[So, I have to trick them into thinking that they can kill me to defeat them?]

[Yep.]

[I don't get it... Wouldn't that just give them the opportunity to kill me?]

[That's right.]

[Huh...?]

[Hehe, let's say that you finally found a way to beat me. What would you do?]

[Urr...]

[Your mind will be occupied thinking that you won, and during that moment I can just do this.]

SLAP

[OW! That hurts Andy!]

[Now do you see?]

[...Oh. That does sound like a good plan...]

[That's right. Moreover, you can even break their will. Especially to those who overestimate themselves and hold their pride very high.]

[As expected of Andy. You're the best at everything!]

SLAP

[Ow, what was that for?]

[Hmph! Revenge.]

[Why you little...!]

[Ahahahah...]

Scarlet chuckles to herself as she remembers that time she and Andy had a discussion about how to defeat their opponents while killing their will. Scarlet had done it so many times in the past, but her opponents were always cautious around her. However, this man before was the exact type of person Andy had mentioned. Someone who overestimates themselves with a lot of pride.

Scarlet twists her foot on top of Ian. He cries out in pain. Scarlet narrows her eyes at him, "Did you cause her death?"

Ian glares at her, "You're still on that! I told you so many times I did not- AHHH!!"

Scarlet crunches down on his fingers, breaking four of them.

"What was that? I can't hear you under all that noise you're making," said Scarlet as his blood moon eyes flashes at him.

She glances over at James to make sure she wasn't going over board with her torture, but James had his eyes close. Though he is Ian's grandfather, it does pain him to see someone hurt him. However, he is the judge of the duel. Since he did not interfere when Ian was doing the torture, he too will not interfere when Scarlet is doing the torture.

Moreover, if he interfered it would be Ian's instant loss. He knows how much pride his grandson has, and he must follow the tradition. Only when his grandson yells out surrender could he help.

A voice in the crowd cried out for Scarlet to stop. She turns to see who it was. It was Candice and Ann beside her. They were watching the duel from start to until now.

"Scarlet! You shouldn't treat your fiance like that!"

"Don't take things too far, Scarlet!"

"Oh?" Scarlet blinks at them.

<Hmm, they popped out sooner than I expected.>

Candice looks at her with teary eyes, "I don't know what came over you to do this, but he's your fiance!"

Ann pats her shoulder, "That's right!"

Scarlet twisted her leg even more on his fingers causing Ian to cry out louder. Candice and Ann tremble from hearing his cry.

Ann glares at her, "You!"

"Scarlet, please! Show mercy to him!" cried Candice.

As she begged her, Candice suddenly felt chills just from looking at her eyes. Those dead blood moon eyes. She couldn't help but look away for a few seconds.

Memories of Candice being friends with the original flooded in her head. Candice had helped her through rough and bad times. She even shared her food with her. But on one certain day, the original found out that Candice got close to her to get close to Ian. At first, the original thought that she was just hearing things, but that was until she stepped into the room and witnessed it. Ian was on top of her as they went at it. The original gasped in silences which caught Candice attention.

Instead of getting up quickly from the bed and explaining herself, she chuckled at her with a wicked smile and kissed Ian deeply before her. Tears fell from her eyes as she turned away from the room and ran. This was just a few days before she had to head to war.

Scarlet's fist tightened just having those memories running inside of her. The image of the dead woman and her lover also ran in her head. Her dead like gaze slowly looks at Candice, ignoring Ann.

"I shouldn't do this to him because he's my fiance?"

"T-that's right!" Candice finally summons out, "You told me how much you loved him. Even about the time he saved you from rapist! You said that you couldn't forget him as he helped you without even knowing who you were! Have you forgotten Scarlet already!"

Scarlet turns her gaze at Ian who was trying to endure his pain.

"Scarlet," said Candice with the most sincere and sweetest voice, "Whatever happened must have been a misunderstanding. If you just cleared-"

"Pff... Hahahahahaha!"

<Of all things to say to me... Hahaha, if it was the original, she might have caved... Too bad, too bad for you.>

Scarlets suddenly laugh and baffle Candice and Ann. They held their hands together thinking that Scarlet had gone crazy. She looks at Candice straight in the eyes, "Then what about me?"

"What?"

Scarlet smirks at Candice, "You tell me not to do this to him, but what about me? What about that time he stabbed me in the arm, cut me, or even used his killer move on me, what then? Did you two try to stop him?"

Ann didn't say anything in response. Candice stumbles on her words, "T-that's because-"

<If you can't even say something then don't even try it in the first place. How annoying.>

Scarlet was starting to feel impatient at each word that Candice was trying to summon out. She wasn't sure if she was mad or frustrated because of the memories, or because Candice is just being plain ass gross before her. There was just this unspeakable rage inside of her for some reason.

"Because I decided to go against the engagement? Because I am a woman I should know my place, therefore give up and let a man do me to have his heir?" Scarlet shot out at them, "Then what about that time when you, Candice slept with him just days before I went to war against the Huns?!"

Everyone gasped at the sudden news. Candice's face instantly went pale. It never crossed her mind that Scarlet would blurt that out. Candice was known as Scarlet's good and best friend. The one who protected her from slander and mockery. But just now, what did she say?

Candice was so baffled by her, she couldn't come up with a reason fast enough before Scarlet spoke out again. Ann glares at her, "Don't speak out such nonsense!"

Scarlet ignores Ann's words as she said, "What makes you think I should spare him just because you two asked me too? Because you and him were having an affair and you don't want a cripple lover?"

Scarlet hitted the nail hard on Candice. She did want to stop her because she didn't want Ian to become a cripple. Think that this was all Scarlet was going to say, Candice was ready for another counter. But what Scarlet said next was something she didn't expect.

Scarlet snarls at them, "How dare you both interfere with the tradition!"

Everyone's gaze soon turns cold towards Candice and Ann. They had forgotten that the two of them, Ian and Scarlet, were following the tradition for annulling or keeping the engagement. There was to be no interference from anyone. The only way for defeat is if the person admits surrender or gets killed.

And yet these two here were trying to break the tradition. How prosperous!

Ann and Candice meant to corner Scarlet with their words, but it was biting them back instead. They did not see this coming. Especially from Scarlet, that once timid and quiet girl.

"We... We just..."

Scarlet turns away from her and looks at James. Disappointment flooded his face as he heard the news of what his grandson had done. Scarlet felt pity for him but went on with her words.

"The only one that has a say in this is Old Master Polarmis as he is the judge," she looks back at Candice and Ann as she points at them, "Not you two!"

Candice tightened her hands while looking down in embarrassment. She quickly looks at James with a pleading look, "Old Master-"

"Rejected," said James as he glared at her, "As per tradition, only if Ian admits defeat or is killed by Scarlet will this duel ends. Outsiders have no say in this!"

Candice bits back on her tongue. Ann also stood in silences as she grip her hand together tightly. They didn't think that James would be this cold to his only grandson.

<This old fool! So what of its tradition! Ian's going to die and you won't do anything about it!>

Scarlet looks at James as she is ready for his judgement. He had listened long enough as he sighs out heavily. Candice and Ann thought that he was going to Scarlet but they were wrong again.

James waves his hand, "Continue."

Both of their hearts sank, and so did Ian, who was listening the whole time. Scarlet smiles at him while thinking about how wise he was.

Scarlet cups her hand at him, "Thank you."

She looks at Ian with deadly cold eyes. Sweats poured from his forehead as he could feel death's door. Scarlet smirks at him, "Had you not overestimate yourself, you would have won."

SWOOSH

To Be Continue