Chapter 8: Second Duel

Two conspiracies followed the Vey family. Before the Quagmire—before the Clown of the Living’s first appearance—there was a person who constantly dressed as a clown.

They toyed with people, playing vigilante justice despite the Scarlet Kins’s threats, and possessed a unique soul-related Inheritance.

They were notorious, not deadly like some humans from the past, but a local nuisance. When the Quagmire appeared, the clown became the first to permanently surrender their Inheritance out of sheer terror.

Some believed the nuisance clown birthed Quagmire, Clown of the Living, and most people grew wary of the Vey family. They’d lost not just a member, but their family Inheritance itself.

The second conspiracy involved how the Vey family used their Inheritance. Rumor had it that when family members died, their souls fed directly into the Inheritance, strengthening it through accumulated death rather than traditional possession.

This all happened more than two hundred years ago, and the Vey family hadn’t possessed an Inheritance ever since.

Before Scar stood a girl with light brown skin and locs styled in a loose, slightly wild manner. The hair mixed dark brown and pale blond strands, with several locks falling over one eye, giving her a calm yet guarded, almost unreadable expression.

Everything about her seemed relaxed, but what made it impossible for Scar to dismiss her Vey lineage was her purple eyes. Most Inheritances changed their wielders’ appearance, and the long-lost Vey Inheritance was no exception.

But how? Were the conspiracies just a conspiracy after all?

“You better not lose! Show us that you are a man!”

Scar’s gaze barely scraped toward Adisa. He hoped Haven would be there to witness his greatness this time, but she wasn’t around.

It pained him. Real bad!

“Fight!”

The moment the referee started the fight, Scar moved on instinct, stepping quickly backward.

’Huh? What was that?’

He didn’t know what was happening, but when he saw Purple flicker her fingers, instinct took over. Three hundred years of running had taught him that much.

’Tsk. Don’t be a coward.’

He gripped his sword tightly and charged toward Purple. But before he could reach her, something stopped him cold. His heart skipped. Before he knew it, he was slammed into the ground.

OUCH

Pain shot through his back as he twisted to face Purple. Her expression? Still calm. Unnervingly so.

’What was that?’ He clenched his teeth.

Adisa’s mockeries never stopped. He was the only person speaking at that moment, and none of his words were pleasant. Scar hardly minded.

Something coiled around his legs before he could near Purple. What was that?

On his feet, his eyes swept everywhere, trying to figure out what it was. A thread? Invisible chains?

“What, planning to stand there forever? Use your Inheritance. At least fight before I finish this.”

Scar was taken aback for a moment.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of arrogance for someone so calm.”

He frowned.

“Hold on. My father said girls get cold around the ones they like. Is that your play? Too bad… I’m already taken.”

Purple sneered, her calm expression shifting to aggression as she flickered her fingers more forcefully.

BINGO

Scar smiled and swung his sword aimlessly. He felt nothing, not even enough to make a sound or cause a change. It was like cutting through air, but that only confirmed his theory.

Purple’s Inheritance was threads. She could manipulate threads thin enough for the naked eye to miss, yet strong enough to lift someone like him effortlessly.

This raised questions, but right now, Scar focused only on swinging his sword through the air. He didn’t need to see the threads. As long as his blade made contact, that was all that mattered.

’Jeez, I might tear my muscles this way.’

Swinging aimlessly came with consequences. Each thread had to be incredibly strong, so he put his entire body into each swing, hoping to snap one. He nearly threw out his back in the process.

Purple smiled, watching Scar flail like a mindless brute. She yanked her hand back with incredible force, as if ripping his heart out. The next instant, Scar’s body was wrapped tight, hovering helplessly.

Scar struggled against the threads, but his hands and legs were bound firmly together, making his efforts futile.

He clenched his teeth, sweat beading on his brow as he watched Purple approach. He could only wonder what her intentions were, but before she could reach him, she paused. One flicker, and Scar slammed into the ground again.

The pain made him feel as though his body had shattered. Worse, Adisa kept booing. He had no idea what he’d done to make the guy hate him this much.

Still, he forced himself up and assumed his stance.

’I need to think of something. Fast.’

The moment the words echoed in his mind, his eyes widened in realization. When he was trapped, she could have easily beaten him until he was unconscious to secure the win, but she didn’t. That meant one thing…

’She laid her threads across the arena before the match started. Tsk… I’ve got only one shot at this.’

A twisted smile crossed his face as he stared at Purple. All this: the sweat, the fear, the shivering. If Isaac could see him now, the old man would laugh harder than Adisa combined.

Not to mention, he wouldn’t want Haven to see him in such a situation either.

Without wasting a moment, he charged at Purple. She met him with a confident smile, but Scar’s eyes stayed locked on her fingers.

The moment they flickered, he moved faster than ever, striking behind him. His azure blade tore through the air. Without looking back, he pressed the assault.

The instant Purple hesitated, he knew whatever he’d done had an effect. Purple attempted to put distance between herself and Scar, but it was too late.

A punch met her square in the face, sending her slamming into the ground, but Scar still followed through, landing one more devastating blow.

Purple hit the ground, out cold. Scar stood tall, breathing hard.

He would have kicked her in the balls too, but she had none.

“So… did I ruin your beautiful face? Eh, whatever.”

He muttered, but a louder voice cut through the arena, spurring the crowd into supporting cheers.

“What are you thinking? She used her Inheritance. Why didn’t you use yours?”

“Do you think we are inferior to you?”

Scar’s expression darkened. This would have been one thing if it came from Adisa since that bastard might have been holding a grudge against him, but the entire crowd?

Tsk.

His expression grew agitated.

Using his Inheritance should have been obvious to everyone, but he couldn’t risk it. For all he knew, Dain had spies in the crowd, hoping to verify he’d truly inherited the Flames of the Unknown.

That would be the end. Dain wouldn’t let him survive in this rotting world much longer.

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