ONE PUNCH ONE CRIPPLE
ONE PUNCH ONE CRIPPLE
"Do you think the young Earl can win this duel? Yargos has several tiers of magic ahead of him", King Lavrentios asked his sons.
"Perhaps the illustrations about the invincibility of the Bully of Starri city in his newspaper is the Earl's embellishment, his way of bragging about his might even when he has none", Prince Samlee told the king and smiled.
"That seems to be logical but what I don't understand is, why will he agree to the duel if he is so powerless", the King asked the princes.
"Father, Oriese' might doesn't lie in his magic tiers", Prince Raslee told the king.
"Really, then where does his might lies in?" the king asked the prince in surprise.
"Oriese's might lies in his shamelessness and his money. We cannot check his wealth with the magic crystal", Prince Raslee told the king to his amusement.
"Wealth is his strength? None of us here are lacking in that," King Lavrentios asked curiously.
"And his special templar affinity, the Medicine Affinity", Raslee told his father.
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My speed increased immensely after drinking the magic potion and the crowd watched in awe as I dashed toward Yargos at incredible speed, moving like the wind.
"Did the potion the Bully drink give him an enormous burst of speed? He is as quick as the assassins of legend," someone asked.
"I heard he has the Medicine Affinity. It could multiply the effects of potions enormously for a short duration, but the drawback is his magic never grows beyond Earth tier", someone else added.
"No wonder he dares to be so arrogant despite his weak magic tier", another person added to the commentary.
When I almost reached Yargos, I lobbed a crystal device into his formation of shields. Suddenly, my crystal exploded on Yargos' shields breaking a fracture in his formation.
Before Yargos realized what was happening, I leaped into his immediate vicinity and launched a sonic punch on him.
"Drums of Kradesh"
My punch caused a sonic explosion inside Yargos that reverberated throughout his body, breaking every bone in his body. Yargos immediately fell to the ground from my punch, immobilized and crippled by my sonic attack.
"One Punch, One Cripple", I shouted and screamed to the audience who were shocked by the instantaneous defeat of Yargos.
-----
The force field around the arena dropped immediately after Yargos was immobilized as the medical team rushed inside to save him.
I slowly walked toward the king as those around me looked on.
Those busy bodies who had many comments about my 'garbageness' did not make a sound this time. The sound of my footsteps stepping on the marble ground eerily echoed across the courtyard as the crowd watched in horror and suspension.
Even the King and the princes were shocked by my swift K.O. of Yargos.
"Indeed, it is true in your newspaper illustrations. You really are like they say in your comic strips, Invincible", Concubine Stephene said to me breaking the protocol of the palace.
The King didn't reprimand her this time because those were the words that he wanted to say himself, but he would not.
My defeat of Yargos, one of the strongest young Knight Templars in the kingdom with a single punch was unprecedented, impossible even. The King contemplated whether to praise me or not because his words carried political significance and implications.
"What kind of monster are you? Yargos didn't even have the chance to scream for help," Minister Kimon asked me angrily, but I didn't bother to reply to him, but I replied to the concubine.
"It is usually like this. The battle finishes so soon that there is nothing much to draw in my usual fights. So, our team will add a few more punches and screaming here and there to spice up the fight. I did tell his majesty and your highness that the real fight will be less vivid and exciting than in my comic illustrations", I said to Concubine Stephene and the people around us.
"What is the potion that you drank during the duel?" Prince Fotis asked me.
"The potion is a special brew that increases a templar's speed and strength for a short duration. Amplified by my Medicine Affinity, my speed and strength reached the levels of a Legendary fighter", I replied to him as those around us nodded in understanding.
The nobles around me finally knew the root of my arrogance, my possession of the rare and powerful Medicine Affinity.
"What about the orb device that you threw into Yargos' shields formation which broke his shields so easily and effectively?" Prince Antonias asked me.
"Oh, that is the Orb of Implosion. It will destroy most formation shields even if the shields are at Legendary tiers although the orb is a single use artifact", I told him.
"The Orb of Implosion? Isn't that one of the artifacts of the Church of All-seeing, they are selling it in auctions for an exorbitant price", Prince Antonias asked me.
"It's not too steep, the price of the Orb. Only a little more than a million Aurs", I replied to him.
"Really? you used a million Aur artifact to fight in a friendly duel?" Prince Antonias asked me.
"I told you all that Oriese's might is in his money and indiscriminate use of them", Prince Raslee added.
After a short pause, the king finally spoke. He now finally understood my strengths and found them not to be something that he should be wary of.
"Good fight, young Earl of Kaleon", King Lavrentios said to me without elaborating further.
"Should we return to the banquet now, I am starving", Prince Raslee said to return the awkward situation of my surprising fight back to normal.
"Yes, we shall continue to feast tonight", King Laventios announced with a smile.
As we were about to adjourn to eating, Minister Kimon stopped us.
"There is something else that you should know your majesty", Minister Kimon said to the king.
"What is it, Kimon?" the king asked him.
"There is a murder in Eloora city. And that murder involves the father of the young Earl of Kaleon, the Duke of Kaleon", Minister Kimon said to my surprise and shock and the shock of everyone around us.