The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 624 - 98 - Back Home (2)

I hadn't really thought of it that way before. But hearing it spoken aloud made me pause. If things went the way they implied... then yeah, I suppose that title might really be mine one day.

Mas didn't back down.

"I'll give him what he wants," he said with a smirk, his tone cool and calculated, "but only after I fight him."

Kirk pressed his fingers to his forehead, as if trying to ward off a developing headache. "Of course. I had a feeling this would happen..." he muttered. He stared at Mas with half-lidded eyes. "Do you truly think that picking a fight with him is going to make Princess Trill suddenly look your way?"

Mas scoffed and looked off to the side, as if the very idea annoyed him. "I don't expect anything in return," he said quietly. "But if I win, then it only means one thing—that the Princess chose the wrong man."

Kirk's expression softened, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. Concern, maybe. Or regret.

"I see," he murmured. "You're holding back a lot, aren't you? I can feel it. All that emotion... all that tension, just sitting there inside you, waiting to explode. I want you to release it, sure—but not recklessly. Don't go overboard with Leon."

Then he turned to me. His eyes scanned my face. There was a flicker of amusement in them.

"Leon, are you fine with this? You must be worn out after last night, if you catch my meaning."

His words hit me, and I realized quickly what he meant.

Chloe. Of course.

Kirk must have heard her moaning last night. Not surprising. She had been screaming her lungs out in ecstasy, and let's be honest—the walls of the accommodation weren't exactly built to keep secrets. Add to that the heightened senses of the lion beastfolk, and yeah... it wasn't shocking that he knew.

"It's fine," I said with a calm nod. "If this is what it takes to prove to him that Trill didn't make the wrong choice, then so be it."

Kirk's lips twitched, then curled into a smirk. "Alright," he said with a satisfied breath. "Then it's settled. A fight it is."

Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at ƒrēenovelkiss.com Only.

***

Before I even had time to fully process it, I found myself standing at the center of a large gathering.

The Chief was there. The villagers surrounded us in a perfect circle, murmuring to one another with expectant eyes. I could feel their stares pressing against my skin like weightless stones. In front of me, Mas stood with his back straight, eyes unwavering.

A circle had been drawn beneath our feet—roughly fifty meters wide in radius, a sacred boundary that marked the duel. The dusty ground had been disturbed only slightly, the space within untouched and pure. Around us, the villagers formed a wall of fur and muscle, watching silently, many of them with folded arms or narrowed gazes.

The Chief stood at the far side of the ring, arms crossed as he looked on with quiet authority. I hadn't expected it to come to this.

"Mas has challenged Leon to a matrimonial duel," one of the villagers announced in a loud, clear voice that echoed through the open air. "The prize at stake—Princess Trill."

"Huh...?" I couldn't stop the stupid sound that left my mouth. My thoughts stumbled. I had thought this was just a simple challenge. A fight to prove myself. But this...?

This was matrimonial?

Kirk turned to me, his expression a bit apologetic, yet unsurprised.

"Sorry," he said softly, "but that's usually how it goes. If you fight someone for the Princess's sake—and since she hasn't officially married you yet—it means she can still be taken away. If you lose, you lose her too."

So that's how their tribe handled things?

I exhaled slowly and gave a small nod.

Well... I guess it wasn't that big of a deal after all.

I steadied my breath, grounding myself with unwavering resolve. Mas had made his intentions clear—he wanted Trill. But to have even the slightest chance of that, he'd have to defeat me first. And I wouldn't allow such a thing to happen—not in this lifetime.

As the surrounding crowd held their collective breath, Kirk slowly lowered his hand, signaling the start of the duel. The instant his fingers dropped, I moved.

My figure blurred through the air.

"Wha...!? So fast!"

Mas's startled gasp broke through the silence, his voice tinged with disbelief and raw surprise. His eyes widened, darting left and right, only to find me no longer where I had been a second before. Before he could fully process what had happened, I was already behind him.

I didn't wait for him to react.

Without hesitation, I gripped Ayuru in reverse and brought down her blunt edge with a swift, precise motion—striking the back of his head. The force of the impact caused his body to stiffen, his eyes rolling up until only the whites remained.

A dull thud echoed through the arena as his body collapsed to the ground, limp and unresponsive.

The crowd stood frozen, stunned into silence.

Kirk exhaled a long, resigned sigh from the side, as if confirming what he had already predicted. Then, the silence shattered.

A deep, thunderous laugh erupted from the Chief, echoing through the open space like a victory drumbeat.

"As expected of my son-in-law! Bravo!" the Chief roared with glee, his arm rising high into the air with pride.

The moment his hand went up, the villagers followed, exploding into applause and roaring cheers that shook the ground beneath our feet.

That… was easier than I'd imagined.

***

Time passed.

After being tended to and regaining consciousness, Mas reluctantly—almost bitterly—handed me his smartphone. His face was tight with frustration, but he said nothing.

Luckily, I had Amon's number etched into memory. My fingers moved swiftly across the screen, typing out a message and sending it within moments.

Almost immediately, the message receipt changed.

Read.

Satisfied, I returned the phone to Mas, who snatched it without a word.

Now, all that remained was to wait. They would come for me soon.

For the time being, I chose to wander around the tribe and take in my surroundings. As expected, the atmosphere was brimming with a kind of primal energy—these people were undoubtedly battle-hungry, their very presence exuding a readiness for combat. And, quite surprisingly, they also seemed to take great pleasure in sex, indulging in it even during broad daylight. It was only the middle of the afternoon, yet I could distinctly hear the unmistakable sounds of someone fucking nearby.

Additionally, I discovered something new today. Kirk had a daughter of his own. She was just a year younger than me and was currently enrolled in the academy as well, which meant she was likely a first-year cadet.

Kirk, it turned out, had a total of eight wives. And from the looks of it, that number wasn't final. He appeared to be pursuing yet another woman at the moment. It was quite amusing to observe him as he made his clumsy yet earnest attempts to woo her while I trailed behind.