Chapter 459 Duel
[October 23rd, at the top of Maple Hill, a fight to the death!]
As the night deepened, Ruby sat with Milo and the others at the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance headquarters, frowning at the challenge letter.
"Dane's stepping in himself." Ruby glanced over at James, who was lounging on the sofa. "Aurelia must mean a lot to him. Why else would he get involved personally?"
Dane was one of the top ten sword masters, with students all over the world and ten intermediate-level experts under his belt. He wouldn't fight a junior unless there was deep-seated hatred.
James smirked. "I thought he was bluffing. Didn't expect he actually wants to duel me."
He realized he had underestimated Aurelia's value.
Milo hesitated before speaking up, "James, you shouldn't accept this challenge."
James chuckled, "Is Dane that terrifying?"
"Dane hasn't fought in years and has mostly been teaching his disciples, and when he became a sword saint, he was just at Mid Level Advance," Milo said, exhaling deeply. "But no one knows how much he's improved over the years."
"To have trained ten Mid Level experts and still remain among the top ten sword saints, his strength must be at least at Mid Level Perfection," Milo continued. "He might even be at High Level."
His voice trembled slightly. Reaching that level meant becoming a grandmaster, capable of founding a school. In the entire country of 1.5 billion people, there were fewer than ten known High Level experts.
The Mystic Alliance had thirty-six presidents, all considered powerful figures, but none, including Richard, had reached that level, highlighting its difficulty and terror.
Mia, who also knew about Dane, looked at James with concern. "I heard that twenty years ago, Lumaria's underworld was in chaos, with daily battles for territory. It was like the Warring States period."
"To end the chaos, Dane single-handedly killed seventeen bosses and defeated thirty-six top fighters in the underworld," she added. "He then merged nearly a hundred organizations into one, named it the Cherry Blossom Gang, and had his student Finnegan take control, ending the underworld's turmoil."
"So, Dane is not someone to mess with," she concluded.
"Who cares if he's tough or not? Maple Hill is in Glowing Oasis, our territory," Ollie shouted, slamming the table. "Accept the challenge, and once Dane is on the hilltop, we'll block the roads. Then, we'll ambush him with hundreds of people and shotguns. He won't stand a chance."
Ollie, riding high from the night's success at the Glowing Oasis party with James, couldn't stand hearing such defeatist talk.
Nathaniel chimed in, "Exactly. We have more people, more guns, more knives. Whoever he is, we'll just overwhelm him."
"Or we could plant some explosives on the hilltop. James wouldn't even need to show up; we could blow Dane to pieces," he suggested, having idolized James and unwilling to see Dane overshadow him.
"Are you guys out of your minds?" Mia snapped. "This is a duel, a formal challenge. We can't win through underhanded tactics."
"Even if we had the chance, we can't use dirty tricks. The entire martial arts world would condemn us," Mia explained. "If word got out, not only would the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance be disgraced, but President Williams' reputation would also be ruined."
"And if we fail to kill Dane, he would go into hiding and launch sneak attacks on us. How many of us could withstand his assassinations?" she warned. "It could lead to a massacre."
"So this fight must be a fair duel, or we should refuse the challenge," Mia concluded.
Nathaniel and Ollie scratched their heads, realizing Mia had a point. Reputation aside, failing to kill Dane would have dire consequences.
James looked at Mia with newfound respect, noting her maturity.
"James, I don't think you should accept this challenge," Ruby said, her face serious. "It's not about losing face. Dane is a seasoned veteran, and it's unfair for him to bully a newcomer like you."
"Refusing the fight won't make you look weak. People will understand it's an unfair match," she continued. "But if you accept, they'll think you're overestimating yourself."
Like Milo, she couldn't gauge James' level but guessed he was at most at the peak of Mid Level, which was Dane's minimum. This fight was unwinnable.
Milo agreed, "James, let me send a reply and decline the challenge."
James sat up slightly. "What? You think I can't beat Dane?"
He didn't know how strong Dane was or his own level, but he felt he could hold his own.
"James, it's not that. It's just unnecessary to accept," Milo said diplomatically. "You have a high status and should maintain it. You can't accept every challenge."
Ollie caught on. "Right, we shouldn't accept. Who does he think he is, challenging whoever he wants?"
"If Dane mocks you, you should challenge his disciples, like Primrose. Let's see if Dane lets them fight," he suggested, shouting, "I'll make a list of his disciples and send them challenge letters, one by one, to piss off old Dane."
"James, sometimes retreating is the best strategy," Ruby said, her eyes bright. "Temporary patience leads to greater victory."
"Fighting Dane now has low odds, but if you refuse and grow for a few more years, you'll surely surpass him," she reasoned. "Why rush into a fight now?"
"Maybe he knows you're growing fast and wants to stop you. We shouldn't fall for it," she urged. "Think it over, James."
Milo added, "We practice martial arts to cultivate ourselves, not for senseless fighting. Why get angry with Dane?"
"That's too idealistic," James said, standing and looking around. "Martial arts aren't just for self-cultivation. They're also not for being cowards."
"Dane has challenged us publicly. If we don't fight back, how will the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance hold its head high?" he asked. "Even if Lancelot and others understand, our members will feel humiliated."
"Losing is one thing, but not having the courage to fight is worse," he declared. "That's not the spirit of our Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance. At least, not the one I lead."
He pointed at the challenge letter. "Send out the order!"
"Fight!"
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