6 Trial By Combat

Lucien seethed with rage. First, this rat had the nerve to forcefully kiss Helena, the epitome of delicacy and beauty. And now, he had the audacity to ignore Lucien, the man destined to protect her.

What would the world think if he, a Protector, failed in his sacred duty to safeguard the Chosen One? What would his God think?

And to top it off, this scoundrel, who had never even met anyone's gaze head-on, was now openly defying their father, the lord himself.

How could this be happening?

Unless... Unless what the servants and Helena herself had told him was true; that this weakling had Awakened.

But Lucien didn't give a damn whether he was Awakened or not. He was a protector, tasked with shielding the Chosen One. And no matter which god had chosen this worthless piece of dirt – unless, of course, it was Ares – he was determined to crush him into oblivion.

"Lucien... simmer down. The lord is addressing us."

intervened another man, appearing to be in his early twenties. His voice carried a calm and collected tone, contrasting with Lucien's boiling anger. Like Lucien, he also had brown hair.

What set him apart, however, was his unique feature – a pair of crimson red eyes, matching those of Adonis and the lord.

'He must be powerful.'

As Adonis expected, Lucien, who was all fired up just moments ago, suddenly went quiet and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Lucien apologized, bowing his head slightly in deference.

But Lord Larien didn't even glance in Lucien's direction, let alone acknowledge his apology. His focus was solely on Adonis, who met his gaze steadily, unfazed by the tension in the room.

"It's true then. You have Awakened."

Lord rumbled, his gaze unwavering on Adonis. Adonis felt a knot form in his stomach, as if he were staring death in the face.

"Yes, my lord."

Adonis replied, feeling a bit like he was being grilled by a detective. He glanced down, trying to ease the intensity of the moment.

The room erupted in more gasps and whispers, as if they were all competing in a gossip contest.

"Look at me."

The Lord commanded, his voice booming like thunder. Adonis felt a shiver crawl down his spine, so he quickly looked up, meeting his father's stern gaze.

It was like staring into the eyes of a strict teacher who just caught you passing notes in class.

"Awaken or not, it doesn't give you the right to go around forcing kisses on people."

Lord Larien stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

A small smirk crept onto Adonis's lips as he shot a bombastic side-eye at Helena, who let out another shriek and retreated back to Lucien's side, while he shot Adonis a glare that could melt steel.

Seems like Adonis was about to start a war right here in the throne room.

'Hey system? Can I beat that Lucien guy?'

Adonis waited for a moment, his hopes sinking low. Without any magical powers or fancy tricks, taking on a beefcake like Lucien seemed like a lost cause.

The guy was built like a tank, and Adonis was just a scrawny kid in comparison. Facing off against Lucien's bulging muscles and hefty greatsword?

It sounded more like a recipe for disaster than a fair fight.

But Adonis wasn't thinking sensibly anymore. He could feel something stirring inside him, a newfound power he couldn't quite explain. And he was itching to find out what it was.

[Element of surprise would be your ally.]

He frowned.

'What's this bullshit now? Explain.'

[Lucien Von Larien is a Protector. Even though his God is not combat-based, the False power, strengthened for years, is enough to showcase power beyond your wildest imagination.]

[Even if you're a Champion and he's a Protector, you will be defeated in a one-on-one straight fight right now.]

Apologies for that oversight. Here's the revised version with paragraph breaks:

'What's this False power, Champion, and Protector bullshit? I don't understand half of what you're saying.'

The system didn't listen to his complaints and just continued its analysis. 

[But you have the dormant powers of a Champion, which, if utilized properly, can defeat this trained Protector. Hence the element of surprise...]

'What the fuck?! I'm the one who is surprised.'

[...Dick.]

'...' 

He got this vibe like the system was straight-up calling him a dick instead of just using his name.

He brushed aside the confusing thoughts and focused on the lord in front of him.

Even though he only grasped about half of what the system had said, one thing was clear: he had some hidden badass power, like dormant powers of a Champion.

And if he played his cards right, he could take down this Lucien dude with just one shot.

'If the fight drags on, I will be the one to get defeated .'

"How in the world could a supposed 'Chosen One' like her end up getting kissed by a newbie like me, unless..."

He shot a sly glance at Lucien, a smirk creeping onto his face.

"...unless, she enjoyed it."

All hell broke loose.

"You fucing bastard! How dare you spew such filth!"

Lucien's voice pierced the air, his face twisted with fury, eyes ablaze with rage.

"I'll tear you limb from limb!" 

He bellowed, the sound echoing through the castle. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging at his neck.

"You cowardly scum! Face me like a man! You're nothing but a lying pussy!"

His shout thundered, shaking the very foundations of the fortress.

"You have the gall to tarnish Helena's name, calling her a whore! Come on, you ball-less coward! Face me in battle like a true man!"

His words reverberated through the halls, echoing his challenge.

Adonis was pretty sure Lucien's words had spread throughout the whole city.

He'd kissed her in the heat of the moment, but now he was trying to figure out how to flip the script in his favor. But deep down, he was worried about what would happen if he ended up losing.

"Silence!"

Lord Larien's voice thundered, as he stomped his foot down. Suddenly, the room fell dead silent, and a bone-chilling cold swept through, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

Lucien clenched his jaw, shooting a murderous glare at Adonis. Meanwhile, Helena trembled and tears streamed down her face; she seemed as fragile as a delicate flower.

A pang of guilt pricked Adonis's conscience. Like he was doing something wro--

Wait, what was he thinking again?

[Aura of Lust increases]

'What is that?'

"Baseless accusations will not be tolerated in this court. Adonis, do you have any proof of this?"

"Proof?"

Lord Larien's words caught him off guard.

"Do you have any proof to prove that you didn't forced up on the Chosen One?"

'Ugg...Why do you have to make everything so hard.'

"Trial by combat..."

As those words escaped Adonis's lips, gasps erupted across the room, eyes widening in disbelief. Lucien's smile twisted into a sinister grin, his laughter sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Little did they know, this was just the beginning of a showdown that would shake the very foundation of their world.