her opening strike.'

Then—

'When the duel ends and Aris lets down her guard...'

He'd launch a sudden attack and smash her head like a watermelon.

Even if Jonathan killed Aris like this, her companions could do nothing.

If the duel ended in Jonathan's victory, they would be bound by the Mana Oath to stand down.

If they ignored the oath and counterattacked? Their dantian and heart would collapse on the spot.

'If that happens, I'll just kill all of them.'

He would massacre those helpless, unable to fight back.

'Young Master Theo will see me as outstanding.'

After all, he would be achieving the great feat of subduing four Grandmasters at once who didn't obey him.

"Lady Aris."

Of course, not everyone among Aris's close followers was oblivious to Jonathan's sinister intent.

"A word, if I may."

The current head of the Bellator family following Aris.

Katrina Bellator approached Aris, covering her mouth with a velvet fan.

"There's no need for you to accept such a dangerous vow when we're clearly at an advantage. Just proposing a duel is already more than lenient to those fiends."

She whispered this in Aris's ear, shot a sidelong glance at Jonathan, and continued.

"Jonathan is as dark inside as his coal-black skin. And if—by a million to one chance—you lose this duel, that bastard will surely exploit the oath's terms in some twisted way. In that case, we won't even be able to protect you because of the oath."

Aris replied with a gentle smile.

"Thank you for your concern, katrina, but you needn't worry."

"But..."

"My lady. Any further would only be interference."

"... Ugh."

As Aris fixed her calm gaze upon Katrina, she licked her lips, met her gaze, gulped, and bowed her head.

"... I apologize."

Well...

Katrina was also one who knew Aris's true nature.

If Jonathan's heart was merely black, a terrifying venomous spider dwelled within Aris's.

So, Aris wouldn't have accepted Jonathan's proposal thoughtlessly.

No—instead, she accepted the Mana Oath fully aware of Jonathan's intent.

Letting Jonathan unwittingly walk into the spiderweb she'd spun.

Dangling a honeyed bait using his own evil intentions.

"... Understood."

Katrina bowed and retreated to the ranks.

"Well then, lady Aris? We're ready on this side."

While Aris and Katrina exchanged words, Jonathan had summoned his subordinate mages and prepared the large-scale Mana Oath.

"Are you ready on your side?"

"Yes. Go ahead."

"Excellent! Then—"

–Snap!

Jonathan snapped his fingers.

–Murmur-murmur!

–Wuuuung!

The mages immediately began casting the Mana Oath.

A huge magic circle formed over the warp gate, and everyone present carved a vow into their hearts and dantian to abide by the duel's results.

"At last."

All preparations for the duel were finally complete.

–Kwoaaaaaaaa!!

Jonathan unleashed all the aura coiled in his dantian.

–Whooooosh!

A colossal outpouring of aura whirled up a fierce storm.

The surge of power split the clouds in the night sky into swirling rings, and the thick mist around the warp gate vanished in an instant.

"Ugh!"

"Eeurk!"

The onlookers, standing in two rows as witnesses, could barely keep their balance in the gale.

–Sssmirk!

From within the storm, Jonathan bared his teeth in a wicked smile.

"Lady Aris! Step forward. I, Jonathan, will receive your opening move!"

"..."

Facing the storm head-on, Aris silently adjusted her grip on Vladiark.

Her platinum hair billowed endlessly in the wind. But that was all that moved.

With a motion that seemed almost unnatural amidst the tempest, Aris assumed the preparatory stance for the 4th form of the Heavenly Flow.

In stark contrast to Jonathan, who unleashed his aura unchecked and shook the surroundings.

–Goooooo!

The two Grandmasters faced off for a moment.

As everyone present held their breath, watching their battle of wits—

–Flash!

In a white flash, Aris's figure shot forward in a single streak.

"...!"

So fast even the air itself seemed cleaved—truly the speed of light.

A blow that extended silently, a stunningly quiet strike.

'Here it comes!'

Even most Masters couldn't follow that speed with the naked eye, but Jonathan's super-senses caught Aris's movement with little difficulty.

'Idiot!'

Attacking with speed while wielding that oversized sword!

With this, neither the power nor speed could reach their full potential—a mediocre strike at best.

If she'd used the first form of Heavenly Flow, focusing entirely on penetration, she might have done a bit of damage.

Instead, she'd put all her effort into speed, without even infusing her blade with aura.

'This paltry 4th form of Heavenly Flow, with no aura at all—'

It would be easily deflected with just a slight push!

–Kwoaaaaaaaa!!

Jonathan infused his greatsword with aura and swung it like a baseball bat.

As if aiming to send a ball flying far away.

'Together with that greatsword, I'll hack off your whole right arm.'

Then—

'Once you're stunned and off-balance—!'

He would bring his sword down and split her from head to torso.

–Ka-ka-ka-kang!!

With a sound like a thousand panes of glass shattering at once, the two blades met in a deafening crash.

'It's over!'

Jonathan's smile stretched even wider in confidence of victory.

–Shuuuuuu!

"H-huh!?"

Jonathan suddenly felt a strange alien sensation.

'Wh-what...!?'

There was no satisfying impact that should be transmitted through his palm.

'What's... going on...?'

All he felt was...

A hollow emptiness, as if pouring out his aura into a void.

–Kwwwwaaaaak!

"Urgh, aaagh!!"

Suddenly, a pain like rusted awls stabbing into his forearm surged.

'W-what is this!?'

Jonathan's thick arm—

No, precisely, something foreign was invading the mana circuit in his forearm.

'Th-this is...!?'

Jonathan stared wide-eyed at Aris.

As if demanding to know what she'd done.

–Sssmirk.

Aris merely smiled.

'Wh-what!?'

A smile dripping with cold malice, impossible for anyone truly innocent to wear.

In that instant—

Confronted for the first time with Aris's true nature, Jonathan was so flustered he couldn't form a coherent thought.

–Kwwwwaaaaak!!

"Aaaargh!!"

Vladiark's hunger seized the opportunity and instantly grasped Jonathan's heart.

'This... this is...!'

Only then did Jonathan realize the cause of the alien sensation.

'My... my aura...!'

As if being devoured helplessly by a starving beast—

'It's being sucked straight into this greatsword!'

"Kh... khuaagh!"

He hurried to recall his aura, but it was useless.

–Cough!

A stabbing pain shot through his heart, vomited blood gushing from his mouth.

'D-damn it, what...!!'

It was a pain as if someone were playing tug-of-war with his heart.

'W-what can I do...!?'

Jonathan desperately tried to separate the clashing blades.

"Don't think you can escape."

But the more he retreated, the heavier Aris pressed down with Vladiark.

"Kh... kghh...!!"

Finally, after several backward steps, Jonathan found himself pinned beneath Vladiark.

"Aaaaargh!!"

He pushed, trying to lift Vladiark, but failed.

The more aura he poured into his sword, the faster it was devoured.

No matter what he did, the weight of Vladiark crushing him did not lighten.

No—instead, it was growing heavier by the moment.

"Kr—khaaaagh!!"

Even as he scrambled for another plan, Jonathan's aura was mercilessly sucked into Vladiark by the handful.

"Gaaahhhhh!!!"

In the end, Jonathan screamed high enough to tear the sky itself.

Once Vladiark's hunger took hold of his heart, even a seasoned Grandmaster like Jonathan could only submit.

If he had immediately torn out his heart and rushed to his subordinates for healing, he might have survived, albeit crippled.

But no matter how experienced, tearing out one's own heart is never an easy decision.

And that brief hesitation spelled Jonathan's defeat.

–Shuuuuuu...

The rampaging storm subsided, and the swirling dust slowly settled.

...

A heavy silence remained where the wind had disappeared.

Everyone stared in fear and shock at Jonathan and Aris.

"..."

Jonathan looked like a desiccated mummy.

Shriveled, he was stuck to the ground.

–Splurt!

Aris yanked Vladiark from Jonathan's chest.

"With this, the duel is my victory."

–Thud.

Resting Vladiark on her shoulder, Aris looked to Ian.

Her expression had already returned to an innocent and pure smile.

"To a traitor, this is a merciful death."

It was a pure, transparent smile—hard to believe it belonged to someone who had just cruelly slaughtered a Grandmaster.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

It's an anti-climactic death...

But he got what he deserves...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】