Chapter1617
Nigel’sfightingspiritsurgeduponhearingthosewords.Initially,hehad
teeteredonthebrinkofsurrender,butnowdeterminationcoursedthrough
hisveins.
Whatanarrogantrascal!Nigelthoughtinsilence.
BetandHannahexchangednervousnces.Theirpalmswerecoated
withafilmofperspiration.TheiremotionsmirroredNigel’s,whichwerea
blendofanxietyandanticipation.
“Justamomentago,”Dominhortled,“heboastedofdefeatingopponentswithasinglehand.Now,thetableshaveturned.He’stheonechallengedtofightusing onlyonehand.Perhapsthisoldfolkwon’temergevictoriousin
suchaduel!”
Dominic’ughterechoedthroughtheroom,whichfurtherdrewangry
resfromtheFinchfamily.
DnYarrow,everstoic,madenomovetosilenceDominic.Dominic’s
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prideandskill.
NigelstoodoppositeEmmanuel.They formedamismatched<b>pair</b>.Any
discerningobservercouldseethatNigel’sskillpalediparisontothe
formidableEmmanuel.Dominic,evertheprovocateur,openlymockedthe
Finchfamily.Hiughterechoed.Itwasatauntthatcutdeeperthanany
de.Buthewasnomerespectator.Hismotivesremainedshrouded.Could
hebeawarlordindisguise,usingthisspectacletoproveallegianceorseek
refugewiththeQuillenfamily?
“Youlittlebrat!”Nigel’svoicecracked,rageboilingover.“I’llkillyou!I’mgoing
tokillyou!”
Shamewashedoverhim.Thatwasthegreatestshameofhislife.Hiseyes.
turnedbloodshot,andhunchedadesperateattackagainstEmmanuel.
Desperationfueledhisblows.
Howunreasonable!
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Chapter1617Nigel’sDefeat
Howunreasonable!
Fordecades,Nigelhadbeenthechallenger,theonewhotestedothers‘
mettle.Now,thetableswerecruellyturned.Emmanuel,thatscoundrel,had
pushedarrogancetoitslimits.Hisdeathseemedwell–deserved.
Yet,despiteNigel’sdeterminationandthestrengthexertedtothebreaking.
point,Emmanuelremainedunscathed.
Inthearena,thespectatorscranedtheirnecks,eyesrivetedontheunfolding
spectacle.BetweenNigndEmmanuel,aninvisiblegxyofdifference
stretched.Itwasacosmicexpanseseparatingskillfromfutility.
“Oldfolk,you’retoopathetic!”avoicesneeredfromthecrowd.“Didyoustart
thegamepretendingtobestrong?”Thewordshungheavy,acollective
judgmentthatechoedthroughtheair.
“Hemademelosemybet,”anothervoicechimedin,bitternescingthe
words.“Actedalltough,hedid.Buthe’s bothweakandpretentious.Talking
aboutthisshamelessguy!”Thecrowdmurmuredinagreement,theirdisdain
Chapter1617NigelsDefeat
palpable.
Underthearena,swearseruptedwithachorusoffrustrationand
disappointment.
Nigel’shearycold,hisspiritshattered.
Neverinhisdecadesofmartirtshadhefacedsuchhumiliation.The
crowd’sjeerswerearelentlessassault,chippingawayathisresolve.
IfonlyhecouldkillEmmanuel.Butfatewascruel.It was atauntingreminder
ofNigel’sinadequacywhenEmmanuelfoughtwithonehand.Nigelfurther
earnedhimselftwopunishingpunches,withpainradiatedwhenEmmanuel
Nigel’seyesswelled,apairofpanda–likebruisesencirclingthem.
Intheelectricatmosphereofthearena,Shane’ughter echoed.Itwas
muchresemnttoaraucouscelebration.“Haha,Emmanuel,”hecalledout,
“youhavequitetheartisticir!YoumadeNigelstartoffasamonkeyand
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end upasapanda.It’slikeyouare performingamagicshow!”Hiswords.
dancedwithmischief,anodtotheabsurdityoftheduel.
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HisexcitementwassoevidentthathealmostperformedAdriel’s“Dancewith
YourWay”rightthereonthespot.
Nottobeoutdone,Frederickjoinedthechorus.Hisreliefwaspalpable,a
million–dorweightlifted.“Finally,Iwonamillion!”heeximed,voice
booming.“Don’tcallmeajinxanymore!”Thecrowderupted,theircheersa
symphonyoffortune.
ButonthearenagrounidNigel,defeated andbroken.Hisspirithad
crumbled,worsethandeath.
Heclungtostubbornness,stvestigeofpride.“IfIhadn’tstartedbyletting
youuseonlyonehand,”herasped,“andifyouhadn’tinjuredme,you
definitelywouldn’thavebeatenme!”Hisdefiancehungintheair,a
desperate plea.
Seeingthathewasstillbeingstubborn,Emmanuelsimplyhidbothofhis
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armsandoffered.“Nigel,howaboutthis.I’lllet youusebothlegsandone
hand,isthateptable?”
Nigel’sleapwasfueledbyvengeance.“Yousaidityourself,”hespat,rising
fromtheground.“Ifyoudie,don’tmeanyoneelse!”Thiswaswhathe
wantedtohear.
Nigelfacedacrossroads.Emmanuel’schallengehadstrippedhimbare,
leaving prideanddesperationashisonlyweapons.Ifhefailednow,hewould
bebrandedthelousiestanddumbestfighterinhistory.Itwasatitlenoone
coveted.
ButcruelrealitymockedNigel.Nomatter howheattacked,Emmanuel
dancedaway,aphantomeludinghisgrasp.Withasingleleg,Emmanuel
deliveredakickthatreverberatedthroughNigel’sskull,knockingoutteeth
andshatteringresolve!Painexploded,andNigel’ssurrenderwasinevitable.
“Isurrender!Isurrender!”Hisvoicecracked,desperationechoing.“Ilose!!
lose!”
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Thecrowdwatched,silentwitnessestohis downfall.
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Emmanuelpoisedforanotherstrike,butNigelwaved hishandsinfear,
retreating.Wordstumbledfromhistoothlessmouth,unintelligible.Whetherit
wasapleaformercyordefiance,noonecouldtell.
Emmanuel’sfinalkicksentNigelsprawling,abrokenfigureonthearenafloor.
Nigellookedundeniablypitifndtragicafterbeingbeatenupby
Emmanuel.Thesituationmirroredthefamouspoet,GemmaMann’squote
“Howutterlytragic!”
Emmanuel’sbrowfurrowedashestrainedtounderstandNigel’swords.“I
apologize,”hesaid,scratchinghishead.Ididn’tquitecatchwhatyousaid
earlier.
Hissinceritywasevident.
Hewasareasonablemanwhoadheredtotherulesobat.Surely,when
anopponentsurrendered,hewouldn’tFurther,right?
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Despitehewasobviouslydying,Nigelstillgotupinadazeandkneltinfront
ofEmmanueltobegformercy.HethoughtEmmanuelwaingoverto
attackhimfurther.
Evenifhecannothearclearly,surely,hecanunderstand,right?
ThethoughtyedinNigel’smind ashethoughtevenifhisvoicewavered,
surelyEmmanuelcouldunderstand.HedeemedEmmanueldiditon
purpose.
“Isurrender!”Nigelrasped,thewordsapleaformercy.“Iquit!”
Bullyinganelderlyperson.Whatckofmartialvirtue!
Nigelquicklykneltandgroveledasasignofbeggingformercy.Hethen
rolledoffthearena.Hisoldbonesprotested,andhefearedanotherbeating
fromEmmanuel.
Amidstthechargedatmosphere<b>,</b>Shane’ughtercutthroughthetension
likeade<b>.</b>“Haha,thisistheFinchfamily’s expert!”hejeered.“Thekindof
mastertheyhavedeterminesthekindofpetdogtheyraise!”
Chapter1617Nigel’sDefeat
Hiswordsweremerciless<b>,</b>acalctedstrikeattheirpride.
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TheFinchfamily,onceboastful,nowfacedtheirownhubris.Howmanytimes
hadtheyuntedtheirexpertise beforethismatch?
BetandHannah,thrustintothespotlight,woreexpressionsthatmirrored
theirinnerturmoil.Theirexpressionswereseenhalfpale,halfdark.Itwas
evidentthattheyweresoembarrassedandtheywishedtovanishintothe
arenafloor.
Whatapredicament!
The crowdhelditscollectivebreath,witnessingthefallfromgrace.Andthen,
likeaphantom,Dnrosefromhisseat.
“Mr.Finch,seeyou!”hemurmured,nohesitationinhisvoice.Hisexitwasswift,Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.
aretreatfromtheimpendingstorm.Dominicfollowedsuit,slippingintothe
night’sembrace.