My Charity System made me too OP
Chapter 436 - 436: Arkhe City Duel II

Arkhe City – Briefing Hall, Post-Duel Report

The atmosphere inside the hall was sharper than usual. Word had spread quickly: Leon Aetheren had defeated Garridan the Iron Requiem and Lin'dra Murell the Redshift Dancer in succession. The Sovereign Board was already being updated—two consecutive wins in the Sovereign Tier within a single cycle.

Naval examined the display again.

[Leon Aetheren – Provisional Rank: 92]

Wins: Garridan (95), Lin'dra (92)

Recognized by: 3 Sovereigns

Next Eligibility: Rank 91–89

Roselia broke the silence. "Doyan's the next big wall, isn't he?"

Kael nodded. "He doesn't duel. He consumes. He turns the air around him into a blood field and fights without pattern."

Roman tapped the data crystal. "Records on him are minimal. Half the challengers don't even remember what happened."

Leon stood quietly for a moment, then finally said, "We go tomorrow."

Location: The Crimson Gale – Domain of Doyan

The entry to Doyan's domain was nothing like the last two. There was no platform, no ornate city, no structured arena.

Just a windblown plain of scorched stone, littered with broken weapon stumps and shattered armor, stretching beneath a blood-red sky.

The wind carried something with it—not sound, but tension. It howled constantly, whispering fragments of thoughts. Pain. Rage. Fear.

Milim winced the moment they crossed the threshold. "This place isn't natural. Something's embedded in the air."

Leon's Shell Reverb pulsed softly at his back, instinctively adjusting to the oppressive field.

Then the Sovereign appeared.

He didn't walk in.

He formed from the storm—tattered crimson robes, lean build, black gauntlets with saw-edge knuckles, and glowing eyes that never blinked.

He stared at Leon without expression.

"You've climbed too fast."

Leon responded evenly. "And I'm still climbing."

Doyan cracked his neck once. The wind screamed louder.

"If you want Rank 91, then bleed for it."

[Sovereign Duel Initiated – Rank 91: Doyan of the Bleeding Wind]

Location: The Crimson Gale

Terrain: Saturated Bloodwind Field

Special Status: Oxygen Burn, Pulse Drain

Effect: Sustained movement drains stamina twice as fast

Objective: Knockdown or disable opponent

Passive Hazard: Bleeding Wind – All aura clashes deal real damage

The Duel Begins

The moment Leon moved, the ground beneath him cracked from recoil. Doyan didn't wait. He blitzed forward—without aura flare or warning—and launched a flurry of wide-angle blows, each coated in wind pressure sharp enough to shred mana layers.

Leon dodged two, blocked the third with Karmic Loop, and activated Storm Sync Pulse to disrupt the fourth. Still, Doyan was already behind him.

The next blow hit.

Leon flew back twenty meters, crashing through an old sword embedded in the ground. Blood trailed from his shoulder.

Kael clenched his jaw. "His attacks don't just cut. They burn stamina through internal pulse interference."

But Leon stood again—breathing hard but steady.

"Good," he muttered. "Now I know how this works."

He activated Shell Reverb: Absolute Return, layering it with Tripart Echo in a controlled frame burst. He didn't try to overwhelm—he matched timing, redirecting Doyan's next attack into a counter-echo and striking twice from different angles.

Doyan reeled, just slightly.

Then the wind howled again.

"You're learning mid-fight?"

Leon didn't answer. He couldn't.

His pulse core hummed, barely holding back the internal backlash from bleeding wind.

But now, he could feel it.

The entire field was a song. A brutal one—less music, more screaming steel and howling survival. But it had a pattern.

Leon began to move differently—shorter steps, tighter turns, spacing his breath, letting his heartbeat sync with the wind's tempo.

His sword flicked out.

Shell Reverb: Stormfract Spiral.

A three-hit burst collapsed into a twisting strike that blew Doyan back for the first time in the fight.

Doyan landed hard—dust billowing around him. One knee bent.

He stood again… slowly.

And smiled.

"You've walked the gale."

Leon, panting, lifted his blade again. Blood ran down his arms.

"I'm not done yet."

But Doyan held up a single hand.

"You are."

[Sovereign Duel Concluded]

Result: Victory – Leon Aetheren

Doyan of the Bleeding Wind acknowledges defeat

Rank Transfer: Declined

Leon Aetheren granted Full Rank 91 Sovereign Status

Doyan approached and pulled a bone-forged medallion from inside his tattered robes.

"This is your mark now. Rank 91. Keep walking until the wind no longer breaks you."

Leon took it, nodding silently.

As he turned to leave, the red storm began to quiet.

Arkhe City – Inner Sanctum of the Iron Ledger

The Iron Ledger wasn't open to the public.

It was a sealed hall deep within Arkhe's core—a place where recognized Sovereigns could formally view the records, legacy tokens, and active status of those in the Top 90. Not just names. Histories. Claims of supremacy.

The moment Leon entered, the door sealed behind him. The room darkened.

A spiral of floating iron tablets slowly descended from above. Each one etched with a name that hadn't just survived the Tower—they had shaped it.

Gate of Iron Names – Projection Activated

Viewing Eligible: Rank 90–88

⚔ Rank 90 – Vessan the Threefold General

A strategic juggernaut who commands three battlefield avatars at once. He's known for defeating teams of Sovereigns solo.

🛡 Rank 89 – Tal'Ranis the Eternal Guard

An undefeated defensive duelist. No one has ever landed a clean hit. His Shell Aura forms a perfect defense lattice.

🔥 Rank 88 – Arkarion of the Bound Flame

A living forge of magic, Arkarion burns continuously and is said to have created his own Elemental Core in defiance of Tower laws.

Leon stood silently as each name echoed in his mind.

These weren't just Sovereigns.

They were giants.

Roselia's voice broke the silence. "You're not picking all three."

Leon smiled faintly. "No. Not yet."

Kael stepped forward. "Then which one?"

Leon turned to the table, pressed his palm against the name etched deepest into the iron:

Rank 90 – Vessan the Threefold General

Challenge Registration Confirmed – Rank 90

Opponent: Vessan, Threefold General

Battle Domain: The Tripartite Field

Conditions: Must defeat at least two avatars to claim victory

Warning: Opponent may deploy all three simultaneously after 60 seconds

Transition to the Tripartite Field

The transfer to Vessan's domain was unlike the others. It felt like stepping onto a massive floating warboard. Hexagonal tiles extended outward into an endless expanse. Towers shimmered in the distance—simulations, perhaps, or projections of Vessan's past campaigns.

Then the arena shifted.

Three figures stepped into view at once.

Each looked identical: armored in obsidian and silver, wielding different weapons.

One carried a massive glaive, moving like a frontline breaker.

One floated with a bow made of light, already aiming.

One held no weapon at all—just raised his hands, fingers crackling with tactical command seals.

The central figure stepped forward and spoke:

"You're the new blood. Leon Aetheren."

Leon gave a single nod. "You're Vessan."

All three avatars replied at once:

"Correct."

[Sovereign Trial: Rank 90 – Begin]

Rules: Threefold Challenge

• Each avatar holds 1/3 of Vessan's full combat power

• Survive 60 seconds to prevent simultaneous deployment

• Defeat 2 avatars for win

Note: All damage inflicted is real. No illusions. No simulations.

The First Clash

Leon moved fast. He couldn't afford to fight all three.

He triggered Shell Reverb: Echo of Origin, then used Storm Sync Pulse to rocket toward the Bow Avatar—the long-range threat.

Projectiles rained immediately, but his Tripart Echo disrupted their timing, buying him space to slide in under the barrage and land a clean strike.

But then the Glaive Avatar arrived, slamming down with power meant to cleave mountains. Leon barely blocked, the shockwave throwing him across the field.

The moment he landed, the Tactician Avatar snapped his fingers.

The tiles beneath Leon's feet lit up—binding seals.

Leon grit his teeth. "This isn't a duel. It's war."

He triggered Shell Pulse: Karmic Loop + Absolute Return.

Two avatars converged.

He didn't dodge.

He let the glaive swing hit his armored shoulder—absorbing the timing—and released the Echoed Pulse into the bow avatar.

The bolt of Storm energy punched through the archer's side.

[One Avatar Disabled – Target: Bow]

The floor shifted. Vessan's voice echoed:

"Impressive. But now the remaining two fight as one."

They did.

The Glaive and Tactician avatars merged—armor reconfiguring, seals wrapping around the massive weapon. Leon now faced an empowered warlord with both strength and command magic.

Leon bled.

His ribs cracked.

But he kept going.

Using his newly refined Shell Pulse: Fracture Requiem, Leon drove vibration through the warlord's stance, breaking the footwork rhythm.

And with a final leap—Storm energy roaring—he landed a high-impact echo blow to the side of the hybrid avatar's helm.

[Second Avatar Disabled – Victory Condition Met]

The arena froze.

Vessan's three forms merged into one as the war simulation collapsed.

He stood before Leon, scarred, breathing deep—but smiling.

"Aetheren. You fight like a commander."

Leon exhaled. "I fight to rise."

"Then rise to Rank 90. You've earned it."

[Victory Confirmed – Leon Aetheren promoted to Full Rank 90]

Next Unlock: Rank 89 – Tal'Ranis the Eternal Guard

System Notice: Eligible to join the Council of Outer Sovereigns

As they returned to Arkhe City, Roselia asked, "That guy... he wasn't holding back."

Leon nodded. "He gave me the real field. No illusions. No tricks. That was war."

Kael smiled. "Then what now?"

Leon looked up at the Tower's next ascending pillar.

"Now... we break a perfect defense."