Fenghis attacked first, boasting about the power of his spell.
"Prepare to witness my most superior attack you cretin!" (Fenghis)
However, I remained silent and waited for him to unleash his spell's destructive force.
He extended his arms forward and placed his palms together with a small gap between them, channeling his mana towards the center.
A pink orb of magic gathered in his hands as he shouted, [Grand Destroyer!].
The energy surrounding him was absorbed by the orb, which he then hurled at me with all his might.
The orb burst into multiple energy spheres, creating a chain explosion that charged towards me, but I stood my ground.
I knew that Fenghis's spell was almost as powerful as Fasit's, but it was still lacking.
Unfortunately, if this was the best Fenghis could do, then he was no match for me.
The energy curtains were no match for my defensive skills.
I conjured a rank A defensive ability known as [Water Dragon's Dome], creating a large dome of water around me.
The spheres of energy exploded into a massive dome-like explosion that covered a 30-meter radius, but it was still lacking.
Fenghis dropped to his knees, left in absolute shock. I was already anticipating the next move.
I spoke calmly, "You are not the only one that can use a powerful spell."
As the dome of water was collapsing, I took a deep breath and turned to Fenghis. "Is that what you really called a superior attack?" I asked him with a calm voice. "You can't kill anyone with that inferior magic power."
Fasit looked at me with amazement. "I can't believe you effortlessly cancelled out that attack," she said.
Serena smiled at me. "I expected it," she said, "My lord has come so far."
Sangria added, "The [Water Dragon's Dome] spell has a dense field of water around it that neutralizes exterior attacks by progressively slowing them down until it extinguishes the attack."
Mojito nodded in agreement. "I'll get as powerful as that someday," he promised Mimosa, making her blush a bit. "And then I'll protect you."
Mojito sighed, however, as Mimosa called him sweet instead of brave or manly. I intervened, telling them to keep it down a bit.
Fasit smiled at me before asking me what I chose to do with Fenghis. I wore a serious look and told them, "I'll kill him."
Fenghis vibrated in fear, his title of Minotaur Lord meaning nothing to me.
I approached Fenghis slowly, my eyes locked onto him. "I won't let you run away," I said calmly. But Fenghis still tried to flee, so I quickly used my [Earth Magic] to create a marsh-like trap beneath him. "This marsh trap will stop you," I said firmly, and then solidified it to trap his legs.
"You can't do this to me! I am the Minotaur Lord!" Fenghis roared in defiance.
But I just glared at him. "You'll be quiet," I commanded, and then used my [Stone Cannon] to create earth-like bullets that flew straight for Fenghis, tearing small holes in his body. He screamed in agony.
"You're evil," I said harshly. "You sacrificed the lives of almost a thousand minotaurs just for your own power."
Fenghis groaned, clutching his wounds. "But you're breaking the condition of the [Sacrytis]. We are only allowed to use our strongest attacks against each other," he gasped.
I remained firm. "I never said anything specific about that," I replied, noting the realization dawning on Fenghis.
"You're a devil!" Fenghis spat.
I didn't falter. "If I'm a devil, then you're worse!" I retorted.
The atmosphere was tense and filled with drama as my power overpowered Fenghis, leaving him helpless. I couldn't let him get away with what he had done; I had to stop him, no matter what it took.
Fenghis looked up at me, his eyes fierce with anger and desperation.
"You will regret this, human," he hissed. "My brethren will come for me, and they will not rest until they have avenged my defeat."
"I'm not afraid of your brethren," I replied calmly. "I'll face them all if I have to."
Fenghis scoffed. "You think you can take on a whole army of minotaurs? You are nothing but a foolish mortal."
"I'm not just a mortal," I said, my voice becoming more confident. "I am a wielder of magic, of power unimaginable. And I will not let creatures like you use that power for your own selfish gain."
Fenghis glared at me, his eyes burning with rage. "You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over. The minotaurs will never bow down to your kind."
"I don't want them to bow down to me," I said. "I just want them to live peacefully, without fear of being sacrificed for someone else's power."
"You are a naive fool," Fenghis sneered. "The world is not a peaceful place. There will always be those who seek power, no matter the cost. And they will stop at nothing to get it."
"I know that," I said. "But I refuse to be one of them. And I will do whatever it takes to stop them, no matter the cost."
Fenghis shook his head, still refusing to accept his defeat. "You may have defeated me, but there will always be others like me. You cannot stop them all."
"I know that," I said, my voice firm. "But I will do what I can, wherever I can, to make the world a better place. And that's a promise."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
[POV: The omniscient Akashic Records]
Fasit cleared her throat and spoke first, "I have seen many leaders in my lifetime, but none like Lord Lumiere. He treats us, monsters, as equals, as family and not as fierce beasts."
"He's a rare gem of a leader, and I have nothing but respect for him. However, I fear that he may face challenges that could set him back in his quest to change the world." (Sangria)
Serena chimed in with a smile, "But, my lord has always been resilient in the face of challenges. He has a way of seeing the good in everyone and everything, which is why I follow him so faithfully. I believe that he can truly change the world if he continues to lead with kindness and compassion."
Mojito, flexing his muscles, agreed with a nod of his head. "Our great lord, Lumiere, has shown that he's not afraid to stand up for what is right, even if it means going against the norm. He has the ability to inspire others to do the same... that's so manly."
"Of course, changing the world is no easy feat. There are those who will resist change and do everything in their power to maintain the status quo." (Sangria)
Mimosa, the herb specialist and grygan medic, put a hand on Sangria's shoulder and said, "That may be true, but if he can continue to bridge the gap between the humans and monsters, then perhaps we can achieve a world where everyone can coexist peacefully."
Fasit nodded in agreement and said, "I can't wait to see what other great things he does."
"I couldn't agree more.." (Serena)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
[POV: Lumiere Venrite, Grygan Lord]
As I stood there, watching Fenghis struggle to break free from the earth trap, I could feel the tension in the air. The minotaur army looked like they were about to strike, but I couldn't let that happen. "Hold your ground," I commanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Fenghis doesn't care about any of you. He just sees you as resources to use for his own gain."
But the minotaurs didn't seem to care. They marched forward, and Skarz was among them. I looked at him, hoping to reason with him. "Your father didn't even care about your life. Why would you fight for him?"
Skarz hesitated, but Fenghis was quick to taunt him. "Listen to your leader, Skarz. The boy doesn't know anything about loyalty."
I could feel my anger boiling inside me, but I knew that violence wasn't the answer. So, I tried a different approach. "If I kill Fenghis, then I win the contest and become your ruler," I said, my eyes locked on the minotaur army.
But their response surprised me. "Fenghis will always be our leader!" they shouted.
Fenghis smirked, clearly pleased with their response. "You see, boy? You're fighting a losing battle."
But I couldn't give up. I had to find a way to stop them. That's when I remembered the contract made by the [Sacrytis]. "If you attack me," I said, my voice low, "you'll be breaching that contract. And if that happens, Fenghis dies."
The minotaurs stopped in their tracks, looking at each other in confusion. I could feel their hesitation, but I didn't let my guard down. And when Fenghis opened his mouth to taunt me again, I used my [Fire Magic] to set his head ablaze.
He screamed in agony, and for a moment, I thought the minotaurs would attack me. But they didn't. They knew they couldn't breach the contract, not when their leader's life was on the line.
I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as the standoff continued.