Belial noticed the odd behavior of Marquis Reynard but chose to remain silent due to the lack of evidence. Speaking up without proof would make him seem biased toward his children, as Marquis Reynard had accused.
“What do you all think?” he asked, turning to his advisers and wives.
An imposing military man from below stood up. “My lord, it would be best to let the two Marquises duel. Whoever is defeated will have their soul searched to uncover the truth.”
His suggestion received nods of agreement from many in the room.
“Yes, that would be for the best, my lord husband,” Duchess Ruliana chimed in from his side, concealing her malicious intent, fully expecting Bella’s demise.
Vienna, however, looked worriedly at the duo as the matter was being settled.
Belial spoke, “Do either of you have an issue with this proposal? Marquis Reynard? Bella?”
“No, I have no problem, my lord!” Marquis Reynard replied, hiding a malicious sneer.
Aengus accepted, and Bella confidently responded, “We have no problem either, father.”
“Very well,” Belial said in his commanding voice before snapping his fingers.
In an instant, the courtroom seemed to expand by at least a kilometer on all sides. Yet, from the outside, nothing had changed; the spatial expansion was confined entirely within Belial’s ability.
At the center of the newly expanded platform stood Aengus, Bella, and the Undead Marquis. Aengus couldn’t help but be impressed by Belial’s display of power—spatial manipulation was no easy feat. Only someone of Belial’s stature, a Demon General, could manage such a thing.
“One of you, step outside!” Belial’s voice boomed, reaching them from afar.
Aengus turned to Bella. “Bella, you should step out. I need to handle him. This guy is interesting—his metal attacks are nothing like yours.”
“Are you sure?” Bella asked, hesitating.
“Yes,” Aengus replied firmly.
Bella sighed, knowing his decision was final. When Aengus made up his mind, no one could sway him. Resigned, she began to walk back from the center, her departure eliciting a rare smile from Belial. He had already sensed that his “son-in-law” was far more powerful than he appeared, and now he was eager to see what surprises the young man might bring.
Meanwhile, Duchess Ruliana frowned, and the audience exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to expect.
“What is Princess Bella is doing?” one asked.
“Who is going to fight Marquis Reynard?”
“Don’t tell me it’s that half-breed?”
“Yeah, It sounds ridiculous right?”
“I know he had royal blood in him, and probably talented. But, isn’t it just suicide to face off an Archdemon like this?”
As the whispers in the courtroom grew, Duchess Ruliana’s expression darkened further.
“Why is this half-breed meddling so much with our plan?” she muttered inwardly, gripping the armrest of her seat tightly, her knuckles turning white with anger.
“Are you alright?” Belial asked, noticing her tense demeanor.
Ruliana forced a smile. “Yes, I’m fine, my lord husband. I’m just worried about Bella, dear. She’s like a daughter to me, after all…”
Belial raised an eyebrow, suspicion flashing across his face. He remembered how eagerly Ruliana had pushed for Bella to be sent into the duel just moments ago. Her sudden concern seemed odd, but he pushed the thought aside, focusing his attention on the match before him with growing curiosity.
“What other surprises could this half-breed bring?” Belial wondered silently.
He was well aware of Aengus’s recent feats. Despite being cautious, he wasn’t foolish enough to place blind trust in someone. The reports he had received had shocked him—Aengus had ascended to the rank of Elder Demon within mere weeks, an impossible achievement, especially in the Demon Lands.
Belial had been tempted to intervene, to discover the secret behind Aengus’s rapid rise. But the revelation that his daughter had fallen in love with the young man had given him pause.
It wasn’t just that—Belial had found no trace of Aengus’s family, even in the human lands of Solis. The absence of any record only deepened his suspicion that there was more to this boy than met the eye.
For now, Belial chose to wait. He needed to see for himself if Aengus was truly worthy of his beloved daughter.
—
“You’re certainly a meddlesome fellow, half-breed,” the Undead Marquis said, his voice carrying a chilling, menacing undertone.
“Yes, I am. What can I do? I’m her partner—though she likes to call me husband,” Aengus replied, his voice calm and indifferent, completely unfazed by the Marquis’s hostility.
“Then, your end will be because of your foolishness,” the Undead Marquis laughed darkly, his eyes gleaming with malice as he drew his greatsword, a grotesque weapon made entirely of bones.
Aengus stood his ground, seemingly unbothered, not even drawing a weapon. But from the outside, he looked like he was wasting his time.
“See! That half-breed’s a fool. He doesn’t even know to arm himself for defense,” scoffed a hideous four-headed demon nearby, his eyes trailing lustfully over Bella’s figure.
“Lady Bella certainly made a mistake. I would’ve been a much better option than him.”
Bella shot the demon a disgusted look. “Trash!” she spat, her disdain evident.
The demon’s face turned purple out of embarrassment.
Without paying him any further mind, Bella refocused on the impending battle, her stance ready for anything. Her eyes stayed on Aengus, prepared to act if anything went wrong. She wouldn’t let anyone harm her hubby, no matter what.
Aengus didn’t draw his weapon, not out of arrogance, but because his holy sword could only be wielded by humans. If anyone discovered that he, a half-demon, could use such a weapon, he would be branded a heretic. With his skills restricted and his weapon unusable, his only option was to rely on his demonic abilities, the ones he could reveal without raising suspicion.
He couldn’t fully transform into his Hellfire Leviathan form—his ultimate trump card—but he could still tap into its basic traits through partial transformation.
“Begone!”
Undead Marquis Roared.
As the Undead Marquis charged at him with the speed of a lightning strike, Aengus activated his abilities, bracing himself for the clash. His body surged with demonic power, ready to face his opponent barehanded.
