"HMM… he certainly fit the image for that project," Li Xu Min commented at Duan Yu's nod. "But would he agree?"

"Don't worry, Ah Min. He will agree," Duan Yu said with a smile.

Li Xu Min stared at his friend's smile. It might look like an ordinary smile to everyone. But to him, it's the smile Duan Yu made whenever he succeeded in scheming something.

"You're not planning to blackmail him, right?" he asked with a disapproving gaze.

"Of course not," Duan Yu said as if affronted by the thought. "I have a deal with him. He owes me a favor. So, I'm sure he would agree." He had no choice but to. – Duan Yu added in his mind. "Besides, it's not as if we're planning to make him do something atrocious."

Well, that's true in a way. – Li Xu Min thought. Anyway, he could always put a stop to it if Noctis didn't want to do it.

He returned his gaze back to the rink. The two were still not making any move. He didn't feel impatience because of the lack of action. He wasn't the type to enjoy violence after all. 

He wasn't actually planning to watch the Rookie Carnival today. Especially since there was no Angel race in the participants. But he was curious of Noctis. Not only because of the things that Duan Yu had told him, but more so because of the incident that happened right after the preliminaries of the Carnival. The one that involved that one Angel race player who also participated in the Carnival but promptly eliminated during the prelims.

He didn't know exactly all the details since Duan Yu and Zhong Hui were the ones who took care of it. He just knew that team Yunyue was involved and that they solved the 'problem' as fast as they could because of Noctis.

So, he was curious as to what kind of player could move Yunyue. A team who seemed to not care much about what others said about them. As evidence of how they hadn't done anything despite their team being labeled as 'fallen champions'. 

That's why he decided to watch the matches today. To see just how strong Noctis was. Surely, someone acknowledged by YUN would be nothing short of great. 

Back on the rink…

While Luo Yan was waiting for Razor's answer, he could hear a constant chattering inside his head. It was Eclipse's voice.

[Mashter, Mashter, why are you just standing there? Did that hooded guy attacked you secretly that's why you couldn't move? Everyone is worried. Uncle, handsome brother, the handsome blacksmith, especially Captain! The lion and pink sister seem to be confident that everything is under control though. But is it?]

Luo Yan chuckled inwardly hearing that. Eclipse mentioned everyone watching in their royal box. If the two dragons were there, he might have also mentioned them. But the two chose to stay at the team's headquarters. Or more accurate to say, Dusk chose to stay and Rowan followed. Just like a chick following its mother.

[I'm fine. I'm just waiting.] – he answered. [Tell that to the others as well so they would stop worrying.]

[Yes, Mashter!]

The little boy's incessant chattering finally ended. 

Luo Yan looked at Razor once again. All he could see from here was the other's indigo eyes. And they were now filled with curiosity and a tiny speck of annoyance.

"Okay," the other finally said in response. "I'll go all out from the start. I just hope you could keep up with me."

Razor did not say that in an arrogant tone. He said it in a way as if he was truly hoping that Luo Yan wouldn't be just all talk and that he would be able to really keep up with him.   

Luo Yan only smiled as an answer. 

Razor suddenly rushed forward. His movement was so fast that it almost looked like a blur. Luo Yan's smile brightened even more and he moved as well.

Cai Hong's eyes widened just a tiny bit when he saw his opponent disappearing from where he was standing. He reflexively raised his dagger to defend himself when he felt that something was about to hit him. And something did clash against his dagger – it was another dagger with a blade as dark as night itself.

He didn't expect Noctis to actually meet him in the middle. If he remembered correctly, that talkative duke mentioned that the other was an Assassin as well. He wasn't really sure. But seeing the dagger and witnessing Noctis' speed, that must be the case.

Another Assassin. Maybe this would be a fun match. Worthy enough for him to go all out.

He hadn't had time to think more because another dagger came attacking from the other side. It was coming at him at a very fast speed. If he dodged haphazardly, the other dagger that he was defending against could accidently graze him. He couldn't explain properly but his instinct was telling him not to get hit by those daggers. Even a simple graze would be bad.

He sighed and another dagger appeared in his free hand. It easily defended against the opponent's incoming dagger. Assassins often used two daggers as weapons. Cai Hong was no different. It's just he mostly only used one. He only used both when he thought that he had no choice but to do so.

To think he had to use his other dagger this early.

Luo Yan wasn't so surprised that his attack was deflected. Instead, he attacked even more fiercely. And Razor had no choice but to defend.

Because of their speed, the audience couldn't see what was happening clearly. They were moving so fast that they even left after-image of themselves from where they stood. They moved from one place to another that those after-images were the only ones the audience could see.

But there's something they could hear clearly – the loud clang of metal against another metal.. Evidence of two daggers colliding fiercely against each other.

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