Damian's gaze deepened, but he did not attack immediately. Instead, he looked at Dragonheart in Max's hand, then back at Max himself.
"You are qualified to hold that sword," he said.
The words shocked many people even more than the battle itself.
For someone from Sword God Palace to say that Max was qualified to hold the Sword of the Sovereign meant that Damian had acknowledged his swordsmanship, at least to a certain extent. It did not mean the Sword God Palace would give up on Dragonheart, but it did mean Damian no longer saw Max as someone who had merely gotten lucky.
Max smiled faintly. "That is good to hear."
Damian's expression remained calm. "But qualification and ownership are two different things."
Max's smile became sharper. "Then come and take it."
The sky became still.
Rakan laughed loudly in the distance. "Good! Now this is getting interesting."
The pure sword exchange had ended.
But everyone could feel that the real battle had only just begun.
