Axel

Chapter 538: The Challenge and the Stakes

Added 2025-07-01 15:08:00 +0000 UTC

Charlot Mecklenburg needed only a single day to command his fleet and completely blockade the waters surrounding Arcadia Port. From a bird’s-eye view, one could see a dense mist, ten kilometers thick, curving in an arc and enclosing the port city from the sea.

Romeos, knowing the current state of affairs, understood that the New Continent Council only occupied South Seraph on the mainland, bordered by Behemoth Principality, Mossred Duchy, and Charlot’s Mecklenburg Duchy. If Charlot succeeded in sealing off their access to the sea, resources would inevitably become scarce. Acting decisively, he sent Charlot a challenge, proposing that each side select ten warriors to duel on the sea, with the duel determining the future of South Seraph.

Charlot, upon receiving this challenge, immediately rejected it. In his reply to Romeos, he wrote:

"South Seraph is my rightful territory. Its fate cannot be decided by the outcome of a duel. However, if Mr. Romeos wishes to settle specific grievances through combat, I propose we wager with population figures. Each victory would claim 100,000 lives from the losing side."

If the New Continent lost, Charlot could weaken their war potential by reducing their controlled population. While extraordinary abilities were still the decisive factor in warfare for both the Old and New Continents, the role of ordinary people was undeniably crucial, even if often overlooked by the nobility.

If Charlot lost...

Well, he had undead sailors and could always produce more of the Wriggling Demons to make up the numbers if needed.

Romeos was unaware of the depths of Charlot’s resources but still made the wise decision to refuse Charlot’s counteroffer. Their correspondence dragged on for a week, filled with arguments, until they finally reached a consensus: an exchange of prisoners would precede the duels.

During the Battle of Black Phoenix City, Charlot had captured numerous New Continent citizens, whereas the New Continent Council had barely any prisoners from Charlot’s West Wind Knight Order. Thus, their agreement took on an odd form:

If Charlot’s duelists lost, he would release 1,000 prisoners. If the New Continent’s duelists lost, they would surrender 1,000 of their immigrants.

The day after the agreement, Romeos personally took the field for the first duel. Charlot’s strongest asset was Yishemierlen, a rank-24 former evil god, whom Charlot unhesitatingly deployed.

When Yishemierlen had fought Idehyra in the Dreamscape, he appeared as a skeleton in a cheap, paper-like black suit. Thus, no one from the New Continent recognized the kind and composed face of this peak Saint-rank fighter.

Romeos, intending to make an imposing display, reached toward the sky. A curtain of darkness descended, transforming into a black, flowing stream that surged toward Yishemierlen.

For a moment, Yishemierlen’s gaze became clouded, as if he had seen something familiar. He made no attempt to resist and was swiftly engulfed by the black stream.

Romeos, a seasoned warrior, did not understand why Yishemierlen had reacted so passively. Nonetheless, he executed his plan perfectly, and the black stream whisked Yishemierlen out of sight.

From the rear, Charlot observed with mild surprise.

“Romeos is indeed a peak Saint-rank, and his abilities are strange,” Charlot mused. “But it’s impossible for him to instantly kill someone of equal rank, let alone Yishemierlen, a former evil god. Could he have banished him to the Endless Void?”

Charlot reached out with his senses and quickly located Yishemierlen, drifting in an unnamed realm. Though Charlot lacked the ability to traverse the void, he could summon Yishemierlen back since the former evil god was his... Demon of the Mirror.

The next moment, a magical mirror appeared, and Yishemierlen stepped out.

The former evil god’s gaze was still dazed, prompting Charlot to speculate,

“Could he have recalled a memory of his past self? If so, Romeos’ power might not be purely cultivated but connected to an evil god.”

Charlot’s own abilities, including the Infinite Mirror World, had connections to the void but were not true void magic. As a rank-19 Transcendent, he had no way of traversing dimensions. Nonetheless, Romeos’ “black stream” piqued his interest.

Romeos, surprised by Yishemierlen’s return, recognized the Infinite Mirror World and thought,

“Is he a vampire? That would make sense—Charlot hails from a vampire lineage, so it’s only logical his subordinates would as well.”

“No matter,” Romeos resolved. “I may not understand Blood Glory, but vampiric powers are not invincible to me.”

The black stream swirled into a massive tide, surging toward Yishemierlen once again. This time, though Yishemierlen’s gaze remained dazed, he extended a hand and conjured an invisible barrier that repelled the attack.

Both combatants unleashed their powers, their duel in the sky shaking observers to their core. Even the Saint-rank fighters on both sides watched in awe.

Avish, a Saint-rank from the New Continent, could not help but sigh.

“I am no match for Romeos.”

Avish knew that Romeos was wielding the power of an evil god. Unlike himself, who could only command Aruhet Samsusu to fight, Romeos had seamlessly integrated the evil god’s power into his own.

Meanwhile, Charlot’s Saint-rank subordinates watched nervously. Romeos’ powers, particularly the black stream, were so overwhelming that they doubted they could last more than a few exchanges.

Andreas exclaimed,

“Even my father couldn’t defeat this peak Saint-rank from the New Continent!”

Charlot shook his head.

“This leader of the New Continent Council is far weaker than your father. He only appears strong because he borrows an evil god’s power. Without that black stream, Constantine could tear him apart within half a day.”

Charlot, who had also used the power of evil gods before, understood its workings. However, compared to Romeos, his use of such power had been crude.

He was secretly relieved to have turned Yishemierlen into a Demon of the Mirror. Though the former evil god’s power had fallen to the peak Saint-rank level, his essence as an evil god rendered him immune to the black stream.

Charlot thought grimly,

“The people of the New Continent are far too deeply entwined with evil gods.”