"Thalion, save me!" Alaric's voice was a panicked plea, but it was already too late.
Before Thalion could even react, Ben Faulkner had moved, appearing behind Alaric with lethal precision as in one swift motion, he forced the vial of poison—intended for him—into Alaric's own mouth, making him swallow it, much to Thalion's horror.
"No–" Thalion screamed in panic, as he found himself being too far away from Ben and Alaric to intervene now.
The only mistake Alaric that had made all night and with his perfect plan to kill the Emperor was underestimating Ben Faulkner.
He had assumed Ben was unconscious, but Ben had never been out of the fight and had merely been waiting for the enemy to show their hand while silently countering the effects of the poison in his bloodstream.
If he wanted, Ben could have gotten up from his stretcher at any moment, however, he only did so when Alaric revealed his hand, to ensure that justice was served.
"Quickly, Chief Strategist… the medical wing is just ten steps away. If you tell the Chief Healer the name of the poison you just consumed, perhaps we can still save your life," Ben urged, as Alaric staggered toward the medical wing, desperately gasping out, "Tereruan Scorpion," before collapsing onto the floor.
In a frantic attempt to save his own life, Alaric inadvertently sealed his fate. By revealing the poison's name, he had implicated himself in the Emperor's murder, leaving no room for doubt.
"Oh, Lord! So it was Chief Strategist Alaric who killed the Emperor. But why? Why would he do such a thing?" asked the Royal Healer, visibly shaken by the sudden turn of events.
"Then his testimony about Prince Nathan seeing Ben Faulkner speak to a server… could it have been a lie? Could they be working together?" questioned an assistant healer, as beads of sweat began to form on Thalion's brow.
So far, no one had suspected him. But with Alaric on the brink of death and Nathan already being implicated as an accomplice, Thalion realized that his chances of surviving this coup unscathed were dwindling rapidly.
"Of course, they're in this together, and their third accomplice is standing right here… Commander Thalion, 'The Brave.' You wouldn't happen to have a vial of 'Tereruan Scorpion' poison hidden under your armor, would you?" Ben asked, locking eyes with Thalion, who felt his worst fears confirmed.
He knew. Ben Faulkner knew, which meant Thalion's political career was over.
"Ha—" Thalion chuckled bitterly as instead of defending his honor, he chose to go down fighting, lunging at Ben Faulkner in one final act of defiance.
*********
Thalion's blade gleamed under the dim lights of the corridor as he lunged at Ben Faulkner with all the force of a man who knew this would be his final stand.
Ben, naturally met the attack head-on, his movements sharp and precise as his dagger clashing against Thalion's sword with a resounding *clang* that echoed through the halls.
The fight between the two master's was fierce from the start, each man driven by a desperate resolve as Thalion fought with the strength of a cornered beast, his strikes heavy and relentless, while Ben countered with the calculated precision of a seasoned assassin, his dagger dancing in the confined space, slipping past Thalion's defenses in quick, precise jabs.
It was the conclusion to the master's tournament that the common populace never got to witness, as this was a true dance of death, a duel where two strong fighters actually fought to kill and not to win useless honor.
However, as the battle raged on, Ben began to feel it—a subtle but undeniable weakness creeping into his limbs as each time he moved rapidly, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and for a brief moment, the world spun as if he were caught in a state of vertigo.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to push through the haze, but he knew that he was far from his full strength as despite his outward display of power, Ben was operating at only a fraction of his usual capabilities, closer to seventy percent at best.
He had not dispelled the poison completely from his blood stream and although he had recovered, it was not enough.
Thalion, sensing the slight hesitation in Ben's movements, pressed his advantage, launching a flurry of attacks that forced Ben to backpedal. But even as he fought with renewed vigor, Thalion's body betrayed him.
The nick on his neck, where Lin Mu's dagger had grazed him earlier, began to burn with a fiery intensity as sweat poured down his face, not from exertion or fear, but from the poison that was now coursing through his veins.
The realization hit Thalion like a blow to the gut. The small wound, barely more than a scratch, had been inflicted by a poison dagger. He could feel the toxin spreading rapidly through his bloodstream, sapping his strength and dulling his reflexes, causing each swing of his sword to become heavier, more labored, as the poison took hold.
"Ha–, you have a little more than 2 minutes to live if you don't finish me by then and find a cure–" Ben said, also noticing the weakness in Thalion's body, as from a distance Lin Mu chuckled heartily.
She too was on the brink of death, her abdomen was bleeding profusely, yet she could not help but laugh at this moment, as she felt pride in having screwed over Thalion.
From the moment she decided to attack him, she already knew she was never his match.
Her only goal was to nick him once with her poisoned dagger and having managed to do so, Lin Mu had no more regrets.
"So…. What's it going to be, Ben Faulkner, neither you nor I are at our best. Who do you think walks out of here alive?" Thalion said, trying to distract Ben as he sneakily gathered his mana.
However, Ben was no greenhorn either, as he smiled and did the same, playing Thalion's own game better than himself.
"You're a hundred years too young to kill me, BOY, I'd take you seriously, if it were your grandfather fighting me here today–" Ben said, as he launched the first move.