"I won't make it!" Alicia thought.
"Nooo!" John shouted.
'Boom!'
A big fog covered the explosion. Everyone in the arena thought that Acacia kingdom Princess was done for.
After a moment, the fog started to clear away. They saw a shadow standing inside the fog.
They focused their gaze on the fog and were trying to see what happened behind it. However, they noticed that there was not one shadow in it, but two.
The fog finally cleared, and they saw a man covered in fire standing in front of Alicia.
"Alex!" Alicia called him. Apparently, Alex used his Flame Armor to protect Alicia from the attack.
Alex turned his back and looked at her. He smiled gently, "I'm sorry I am late, Alicia."
Alicia stood up and hugged Alex, she didn't care about people seeing both of them in the arena. Alex only stood silently, although he wanted to hug her back. He needed to stay alert, so he only patted her back a few times before letting her go. He looked at her face, "Let me finish this."
"Ummm," a big smile appeared on her face while she nodded, captivating everyone in the arena. If she looked like a cold snow fairy before while looking down, her smile now made her look like a sunflower shining to the world.
The three girls were shocked to see that there was a man more handsome than John came protecting her. While John was also shocked upon seeing the man defending Alicia, his expression soon filled with hatred.
John jumped into the arena. He sneered, "So, you are her man. You can just get rid of yourself now, as I decided to take her as one of my wives."
Alex ignored him, he searched for his teacher in the arena. He found his teacher had already arrived in front of the rank 8 fighter from the Zircodina Kingdom.
"It has been a while... no, it has been a year... right, John, Sandra? And Ayaka as well," Alex was surprising everyone with what he was saying. He seemed to know those three, but if anyone noticed, he called Ayaka like she was a side-kick.
"A year? Who are you? I don't know you," John said hatefully. He hated Alex who was more handsome than him and because he was Alicia's man.
"Haha..." Alex laughed, a small laugh that seemed to mock John.
"You..." He glared at Alex with hatred. But other than John, the three girls behind him were mesmerized by Alex's smile.
"Who... who are you?" Sandra asked, her face was red like a tomato.
"It was only one year ago when you made Zircodina's King banish me from the castle and you already forgot about me, my ex? No, you weren't my ex-lover since you, yourself never thought of me as your lover. Am I right, Sandra?" Alex smiled, mocking her.
"You... you... No, it's impossible. That time you went to Alisia Forest, you were so weak that I thought you would die instantly there. No, I can't believe it if you are..." Sandra desperately denied it.
Noticing his conversation with Sandra, Rieze immediately picked something, "You... you are the fifth?"
"Oh, you know me? I thought we have never met before?" Alex turned to Rieze.
"No, you don't know me. I wasn't present back then. I am Zircodina's First Princess Rieze de Andalla Zircodina. So, are you Alexander? The dean's student of this academy? We received the information that this academy's dean found a successor named Alexander. We thought it was just a similar name since the report about you concluded that you are useless," Rieze was shocked by Alex's identity.
"Hehe..." Alex giggled, "I was thankful, you all didn't finish me off after banishing me from the castle, no... you saw me like an ant that can be crushed whenever you want to. But you never knew that the ant could grow to be someone like this."
"It seems like we did you wrong back then. Why don't you coming back to us?" Rieze invited him back. Alex was the student of this academy's dean. That meant he was valued greatly, and to top it off, he was an alchemist, just like his teacher. So, by bringing him back, Zircodina would have another fighter to support them and fight the demon.
"Alex," Alicia muttered in a low voice worriedly, but Alex could still hear her voice.
Alex smirked a little, "Hehe... where will I put my face if I come back with you after you banished me? Also, I already have a new home here, and I am a baron now."
"Baron?" Rieze had thought that giving baron title to Alex would make him interested in returning to Zircodina. However, she didn't know that this kingdom already used such a trick to lure him in. They made him engaged with Alicia instead since that move was more effective. "If you come back to Zicordina, we will grant you more than a baron title. We will grant you an earl title or even more!"
If other nobles in Zircodina heard what she had said, they would protest against her for granting an unknown young man with an earl title. This was a big problem. But on the other hand, she thought that it would be a beneficial move. After all, Alex was an alchemist, the dean's student, and Alicia's man. This alone made him one of the young pillars in this kingdom.
"Earl? You thought too highly of me."
"Yes, you are valued this much. I can fight for you, maybe we can grant you a marquis title. This offer comes from my deepest heart."
"Hoo... your offer is interesting," Alex said. He showed an expression where he seemed to be interested in Rieze's offer, but in reality, he was only acting this whole time.
"Alex!" Alicia shouted his name behind his back.
Alex smirked and he turned to Alicia, "Let me finish first, Alicia. They already make a big offer this time. If I can't act as if I'm not interested in it, it will be rude to them, right?"
Alicia was surprised upon hearing Alex's response. She soon giggled.
Alex turned his attention back to Rieze, "If it is the naive me from a year ago, I might accept your offer, Princess. But now... I can't even see any seriousness in your promise. You might banish me again after using me."
"No... there's no way we would do that to you..." Rieze wanted to deny all his words. But before she could, John cut in.
"Hey, you all! Ignoring me all the time," John stepped in. His expression was full of hatred and he glared at Rieze, "Why are you even inviting that trash back. As long as Zicordina has me, everything will be solved! Attack him!"
Rieze looked at John sadly. Even though she was one of John's women, he never touched her because her father still protected her. She looked at John's behavior and wondered if he was truly a hero. She never saw any heroic attitude from him except his status and job.
Rieze also never knew why his father started a war with the demon and summoned a hero. She only knew that she suddenly called back and was forced to become one of the hero's women.
She looked at Alex who was determined to refuse her offer. She sighed and then raised her sword.
"Sword Strike!"
Ayaka and Sandra also followed the suit.
"Fire Spear!"
"Wind Spear!"
Alex watched this attack and shook his head, "You can't hurt me with these attacks."
Alex then raised his hand and made a grabbing motion. Then, a big claw made of fire emerged.
"Fire Claw!"
This was one of Alex's magic. The big claw grabbed all the magic that came to him. The claw squeezed them and destroyed the magic.
They were shocked, even John was in shock with Alex's capability. Alex destroyed all the attacks from those three girls easily.
"All of you can fight me at the same time like what you did to Alicia," Alex confidently said.
***
Meanwhile, in the arena seat, two old men were facing each other in silence.
"It has been a long time since we met, right? Zircodina's previous marshall, Brandon."
"I'm just following them, to ensure my students are safe. Marco, you seem to become an old man like me."
"Hmph, I am just waiting for you to die. You are already so old, far older than me. So, I think you should prepare your coffin after you come back from here," Marco replied.
"Hmph!"
These two old men were the dean and Zircodina's previous Marshall.
Brandon observed Alex's movement. He didn't know why but from Alex's movement, his instinct screamed at him. This Alex was powerful and dangerous.
But after seeing Alex's capability, Brandon was shocked by a lot. The power he used when he made a big Fire Claw seemed powerful.
"Rank 5?" He was perplexed after analyzing Alex's power.
"Hehe... your hero was only a piece of cake."
Brandon wanted to step in the fight but dean Marco didn't let him.
"You... if something happened to my student, I hope you have the ability to stop my rage! This academy's principle might be able to stop me, but you might not be able to do so even if you manage to drag many people to the grave with me!"
"Brandon, are you going to attack Acacia? Do you think Zircodina can stand our power if you do that?"
"I don't care, I only care about my disciple!"
Upon seeing this old man's madness, Marco was sure that Brandon would go berserk here if something happened to his student. He sighed. If the principal was there, together with him, they could hold this old marshall completely. Unfortunately, the principal wasn't there, so he couldn't be careless. If they fought, he was sure that the other rank 8 would come immediately. But that would be too late. This old marshall would have killed many students when they arrived.
"Well, you said 'student' right? That means only one, I am curious why don't you pick the hero as your pupil too? He is using the sword too, right?" Dean Marco probed.
"Only a brat with a bit of potential. With his character, I'm sure that his achievement will be halted in later years. I even wondered why the king even betrothed her as one of his fiancees. In this old age, I don't want to fight in another war. I just want to watch my student grow up. She is a nice kid. She only thinks about her kingdom," Brandon snorted, then sighed.
He was annoyed with the fact that Rieze was going to be that hero's woman. He could only shake his head helplessly. After all, he was her teacher, while the king was her father. Brandon only wanted to watch Rieze develop her skill to become a better person. Brandon was ready to go berserk after hearing her engagement with the hero. He had seen the hero and he thought that the hero's personalities were trash. He was unsure if that guy was the real hero.
"Well, you can't blame him. If she resists too much, she might get some minor injuries." Marco looked at him solemnly, then he turned to Alex and shouted, "Alex!"
***
Back to the arena where Alex and the rest were getting ready to heat up the fight.
"All of you can fight me at the same time like what you did to Alicia," Alex confidently said.
As soon as he said that, Alex heard his teacher calling his name. He looked at the dean, but he was surprised. His teacher pointed his finger at someone. And that someone was the Zircodina's Princess.
"You can do whatever you want to them, just make sure you go easy on her!"
Alex frowned. He didn't know why his teacher said that, but he must have his reason. He thought of what the reason might be. But he could only come up with the mysterious old man in front of his teacher. If it was like that, then the hero wasn't valued greatly by him or the kingdom. Or there was probably a special relationship between the old man and Rieze.
He nodded, he also didn't have anything against the current princess. He decided to knock her out and move her away.
Alex looked at the hero's expression full of hatred for him. "My teacher said to go easy on her, but I can do whatever I want with you."
"You think you are that strong just because you can stop their attack?" John snorted.
Alex ignored him and smiled, "Come fight me then!"