The Moonlight Swordsman

The headmaster considered the meeting's aim and regretted his decision to organize it. The enmity between the two families was palpable, and they seemed blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation.

He shuddered to think what would have happened if he hadn't intervened earlier and prevented two more families from being destroyed on the same day.

"Listen to me, you really don't want to do this for now; keep your enmity for now and resolve it later. The royals will not stand by and watch you destroy each other when there are riots going on everywhere.

"Have you ever pondered that this might have been a setup?"

"I don't care about anything. And I don't think those peasants are strong enough to get rid of so many guards and mages along with my Helen." Harold replied.

"Yes, I am sure my family's guards and mages were attacked by her wife first, and rioters might have taken advantage." Leah also commented.

"Fuck You! I swear, I can't stand a single second right now.

"I, Harold Gilles, the head of the Gilles family, on behalf of the family Challenge household Rosewell, for the Duel of Vows."

A collective gasp escaped from the group as they heard the shocking revelation. Realizing the impending chaos, the headmaster couldn't help but bury his face in his hand.

"Good... Harold. I think the time has finally come to get rid of your ugly face from Xelgar."

Yelena rose from her seat and locked her gaze with Harold, her face distorted with rage as she delivered her response.

"Think once more, Harold... this is not the right time to do this," the headmaster tried to convince him once again.

Harold went out of the hall without responding to the headmaster's statements.

The Rosewells followed suit, their faces filled with rage and disgust. Seraphine and Hazel, on the other hand, respectfully bowed to the headmaster before leaving the hall.

Outside the Crestfall mansion,

Seraphine and Hazel walked in silence, buried in their own thoughts, towards the Magic Institute. The meeting's events lingered in their minds, and the animosity between the families was evident.

"Seraphine, what is the Duel of Vows?"

As they walked, Seraphine cast a glance at Hazel and whispered, "Let's not discuss it here."

Hazel silently nodded and trailed behind her as they made their way to the latter's quarters at the magic institute. Once inside, they settled on the couch, and Seraphine brewed tea for the both of them.

"The Duel of Vows is an ancient tradition among the noble and royal families.

"Instead of a raging war, killing each other, or going on a rampage, they could settle everything in a one-on-one battle.

"The families can send anyone from their side to fight for them, and vows are exchanged before the fight.

"You can ask the loser to do anything after losing the battle. Even if you order someone to kill themselves or be the slave of another party, they must do it.

"Whoever breaks the vow is hunted by the royals."

The gravity of the situation became clear to Hazel as she sat in the room with Seraphine. She realized that one of the families was destined to be erased from the world of Xelgar.

"And the royals are going to approve this in the current situation?" She asked.

"Even royals are helpless; no one can break the vows that were set by Cedric Felgura.

"The royals can't disapprove of it even if the whole kingdom is falling," Seraphine replied. "Leave it, focus on yourself. You should not involve yourself with them."

Seraphine's advice resonated with Hazel, and she nodded in agreement.

*****

Meanwhile, Aizel remained hidden within the hollow of a massive tree trunk, his body still and poised as though hunting its prey.

The night had been long and difficult, with Aizel having to carefully eliminate numerous low-level Bjorns scattered throughout the area.

He had purposefully avoided the more powerful Grade II creatures and larger groupings in order to conserve his strength for the conflicts ahead.

"Now it's time to hunt more."

Aizel sank down behind the tree trunk and peered through the thick undergrowth for any signs of activity. The area had been cleared of small, low-level Bjorn monsters all night, but it was now time to face more difficult obstacles.

He was determined to chase down groups, especially if they contained Grade II monsters, despite the danger. He took a deep breath and slowly moved forward, his senses on high alert and his weapons at the ready.

He went through the woods with ease for another hour, knocking out the remaining low-level Bjorns one by one, until he reached the forest's edge, where there were only three targets in sight: two Grade II Bjorns and a solitary Grade I.

Aizel's mind raced as he envisioned fire pillars erupting beneath the two Grade II monsters.

The earth shook and glowed beneath the feet of the Bjorns as the inferno blazed through the air, searing their flesh and causing them to roar in agony.

Aizel's blade gleamed in the sunlight as he neatly hacked through the low-level Bjorn's neck.

He imagined a huge rush of lightning gathering in his sword as he turned towards the Grade II monsters, culminating in a devastating crescent-shaped lightning slash that cut through the beasts like a hot knife through butter.

The beasts let out a last cry of anguish as the strike slashed their bodies cleanly in half.

"Phew! That was clean and fast," he thought.

Suddenly his mana sense alerted him of a rustling in the bushes not too far away. When he glanced around, he noticed a Grade II Bjorn running away from him at an alarming rate.

"Oh Fuck!"

Aizel's lightning-quick reflexes kicked in as he chased the Grade II Bjorn down, determined to catch it. He easily closed the gap, Bjorn's speed being no match for his.

He steadily gained on his target as they dodged between the trees and bushes. As he raised his sword to deliver the deadly blow, the Bjorn let out a tremendous howl that rang throughout the forest, almost as a warning to the others.

"Noo... Fuck you!"