CHAPTER 52: BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE

Vision returned with me standing in the middle of the battlefield, my grip tight on the hilt of my sword and stance as tense as it’d been the moment Isobel had attacked me. I glanced down at myself. My armor was chipped, the leather cloth beneath it sliced and crusted with blood, and my head was still aching. But... I was standing. More than that, the pain from my wounds seemed to subside at an unnatural rate. It was slow at first, a warm surge, rushing through me from nowhere. It started in my core and spread out, knitting flesh back together, sealing cuts with a tingle that made my skin prickle. This was a Healing Spell, I realized. But I didn’t know any Healing Spells? Neither did Lyra, and I doubted Isobel would be healing me, would she...?

The House! That aura, the power Isobel had been drawing on like it was her personal battery, was flowing into me now. I could feel it, like an ancient, hungry energy wrapping around my bones, pushing out the pain. Proof of my "Coronation". The House had chosen me as its new Lord, or whatever the hell your title was when a cursed manor decided you were worth propping up.

Across the arena, Isobel stood firm, her rapier still raised, her dark hair matted with sweat and dirt. It was as if she hadn’t taken a lick of damage.

"I’m impressed by your strength, Lloyd May," Isobel conceded. "My Mind Break Spell was supposed to kill you on the spot, you know."

I had no clue what that Spell was, but judging by the stunned look Lyra gave from the sidelines, it must’ve been important. It didn’t matter, though. Not when I had the support of the House on my side.

"Benjamin. Jonah. Edith. Alexander." I said, voice soft as I looked at Isobel. "Isabella."

"...What did you say?" Isobel asked, face a mix of stunned surprise and hints of... awe? "Where did you hear those names...?"

I took a breath, the last of the healing aura fading, leaving me buzzing with energy. "They saved me. Pulled me back from the edge when your Mind Break spell almost did me in. They told me about the House and how it demands more from its leaders. They made me promise I’d honor that, among other things."

Isobel’s eyes searched mine for something I wasn’t quite sure of. Satisfied, a wide smile cracked her lips, like a mentor spotting potential in a rookie. "Benjamin Greaves, first of House Greaves. Isabella Greaves, his wife. Their son Benjamin. His son Jonah. His daughter Edith. Her son, Marquis. His so,n Alexander. His son, my father, and now me. You’ve managed to impress them all, Lloyd May. I’m proud of you. More than my words can convey." She straightened a bit, grip tightening on her rapier. "That being said, I won’t cede control of my House to you just because they said it was yours. Prove yourself to me, Lloyd May. One final time. Surely you’re up for the challenge?"

In that moment, staring at her, I saw it: traces of the woman she was named after–that she was the mirror image of. Isabella Greaves. Her stone-set gaze, her fiery eyes... it was as if Isabella herself was challenging me to battle!

The aura surged again, this time not just healing but fueling. It hit Isobel, too, I noticed. "It seems the House approves. One final battle, Lloyd May."

I nodded, raising my sword again. The weight felt right, balanced, like an extension of my arm. The arena felt alive, now, surging with anticipation. The ground rumbled slightly, the air was thick with tension, and the wind howled through the air. Hell, the weather overhead even worsened! The afternoon sky darkened, rain falling overhead and washing the blood and dirt from us both. On the sidelines, Mr. Shaw summoned spectral umbrellas over himself, Lyra, and his niece, Mileena.

"You might’ve gotten round one, but you aren’t getting round two!" I shouted, gathering aura in my blade.

Isobel moved first, a blur of motion, rapier thrusting like a viper’s strike. I parried, the clash ringing out sharp and metallic, strong enough to create sparks. We circled, testing jabs and feints, her speed matching mine now that we were both at full power. She lunged low, aiming for my legs, and I leaped back, the aura allowing me to cover ground I shouldn’t have been able to this early in the timeline. I moved like I was in my 40s again, though, unfortunately, Isobel did as well.

My heart pounded, not from fear but from the rush

. The power humming in my veins, the certainty that I could win–mixed with the fact that one wrong move would be my loss. Was that the nature of the House affecting me, or was it simply my own love of battle being amplified by its aura? I didn’t have time to ponder that as I dodged a swipe of Isobel’s rapier whizzed past my ear.

We broke apart for a second, breathing hard. The arena felt smaller now, the boundaries blurring as the aura thickened the air. Distant thunder rumbled as if the House itself was cheering.

"You’re holding your own," Isobel admitted, circling again.

"’Holding my own’? Did you forget that I’m a 5-Star Adventurer?"

"A 5-Star Adventurer who needed to be saved by my ancestors? No, how could I possibly forget that?"

She charged me again, and I met her head-on, sword clanging against rapier in a flurry that echoed through the battlefield. The impact jarred my arms, but the House surged, dulling the ache. I pressed forward, forcing her back a step, then two.

Our blades collided once again. In her eyes, I saw Isabella again. Unyielding. Expectant. "It matters little what your rank is, Lloyd May. Here, in my House, I am Queen, and you are merely a subject...!"

"Aww," I intoned, voice dripping with faux nonchalance. "I thought we were closer than that, Isobel...!"

In reality, there was a hint of truth to her words. Despite the strength gap, Isobel was matching me in strength due to the power surging through both of us. The fact that she was a spellsword who knew more Spells than I did actually made this battle unfair in a lot of aspects! And yet, I couldn’t let that sway me. I’d promised them all that I’d win. This battle was proof that my word could be trusted, and proof to Isobel that she could trust me with the House.

"Don’t take it personally, Lloyd May," Isobel said, backstepping the clash and charging aura in her sword. She lunged at me, sword surging with energy. "You’d make a great Paladin!"