601.Chapter 601
601.Chapter 601
The middle–aged man remained composed. He turned to Sariyah, bowed slightly, and said, “I’m willing to step in for Vance.”
“No.”
“No!”
To everyone’s surprise, both Vance and Sariyah rejected his offer without hesitation.
Sariyah said nothing further after her refusal.
Vance frowned and said, “Isaac, this is my mess. Even if it costs me a hand, I’ll handle it myself. There’s no need for you to intervene.”
With that, he stepped forward and said to Nolan, “Your Highness, how do you want to settle this?”
Nolan smiled. “Let’s keep it straightforward. A fight. Whoever admits defeat first loses a hand.”
He paused, then added, “Oh, and to avoid anyone accusing me of bullying you, I’ll fight you with just one hand. So, do you dare?”
A glimmer of hope flashed in Vance’s eyes.
Earlier, he had underestimated Nolan, provoking him without knowing his strength.
But after witnessing Nolan’s casual knife throw, which left his cousin bloodied and the ground shattered, he realized he was no match for Nolan.
At least not in terms of raw power.
However, if Nolan was only using one hand, the outcome might not be so certain.
With that thought, Vance’s confidence surged back.
“If you are willing to fight with one hand, why wouldn’t I dare to accept?”
“Good,” Nolan said. “Just don’t surrender too quickly.”
He turned to Eliza and said gently, “Go back to your seat and rest for a bit. This won’t take long.”
“Alright, be careful.”
Even though Eliza didn’t think Vance was a match for Nolan, she still instinctively voiced her concern.
Nolan didn’t take it as an insult. Instead, he smiled and said, “Relax. Go ahead. Have some fresh coffee first. I’ll make you a better one later.”
“Alright,” Eliza replied with a smile and returned to her seat.
Sure enough, there was a steaming cup of coffee waiting for her on the table.
Eliza picked it up and took a sip, her delicate face showing a trace of surprise.
“This coffee doesn’t seem to be from the Malone family?” she murmured.
One of the Black Flag soldiers leaned in and whispered, “It’s from Nolan himself. I saw him take a small pouch out of his coat earlier…”
Before the soldier could finish, Nolan’s sharp gaze darted toward him, as if he had sensed the conversation. The soldier immediately straightened up and zipped his lips, pretending he hadn’t said a word.
Eliza couldn’t help but laugh. “Your Highness, you’re so thoughtful.”
‘I’ll have to invite Nolan for coffee later to thank him properly, Eliza thought.
Seeing Eliza drink the coffee he had personally prepared, Nolan finally withdrew his gaze, satisfied. Turning back, he focused his attention on the opponent standing before him.
Calling Vance his “opponent” was already far too generous a compliment.
With his unmatched power, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say he had crushed every challenger in his path.
But Vance, having only heard of Nolan’s reputation, had no real grasp of his strength. That ignorance cost him dearly. The moment the duel began, Nolan’s blade moved like a flash of lightning, and before Vance could even process what was happening, he was forced to his knees in an instant.
Vance’s scream ripped through the air, raw and piercing.
His shoulder blade shattered on impact, and blood gushed out in a torrent, soaking his entire shoulder in seconds. The agonized cries reverberated across the dueling arena, leaving the crowd frozen in shock.
“Vance!”
601.Chapter 601
“Vance!”
The Malone family, including Sariyah, was shocked.
No one had expected such a devastating injury right at the start of the duel.
The two of them had moved at the same time, but Nolan’s speed was so blindingly fast that no one even saw his blade.
In the blink of an eye, Vance was forced to kneel in the dirt.
And Nolan’s blade rested coldly against his neck.
“Your Highness, stop!”
Sariyah’s voice rang out, sharp with urgency.
Nolan said impatiently, “What’s the rush? I said I wouldn’t kill him. As long as he doesn’t surrender, I can do whatever I want.” Realizing his intentions, Sariyah quickly turned to Vance. “Vance, surrender now!” she urged. “Even if it costs you a hand, it‘ s better than death! If you don’t, the consequences will be even worse!”
But Nolan had no intention of giving Vance that chance.
“You’ve got guts. No one’s ever dared to act so brazenly in front of me before. Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to challenge me?” Nolan asked.
He slowly pulled his blade from Vance’s shoulder.
The pain was excruciating, like fire tearing through his body. Vance wanted to collapse, to writhe on the ground in agony. He thought, ‘Wait, what did Sariyah just say? Surrender?
‘But I haven’t even fought back yet! If I surrender now, how could I ever hold my head up again?
‘I’m the eldest grandson of the Malone family, destined to lead it one day!
‘No, if I have to surrender, I’ll at least make him
pay first!‘
Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Vance gripped his sword with his uninjured hand and swung it fiercely at Nolan, who was still withdrawing his blade.
“Drop dead!” he shouted.
Before Vance’s blade could even graze Nolan, Nolan’s powerful kick sent him flying backward.
S
Like a kite with its string snapped, Vance plummeted straight to the ground, rolling uncontrollably several times before finally coming to a stop.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with unidentifiable clots.
Vance’s face was a mask of shock, panic, and helplessness.
That single kick had completely wrecked his internal organs.
‘Why? He’s faster than I, but how could he possess such monstrous strength? No, this couldn’t go on,‘ he thought. Vance struggled to prop himself up, his voice trembling as he gasped, “Wait… This time, I… I wasn’t ready. I don’t…” As Nolan drew closer, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped Vance, making him feel as though death was looming over
him.
Throwing all pride aside, he scrambled to admit defeat.
But before he could finish his sentence, a flash of cold steel sliced through the air. Nolan severed one of Vance’s legs cleanly.
Vance’s scream ripped through the air, raw and piercing.
Nolan strolled over leisurely, stopping in front of him. He lifted his blade with a faint smile and said, “The last fool who dared challenge me lost his head on the battlefield. But lucky you. I said I wouldn’t kill you, and I always keep my word.” But to provoke him and dare to covet Eliza? That was a crime deserving a fate far worse than death.
“Relax. We’ve got all the time in the world. Let’s take it slow.”
With that, Nolan pointed his blade at Vance’s remaining leg.
“No!”
“Vance!”
“Stop this right now!”
