Knights & Mages Online; The Lightnovel

Chapter 18 " 'Surrender' "

The leader of the Shadow Sword sent Hyeonu a duel invitation. The Yellow was offering a duel just to prevent his font color change to red upon killing Hyeonu. The tall boy was almost about to accept it when Seth suddenly grabbed him by the arm;
"Wait, don't do it." the blonde said. Everyone on the square turned to look at him.
Hyeonu raised his eyebrows.
"Don't.. don't accept the duel."
"Why? I told you, don't worry."
'But he's level 87!' he wanted to say but instead;
"I can't tell you that.." he muttered.
He couldn't possibly have explained that he used his Kami Eyes without getting the Beta Player suspicions. The leader patted his head while smiling;
"Don't worry, I'll be okay. Luka would you watch him and prevent him to interfere?"
Luka nodded.
  "No- But-" Seth tried to protest but;
  "You should trust him about this." Luka cut him, with a serious expression on his face.
'This isn't about trusting! I know he'll lose!'
  The tallest, taupe-beaver brown haired boy touched the 'Accept' button on the notification screen. Their HPs didn't turned into purple like in Training Area, this was a dual.
  A 20m² area was slightly lightened to display the borders of the Duel Area. It meant the duelists were trapped in that area until one of them wins. If someone interferes the duel by drawing his sword or staff in the lightened area, they'd become a part of the duel but the challenger can make it a private duel and lock up the area. In that case the area would've also had slightly glowing walls. But that was not the case in here. The leader of Shadow Sword was so sure that no one else wanted to be in a part of this.
The duel started as the both sides drew their swords and changed into their combat gear. The duel could've ended only 2 ways; If one of the duelist choose to 'Surrender' or dies.
  "What will you do if he starts to lose? Step in the area?" Seth asked Luka.
  "What can we do even if we step in? I'm only a C Rank Healer. We can only hope that our guild come back soon." the blonde could see he was trying to stay calm just barely.
  "AH!" they heard Hyeonu's voice from the area. There were already lots of players gathering around the duel place. The older man had gotten some damage, and because of the dueling rules, his font color was all visible. Yellow. But Hyeonu's HP was already much lower than his. After he blocked the yellow players attack, he was also able to land a strike, but in return couldn't escape from the Yellow's next attack and the older man made him fall on the ground. Hard.
  "Hyeonu!", "Hyeonu hyung!" both Seth and Luka shouted at the same time.
  His HP was critically low now. The Shadow Sword wasn't planning on just winning, the blonde was sure, they were planning on killing him as a lesson to everyone who dares to oppose them.
  Seth used Luka's distraction and suddenly jumped in the duel area as he changed into his combat gear. His gear was consisting of dark brown pants with the same colored belt that had a large silver buckle, no shirt was worn underneath the halfway buttoned black sleeveless trench coat with dark peacock blue lining going down, a tiny dark brown bag attached to his belt, black leather fingerless gloves which had thick strings wrapped around 'till his elbow and around his neck, he had his guild representing choker.
  "I'm so fucking tired of your shit and trying to act mature about it, so would you please get the fuck away from him?" Seth smiled sweetly at the Yellow while walking towards them.
  Hyeonu was looking at him, absolutely shocked, jut like everyone else who were watching the duel.
  "Ho hoo~ Seems like you grow a pair, huh?" the Yellow leader smirked.
  "Oh you have no idea." as he healed the idol without even turning his back.
  Seth waited for him to attack first and he did not disappoint the blonde's expectations. He dodged all of the Yellow's attacks almost effortlessly as the man was only 87 while Seth was against him, as a level 121. The Yellow leader wasn't even a Blade Master, if he was, he could at least use his speed against the blonde with pink shades.
Seth summoned his spiritual powers as he created a magical shield around both him and Hyeonu. The Yellow leader tried to attack directly the shield but failed to damage it even in the slightest.
"Hold on a second," he then glanced at Hyeonu, and turned his gaze back to the older man, "This won't take long."
The blonde boy quickly draw and shrank the shield back on his hands when make them into fists. Griminal laughed;
"A Healer? A Healer thinks he can take me down in a 1 v 1 duel?" his members outside of the duel area also started to laugh. Seth really didn't mind that, he'd specially designed his appearance in such way that people can belittle him in the matters of danger anyways.
" 'Surrender' and get out of the Duel Area." he told Hyeonu but he wasn't sure if the idol leader heard him or not, since he was frozen in his place.
Seth looked back at the older man, there was still one important question on his mind.
"What you said back in there.." he suddenly started, Griminal tilted his head a little, "How were you planning on taking those children? Did you really think this many people would actually just let you, while you drag them through the village?"
Like that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard in his life, Griminal laughed so hard that he wiped off a tear from his eye.
"What? These players? These No Ranks? That's-" he laughed a little more, "You think we've never done that before?"
It was that moment, when Seth felt nothing but hatred for the man facing him. Couple of moments flashed on his mind; having dinner with the two siblings, laughing together, having fun.. and the blonde who was standing before their graves.
Seth threw a punch at the man without a notice. The man successfully blocked the first 3 strikes, with a surprised face, but Seth was just too fast and strong for him. He couldn't figure out how a Healer could have such attack points. After the punches he blocked by taking small damages, Seth jumped in the air, shouting, transferred the shield force to his right leg and kicked him on the stomach. He flew so to say and crashed hard into the invisible barrier behind him, bounced back and fell on his face in a blink of eye. He attempted to get back on his feet but the blonde kicked him quickly right from his chin and made him sit on the ground. Seth slowly kneeled down and looked right into his eyes.
"You're so lucky that I like my privileges as a white player." he said, then leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Tell your men that from now on, The RoadHouse and the Shadow Sword are foes. Now, 'Surrender'."
When he moved back, he saw the Griminal's horrified face as he touched the 'Surrender' button before him. After the touch, the area around them should've got back to normal, but it didn't. Seth looked over Hyeonu who was still staring at him, terrified, hasn't surrendered yet.
The pink shaded boy walked up to him and held his hand, looked him in the eyes, gently;
"Say 'Options'."
"Options." the leader repeated with a stunned expression.
A notification screen popped in front of the handsome idol. Seth held Hyeonu's fingers and made him touch the 'Surrender' button. The area disappeared. Luka and 2 other players quickly ran towards them, as Kiseung took his time. While the others were checking up on Hyeonu, Kise slowly approached the Yellow leader, saying;
  "So you've chosen death." as he draw his scythe.
  But just as he took couple of more steps to the older man, he suddenly came face to face with a magic shield. It was none other than Seth's pale royal periwinkle shield.
  "It's enough." the Healer said.
  "Enough? They tried to kill Hyeonu hyung as soon as I turned my back." he replied furiously without taking his eyes off of the Yellow leader.
  "So? I've dealt with it. Trust me when I say they won't cause any trouble for you or the the kids anymore."
  "Trust you? Who even are you? Apparently you didn't even need my help at the bar, I got that one."
  Seth didn't answer while the others approached the two. Kise suddenly hit the shield with a considerate amount of his strength, his eyes on the blonde.
  "It holds," he explained, "It didn't even budged you, did it?" the idol exchanged looks with his guild members, stating his point.
  "You were only an A Rank Healer against him." Hyeonu spoke for the first time after the duel, "But that attack power.. just.. what level are you?"
  Seth waited a couple of seconds before he and answered;
  "A little more than him apparently." he gestured towards the man with his head then continued, mire concerned, "Do you feel better now?"
  "Yes, you healed me completely, thank you."
  Seth smiled softly.
  "So.. I'm definitely not underestimating what you've been just through but.." Luka interrupted, "we still gotta find somewhere to stay. Most of the cheap rooms must've been taken already." he cried out, "If we could spend our real money.." he sighed.
  "Umm.." Seth looked at Luka, then Hyeonuand offered hesitantly, "You can stay at my Guild Base. We have both guest rooms and enough food for everyone."
  "No, we g-" Kise started but,
  "-Really?! We'd LOVE to!" the shortest (and the youngest) boy held Seth's hands, his eyes brightened up.
  "Luka." Kise warned the youngest but he got ignored.
  "Luka." Hyeonu called him this time, which made him let go of the blonde's hands immediately, "We can't burden him."
  "You really wouldn't. Please come, all of you." he looked at the other members as well, then handed Hyeonu a bright neon blue teleportation crystal, "This will teleport you to my guild."
  "Thank you." the leader gently smiled and added, "Though we don't even know your name."
  "I'm Seth." the blonde grinned, "Nice to meet you, Hyeonu, Luka, Kise.." he looked at the other two and the one with maroon colored hair said;
"Klaus and Tao." they were also wearing masks but Seth was sure they weren't members of AoS. He nodded in acknowledgment.
"Oh, by the way, if you decide to attack my guild when we get there.. we'll destroy you. So make sure you don't, okay?" Seth warned and smiled cutely before he teleported back to the RoadHouse.
"He is nice." Luka smiled brightly.
"You're an idiot." Kise replied.

To Be Continued~