Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 432 : I request the honor of a duel

The colosseum crowd's clamor and cheers instantly surged to a new peak.

Orion returned to his seat and looked at Prince Theodore, as well as Princess Ava by his side.

"Your Highness, what do you think of this 'fair' contest in the colosseum?"

Prince Theodore knitted his brows, forcibly suppressing a swell of fury as he inhaled deeply to calm himself. He knew full well he had been played. The King of Giants was using these human slaves to rattle his morale. If he lost his composure now, he would be ill-prepared for the upcoming trade negotiations and surely lose ground.

"Lord Orion, your Horde's Elder of Prophecy is indeed impressive. But if he happens to be cut down in his own colosseum, that would be quite a shame!"

With the situation as it was, Prince Theodore could only retort in kind, hoping to regain some footing.

Orion gave a hearty laugh and responded loudly, "I have supreme confidence in our Stoneheart Horde Elder of Prophecy!"

"How coincidental," Prince Theodore replied, matching Orion's gaze before turning to Princess Ava. "I'm just as confident in the knights of the human kingdom."

Princess Ava bit her lip and nodded, tense and fearful. Before the banquet, she had been overjoyed to see Galahad again, but after learning of Arthur's death, she was left despondent.

...

"Galahad, how could you be so reckless? It's all because of me…"

Behind Prince Theodore, Godfrey stood with his hands clenched into fists, watching Galahad in the colosseum with profound anxiety.

Both Godfrey and Galahad were Alpha-level warriors, highly regarded by Prince Theodore and far more qualified to attend such an event than lesser knights like Torin or Samuel. None of them could have predicted that Galahad would lose control at the banquet.

"Damn it, I should've held him back earlier! Then he wouldn't have caused this disaster!"

Gritting his teeth, Godfrey silently prayed, "Galahad, you have to survive!"

"A duel between Alpha-level fighters—now this could be entertaining."

Aldous paused his feast long enough to look out at Onyx and Galahad in the colosseum. "Heh heh… One is Alpha-level mid-stage, the other's Alpha-level early-stage. I'm more inclined to bet on the Stoneheart Horde Elder."

Orion offered no comment on Aldous's judgment. However, the words hit both Godfrey and Princess Ava like a thunderclap. Godfrey staggered slightly, nearly losing his balance, while Ava's face went deathly pale as she tightened her grip on Prince Theodore's sleeve.

Time ticked by. A quarter of an hour later, Orion's calm voice echoed through the hall.

"It's been long enough. I trust both sides are ready."

"Then let the duel begin!"

"Ooooh—!"

Amid the sound of horns, the colosseum erupted in deafening applause and shouts.

"Kill him!"

"Prophet, chop off his head!"

"Onyx, split that human wide open with your axe!"

"…"

Clearly, every member of the Horde threw their support behind Onyx in this fight. In the arena, Galahad drew his two-handed sword while Onyx hefted his stone axe.

"I am Galahad," he said, voice low. "I fight for my comrades, and for Her Highness."

His fighting spirit burned, every drop of anger and hatred forging his resolve. Even so, Galahad maintained his knightly courtesy and proper manners. As a knight, he had no desire to see his comrades die one by one, nor to see his princess weep so bitterly in public.

Onyx crossed his battle-axe over his chest, gaze serious and voice deep.

"By My Lord's command, if you wish to save your comrades, you must do so over my dead body."

Galahad remained silent. He would fight with a knight's honor. Lifting his sword, Galahad's armor seemed to bleed from black to crimson in the span of three seconds.

Noting the change, Orion's eyes widened with interest in Galahad's gear. Nonetheless, with the battle under way, Orion said nothing further and kept his focus on the fight.

Whoosh!

Galahad's form blurred and split in two, sword-light streaking toward Onyx.

"An illusion?" Onyx said. "No time to tell them apart—so I'll cut them both down!"

Onyx, who had fought in countless wars beside Orion, showed not the slightest panic in the face of Galahad's assault.

"Double Whirlwind Slash!"

Seizing his axe in both hands, Onyx bellowed and spun on the spot. Bolstered by the power in his bloodline, the swing of his immense axe sliced through the air, conjuring a swirling whirlwind around him. The moment it formed, Onyx charged headlong toward Galahad's sword-lights.

Splurt!

The sword-light on the right flickered out the instant it met Onyx's whirlwind. Galahad, launching his strike from the left, slammed his greatsword into the vortex and cut it apart. Onyx turned to face him once more. Both fighters completed the opening exchange without claiming a decisive advantage.

In the hall, everyone watched with rapt attention. Seeing Galahad withstand Onyx's fierce attack brought a sharp exhale of relief from Princess Ava.

Next to her, Prince Theodore remained expressionless, sneaking a glance at Orion out of the corner of his eye. Orion, for his part, stared calmly at the colosseum, betraying no emotion.

The fight continued in the arena.

"That's quite a skill," Onyx remarked, then raised his massive axe for another blow. A terrifying blade-force surged out from its edge like a furious dragon's roar.

Roar!

The blade-force materialized into a rampaging draconic shape that crashed forward. Galahad lifted his sword to block but was struck full on, knocking him back.

Boom!

He landed hard, sending up a cloud of dust. Along his path, there appeared a crack roughly 30 feet deep and 300 feet long, stretching all the way from where he had stood to where he now lay.

The shocking impact hushed the entire crowd, including those watching from the hall.

"Cough… cough…"

A fit of coughing broke the silence as Galahad rose from the cloud of dust. He planted his sword in the ground before him. When the debris cleared, there was a shallow, blood-red mark stretching from the top of his head down to his chin.

Clank!

The armor on Galahad's body split into two pieces and fell to the ground. That crimson armor had protected him at the critical moment, preventing a lethal wound.

"You are strong."

"This battle-axe was bestowed upon me by my lord. That move you just survived was called 'Raging Dragon Slash.' You're the first Alpha-level warrior to live through it."

Onyx's deep, steady voice carried across the arena; the fact that Galahad had survived his strike earned the Elder's respect. Galahad raised his head, any hint of reason was gone from his eyes, now brimming with murderous intent.

Lowering his gaze to the greatsword in his hands, Galahad slowly opened his mouth and began reciting a mysterious incantation. As soon as the chant started, the fallen pieces of his crimson armor became strands of secret technique runes that fused into Galahad's sword and body.

Meanwhile, Onyx noticed Galahad's change and was not about to underestimate him. He bit his thumb and splashed blood upon the ground, drawing a deep-red formation.

In the next instant, a blood-colored Dark Armored Beetle emerged from the magical array—Onyx's Blood Spirit Summoning beast, a legacy skill bestowed by a special structure known as the Heroic Altar.

The appearance of the Dark Armored Beetle made every human envoy in the reception hall leap to their feet, staring at the colosseum in disbelief. Only Prince Theodore remained composed. He stayed seated, his expression calm, almost as if he had seen through something and chosen to accept it.

Back in the colosseum, Galahad's secret art and Onyx's summoning ritual concluded in nearly the same moment.

Galahad's sword grew even larger, and dense crimson runes spread across his body, giving him a strange and fearsome aura. Facing Onyx and the Dark Armored Beetle, Galahad—bereft of reason—did not flinch.

With a tearing sound, Galahad swung his greatsword, ripping through the air as he charged straight at Onyx and the Dark Armored Beetle.

Clang!

The sword collided with the beetle's sharp horn, but it left no mark on the beast. Meanwhile, Onyx's enormous axe followed in a brilliant lightning-quick arc, cleaving into Galahad's shoulder.

Crack!

A deep fissure opened across Galahad's shoulder. Yet almost immediately, the swirling crimson runes covering Galahad's body surged to pull the wound shut, knitting the injury in seconds. Within moments, his shoulder was restored. As if nothing had happened, Galahad launched another attack on Onyx and his Dark Armored Beetle.

"Humility Armor! Does he carry the inheritance of the ancient knights?"

Blood Elf Lycanor's exclamation rang out in the reception hall. Her people were known for their longevity, and Lycanor—being the oldest and most learned present—apparently knew something of ancient knightly traditions.

Orion and Aldous both turned their attention to her, but when they saw that Prince Theodore and Princess Ava gave no reaction, Lycanor simply ignored their stares and kept her composure, focusing on the fight.

In the colosseum, Galahad lunged again and again, sustaining wound after wound. At last, the relentless assault managed to inflict some damage on the Dark Armored Beetle—he nearly severed one of its legs.

"Go to hell!"

Seeing his battle companion injured, Onyx felt his anger flare.

"Rock-Sundering Slash!"

Seizing his chance, Onyx leapt from the Dark Armored Beetle's back into midair, raising both axes high. With a sharp tearing sound, Galahad—who had aimed another blow at the beetle—was sliced right down the middle.

This time, no matter how fiercely the runes on his body tried to mend the wound, there was no saving him. The crimson symbols spluttered and faded. At best, they had only managed to reattach a single half of his head.

"I swear by my knightly honor… that I shall treat all with humility… remain faithful to my sword… abide by the calling of my heart…

"To bear humility, return with honor… I offer my life… for this creed…"

Those were the final words of the knightly vow Galahad had spoken upon receiving his inheritance, echoing in his mind as he slipped into darkness—into justice—into the arms of the gods.

"No…"

In the hall, Princess Ava let out a wail before collapsing into Prince Theodore's arms. Down in the colosseum, the cheers and shouts from the Stoneheart Horde swelled like a tidal wave.

"He's dead!"

"That human knight is finally dead!"

"WAAAGH… Well done, Elder of Prophecy!"

"Hail Prophet Onyx!"

...

Orion wore a faint smile as he turned to Prince Theodore.

"Your Highness, my sincere apologies."

There was a subtle provocation beneath Orion's words, yet Prince Theodore remained perfectly calm. He channeled his transcendent power and roused his aunt, Princess Ava. Once he signaled one of the attendants to support Ava, Prince Theodore stepped forward to face Orion.

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"Orion, you have cost the human kingdom both men and honor; worst of all, you have shamed our princess. I will not let that stand.

I challenge you. I request the honor of a duel!"

With that, Prince Theodore sprang into the air above the colosseum. Armed with his sword and clad in sacred armor, his cape rippled in the wind as he pointed his blade directly at the Giant King Orion. His voice rang out with such force that not only the colosseum crowd but also the people throughout Stoneheart City heard it.

All eyes in Stoneheart City turned skyward to behold the valiant and imposing Prince Theodore.

Orion's smile vanished, replaced by a poised and level stare. He had used human slaves and Galahad's death to crush the human envoys' morale, and now Theodore intended to humiliate Orion in return—reclaiming some measure of dignity.

Neither was acting on whim alone; there were deeper motives at play. Those few knights' lives alone would not drive Theodore to such impulsiveness.

"Orion, I request your tutelage!"

The prince's powerful voice again resounded through the air. Orion turned to the ogre Aldous, who set down his roast with a loud chew and said, "My friend, I assure you, neither the ogres nor the Blood Elves will interfere in your 'friendly exchange' with the human prince."

Hoisting his spiked club onto his shoulder, Aldous flashed a grin at Blood Elf Lycanor. Nor did he fear her, an upper-legendary being. He likely could not defeat Lycanor, but he was confident he could keep her at bay for a while.