Draziel's POV
I swept Zarek carefully with my gaze, observing him, as I strode powerfully back to the training ground, carrying my weight as threateningly as I always have.
He tightened his grip on his sword, settling carefully into a fighting stance, a slow, mischievous smile building along his lips. He was definitely up to something. But I couldn't tell what it actually was. Perhaps he was up to his playful antics again.
He could never best me in a fight. He knows that—everyone knows that. Not even if he used all his powers to the maximal level.
I didn't become the king of the demon world just because I was the first son. I became the king because I sweated and toiled for it—because I defeated my father, the most powerful demon that ever lived, even with his great weapon of time travel.
I had no reason to accept this duel. But I turned to glance at her once again—glimpsing the excitement that lit up her eyes, the warm amber brightened to near golden, and I wanted to do this—at least for her. She seemed eager for me to kick Zarek's ass.
Zarek yelled a battle cry as he charged at me, his sword swinging fast for my neck. I ducked, slipping easily from under his sword. It fanned my face as it sailed by.
He teleported to behind me, and I felt the vibration in the air as his sword sliced the air for me again. I moved away quickly from the sword, only to realize he'd manipulated the shadows of the guards around us. The shadows came at me in distinct solid shapes—dark shadow figures wielding their shadow swords for my neck.
I grinned with the whole of my face as I watched the shadows still charging for me. I glanced up to the top pavement to Lyra, making sure she was watching. She was—she leaned her elbows onto the balustrade, her eyes eagerly following every move I made.
I threw her a smile as I swept cleanly through the small army of shadows. Using my sword, I brought all of them down, two, three, four, and even five at a time, slicing them down as effortlessly as slicing through the air.
Zarek teleported to me then, swinging his sword again for my neck, charging fast at me with his sword faster and harder, and I kept dodging his attacks, slipping my head and body away from them, and letting them slice past me, ripping through the air.
At the same time that he was coming at me, I felt the vibration in the air again behind me, many more vibrations than before—the air around me was suddenly alive, rippling as if absorbing electricity. I grinned to myself, realizing what he'd done. He'd created shadow replicas of himself and was distracting me with his real self so his replicas could take me down. He really does mean to win this duel.
I didn't plan to teleport all through the fight. But now, it was either that, or I lose—losing wasn't an option. It wasn't just about my pride as the king. I couldn't let Lyra down.
I glanced up at her again to find her eyes on my body, her gaze tracing the muscles of my chest. She flushed back a bit, dragging her eyes away from me, but I just grinned as I teleported fast.
Zarek's replicas had been moving at an insane speed. With me no longer in their midst, they clashed against each other with their swords.
Then I teleported to them. Running fast in an almost circular motion, I sliced down the ones still standing. The original Zarek disappeared before I could get to him.
I wasn't bothered. I knew his next destination—behind me. Now I should end the fight. I'd let him play around for too long already. Now, he should be getting his ass kicked.
I felt his sudden presence in the air behind me, and I spun back for him immediately. I kicked down on the back of his leg. He winched in pain as my kick lifted him completely off the floor. He landed on the training ground with a thud that rattled the whole training ground.
"King Draziel. King Draziel." The guards chanted louder now, roaring my name.
I swung my sword towards his neck to put an end to the duel. He grunted, and somehow, he summoned up enough strength to struggle off the floor, teleporting fast before my sword could reach his neck.
He appeared on my right again, limping as he swung his sword for my neck. He stopped abruptly midway, just as I was about to duck the strike.
His eyes jumped fast above my head, tightening with alarm. "Lyra," he screamed. My heart exploded against my chest as I turned sharply in her direction. But she wasn't falling or in any danger whatsoever. Her gaze went over my head to Zarek, eyes round and wide, confused as I was.
By the time I'd realized what Zarek had done, he'd jammed his sword's hilt against my chest. Then his legs collided against my thighs, raking me off the ground completely. I thudded against the hard ground as I landed, pain jarring through every inch of me, spreading from my back. Then he swung his sword for my neck, staying it an inch from my skin.
"I won, Draziel," he screamed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "1012-1. I finally won!" He screamed.
I stared up at him, adrenaline sizzling through my veins, and I shuddered against the floor. He swung back his sword for his scabbard, jumping and screaming with excitement away from me. Damn him. He'd cheated.
I bit on my lip gently, muttering and rebuking myself under my breath. How could I let myself be easily fooled? But I couldn't complain. A king never does. Cheating or not, he'd won this round.
I shifted my gaze to the floor as I dragged myself to my feet. I couldn't bring myself to look up—how could I look into her eyes when I had failed her—when I had let myself be defeated instead of kicking Zarek's ass?
I continued to drag my gaze around on the ground as I picked up my sword. I couldn't bring myself to look into the disappointment that must now plague her eyes for me.
The chanting had died with my defeat, and I heard the sound. Zarek's screams of excitement almost clouded the sound, but still—it was loud in my ears, jarring through my eardrums—Lyra's footsteps. I spun around, and I saw her running down the stairs towards me, her brows wrinkled, her movement tensed with worry. Damn. I screamed aloud at myself. Before she could run to me, I teleported fast from the training ground.