The Moonlight Swordsman

Alexander had a sense of shock overcome him as he gazed at the towering behemoth made of trees, heavy vines, and roots that was almost a hundred feet tall.

The monster resembled a forest guardian spirit that had awoken to seek vengeance. With his heightened mana sense, Alexander realized that Harold was controlling the giant from within.

"This is going to be a pain in the ass," he murmured.

ROOARRRR…

The giant roared once again; Alexander braced himself for what was coming next. He watched as countless thick vines and roots shot forward from all over the giant, heading straight toward him.

"Shooting star,"

As the thick vines and roots shot towards him, Alexander's body was enveloped in a radiant golden light.

He flew through the air at breakneck speed, leaving a trail of gleaming gold behind him as he dodged and twisted among the vines. His motions were smooth and precise as if he were dancing in the sky.

The golden light emerging from his body shined brilliantly, like a shooting star, dazzling the sky.

Alexander flew in circles around the towering behemoth, his fingers aimed directly at the monster as he shot forth beams of golden energy.

Despite his efforts, the giant's thick vines and roots proved to be too tough for his attacks.

Suddenly, the massive right fist of the giant swung with incredible force, hurtling towards Alexander with the intent of crushing him.

As Alexander tried to dodge the giant's punch, his leg was caught by a surprise attack from thick vines that appeared out of nowhere.

The vines swung his body around, sending him to collide with the earth with great force, leaving a deep crater in his wake.

Then a giant fist came and slammed into the ground.

*BOOOOMMMMMM*

The giant's fist struck the ground with such force that the earth trembled and cracks erupted all around.

Many people could feel the vibrations in their bones as the sound echoed through the castle walls. The power of the crash even led several of the onlookers to stumble and fall.

As he saw the crater, Aizel's face lit up with joy, thinking that the Rosewell family's end was near.

However, his expression quickly turned to one of surprise as he and others noticed a gathering of golden fireflies around the giant's arms.

Suddenly, a thick beam of brilliant golden light burst out of the crater and destroyed the entire arm of the giant in one powerful strike.

Alexander's body was flowing with more golden veins as he rose from the deep crater, and his energy was rising higher than ever before.

He had clearly unleashed all of his power, pushing himself past his limitations with the augmentation technique he was employing.

"PLAYTIME IS OVER HAROLD…"

Alexander stood there with golden veins flowing through his body, and when he lifted his right hand, a gigantic beam of golden light erupted from it, stretching all the way to the sky.

The brightness was so intense that it turned night into day, dwarfing the already gigantic giant.

As he lowered his hand, the beam of light effortlessly sliced the giant in half and continued to tear through the surrounding terrain, leaving nothing unscathed in its path.

"It's over." The Sword Emperor spoke slowly, bringing everyone's attention to him.

When Leah and Yelena heard the news, their faces lit up with wide grins.

They knew their family had won the duel of vows and that they would now inherit everything the Gilles family had.

Aizel, on the other hand, appeared to be dissatisfied with the outcome, his expression turning sour.

"Why do you look pissed, sparring partner? Did you also bet something?" Soren asked, after noticing his expression.

"This fucking idiot!" Aizel cursed him in his mind.

"Another noble family has fallen; it leaves quite a sour taste in my mouth," Zareena said.

"I heard you were the one who was responsible for the demise of the Paul family." She asked.

"I didn't do it alone; I was manipulated by Rosewell to fight for them," Aizel replied.

"So that's why you looked pissed. Well, you can't deny that Alexander is a strong mage. I already knew he was going to win easily.

"I hope you haven't forgotten your task. Ignore the riots and clear the mountain first; I will talk to the headmaster." After saying that, the princess left.

****

Alexander limped towards his tent, his body battered and drained by the battle. He'd used up all of his magical energy and wanted to rest.

The thought of honors and spoils could wait for now, as he had left them to his daughter.

As he approached his throne, he sank into it, a wave of relief washing over him. His personal maid entered with a glass of water and sat on his lap, carefully feeding him the refreshing drink.

"Where are the other maids? Are they safe?" He asked.

The maid swiftly leaned forward and rested her head on Alexander's chest, tenderly caressing it with her hand.

"Don't worry, we already left the tent before the fight started. They are all safe and sound."

"Good, tonight we're all going to have a huge celebration, haha.

"But why does something feel strange? Why can't I sense mana? Am I that tired?"

Alexander's gaze was pulled to the couch, where the staff was lying. Its purple crystal shone brightly, capturing his attention. His eyes widened with realization, but it was already too late.

Before he could respond, two daggers were driven into his neck from both sides. The maid's face began to change, displaying the features of his grandson, David.

"Look at you, grandfather; you have already become too old. It's time to say goodbye to Xelgar"

"Dam..n Y..ou"

Blood spurted out of Alexander's mouth as he struggled to speak, but David yanked out the dagger and continued his vicious assault on his grandfather's face.

His anger and resentment had reached a boiling point, and he showed no mercy as he mercilessly plunged the dagger into his face.

As he swiftly stored his grandfather's lifeless body in his storage ring, David felt a surge of relief wash over him.

With his heart still racing, he left the tent as quietly as possible, not wanting to call attention to himself. He gently slid out of the tent and transformed back into a maid, accompanied by the other maids.

All the maids were working for him as they left the land by teleporting from the magic circle, which was already prepared for them.

Meanwhile, the nobles reveled in their celebration, showering the Rosewell family with congratulations and praise for their triumph.

Little did they know that two powerful Grade V mages had met their demise in a matter of hours, orchestrated by a man who didn't even know how to use mana.