THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Then, to her surprise, women began to emerge onto the balcony, one after another, surrounding David. Her eyes narrowed beneath the mask as her gloved hands clenched into fists. "Who are those women?" she muttered, her voice laced with frustration. She watched them interact with him, her irritation rising with each passing moment. The way they casually embraced him, one wrapping her arms around his neck while another clung to his side—it was too much for her to bear. Jealousy and anger bubbled within her, but she forced herself to stay calm, trying to suppress the urge to act on her emotions.

"What\'s happening here?" she thought, confused by the scene unfolding before her. At a distance of 800 meters, she focused her aura to amplify her senses, attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation. But no sound reached her ears. It was as if they were speaking in a frequency she couldn\'t hear or hidden behind a veil of magic.

Her frustration grew as she tried to understand the situation. "Who are these women with David?" she whispered, feeling a bitter pang. David, the same man she had known for his humiliation and fall from grace within the Elarionne household, was now in the company of these mysterious women. And not just that—he was openly affectionate with them. The way they hugged him, how they laughed together, infuriated her. How had he moved on from the disgrace that had once defined him? And why was he now surrounded by such... alluring company?

Her thoughts darkened as she considered the possibility of taking them down. Could she eliminate those women and bring David back to his place? Her mind raced, and she nearly moved to act when suddenly, something caught her eye.

David, standing on the balcony ledge, slipped backward as if intentionally falling. Her instincts screamed at her to intervene, to leap forward and save him from a fatal plunge. But just as she prepared to move, he vanished into the shadows mid-air, disappearing without a trace.

"What the hell?" she muttered, her heart pounding in her chest. This was no ordinary fall. He had melded into the darkness itself, leaving her stunned and more confused than ever.

Panic surged through her veins as she frantically scanned the area, her aura expanding outward in a desperate attempt to locate David. But no matter how far she stretched her senses, he was nowhere to be found. Her heart raced, confusion threatening to overwhelm her when, instinctively, she dropped to a crouch. A sharp gust of wind sliced through the space just above her head, close enough to make her hair sway.

Her pulse quickened as the reality hit her—her presence had been compromised. How had anyone detected her? She was one of the most skilled in her craft, unseen by even the sharpest of eyes. That\'s when she heard David\'s voice, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Impressive," David\'s voice was cool, yet laced with curiosity. He stood a short distance away, his gaze fixed on her as if he\'d known she was there all along. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her pounding heart.

Since donning the Nightveil Embrace armour, his senses had been heightened to a chilling degree. He couldn\'t wait to explore its full potential and now, it seemed, he was using that very power to track her every move.

The intruder instinctively leaped back, widening the distance between them. Her mind raced, shocked at how swiftly David had moved, not to mention how accurately he had attacked her. If she hadn\'t been quick to amplify her senses, that initial strike would have certainly injured her. "This is bad," she thought, her stomach knotting with dread. "If my lady knew I was here, there\'s no telling what punishment I\'d face."

She needed to leave, and fast. Without another moment\'s hesitation, she blurred from sight, her movements almost invisible to the naked eye. She had no intention of engaging with David further; escape was the only option. But before she could vanish completely, David intercepted her with astonishing speed. A knee strike came crashing toward her, and she barely managed to dodge in time, her heart lurching in her chest.

He was keeping up with her. Her—a master of speed and stealth. And not only that, he was attacking her with a precision that sent a shiver down her spine. Was this truly the same man she had known all of her life? This David was nothing like the rumours she had heard.

The situation was becoming more difficult by the second. She couldn\'t escape him—not without first subduing him. Her body tensed as she shifted into a new stance, preparing to use a technique that would put him to sleep, her last resort.

David\'s eyes gleamed with anticipation, his grin widening as he felt the change in her aura. "Getting serious, are we?" he taunted, his voice dripping with excitement. His eyes began to glow, swirling with bright hues of blue and white, casting an ethereal light that startled the intruder.

She hadn\'t anticipated this—his overwhelming presence, the sheer power radiating from his gaze. But she steeled herself, pushing her emotions aside. She couldn\'t afford to be distracted by his transformation, no matter how unsettling it was.

Focus. She had to focus.

David, however, appeared to be enjoying the challenge. He felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, thrilled by the prospect of facing someone who posed a real threat. He couldn\'t help but admire her skill, but that only made him more determined to see how far he could push his newfound abilities.

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The air between them crackled with tension as they prepared to clash once more, both ready for whatever came next. The fight was far from over.

Both fighters lunged at each other, their bodies moving with lightning speed, exchanging blows that would have been impossible for an untrained eye to track. David\'s senses were heightened, feeling every strike the intruder aimed at him, her attacks sharp and precise, designed to cripple him. He could sense her intention with each punch, each kick—she wasn\'t just testing him; she was targeting his vital points with a deadly accuracy. But David\'s own martial prowess met her force head-on, his movements fluid and calculated.

The clash of their hand-to-hand combat was fierce, almost too swift for even a seasoned warrior to comprehend. The intruder\'s heart pounded in disbelief. "How in the goddess\'s name is an Awakened keeping up with me?" she thought, astonishment washing over her. As a king-ranked swordsman, she was used to dominating such battles. But here was David—an Awakened—matching her blow for blow, with a skill that defied her understanding.

Utilizing the momentum from a missed strike, the intruder flipped gracefully backward, lowering herself into a crouched position on the ground. The shift in her stance made David\'s instincts flare. She was preparing for something more dangerous. And just as he suspected, she vanished from his sight again, moving with such speed that even his heightened senses struggled to keep up.

David quickly adjusted, planting his feet firmly on the ground, his arms crossing in front of him like a shield. The next instant, a powerful blow aimed for his head connected with his forearms, the impact forcing him back a few inches. He winced slightly from the force, but held his ground.

The intruder\'s shock was palpable. Her eyes widened behind her mask. The move she had just executed had taken down countless king-ranked swordsmen in the past—yet David had blocked it.

Effortlessly.

"What… how?" she stammered inwardly, struggling to comprehend what she had just witnessed. David, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking his luck. The Celestial wheel had once again predicted her movements and the Nightveil Embrace had absorbed a significant portion of the attack\'s impact, cushioning the blow.

"I\'m guessing you\'re ready to end this," David said, his voice steady as he took a combat stance of his own. His eyes gleamed with focus, his confidence in hand-to-hand combat unmistakable. She was formidable, yes, but David was a master in this domain.

The intruder, still rattled by the failure of her most lethal technique, eyed his stance warily. She didn\'t feel an overwhelming power coming from him, but her instincts screamed at her to remain cautious. David made his move, launching a quick forward kick aimed at her gut. She sidestepped it with ease, seeing an opportunity to counter.

She rushed in to subdue him, but before she could close the distance, David\'s leg bent back with lightning speed. Like a seasoned martial artist, he swung his heel upward in a flawless motion. His foot connected with her head, the impact thunderous. The force of the blow sent her spiralling to the ground, her obsidian mask cracking and tumbling off as she hit the floor.

The woman lay dazed, her breath knocked out of her. For the first time in the entire fight, her face was revealed.