The Extra Who Stole the Hero's System
Chapter 18: Defeat

Chapter 18: Defeat

"Nah," I said, my voice clear and cold. "That’s not how I killed him."

Lord Sapphire’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected me to survive that last lunge, let alone to speak with such defiance. His face, usually so composed, showed an even more genuine flicker of surprise, quickly replaced by a dangerous narrowing of his eyes.

"Indeed?" he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "Then perhaps you will enlighten me, boy." He lunged again, his blade a silver streak, faster, more furious than before. He was no longer playing.

CLANG!

I parried, the clash of steel ringing sharply in the night. My new Agility allowed me to dodge, to weave, to intercept his relentless attacks. My Strength allowed me to meet his powerful blows without being disarmed, though the impact still vibrated up my arm. He was a master, undeniably so, but I was no weak boy. I was fighting for my life, and that’s enough reason to rise up against my limits.

As the duel continued, the clang of our blades filled the night. Lord Sapphire’s movements were fluid, precise, every strike aimed for the kill. He moved like a seasoned warrior, his blue hair a blur in the moonlight. I countered, dodged, and occasionally, desperately, tried to find an opening, a weakness. But he was too good.

He grew tired of the prolonged exchange. His patience, already thin, seemed to snap. Suddenly a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes, and a subtle shift in his stance, followed by the tightening of his muscles, they all caught my attention.

The air around his sword began to glow, a faint ethereal glow was emanating from the blade. It was Mana. His Blade was absorbing mana.

"Enough of this," Lord Sapphire growled, his voice low and menacing. The glow on his sword intensified, casting a white light on his face. "You have proven... surprisingly. But this ends now."

He raised his sword, the mana fusing around his blade, a visible aura of raw power. My immediate instincts reacted. This wasn’t just a powerful strike; this was a Sword technique, aimed at killing.

"Thunder Clap," he announced, his voice resonating with power. "It’s a C-tier sword technique. A single strike carries the full force of a hundred thunder-like hands pressing down on you. It will end this quickly."

My mind raced. C-tier. A hundred thunder-like hands.The sheer thought of it was terrifying. An eerie, chilling feeling washed over me, a primal warning that this attack would not just wound me, but utterly obliterate me. I had faced death before, but this felt final.

As the mana accumulated in his sword. I reacted instinctively. My hand flickered through the air, a desperate attempt to summon the system. "Pause!" I cried out, it was a desperate plea, a last-ditch effort to freeze time, to escape this inevitable blow.

But it was too late. The Thunder Clap strike was too fast. The mana-infused blade, a blinding flash of light, moved with impossible speed. I didn’t even see it. I only felt the impact.

A crushing, overwhelming force slammed into me. My body convulsed, every nerve screaming, then went utterly, completely limp. I felt nothing. Heard nothing. Saw nothing. I felt dead.

****

It was exactly three days after the duel. A

dull ache, that was the first thing I registered. A persistent, throbbing pain that seemed to full my entire being. Then, I felt the soft rustle of fabric, a faint, pleasant scent of lavender.

I slowly and painfully, forced my eyelids open. The room was familiar. My room. The one with the portrait of me, Kai Lorne. "How long had I been out?" I murmed.

My head felt heavy, my limbs sluggish. I tried to move, but a wave of dizziness pulled me back. I was lying in my bed, tucked beneath the soft, luxurious blankets.

A figure was seated beside the bed, their head bowed, seemingly dozing. It was a maid, her simple uniform was the tip. As I shifted, a faint groan escaping my lips, immediately her head snapped up. Her eyes widened with surprise, as she saw me awake.

"Young master!" she gasped. Her face was now a mix of shock and profound relief. "You’re... you’re awake!"

Before I could even respond, she scrambled to her feet, her chair scraping loudly across the wooden floor. She practically sprinted from the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. "He’s awake! Young master Kai is awake!"

Moments later, the door bashed open. Not gently, but with a sudden, violent push. It was Evelina.

She stood there for a split second, her eyes wide, her face pale, her beautiful blue hair slightly disheveled. "Kai!"

She launched herself across the room, throwing herself onto the bed, embracing me in an intimate hug. Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, and I could feel the wetness of her tears soaking into my shoulder, and the softness of something explicit.

"Oh, Kai! You’re awake! You’re finally awake!" she sobbed. "What happened? What happened to you? We were so worried! You just... you just collapsed!"

I was utterly confused. Collapsed? What was she talking about? The Thunder Clap. Lord Sapphire. The assassin. My mind became a jumble of fragmented memories.

How did I end up in bed? How long had I been unconscious?

Just then, the door opened again, more sedately this time. Lord Sapphire entered, with a flicker of relief in his cold eyes. He walked to the side of the bed, his gaze assessing.

"Ah, Kai," he said, his voice calm. "You’ve finally awake. A rather nasty turn you took, my boy. Gave us all quite a fright."

He then looked at Evelina, who was still clinging to me, sobbing softly. "Evelina, dear, give your brother some space. He needs to rest."

Evelina reluctantly pulled back, though she kept one hand firmly clasped around my arm. Her eyes, still red-rimmed, were fixed on me.

Lord Sapphire turned his gaze back to me, his expression unreadable. "You were with me on the porch, Kai. We were discussing the... unfortunate incident with the assassin’s body. You saw it, and you... well, you simply turned pale, complained of a sudden nausea, and fainted dead away. Quite a shock, I imagine."

My mind reeled. Fainted? Nausea? It was an obvious lie. A carefully constructed lie. He was covering it up. The duel. The Thunder Clap. He was pretending none of it had happened. He was protecting his secret, protecting the family’s image. And he was implying that I was weak, that I couldn’t handle the sight of a dead body. A way to control the narrative.

I knew it was a lie, but what could I do? Argue with him in front of Evelina, who was clearly distraught and believed his version of events? Reveal that I had just killed a man?

I had to play along. I had to agree.

"Yes, Father," I said, my voice steady. I forced a weak nod. "The sight was quite... unsettling. I suppose I’m not as resilient as I thought." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but it was necessary. I couldn’t cause a scene. Not with Evelina watching.