Duel 2

Alex slashed.

Yuki was clearly caught off guard by his movement, but luckily Alex wasn't aiming to kill. He cut her side, showing that he could have cut her in half, before letting her retreat.

This was a one time thing. Normally, he wouldn't beat her so quickly or fluidly, but it was only natural. She didn't know him or his specialties. Besides, he was a minor realm above her and even if they were of the same realm, he did not expect a different outcome. He had killed many opponents of similar realms by surprising them.

Alex had exceptional sword and movement skills. If one knew him and how he moved, they would be wary of such things, but only someone who could surpass his speed could beat him if they didn't know how he worked.

Alex was not above taking an opponent out in one strike or moving and killing someone by surprise. He had trained his sword from a young age, and was a master of efficiency. He specialized in fluidity and speed in his strikes rather than strength like most sword cultivators worked with. He got into a mood and could just see the flow that people used.

However, if one were to say anything about Alex's abilities, it would not be his sword skills that they would talk about first, but rather his footwork. Alex had amazing speed and fluidity in his steps and was an expert at dodging. Even people who were above him in cultivation struggled to hit him when he really got into the mood. He often used the music in his head to synchronize the rhythm, and he would dodge attacks easily, as long as they weren't too wide spread or fast.

If one knew him, they could prepare for this, but currently nobody had an inkling of his prowess except for perhaps the crow, Akkah.

Alex obviously did not want to kill Yuki, so he just barely pierced her skin. He also had a great eye for calculation and measuring distance. So he let her go with just that injury and allowed her to readjust and decide whether or not she wanted to continue this duel.

The king and princes had wide eyes. They were evidently impressed with his prowess. Even the queen twitched slightly. However, Alex was focused on Yuki and vice versa. She had been looking at her side and the blue blood that flowed out of it. The blue blood was a similar color to ice, as she widened her eyes ever so slightly, before staring at the man that smiled at her.

It should be noted, once again, that Alex's eyes did not cause an immediately liking or yandere. They also wouldn't turn an enemy into an ally. Long exposure would cause anybody to succumb but the time varied on the state of mind of the person and their relationship with Alex. His little eye contact with the queen, for instance, did nothing. She didn't feel anything for him. However, the princess on the other hand had been staring at Alex for a while, albeit she was just trying to size him up.

This exposure, combined with the now shaken state of mind, planted a small seed. One that would either wither or grow depending on the following events. However, once the seed bloomed, as it had in the 7 women who were currently trying to break through, it would not stop.

Yuki looked at Alex in a different light, before raising her sword yet again. For the first time in her cold life, she felt a small spark.

Alex smiled at her gesture and raised his sword as well. This would be a fight that he would enjoy.