Thump
Esi's body crashed onto the ground face first. Soon enough that spot became drenched in still warm blood.
Malcolm only stood there looking down at his black and red fist, but also at the corpse beneath him.
"He... he killed him!"
"Wait, how? I don't understand, Esi's power in that last attack was near the peak of the second realm!"
"And yet this boy defeated him in one strike."
The various clan ambassadors and liaisons broke into loud shouts and roaring after a long moment as everyone processed the conclusion to this short dual.
Hasani had an impassive almost lazy expression on his face. But his senses were on high alert as he made sure to record the scene for future study.
Banji stood up from his seat, clapping and laughing in joy at Malcolm's victory.
Safari sat with his arms crossed with an unreadable expression on his face, as if he were trapped in a different time and space.
Yara covered her mouth at the brutal sight before her. But she paid no mind to the noise around her as she studied Malcolm's face as much as she could see.
"He...he held back. Mother, I think he held back." Yara said in her mind.
"So it would seem, in fact I don't think young Brooks himself even knows how much he held back."
"What do you mean?" Yara questioned.
"Look at his eyes if you can, look at his still posture from where he's standing right now. Earlier his legs were shaking from that punch he took, his arm from when he punched that barrier was also shaking. It was all fake honey. And even to an extent that blow he delivered to that Ojo boy was fake as well, or at least he didn't put his full power into that attack." Zola analyzed while a few angry Ojo clan members lept down to attack Malcolm.
"You stray dog! We'll kill you for this!"
"You've made an enemy of the Ojo clan you black bastard!"
Six Ojo clan members dropped down and surrounded Malcolm in the center.
Yara saw this and immediately stood up from her seat. She took one hand and formed a handsign.
["Mystic art: Swift flicker!"]
One moment she was on the stands and the next she was beside Malcolm on the arena floor.
The Ojo clan members froze in their movements the instant Yara came to Malcolm's defense.
"The fight was between Brother Black and Esi Ojo. While I understand your frustrations you cannot, and will not breach the sanctity of a duel to satisfy your bruised egos!" Yara yelled with true authority that made her father internally proud. He relaxed as he only watched the scene below.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves for falling low enough to gang up on this young hero here! He saved lives that you all couldn't care less about and I won't tolerate anyone from any clan disrespecting Brother Black again! Does everyone understand me?!"
"Yes, your grace!" The crowd spoke unanimously.
"Hmph, not good enough. Now tell me what none of you will ever do?!"
"We shall never disrespect Brother Black ever again!"
"Good then I think this matter is settled." Yara finished as she gave her father a glance. He sighed deeply as he stood up and spoke.
"Before this dual was thought of I was going to introduce this young man as the one who created the fifth realm level technique that destroyed the pathieite threat that infiltrated the hamlet." Hasani waited until the perfect moment to drop this information.
Everyone breathed a breath of shock while the Ojo clan members were struck with a deep fear as they quickly reassessed Malcolm. Now Hasani's tolerance of Malcolm's attitude made better sense. This child was able to create a technique on a similar level of the tribe leader while only being at the first realm. Some nobles were fearful, others were amazed, and some were even jealous. But all knew that for as long as Malcolm stayed in Ashuwa city under the care of the Ashuwa clan, none of them could reach him.
"Young Black here is without a shadow of doubt the winner of this duel." Hasani announced as the crowd quickly started clapping in applause at Malcolm's victory. Even the Ojo clan members yelled praises and clapped like everyone else.
Malcolm only stood silent, still looking at the corpse of the man he killed. He looked like a statue of a man made shadow, rigid and unfeeling.
'So this is it? This is how I move up in this world huh? Only through power and strength will I live how I want here.'
His new senses quickly picked up the feelings that flowed his way. Under those cheers and eyes that shined with a bright light, there lied planted a seed of fear in the hearts of these people. But on the Ojo side there was not only fear, but anger as well.
Anger not specifically for the death of Esi the person, but Esi of the Ojo clan. To these nobles, killing Esi is a slap to the face of everyone in their clan. A slap they want to repay back.
They came down in front of Malcolm to collect the dead man's body while still keeping a respectful expression on their faces. But Malcolm could tell they would mean well to do harm to him down the line.
After a few minutes everyone paid their respects to both Hasani and Yara and left the arena.
Banji and Safari soon joined the duo down below.
"My my I must admit brother, you put on quite the show." Banji went to pat Malcolm on the back but Malcolm stood like stone, not even giving Banji a glance.
Yara pulled out a sheet of cloth that she used to gently wipe Malcolm's fist along with his robe. It was then she caught a glimpse of his eyes.
Yara almost imagined those optics like two blazing black suns that could scorch the five regions if given the chance. She could see in them the cultivation of an unsightly kind of wickedness that aimed at oneself. This power would do one of two things, either it would push this young man closer to his aspirations and desires, or it would destroy him irrevocably. Reducing this passionate soul to a barren shell of a human being.
Malcolm caught Yara's gaze and quickly shifted to a casual expression, like today was a good day. He plastered a smile on his face as he spoke.
"Appreciate you Yara." Yara looked Malcolm in his eyes for a long moment before sighing and responding.
"No problem, just... just take better care of yourself ok?" Malcolm gave a cheeky nod with even his teeth shining with the light of the sun, as if to guarantee to this young princess that everything was truly ok.
Malcolm then looked up at Hasani and asked.
"Hey old pops! Am I straight?!"
Hasani only looked at him without responding.
"Oh! Right, what I mean is, am I good to go, uh your highness?" Malcolm corrected.
Hasani only sighed and waved away Malcolm.
"Yara, you will be responsible for properly accommodating our guest for the duration of his stay, which for said duration may be as long as he wishes. Am I clear?"
"Yes father." Yara bowed quickly to hide her quickly growing smile from her father who only flickered away after a moment.
She turned around and gives Malcolm a wide smile.
"So then, I suppose you wouldn't mind a proper tour around the city, if you are not too fatigued from your fight just now."
"Nah, I'm good actually. I only warmed up a little by the end of it." Malcolm spoke with a sunny air about him.
"Good then follow me." Yara turned around with Malcolm following in tow.
Banji and Safari wisely choose to stay back and not follow for the meantime. They watched to two leave the arena along with anyone else that might of been watching them.
"Hey Safari, do you think you could've beat Esi as well?" Safari closed his eyes and chuckled slightly.
"Before or after the incident at the hamlet?"
"What do you mean- wait don't tell me!" The moment Banji spoke Safari revealed his early second realm aura for just a moment before quickly suppressing it once more.
"Do not misunderstand me, either way I would've defeated Esi no matter what. But now what I'm interested in is if our new guest can help bring out more of my potential."
Banji gave Safari a long look of appraisal before asking.
"So why advance to the second realm now? Unless you got what you needed for a strong enough foundation."
Safari nodded at Banji's assessment.
"The manifestation my mother gave me can do many things that even I wasn't sure of before that battle." He puts a hand to his chest gently.
"But I've felt it first hand and now I know for sure that what I need are battles that will push me further." Safari's eyes shot opened as he looked up towards the heavens.
"They say that the ancestor Elemental Grandmaster was powerful enough to refine heaven and the Terra king was domineering enough to conquer the Earthly soil beneath our feet. It may be rude to say but you know this to be the truth Banji. The truth is that ever since the ancestor died in the last war with the Terra king, we've been weakened, and this weakness will only bring about calamity from our rivals once they catch us at our weakest." Banji said nothing as he looked at Safari then looked at the direction Malcolm walked off in and back at Safari.
"I see...so that's your idea. You know, I forget how ambitious you are behind that mask of indifference." Banji started laughing almost maniacally for a long while before he calmed down.
"Ah man, I will tell you something Safari. We really should get to know brother black well. I have a feeling he will cause a storm one day, and I'll be cursed if I miss it."
"I agree. For now let princess Yara get him well accommodated." The two heirs after that went their separate ways with the road ahead looking less obscure now.
Back inside the palace there was a small and quiet room that was closed off from the world. In it sat an old man who wore a yellow gold robe embroidered with a few charms and enchantments of various animals and spirits. He had no eyes to speak of but this didn't prevent him from being aware of someone flickering right above him.
"Old Shanti, did you acquire enough information for a divination?" Hasani spoke.
"No child I haven't. There's simply not enough I know yet to make any sort of guesses much less divinations." Shanti lit up a few nearby incense sticks while Hasani sat down in front of him.
"Well then this idea of yours had better not backfire, the last thing I need right now is a dead daughter or so help me father I'll destroy you first old Shanti." Hasani let his fifth realm aura leak out to emphasize his threat. Shanti sat calmly as though he were having a simple chat.
"You worry too much child. Young Yara is still your daughter after all, don't think her to be too defenseless."
"But the boy-"
"The boy by what old Shallah said seems to have expended his spiritual core during the battle at the hamlet. But what is interesting is that even without spiritual energy, his body by itself seems to be at least as strong as a peak second realm practitioner. Even if he cannot practice mysticism like everyone else, this alone is enough to at least keep him around as an outside show of force."
Shanti spoke with an aged force and wisdom that temporarily superseded the lion king.
"Listen little Hasa if worse comes to worse I'll kill the child myself while you comfort Yara. However for now we must discuss the matter of that attack being clearly set up by the terra clan if Mashallah is to be believed."
"Right." Hasani said as the two spoke for a long time about the possible plans of the terra clan.