The Montclair Training Grounds were not a simple courtyard; they were a massive, sand-filled arena designed for high-level magical warfare. The stone walls were etched with thousands of daggers and scorch marks from centuries of "Family Traditions."
Magnus Montclair stood in the center, a man who looked like he was carved from the mountain itself. He didn't wear a shirt, only leather breeches and heavy iron gauntlets. His aura wasn't silver like Marin’s—it was a deep, roaring Gold, the color of a king.
"You've chosen a difficult path, Robert of Atten," Magnus’s voice boomed, echoing off the stadium walls. "To lead a daughter of this house, you must prove you can survive the strength that protects her. I am undefeated in forty years. Do not expect mercy because you rescued my children."
The Divided Stands
The arena was split down the middle by more than just air; the tension was a physical weight.
The Pro-Magnus Side: Malric and Marcus stood behind their father. Malric had his staff grounded, ready to provide "environmental variables" (traditional Montclair interference), while Marcus sharpened a practice blade, his eyes cold and analytical.
The Pro-Robert Side: Jessica and Silica sat with Marley, who was uncharacteristically quiet. Beside them sat Lady Elara, Marin’s mother. She didn't cheer, but her hand was gripped tightly around a handkerchief embroidered with the Atten willow—a silent sign of her blessing.
The Duel Begins
The horn sounded, and the ground beneath Robert’s feet immediately turned to liquid mud—Malric’s doing. He was manipulating the arena's floor to give his father the advantage.
Magnus moved with the speed of a thunderbolt. He didn't use a sword; he used his fists, encased in golden mana. He slammed a punch toward Robert’s chest. Robert barely crossed his daggers in time to parry, but the force of the blow sent him skidding twenty feet back through the mud.
"Is that all the 'Shadow' has?" Marcus taunted from the sidelines. "My father hasn't even broken a sweat!"
The Support of the Heart
"Don't let them get in your head, Robert!" Silica screamed from the stands. "Remember the mountains! You're an Atten!"
Jessica closed her eyes, chanting a low-level stability spell. She couldn't interfere directly without being disqualified, but she could use her mana to "harden" the air around Robert, giving him a split-second of traction against Malric’s mud.
Robert felt the shift. He felt the prayers of his sister and the quiet hope of Marin’s mother. Most of all, he felt Marin watching from the balcony above. He couldn't see her, but their bond—their secret engagement—pulsed like a drumbeat in his ears.
The Shadow’s Counter-Strike
Magnus lunged again, a "Lion’s Roar" of golden energy erupting from his fist. Robert didn't parry this time. He used his restored Noble mana to execute a High-Density Shadow Blink.
He vanished, reappearing directly above Magnus.
"Malric, now!" Marcus shouted.
Malric sent a bolt of lightning into the air to intercept Robert, but Robert used the lightning as a conductor. He wrapped his shadows around the electricity and redirected it into the ground, creating a blinding flash of violet and white light.
In the confusion, Robert landed a kick against Magnus’s shoulder. It didn't do much damage, but it left a mark. The arena went silent. Robert had touched the Undefeated Lion.
The Lion Awakes
Magnus touched his shoulder, looking at the smudge of soot on his skin. A slow, terrifying grin spread across his face.
"Good," Magnus whispered, his golden aura doubling in size, shaking the very foundations of the arena. "Now we see if you can handle the True Montclair Wrath."
Malric and Marcus stepped back, realizing their father was no longer "testing" Robert—he was fighting for real.
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