Chapter 65: Rainbow Road
Cleru Neos
My Rainbow Dragon flapped her wings, which made the smoke from the explosion soar away. Because of my bloodline magic Martyrdom of the Plebeian, I absorbed all the damage she's supposed to take from the enemy Dracaryx. Jasmine spoke softly through my head.
"C-Cleru… You don't have to be so heroic. I can take the attack."
"I won't let any person dear to me take more injuries than me!" I protested. I slowly got up while holding my right arm, which is tremendously bleeding. Not just my arm… I think my stomach has a wide open wound too. I can also feel the hot red liquid on my forehead, leaving a trail as it goes to my cheeks. Everyone in the arena looked at me with pity. But I don't need their mercy. I needed to win.
For her sake.
Suddenly, a portal opened on my face, and a person came out. It was my beautiful and brainy blonde enemy Reina Fleuret. She pointed her short sword to my nose, and tried to bargain. "Stop sacrificing your life for some useless whim. Surrender already."
I took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack! My rainbow scimitar slashed through her waist, but she immediately countered with a kick to my face! In the nick of time, I used Martyrdom again to absorb the incoming damage to my body. I only have 1% shield plate left, so I have to endure all the pain I have.
I rolled to the ground. I wanted to get up fast, but my legs and arms are no longer listening to me! I have endured all the pain for the last few seconds, but now, this is too much! Every muscle aches in my body. I'm dizzy because of blood loss. And some tendons in my fingers have been completely severed. There's no way I can even touch my sword now.
Suddenly, a lovely yet worried voice screamed. "C-C-CLERUUUUUUU!!!"
A surge of adrenaline entered all over my system. Seris's words…are truly magical. Whenever I hear her shout my name, my body would refuse to give up and look for more pain! I used all my remaining physical, mental, and magical force to stand up. I spitted out blood to clear my mouth and then glared at the enemy!
"This is not a useless whim!" I screamed. "It was never a heist! I will become the Princess's Guard even if it cost my life!"
I grabbed my chest and shouted with all my remaining energy and might! "DRACARYX!!! Activate Rainbow Road!"
Suddenly, Jasmine revealed the full extent of her rainbow wings which shined upon reflecting sunlight. A planck instant later, an invisible forcefield in a shape of a bubble covered me and my Rainbow Dragon! Rocks all over the place levitated, and there are electric sparks that whirled outside the force field. Then, a deafening blast came out from the roygbiv feathers in different colors! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet lasers went directly to my enemy knight!
Because Reina's dragonoid Richard already used all his power on the last Dracaryx, he was not able to deploy a portal in time. All the blasters struck Reina, which immediately put her shield plate to 0%. But surprisingly, she stood bravely after taking all the hit. She didn't suffer from any actual damage, but her valiance made her cool over the crowd.
The buzzer went on and the emcee proclaimed. "The winner is the Plebeian Knight, Cleru Neos!"
A lot of people shouted, but in a negative manner. At least to me. They booed me. They accused me of being a cheater. They threw tomatoes, fries, beer cans, rocks and even a bald cat at me. I just triggered their anger, and there's nothing that will stop their rage at me. I know that everyone wanted the student council president to win this fight, but I'm sorry. I can't let that happen.
Jasmine, in her humanoid form, approached to my side. She was deeply worried, and her eyes are already giving of tears. She was just about to sermon me again but then I smiled with my bloody teeth and gave thumbs up.
And then I lost consciousness.
When I woke up, I was already in a white room. A hospital room. My body was covered with all the bandages in this place. I turned to the window in my left, which made me conclude that it was already nighttime.
Beside me, is my dragonoid Jasmine. She's holding my right hand as she snores out loud. I guess she got tired of waiting me to wake up. I patted her smooth black hair as if she was my dog.
The door opened, and a figure of a hooded person immediately went in and closed the door. Judging from her body shape and seeable part of her lower face, she's a she. I was certain of who she was when she uncovered her veil and revealed her face to me.
Long glowing golden hair and green sparkling eyes. Her childish face yet matured figure make her an absolute beauty. She is the woman I pledged myself with an impossible promise when we were a kid. She is Princess Serenity Elkyria herself.
She sighed heavily and then looked at me with a smile. That smile only lasted for two seconds, because it transformed to an angry frown. Her eyebrows curled as if she's going to spank me with slippers just like my mom used to do.
"Cleru! You used Martyrdom again! I told you to stop using it!" She held her hips.
"You escaped again." I replied back with a smile. "Your private body guards will be damned because of you!"
"Don't worry about them!" Seris's face transformed to an arrogant smile. "You're the only guard that I wanted to be with! You promised me!"
"Yeah yeah." I replied coldly. But then she changed to a mad expression and pinched my cheek! What a moody person!
"But you shouldn't sacrifice your wellbeing for that!" She said. Then she made a worried tone. "You don't have to get hurt so bad just to win this tournament."
"I have to." I turned serious. "We promised to each other that you will be my princess, and I'll be your knight. I'll do everything just to stay by your side. No one shall stand in my way. I'm already in the final part of the tournament. Only one more battle to go."
"Amphere Harrison." The princess muttered.
"I thought Mark Anthony Octavius poses the biggest threat, but I was wrong." I said. "That knight has a lot of hidden abilities. He can control dragonoids with his eyes, and his dragonoid herself evolved to a more powerful one. What's more is that they even discovered a ridiculously powerful Dracaryx that led to the General-level dragon knight to his defeat."
"I already requested Sir Harrison to lose the tournament." The princess bowed. "But he didn't reply."
I took the trembling soft white hands of the princess and kissed it. "Don't worry. I'll win the tournament. For sure."