Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 418: Prepare To Die.

Kael took a deep breath.

Slowly, he placed his hand on the cracked ground and began to stand.

His body still ached—not from serious injuries, but from the brutal, honest impact, typical of the Ainsworths. His muscles protested, his head still buzzed, but his balance returned too quickly for someone who had "just woken up from a coma."

This detail did not go unnoticed.

The exact instant Kael raised his torso—

"Don’t move."

Irelia’s voice came out low.

Dangerous.

Kael looked up.

She already had her sword in hand.

There was no hesitation.

No trembling.

The blade reflected the courtyard light, perfectly aligned with his heart. Her posture was impeccable—firm base, low center, intent as sharp as the sword itself.

She was no longer the girl who trained to reach him.

She was someone who expected to face him. "Irelia..." Kael began.

She lunged forward.

Without warning.

Without a cry.

Without mercy.

The blade cut through the air in a perfect arc, aimed at his neck.

Kael reacted purely on instinct.

The air before him distorted. A translucent plate of dark blue energy formed in the blink of an eye.

CLANG!

Irelia’s sword collided with the shield, sparks exploding to the sides. The impact pushed Kael a step back—not from lack of strength, but out of respect for the blow.

"...She really grew" he murmured.

Irelia didn’t answer.

She spun her wrist, sliding the blade along the shield, and attacked again, now in a rapid sequence: low, high, diagonal, short thrust.

Kael blocked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The shield reformed with each impact, Chaos reacting to the constant pressure. Kael retreated, not because he needed to, but because he chose not to counterattack.

"Don’t you dare hold back!" she growled, her eyes burning. "NOT WITH ME!"

She advanced even faster.

The sword described an impossible arc, her intent becoming visible—a blade of will that cut even before the steel arrived.

Kael gritted his teeth.

"Damn it..."

He canceled the shield at the last second and summoned the glacial sword again.

CLANG!

Blade against blade.

Ice against steel.

The clash made the ground beneath their feet crack even more, fragments of stone rising into the air.

Irelia pressed on.

"You VANISHED!" she screamed, forcing her blade against his. "And you think you can just COME BACK?!"

Kael slid his foot back, redirecting the force.

"I didn’t say that!"

He spun his body, narrowly dodging a blow that would have broken his shoulder. The cold blade passed inches from his skin.

"But you did!" she retorted, spinning on her axis and attacking again. "You ALWAYS do this!"

She attacked relentlessly.

Each blow was clean.

Precise.

No waste.

Kael blocked, dodged, absorbed.

"I stayed!" she continued. "I trained! I bled! I broke bones! While you—"

She attempted a direct piercing strike.

Kael dodged to the side and struck the side of the blade with his closed fist, deflecting it.

"You were sleeping?!" she finished, her voice breaking.

Kael felt the impact of those words more than any blow.

"I didn’t sleep by choice!" — he retorted, finally raising his voice.

Irelia froze for a split second.

That was enough.

She charged forward with everything she had.

"Second Form — Broken Oath Slash!"

Her sword gleamed.

The intention solidified.

The blow came in a straight line, powerful enough to split the courtyard in two.

Kael’s eyes widened slightly.

"...That technique..."

He planted his feet firmly.

"Total Anchoring."

Chaos spread through his body, not as destruction, but as absolute stability. The glacial sword pierced the ground in front of him, forming a wall of dense ice the instant of impact.

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion of energy swept across the courtyard.

Columns trembled.

Windows of the mansion shattered.

The impact opened a crater between them.

When the dust settled, Kael was still standing.

The ice in front of him was cracked.

But intact.

Irelia was breathing heavily.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"...You..." she whispered. "You’re stronger."

Kael relaxed his stance slowly.

"And so are you."

She laughed.

A short laugh.

Bitter.

"Great." She raised her sword again. "Then stop treating me like a child."

She advanced again.

Now, differently.

More controlled.

More deadly.

She changed her rhythm, alternating quick attacks with short pauses, trying to force Kael to miss. He blocked with his blade, sometimes with his Chaos-coated arm, sometimes just dodging by inches.

"I didn’t come here to fight you" he said between blows. "But if necessary..."

He blocked a side slash and spun, using the movement to partially disarm her, forcing her to retreat.

"...I’ll deal with it."

"DEAL WITH WHAT?!" she screamed, attacking again. "WITH MY ANGER?! WITH MY FEAR?!"

She tried a kick.

Kael blocked with his forearm, sliding back.

"With everything" he replied firmly. "Until you calm down."

She paused for a moment.

Her eyes trembled.

Then she screamed.

"I DON’T WANT TO CALM DOWN!"

She attacked with everything she had.

The fight intensified.

They crossed the courtyard at high speed, blows exchanged in a violent and precise dance. Each impact echoed like thunder. Kael began to counterattack — not to hurt, but to contain.

He dodged, pushed, unbalanced.

She attacked, stood up, insisted.

"You have no right to decide when I stop!" she screamed, twirling her sword above her head.

Kael appeared behind her in the blink of an eye.

"I know."

He grabbed her wrist.

She tried to break free.

He held on tight.

"But I have a duty to stay."

She froze.

A heavy silence fell.

The sword fell from her hand.

Irelia’s body began to tremble.

"...Liar," she whispered.

Kael released her wrist.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But not today."

She turned her face away.

Tears returned.

He took a step forward, cautiously, like someone approaching something broken but precious.

"I’m not going anywhere," he said. "Not even if you hit me again."

She laughed weakly.

"I will."

"I know."

Silence.

From the top of the stairs, Adalric watched everything, arms crossed, a slow, satisfied smile on his face.

"...Heh," he murmured. "What a wonderful mess." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The silence didn’t last.

Not in that courtyard.

Not with Adalric Ainsworth present.

The Sword King descended the steps with calm steps, his hands still crossed, his smile too wide for someone who had just witnessed half the mansion almost being destroyed.

"Wonderful mess..." he repeated, now aloud. "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like this around here."

Irelia wiped her face with her forearm, quickly, as if the gesture could erase the moment of weakness. She bent down and retrieved her sword, fitting it into its sheath with a dry snap.

"Uncle," she said, without looking at him.

Kael finally turned his gaze from her to Adalric.

"Master," he greeted, bowing his head slightly.

Adalric stopped a few meters from them and analyzed him without any hesitation. His experienced eyes scanned Kael like invisible blades, assessing his posture, breathing, presence.

"So it really is you," he said. "Not a ghost, not a trick... and definitely not a newly awakened invalid."

Kael gave a half-smile.

"I’ve always been bad at looking weak."

Adalric laughed loudly.

"Terrible, I’d say." He cracked his neck. "Do you know how uncomfortable that makes people, kid?"

"I imagine."

The uncle then turned to Irelia and, without warning, ruffled her golden hair, as he had done so many times in the past.

"You did well," he said. "Better than I expected."

She frowned.

"I didn’t win."

"You didn’t need to." Adalric shrugged. "You forced him to show himself. That says it all."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"Always direct."

"Always," Adalric confirmed. Then his eyes gleamed with something different. — But now for the fun part.

He snapped his fingers.

Three shadows moved behind him.

As if the very air bent, three figures emerged silently, kneeling in unison. They wore dark cloaks with the discreet Ainsworth coat of arms embroidered in matte silver.

Family assassins.

Irelia turned, surprised.

"What’s going on?"

Adalric raised his hand, asking for silence, and leaned in to hear the whispered report. Kael didn’t catch the words, but felt the immediate change in the man’s aura.

Adalric began to laugh.

Not a brief laugh.

It was deep. Genuine. Too loud for a secret.

"Hahahaha!" He slapped his own leg. "I knew it! I KNEW IT!"

Irelia clenched her fist.

"Uncle!"

He composed himself, still smiling.

"Looks like you’re going to have visitors, niece."

Kael tilted his head slightly.

"Visitors?"

"News travels fast when it shouldn’t," Adalric replied. "Especially when it involves a certain heir who should be unconscious."

Irelia turned slowly to Kael.

"...Kael."

He sighed.

"I was going to tell you."

"When?!" she retorted.

"After you try to kill me less often."

She snorted, but there was no real anger there. Just something weary.

"Who’s coming?" she asked.

One of the assassins answered, finally raising his face.

"Reports confirmed. An imperial entourage has just passed through the south gate. Among them... Lady Amelia Valroth."

Kael’s world froze for a second.

"Amelia...?" he repeated.

Irelia’s eyes widened slightly.

"She’s here?"

Adalric crossed his arms again.

"She came officially as the Emperor’s representative. Unofficially..." he cast a heavy glance at Kael, "...it seems someone’s been very cruel."

Kael ran a hand over his face.

"I didn’t plan this."

Adalric looked at him, laughing, "Better prepare yourself. Amelia is much stronger than Irelia." He commented with a smile, "You’ll die when she sees you."