Chapter 56: Neo Vs Helios

The training ground of the royal palace stretched out beneath the open night sky, illuminated by rows of floating light orbs positioned around its wide, circular perimeter. Word of the duel had spread through the ballroom like wildfire, and within minutes, nearly half the ball’s attendees had gathered along the edges of the arena, eager nobles jostling quietly for the best vantage points.

Neo stood at one end of the field, having already discarded his formal jacket, rolling up his sleeves as he studied Helios standing confidently on the opposite side.

Princess Elaine stepped forward between them, her expression composed despite the obvious displeasure still lingering behind her eyes.

"Before we begin, are there any terms either of you wish to formally declare?" she said, raising her voice slightly to carry across the gathered crowd,

Helios stepped forward immediately, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "Since you ask, Your Highness, I do have a request. If I win, Neo Draven will kneel before me and publicly acknowledge his defeat."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd at the bold demand, several nobles exchanging excited glances.

Neo raised an eyebrow, unbothered by the request. "Fine by me. Though I’d like to add my own terms as well."

Helios’s smirk faltered slightly. "Oh? And what might those be?"

"If I win, you hand over the mana crystal mines in Vanton City to my family."

A sharp silence fell over the crowd. Several nobles turned to whisper urgently amongst themselves, clearly aware of the significance behind that particular request.

Helios’s eyes narrowed slightly, though after a moment, his confident smirk returned in full. He’d heard the rumors himself, that the Vanton mines had been producing far less profit than expected for years now, plagued by depleted crystal and increasingly difficult extraction conditions. Losing them would cost him little, and winning would net him something far more valuable, the public humiliation of the Draven heir in front of the entire court.

"Agreed, Not that it matters, since you won’t be winning anyway."

Elaine glanced between the two of them, sighing quietly before stepping back and raising her hand.

"This duel will end the moment either participant yields, is rendered unable to continue, or I personally call a stop to it. Lethal intent is strictly forbidden. Do both of you understand?"

"Understood."

"Very well. The terms are set. Begin whenever you’re ready."

The crowd fell into an expectant hush as both young men settled into their respective stances.

Helios moved first, his mana flaring instantly to life around his clenched fist, flames licking hungrily along his forearm as he charged forward with impressive speed.

"Let’s see how the famous Draven heir handles real heat!"

He swung a blazing punch directly toward Neo’s side.

Neo shifted his weight at the last possible second, his body twisting cleanly out of the attack’s path, the flames grazing harmlessly past him. Before Helios could recover his stance, Neo’s palm shot forward, gravity condensing rapidly around the boy’s legs.

Helios’s eyes widened as his own weight suddenly doubled, then tripled, his knees buckling violently beneath the sudden, crushing pressure.

"What—"

He barely managed to catch himself before collapsing entirely, staggering awkwardly as he struggled against the invisible force pinning him downward.

Neo didn’t give him a chance to recover. He darted forward, driving a sharp, controlled strike into Helios’s exposed chest, sending the boy stumbling backward several steps despite the crushing gravity still weighing down his limbs.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Helios growled, forcing his flames to burn brighter, using the raw fire to push back against the pressure holding him down. With visible effort, he managed to shake off enough of the weight to launch another attack, this time a wide sweep of fire meant to force Neo back.

Neo simply stepped sideways, letting the flames pass harmlessly beside him, before flicking his wrist casually. The gravity around Helios’s arm spiked suddenly, yanking it downward mid-swing, throwing off his entire attack’s trajectory.

"You’re fighting a losing battle, you’re strong, sure. But it doesn’t mean much if you can’t even land a hit." Neo stated calmly, watching as Helios struggled to regain his balance.

Helios snarled, gritting his teeth as he forced himself upright again, flames swirling more violently around his entire body now, clearly abandoning any pretense of restraint.

"Don’t get cocky, brat!"

He surged forward again, faster this time, weaving unpredictably to avoid giving Neo an easy target to lock gravity onto. His flaming fist connected solidly with Neo’s raised forearm, the impact sending a shockwave rippling outward.

Neo skidded back several feet, though his expression remained largely unfazed despite the singed sleeve now smoking faintly along his arm.

’Alright. He’s not completely hopeless. Guess it’s time to actually finish this properly.’

He straightened, raising both hands slowly in front of him. Soft, glimmering light began gathering between his palms, delicate points of silvery brilliance swirling together like scattered stardust condensing into something far more concentrated.

Helios paused, momentarily thrown off by the unfamiliar magic forming in front of him. "What kind of affinity is that?"

Neo didn’t bother answering. Instead, he thrust his palms forward, releasing a brilliant stream of starlight that shot across the arena in a wide, sweeping arc.

Helios’s eyes widened as the light closed the distance far faster than he anticipated. He barely managed to throw up a defensive wall of flame in response, though the moment the two forces collided, his fire barrier shattered instantly, unable to withstand the sheer density of compressed starlight tearing straight through it.

The attack struck him directly in the chest, sending him flying backward through the air before he crashed hard against the ground, skidding several feet across the training field before finally coming to a stop.

The entire arena fell into stunned silence.

Helios lay sprawled on his back, his chest heaving, his flames flickering weakly before finally extinguishing entirely. He groaned, attempting to push himself upright, only for his trembling arms to give out beneath him.

Neo walked forward calmly, stopping a short distance away, looking down at his thoroughly defeated opponent without a hint of triumph or malice in his expression.

"Yield?"

Helios glared up at him, his pride clearly warring against the obvious reality of the situation. After a long, tense moment, his shoulders finally slumped in defeat.

"...Yield," he muttered bitterly, dropping his head back against the ground.

A wave of murmurs erupted from the surrounding crowd, quickly escalating into a mixture of shocked whispers and scattered applause. Several nobles exchanged wide-eyed glances, clearly stunned by how effortlessly the fight had ended.

Princess Elaine stepped forward, her earlier composed expression now carrying a faint trace of genuine surprise as she looked between the two combatants.

"The match goes to Neo Draven," she declared, her voice carrying clearly across the now buzzing crowd.

Neo let out a small breath, glancing down at his slightly singed sleeve with mild annoyance before turning back toward the stunned audience. Off to the side, Nora watched him with her usual calm, unreadable expression, though her eyes carried a distinct flicker of quiet satisfaction as she observed the outcome.

Helios, still lying flat on the ground, let out a long, frustrated groan.

"Vanton mines... F*ck! I can’t believe I actually lost the Vanton mines."