Guardian Of Midgard

Chapter 7 I'd Rather Die

The entire colosseum exploded with gasps and murmurs. Nobody could believe what they had just heard.

"Has she gone insane?"

"A servant challenging Cedric?"

"She's courting death!"

Mocking laughter erupted from every corner of the arena. Some nobles laughed so hard they nearly spilled their wine.

High above, the Clan head narrowed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Cedric stood at the center of the arena, staring at Lucy as if she were a joke.

Suddenly he let out a slow mocking laugh. "Hahahaha..." His shoulders shook.

The crowd joined him, amused by the hilarious scene unfolding before them. 

"Lucy..." Cedric's voice dripped with ridicule as he looked down at her like filth. "Where exactly did you find this audacity?"

He spread his arms. "Look around you."

His gaze swept across the unconscious challengers still receiving first aid from the medics, Veteran knights, powerful mages and lite warriors were defeated by Cedric in just a few moves. Everyone knew the outcome. If she impulsively challenged Cedric, she would undoubtedly die. 

Then he looked back at her. “You think you can challenge me?"

Lucy's fists tightened but her gaze never wavered. "I know I can't defeat you."

Cedric smirked. At least she wasn't completely delusional.

Her voice echoed throughout the arena. "But I'd rather die in this arena than become your mistress!”

The smile on Cedric's face disappeared, and the crowd froze. She really had a very daunting audacity. 

A ripple swept through the audience, and many nobles exchanged shocked glances.

Even the other servants shook their heads. This was suicide suicide disguised as courage.

Lucy took another step forward without breaking eye contact with him.  "And no matter what you achieve..." Her voice became cold. "You will never compare to Kael."

Cedric's face twisted and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Kael. The atmosphere instantly changed. 

That name ignited a burning rage inside Cedric.

Kael had always been the one standing above him. The kingdom's greatest genius. The heir. The man everyone admired. No matter how hard Cedric trained or how many accomplishments he accumulated, he had always lived in Kael's shadow.

He had secretly hated him for years, and now, Kael was gone. Cedric had taken his position, his influence, and stood one step away from becoming Lord. 

Finally, everything Kael once had was becoming his but still, Lucy chose  a dead man over him.

Cedric's jaw clenched but then he smiled but there was no warmth in that smile, only rage.

"Good." His voice became terrifyingly calm. "Very good." His aura erupted and the arena shook violently.

“Is this Cedric full aura?”

Not even the elite warriors earlier had made him release his full aura. Lucy immediately felt a mountain crash onto her shoulders.

Cedric hadn’t even moved yet.

Her legs trembled and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Yet Lucy still raised her hands, getting into a fighting stance.

A soft, flowing aura surrounded her.

Several elders perked up. "That stance..."

Cedric vanished.

The arena floor cracked beneath his feet as he shot toward her. The crowd only caught a blur.

Just before the strike landed, Lucy moved. Her palms flowed like water, redirecting most of the force away from her body, but she was still sent sliding across the arena, but the damage was far lighter than expected.

The elder's eyes widened and even the second elder was impressed.  "The Flowing River Palm!"

"House Belmont's secret technique?"

Shock flashed across their faces.

Lucy had once been a noble daughter. Many had forgotten that. That explains why she dared challenge him.

Cedric glanced at her stance and immediately understood.

Then he laughed. "So that's your trump card?"

His eyes filled with contempt. "An incomplete technique and a few fancy movements."

Lucy wiped the blood from her lips and slowly stood again.

Cedric's smile widened. "Petty tricks."

His aura exploded. "This time, I'm breaking every bone in your body." He raised his palm and slapped her again.

Lucy's body flew backward and she crashed heavily against the stone floor.

Blood splattered across the arena. The fight was already over.

Yet before she could even stand Cedric appeared beside her. His foot slammed into her stomach.

Lucy coughed blood and her body rolled across the arena.

The audience watched in silence as he kicked her around. He was toying with her, allowing her to taste despair.

Cedric grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.

"You should have stayed silent."

BANG!

He threw her back onto the arena floor. Lucy screamed as cracks spread across the stone beneath her.

Several women in the audience looked away. Even some nobles frowned but nobody intervened. 

She had called for it by challenging Cedric and according to the rules, no one was going to intervene until she was knocked out or surrendered.

This wasn't a battle but punishment. But Lucy struggled to surrender. She tried to stand up and get into a fighting stance.

Cedric's expression became uglier. "Still refusing?"

Lucy wiped blood from her lips. "I've seen stronger."

The crowd murmured. Everyone knew who she was talking about.

Kael. 

Cedric's eyes turned bloodshot. He charged at her again. 

Lucy flew across the stage. This time, the sound of her ribs cracking echoed clearly.

The crowd winced. Yet Lucy still crawled forward.

Cedric slowly crouched before her. "You don't care about yourself. I get that, but what about your daughter?"

Lucy's face turned white. 

Cedric beamed a ruthless smile. "If you keep resisting..."

His voice became colder. "I'll make sure every servant in my household gets a turn abusing her."

Lucy's eyes widened. "No..." Her voice finally broke. “Leave her out of this!”

Cedric laughed as he slowly stood up. "Submit to me then and be my mistress.” He licked his lips lustfully. “Warm my bed tonight and I’ll let your daughter off.” He added 

Cedric looked down at her. "Choose."

Lucy lowered her head. For years she had endured humiliation, pain, starvation and beatings trying to survive. 

Lucy's body shook uncontrollably out of rage. She knew what Cedric wanted. Every instinct screamed at her to refuse but then she thought of Jade, her daughter.

If enduring humiliation could protect her child, then she would endure it.

Tears burned in her eyes.

“Kael...If you're still alive... please come back…” She muttered and the fire in her eyes disappeared 

"I..." Her voice cracked, and every word felt like swallowing broken glass. 

"I'll submit. "I'll serve you." Lucy's nails dug into her palms as she lowered her head.

A triumphant smile appeared on Cedric's face. He lifted his aura and rubbed his hands proudly as he instantly began conjuring fantasies of what he would do to her in his room tonight. 

Cedric laughed. Finally,

After all these years, she had broken. The woman who had rejected him again and again was finally kneeling before him. Submitting.

Yet...

Looking at her empty eyes, he felt no satisfaction. Disgust flashed through Cedric's eyes.

"Pathetic! Nonsense.” Cedric’s aura erupted again.

Lucy's body shook with pain. She was taking the brunt of his aura again. 

Cedric looked down at her in disappointment. "I thought you'd eventually come to your senses and stand by my side. It would have been nice to have you beside me. Instead, you forced me to resort to other methods."

A cold smile appeared on his lips as killing intent filled his eyes.

"But now I see it clearly. I have no use for a woman whose heart belongs to another."

"I don't want your body anymore. I want to destroy the last thing Kael left behind." 

"I don't want your body anymore. I want to destroy the last thing Kael left behind." Cedric's killing intent exploded as golden light gathered in his palm. 

Several elders' expressions stiffened.

"He's really going to kill her?" one elder muttered in surprise.

A high elder nodded approvingly. "Good. Hesitation has no place in a ruler's heart. This kind of ruthlessness is exactly what a future Lord needs."

Lucy's face lost all color. "No—"

"Die!" Cedric bellowed.

A pillar of golden light ripped through the air at terrifying speed. Before anyone could react, it was already inches from Lucy's chest.

Lucy closed her eyes. This was it. Everything was over.

“Kael…Jade...I'm sorry.” She muttered her last words. 

Suddenly, a deafening explosion sounded, and the ground beneath her trembled. 

Her eyebrows twitched as she waited for the killing strike, but it didn’t arrive. Instead, a terrifying aura filled with killing intent engulfed the arena.

Cedric's expression froze. His attack shattered.

A cold voice echoed from above. "You dare touch my woman?"

The crowd looked up at a massive shadow that blotted out the sun. It was a scarlet dragon and atop a scarlet dragon stood a lone figure in a black cloak.

The mysterious man's cloak billowed in the wind. His face remained hidden beneath a hood.

But his icy voice echoed throughout the deathly silent arena. 

"Touch and I'll erase your entire bloodline."