Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 11, Part 1)

17 A Fight for the Throne

An Bai stared at the scene in a daze. Ye Yang had said he would take care of matters but he wouldn't have thought it'd be like this. Clearly, this man had no interest in being the demon king. Otherwise, he would have done something earlier and wouldn't simply have supported Jin Ling. But now, that had changed.

Why? Because Jin Ling was gone? Or because he wanted to prove something? But if it was the latter that seemed to be going too far. And even if, it didn't mean anything. It wouldn't change a thing.

An Bai furrowed his brows. He didn't like Ye Yang that way and he didn't want to either. Still, in this fight, he wanted him to win over Xia Wei. Everything else would be a disaster for them.

He retracted his gaze and instead looked to where their king was still hunting demons on the other end of what had been the battlefield. Most demons were smart enough to step out of his way but there were always a few who didn't manage to do so in time or who felt enraged by a dragon daring to enter their side of the battlefield pretty much alone and wanted to teach him a lesson. One after the other, they all fell.

An Bai sighed and turned his attention back to Ye Yang's fight. Clearly, he didn't need to worry about his own king. Right now, the question of who would become the new demon king was much more pressing. Exactly how big were the odds in Ye Yang's favor?

"It's looking good." Fu Heng was only standing a step away so he saw An Bai's gaze. He couldn't help but want to explain. "That Xia Wei isn't bad. If it was just their use of weapons, I'd say he might win although it wouldn't be a sure thing. Strength-wise, Ye Yang is slightly better though and his grasp of magic seems better as well. It isn't a major difference no matter which part you look at but everything taken together still puts Ye Yang slightly ahead. I think he'll make it."

An Bai nodded, somewhat relieved. Of course, Fu Heng couldn't predict the future but he was knowledgeable when it came to fighting. Chances were that if he felt Ye Yang had an edge over Xia Wei, he really did. And if he said that it was likely for him to win, then chances were in his favor. There was a reason why Qiu Ling had put Fu Heng in charge of his military after all.

The two of them fell silent and instead watched the fight above them again.

Fu Heng wasn't wrong. Ye Yang indeed had some small advantages over Xia Wei. His biggest problem was that it had been some time since he really fought while Xia Wei was somebody who went out of his way to ensure his skills stayed sharp. The current battle had been alright because he could easily win over the average demon but with Xia Wei, he had to stay vigilant.

Neither of the two held back. Xia Wei used everything he had in terms of wielding his weapon while Ye Yang focused most on his magical ability, the flames burning so hot that the air around them seemed to melt. They didn't pay attention to their surroundings, only focusing on each other.

The fight wasn't a fast one although it was fast-paced. They rapidly exchanged blows but for several long minutes, no winner could be determined. The difference between their prospects of winning could only be seen by people like Fu Heng who had the skills and experience as extensive as the two fighting.

Slowly, things changed though. Ye Yang found back into this type of fight, his offensive getting stronger. He had seen through Xia Wei's way of fighting and the experience he hadn't used in a long time shone through. His attacks became even more rapid and finally, Xia Wei was at a clear disadvantage.

The demon's brows furrowed tightly. He didn't believe that he was any worse than Ye Yang or at least not much worse. But somehow, he still found himself a the losing end. He gave a huff and finally lowered his weapon. "It seems I will have to concede."

Ye Yang lowered his weapon as well. "Not by much. You fought well."

Xia Wei only sighed. Fighting well meant nothing. If Ye Yang had insisted, then he could have killed him sooner or later. At that time, what did it matter how well he had fought? "Since this is the case, what do you want me to do, Your Majesty?"

Ye Yang motioned toward where the other demons had gathered. "Return to the demon realm with the rest just as I said before."

Xia Wei gave the dragons a reluctant look but finally nodded. "As you command." He didn't lose another word and simply turned around, rushing ahead.

The other demons exchanged glances and then followed. Some couldn't help but think that they had given up too easily. After all, not even their reinforcements had arrived yet. But then, when they finally reunited with them, they saw the dragons that had gathered behind them. It seemed that they had thought too simply. Turning back ... it might have been the wisest decision.

Ye Yang also noticed the dragons and couldn't help but smile. He had heard the arrangements they had made so he was naturally aware that reinforcements from elsewhere in the dragon realm would arrive later. Now, this put them in the somewhat difficult situation of having to negotiate with the reinforcements that weren't aware of what was happening up front.

Ye Yang sighed and then overtook the other demons, motioning for them to stop. He flew the rest of the way to stand in front of the dragons who immediately tensed up, ready to attack. He faintly shook his head and turned to the one that was apparently in charge. "I know why you are here but there doesn't need to be a fight. To summarize what happened on the battlefield: Our new king was dethroned and his successor isn't interested in fighting this war. Suffice to say, as long as you let us pass, we will quietly leave the dragon realm.

"You can verify this with any of Longjun's advisers." Personally, he would prefer if that adviser was An Bai but he couldn't really make that demand. Not to mention that the dragons might not take kindly to it, he had been shown once again today that you couldn't let any demon grab onto your weakness. If they knew that he was interested in An Bai, that little dragon would be in trouble. Thus, it was better to keep that on the down low.