The God of War Calen Storm

Investigate the Trickery!

The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, disbelief rippling through the arena.

“This cannot be!” the king bellowed, descending from his elevated throne with a face flushed red with indignation. His voice carried authority, but beneath it, there was a tinge of unease.

Calen, standing over Evan, kept his composure. “I’ve defeated him. That is the undeniable truth,” he declared, his voice cutting through the noise. He turned his sharp gaze toward Evan. “Now keep your word, Evan. Kneel, as you promised.”

Evan’s fists trembled with fury as his jaw clenched. “I won’t kneel to you, you cheating scum!” he spat. “You didn’t win fairly. There’s no way someone like you could defeat me without trickery!”

Calen raised an eyebrow, his grip on his sword unwavering. “If you’re so confident that I cheated, then prove it,” he challenged.

The king stepped into the center of the arena, his cape billowing in the faint breeze. He raised a hand to silence the restless audience. “Enough!” he commanded. “This spectacle cannot end with doubt lingering over our champion’s honor. I will summon the royal mages to determine the truth.”

At his order, a group of robed figures emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath intricate hoods. The royal mages, renowned for their ability to detect and dispel all forms of magical interference, approached Calen.

“Begin your inspection,” the king instructed.

Evan sneered, rising shakily to his feet. “Now you’re finished, Calen. Everyone will see the lies you’ve woven, and your so-called victory will be exposed for the sham it is.”

Calen stood still, his expression unyielding. “Let them investigate. I have nothing to hide.”

The audience buzzed with anticipation, some shouting insults at Calen, others nervously awaiting the mages’ findings.

As the crowd buzzed with shock and confusion, a soft voice cut through the noise.

“Evan…”

Lila Frost, with her elegant strides and a face that still radiated icy beauty, descended from the stands. Draped in her exquisite silver gown, her presence was enough to capture everyone’s attention. She made her way to the beaten Evan, who remained slumped on the ground, blood smearing his face.

Without a glance at Calen, Lila retrieved a delicate silk handkerchief from her sleeve. She began dabbing at Evan’s bloodied face with meticulous care. Her actions drew murmurs from the crowd, and Calen’s sharp eyes narrowed.

“Lila,” Calen called out, his voice edged with disbelief.

But she didn’t turn to him. Instead, Evan seized the moment. Ignoring the searing pain in his body, he reached up and wrapped his arm around Lila’s waist, pulling her closer. His smirk was wicked, even through the blood and bruises.

“A woman as stunning and refined as you, Lila,” Evan declared loudly enough for the entire arena to hear, “should never have been wasted on a disgrace like Calen. Now, especially, on a cheating disgrace.”

The crowd erupted in laughter and gasps, with voices jeering in agreement.

“Lila, what are you doing?” Calen demanded, his knuckles whitening around his sword hilt.

Lila finally turned to him, her icy blue eyes meeting his with a look of disdain. “What I should have done long ago,” she replied coldly. “You’ve brought nothing but shame to my family, Calen. And now, you’ve humiliated yourself before the entire kingdom. Do you really expect anyone to believe you defeated Evan without trickery?”

Evan chuckled, leaning into her touch. “She’s right, Calen,” he sneered. “You’re a joke—a pathetic, penniless fool who married above his station and still couldn’t live up to it. Admit it—you don’t deserve her, and you never did.”

The Frost family, seated prominently in the stands, seized the opportunity to join in the ridicule.

“This is what happens when you let a nobody into a family of our stature!” Elijah Frost bellowed, his voice filled with contempt. “Calen Storm, the man who couldn’t even master basic swordsmanship, now claims to have defeated Evan? What absurdity!”

Marylin Frost added with a venomous sneer, “A stray dog wandering into the palace doesn’t become royalty just because it wears a crown. The only thing Calen has mastered is dragging our family name through the mud!”

The Frost siblings chimed in as well. “He’s probably been planning this for years, scheming and bribing someone to give him powers. That’s the only explanation,” one of them spat.

Another leaned forward, pointing a finger at Calen. “You’re nothing but a parasite, clinging to Lila for status. And now, like all parasites, you’ll be crushed.”

Evan grinned wider as the Frost family’s words stoked the crowd’s derision. He tightened his grip on Lila’s waist, as if to assert his claim over her. “See, Calen? Even your so-called family knows the truth about you. Your place was never here, and your lies will soon unravel.”

Calen stood motionless, his face expressionless but his eyes burning with restrained fury. He let the Frosts’ venomous words hang in the air for a moment before finally speaking.

“Are you all done? Cause I am so done listening to your voices,” he asked, his tone unnervingly calm. His gaze shifted between Lila, Evan, and the Frost family.

Evan barked a laugh. “Hold your filthy tounge, loser! You won’t come out of this alive!”

The tension in the arena thickened as the king raised his hand, “Enough! Let the mages finish the work!”

The lead mage extended a hand, chanting an incantation. A faint glow emanated from his palm as he scanned Calen from head to toe. Another mage muttered a detection spell, their hands tracing invisible symbols in the air.

Minutes passed in silence as the mages worked, their scrutiny thorough and deliberate. Every eye in the arena was locked on them, the tension growing heavier with each second.

Finally, the lead mage turned to the king and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he began, his voice steady and clear, “we have found no evidence of magical interference or foul play. Calen Storm fought this battle with his own strength.”