"Come, let me show you what a sword looks like," Matti shouted as he unsheathed his sword. The members of the sect that were present cheered him on from the sidelines.
Immediately, the beautiful luster on the sword, the sheen and shine, attracted the attention of everyone watching. It was a magnificent creation, no doubt a masterpiece by one of the top forgers in the Sun Scepter sect.
Just by the cocky look on Matti's eyes, you could tell, he was mighty proud of the weapon. "What's the matter, Rono? Are you afraid?" He taunted.
Looking at the sword, Keita was shocked, and his self-doubt continued to grow. He was now very nervous, a factor that did not escape the keen eyes of those looking at him.
"Bring it on!" Zukov said as he unsheathed his own sword. He would not let the little fool outdo him.
Unlike Matti's weapon, his lacked the beautiful shine. In comparison, it looked quite common. Even Zukov felt a little ashamed, but he still had a plan. If the sword couldn't keep up, his own fists would.
With this, he started running towards his opponent. Brandishing their swords, the boys approached each other menacingly.
The surrounding children were busy cheering them on, egging them forward. The surrounding adults were also paying attention. There was a lot of prestige riding on this fight, even if it was among juniors.
Swish!
Zukov cleaved his sword towards Matti, who was also swinging his own sword to meet Zukov's.
Matti's eyes were glowing as he swung his weapon, seeking to destroy Zukov and his stupid sword in one go. He cast all his strength, everything he could muster into the attack.
In that single moment, all their power and strength were concentrated in their swords.
Clang! Then shock!
As the two swords met each other, Matti's sword was suddenly run through. The upper part of the sword flew away, almost decapitating one of the spectators before being stuck on the wall.
Absolute shock! The entire venue was suddenly brought to silence.
No one expected this, with many even thinking that it was Zukov's sword that couldn't take a single hit! Now, the truth proved different. Turns out, it was Matti's sword that couldn't take a hit.
The next moment, Zukov swung his sword forward. His speed and power were leagues above Matti. In a single breath, he had Matti in his crosshairs.
"I won! I won! I won!" Zukov was ecstatic. He had been quite tense. Deep down, he knew there was no way he would win, he had been putting on a brave face for his brother. However, reality had somehow proved even him wrong.
Needless to say, everyone was shocked by the result. This was keenly felt among the Sun scepter sect ranks.
They were convinced that nothing could cleave through the sword created by their elders so easily. The lead swordsmith was particularly shocked. He had put his mind and body in perfecting the sword, using all the contemporary methods. However, his sword had still proven inferior, how could that be?
"Are you using an enchanted sword you big cheat!" Matti shouted. He too couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"He must have cheated!" Rumors could be heard from everyone, but keenly felt from Matti's sect members.
"No way such a sword could cut through our famous sword!" The members of the Sun scepter sect could not believe the results, so they were convinced that the boy was cheating.
"Lord Rono, is this what you are teaching the younger generation, to cheat in duels?" One of the more stalwart and austere-looking lords among the Sun scepter sect asked Jata. On his face there was a look of contempt and disdain.
"Rest assured, my boys don't know how to cheat," Jata defended his son. "If you have lost in a duel, you should graciously accept the result."
"If it was a fair duel, of course we will accept," The man was not backing down, "can you call this a fair duel? Using an enchanted sword over a common sword?"
"If that was the case, then it would not be fair," Jata said. "Zukov, bring that sword over here." Jata trusted his eldest son, and he knew the boy would never cheat. However, he did not know the origin of the sword, as the boy's had not shared this information yet.
If his son was tricked into using an enchanted sword, they would come to the bottom of it there and then.
Obediently, Zukov brought the sword over. By now, the children's game had turned serious, and many more people were looking on. This involved the prestige of one of the biggest sects in the capital, and the kingdom and one of the great clans of the capital.
Just by holding the sword, he could tell, this was not an enchanted weapon. He believed in his child's prowess, so he smiled and passed over the sword, saying:
"I am no expert in smithing, but from just holding it, I can tell that this sword was not enchanted. Don't you sect members pride yourself to be good smiths, how about one of you steps forward to analyze the sword for us."
Promptly, one of the elders of the sect came forward and took the sword. After several seconds of examination, he gave the verdict: The sword was not enchanted.
"However, even though it was not enchanted, does that mean that it is better than our sect's sword?" The same austere gentleman stepped forward, in an attempt to salvage his sect's dignity.
He had tried to question the sword's legitimacy, but finding no evidence, he had to make a move. This earned him a few bad looks from even some members of his sect.
"According to the rules set by the children, my son won the competition fairly," Jata retorted, not backing down. These people had dared besmirch his children's conduct.
"If that is the case, then how about you and I demonstrate the beauty of your son's creation." The man fired back. He did not miss the look of surprise when he said this, indicating the man did not know the origin of the sword.
"What do you mean?" Jata asked.
"Do you not know the bet the children placed?" the man asked. "The sword was supposed to be made by your other son."
Jata was caught off guard. He too could not believe what he was hearing.
"Keita, come over here," he said as he looked at his other son. When the boy came, he proceeded to ask, "Where did this sword come from?"
"I made it," the boy said confidently. Perhaps, he would have been nervous if he was just a regular prepubescent boy, but he was no such thing. He recognized that this was an opportune moment to make his name.
Not just his father, but even his grandfather was present. They, alongside several powerful people were present. There was no way he was backing out or letting someone else take his credit.
Even after hearing the boy confirm this, many were still skeptical. How could such a sharp sword be made by a child?
"Does the Rono clan want to keep perpetuating this lie?" The austere man, seeking the support of the people.
Jata's face changed. This man was directly challenging his sons, and his clan. While he too doubted the story, he wouldn't call out his son now.
"This is easily proved," he answered. "What's it to you who has created the sword? All that matters is its performance!" This time, he was not going to let off this man.
Seeing this open challenge, the austere man did not back down. Instead, he went ahead and pulled out his sword and said "Behold, this sword has accompanied me for ten some years. It is not enchanted, but its edge is never dull. Come taste my blade."
By now, no one believed that the sword had been made by a ten-year-old. However, the man was keeping up with the lie to make the competition more dramatic.
"Alright, let me see what you got," Jata said as he brandished his son's sword. In that moment, Tier 3 energy suddenly filled the ballroom, and a loud colliding sound thundered from the swords' impact.
Jata needed to protect the prestige of his clan, and his sons. The gentleman was also trying to protect his sect's prestige. Both were Tier 3. Their power filled the entire ballroom.
Clang!
The next moment, the sword on the austere gentleman's hands had been cleaved through. There, in front of all the world to see, Keita's sword had come out on top!