Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world

Chapter 330 : First and last warning

"Gaah..." Filden gasped as he was once again thrown to the ground, his whole body covered in dark bruises and wracked with pain.

"You give up now?" Maya asked coldly as she walked in the young man's direction, her gait calm and steady. She had sustained a few wounds during the duel, but they were superficial—nowhere near enough to faze her.

Meanwhile, the members of the Drazen family gathered around the estrade stared at their heiress with incredulous gazes. When they had come to watch the duel between their young prodigy Filden and their heiress, none of them had expected to witness such a one-sided beatdown of Filden!

There was no comparison between the two youngsters; Maya was leagues above Filden. With every exchange of blows, the gap between their skills became increasingly evident.

A few meters from the stunned Drazen, Alex, Amelia, and Freya could be seen sitting on luxurious chairs, observing the duel. Amelia simply watched the ongoing battle with an expected, slightly bored expression, Alex, on the other hand, seemed almost on the verge of dozing off, his head drooping downward. In contrast, the matriarch of the Drazen family, Maya's mother, wore the most shocked expression of everyone present.

She knew her daughter better than anyone else, and that was precisely why she was so surprised. The Maya she knew had been shy, reserved, and, well, more than a little clumsy. Yet the Maya before her was cold, decisive, swift, and calculating as she delivered blow after blow to her opponent with precision and efficiency.

What was most astounding of all was the fact that she wasn’t just fighting a skilled opponent—she was holding her own against someone who was several tiers above her!

Slowly, a small but perceptible smile of pride appeared on Freya’s usually stoic face.

'I have to thank Sir Alexandre and Lady Amelia. If she hadn't met those two, perhaps she would still be the shy little girl I once knew,' she thought, glancing at the seemingly dozing Alex and Amelia.

Meanwhile, as he felt Maya approach, Filden cursed inwardly, spat out a drop of blood, and shakily stood to his feet.

Witnessing the arrogant and condescending expression on the young heiress as she drew near, and feeling the searing pain coursing through his body, Filden finally snapped.

Gritting his teeth, he activated his ability, and soon a brilliant, pure light engulfed the entire floor, momentarily blinding everyone present.

Maya stiffened, instinctively shutting her eyes to shield them from the intense brightness.

Taking advantage of her momentary vulnerability, Filden moved with lightning speed, appearing before her in an instant. His fist struck her abdomen a split second later, landing with a sickening force.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Maya let out a pained cry as she was propelled backward, skidding several meters across the ground.

Froze, watching the battle from below the estrade, felt his eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets as he saw his son using his ability in the middle of the duel. 'That fucking idiot!' he cursed inwardly, his barely contained anger threatening to boil over.

Freya, standing beside him, looked even more furious than Froze himself. Her clenched fists trembled as her eyes narrowed in rage. The reason for her fury was clear—this duel was supposed to be a test of martial prowess alone, with abilities strictly forbidden. By resorting to his ability, Filden had just lost the match.

Yet, just as Froze was about to storm the platform and stop his son from launching another attack on Maya, Alex’s voice rang out.

"Let them continue," he said, his head still hung low, his tone calm yet commanding.

Froze doubted his ears. Did this Arcanor just suggest letting the duel continue, even though his disciple had already technically won?

Freya and Amelia exchanged confused glances, their brows furrowed in silent questioning, but Alex simply gestured for them to relax and watch.

Meanwhile, Filden, too blinded by his rage and hatred for Maya, paid no attention to the commotion behind him. He lunged toward her, his fists cutting through the air as several strikes landed on the still-dazed Maya.

In the blink of an eye, the dynamic of the entire fight had shifted. Now, it was Maya’s turn to endure a brutal beating at Filden’s hands—or so he thought.

Filden grinned sadistically, his fist just inches from Maya’s face. He could already imagine the satisfying feel of her soft skin beneath his knuckles. But at that precise moment, something utterly unexpected occurred.

One second, Filden was about to land a devastating blow on Maya. The next, he found himself staring up at the ceiling. 'Huh?' he thought, his mind struggling to process the sudden reversal.

Then, like a tidal wave, the pain and shock hit him all at once.

Bang!!!

Filden was knocked flat on his back, the force of impact creating a web of cracks that spread outward like a spider’s web beneath him.

A heart-wrenching cry of agony began to escape his lips, but before it could fully form, it was abruptly cut short. A sharp sting, followed by a searing pain, radiated from his abdomen as Maya's foot came down with unrelenting force.

"That's for cheating!" Maya shouted, her voice filled with fury, before slamming her foot onto his chest. "And that is for all the crap I had to endure because of you over the years!"

Her heel struck his abdomen once more, sending another wave of pain coursing through his battered body. "For being so insufferably arrogant!" she spat, her anger palpable.

Without hesitation, another blow landed squarely on his ribs. "And for being a jerk!"

A final stomp followed shortly after, shaking the platform as she screamed, "For being—"

"ENOUGH!" Froze’s voice boomed across the room as he appeared beside the enraged heiress, his hand raised high, poised to strike. His expression was dark, veins bulging on his forehead.

Maya froze in terror, her eyes shutting tight as she braced for the inevitable blow. But as seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, no pain came. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, only to see long strands of purple hair cascading down a broad, unmoving back—Alex.

"What were you about to do?" Alex inquired, his voice colder than ice. His hand gripped Froze’s arm with a crushing force, his fingers digging into flesh like iron claws, threatening to snap the man's limb.

Froze didn’t answer. His face was drenched in sweat, his eyes wide with terror. If Alex had been in a lighter mood, he might have commented on how Froze now resembled a pig ready for slaughter.

But it wasn’t Alex’s intervention alone that had paralyzed Froze. The very moment he had raised his hand toward Maya, an overwhelming and oppressive aura descended upon him, locking him in place. It was a power so immense, so suffocating, so overwhelming that it rendered him completely immobile.

"Froze Drazen, head of the procurement department of the Drazen family," a deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed through the entire floor. Its tone was both commanding and otherworldly, each syllable reverberating like thunder in the silence. "This is your first and last warning."

The voice vanished as abruptly as it had come, leaving behind an eerie stillness. The oppressive aura also dissipated seconds later.

Froze stood frozen, his body trembling uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped down his back as he fought to suppress the growing urge to shit himself. The voice hadn’t specified what would happen if he crossed the line again, but the sheer weight of its presence was enough to terrify him beyond reason.

As for the reason for the warning he just received, it couldn't be more obvious: he had dared to raise his hand against Maya, on the verge of hitting the future Matriarch of the Drazen family and future Earl.

It was one thing for the younger generation to clash and settle their grievances through combat. But for an adult to harm the young heiress’s hair was unacceptable.

Previously, such rules didn’t exist. However, after her abduction orchestrated by none other than her uncle and probably some members of the first branch, the family elders had judged necessary that Maya must be accompanied at all times by bodyguards. These weren’t ordinary guards though, but individuals wielding power beyond Froze’s wildest imagination.

Froze had actually been briefed on this matter only a few hours ago by Frieda, but in the heat of the moment, he had foolishly forgotten, only to be reminded in the harshest way possible.

Alex frowned as the voice that had just spoken seemed to dissolve into the air, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. He wasn’t naïve—he quickly pieced together that the speaker was likely a bodyguard tasked with ensuring Maya’s safety. However, what puzzled him was the complete absence of any hint of this individual’s location.

The individual had to be nearby. How else could they react so quickly to stop Froze? Yet Alex couldn’t sense their presence at all. If not for the warning and the aura, he would never have suspected that someone had been shadowing Maya—and by extension, him—this entire time.

'I don't like this at all.'