The arena went silent, only the heavy sound of Ruth’s footsteps echoing as he rose from his seat. His eyes were sharp and full of heat, but his face remained cold, stripped of any softness. The killing intent rolling off him was suffocating, thick enough to choke the strongest men in the stands. It was not wild or uncontrolled but heavy, precise, and deliberate. It spread like a cold blade across everyone’s neck, making their skin prickle and their senses scream in fury. Gasps broke out through the crowd. Nobles and knights who were used to seeing bloodshed still felt their hearts tighten under that oppressive aura. Many covered their mouths in shock, their eyes fixed on Ruth as if unable to look away. Children clung to their parents, trembling as if death itself had passed over them. The killing intent was sharp enough to drown the cheers and laughter that once filled the arena. "What is going on?" Duke Serpentine stood suddenly, his face pale as he stared at Ruth. Duke Salvatore and Duke Martin exchanged quick glances before standing as well. Their instincts screamed at them to intervene, but their bodies refused to move carelessly. Ruth’s power was not just pressure, it was a storm of bloody will. To act against it now might trigger a disaster no one wanted to face. They remained still, hands clenched, waiting for the next moment. Ruth’s aura was different from the display of any warrior. It was not prideful or boasting, but cold and merciless. It was the intent of a man who had taken countless lives and was ready to take more without hesitation. People in the audience felt their chests tighten, their vision blur, and the taste of iron fill their mouths as if they were already bleeding. The weight of that fury was enough to shatter weaker minds. Luke, who had been standing with the other nobles, hesitated. His eyes followed Ruth’s back as he walked away, his thoughts turning heavy. Just then, a servant rushed in, bowing low before whispering hurriedly into his ear. "Your Highness... it’s urgent." Luke frowned. "What happened?" The servant leaned closer, speaking in a low voice. Luke’s expression changed at once, his face darkening as though he had been struck. Anger twisted his features, but after a breath he closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. When he opened them again, they were sharp and steady. "Inform the Duchess to head out as well," Luke ordered coldly before leaving the stand, his cloak trailing behind him. The servant bowed again and hurried after him. On the royal platform, the princes and princesses had also risen to their feet. The sudden flood of power reached them like a crashing wave. "Wooo..." one of the younger princes gasped as the blast of energy rushed toward them, threatening to tear apart the royal stand. Before it could reach them, a unit of knights led by Pleard stepped forward, their formation glowing with power. The barrier they created clashed against the pressure and held firm. The two forces struggled for a heartbeat before Ruth’s intent was swallowed and the danger dispersed. The audience exhaled, their bodies shaking as the suffocating weight lifted slightly. Edward, who had been watching the fight with interest before, now frowned deeply. His gaze followed Ruth’s retreating figure, his thoughts sharp. For another man to unleash such killing intent in the presence of the royal family was nothing short of a direct threat. His jaw tightened as he considered what this meant. "What is going on?" Edward muttered, his voice hard. "Has he lost his mind?" another noble whispered. "It seems he is trying to rebel..." Rein said with a small laugh, though the tension in his eyes betrayed his unease. "Brother," Maritina hissed, glaring at him. "This is not something to joke about. This is dangerous." The others nodded. Only Roosevelt sat quietly, his hand pressed against his temple as if trying to calm a pounding headache. He let out a slow breath, his face heavy. ’What are these children doing? If it comes to it, I will crush them all with strength alone,’ he thought. But when his eyes landed on Ruth, they sharpened. The Veydrin name still carried weight in the empire. People believed Luther feared them, but Roosevelt knew better. A man who lived by his pride, his honor, and his rules. For someone like him to release such power in public, something unbearable must have happened. Something that crossed a line that should never have been crossed. Pleard stepped forward and bowed before Edward. "Your Majesty, should we halt the match?" Edward’s eyes flicked to the battlefield where Kael and Vale still stood frozen, watching Ruth’s figure vanish beyond the arena. His expression darkened further, but his voice was steady. "No. Ask them to continue. It must end today. Grand Duke Ruth has already walked out." The order rang clear across the stand. The weight of Ruth’s presence still lingered in the air, but now the crowd turned their eyes back to the arena. The fight was not yet over, but everyone knew the day had already taken a darker turn. ....... The most update n0vels are published on novelFirｅ.net Vale’s eyes narrowed as confusion spread across his face. He could not understand what was happening in front of him. A sharp thought passed through his mind. ’Was this man simply acting because his son was slowly losing the match?’’ The idea alone made his blood boil. A wave of hatred and anger surged within him, so strong that it felt ready to erupt at any moment. His lips trembled in fury as he muttered to himself. "These cheaters, always finding ways to twist the rules and trick others." The voice of the judge broke through the tension in the arena. He raised his hand and shouted for the fighters to continue. Vale shifted his gaze back to the fight, watching Kael closely. Yet what he saw made his chest tighten with rage. Kael stood there, calm, his eyes wandering away as if ignoring him completely. Vale clenched his fists, his face burning with humiliation. "Look at me, asshole!" Vale bellowed, his voice echoing across the field. His spear slashed forward with such force that a powerful arc tore through the air. The strike collided with Kael, blasting him down onto the ground. Kael deflected the attack in time, but his eyes still were not on Vale. Instead, he was staring somewhere else, towards the stands, as if Vale did not matter at all. That single act crushed Vale’s pride. His heart raged, and his face twisted with humiliation. His eyes darkened, glowing with murderous intent as his scream tore through the field. "I will kill you!" In an instant, darkness surged out of Vale’s body, enveloping him like a violent storm. His foot slammed into the ground, the impact splitting the earth with a crack. He launched himself forward like a bullet, his spear raised high, ready to tear Kael apart. His mind was filled with only one thought, to destroy the man who dared to ignore him. But just before his weapon could strike, a flash cut across his chest. Blood sprayed as the air itself seemed to split. The sound exploded through the field. A massive arc slashed the ground behind him, carving deep into the earth with a violent shockwave. The force threw Vale off balance, and his body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Gasping, he stared in shock, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Then a voice came, calm but firm. "I didn’t want to use this alas.." Next moment a huge cut mark appeared cutting through his chest from which blood spurted like a fountain. Vale’s eyes widened, his scream rising in disbelief. "What!"