The shockwave that rippled through Margaret was unlike any other she had ever experienced. It was as though she had been stabbed in the gut, the emotional blow leaving her reeling.
Valeria lay sprawled on the ground, a pitiful sight. Blood seeped from her mouth, staining the dirt beneath a grotesque crimson.
Each twitch and gasp of pain only made the scene more surreal, as if she was trapped in a dream she couldn't wake from.
Margaret pressed a trembling hand to her face, trying to dispel the illusion before her. Her gaze flickered to Klaus, his features impassive as he surveyed the woman he'd just struck down.
His neutrality was a mirror, reflecting the chaos of the scene in its dispassionate calm.
Turning to Keira, her voice was a hushed whisper threaded with disbelief. "How... how is this possible?" The words fell from her lips like broken glass, sharp and fragmented.
Her mind replayed the scene over and over, the image of Klaus striking Valeria branded into her memory. Her legs wobbled beneath her as the shock took root, but Keira's steady grip kept her upright.
Keira, her features a mask of stone, met her aunt's gaze. The same shock that burned in Margaret's eyes smoldered on her face. It was a shared fear, a common ground in the face of the inexplicable.
Margaret gestured weakly at the battlefield, her mouth ajar, struggling for words. "Did... did you see that?" Her voice trembled, a leaf caught in the wind.
Keira nodded, her movement gentle, almost soothing. "I'm as startled as you, Aunt Margaret. You've always spoken of his potential, and I'll admit, I've underestimated him." Keira's eyes softened, her gaze drifting back to Klaus.
"But this... this proves that Klaus has a future that's brighter than we could ever have imagined."
Her voice lowered, a grave note underlying her words. "True talents like him can't be caged. You can try, but you'll never succeed."
A flicker of a smile played on Keira's lips as she uttered those words. In response, Margaret bit her lower lip, a surge of anger flashing in her eyes. She yanked her arm free from Keira's grasp, her expression hardening.
The fleeting rage was quickly replaced by a spark of anticipation. As Valeria began to stir on the ground, Margaret shot Keira a final, inscrutable glance before retreating to her seat on the podium. She rested her hand on the armrest, her gaze riveted on the unfolding spectacle.
As Margaret settled, Keira mirrored her actions, her attention equally ensnared by the duel below.
Valeria wiped the blood from her lips and rose unsteadily, her eyes seething with fury as they met Klaus's.
The tension radiating from her was evident, her anger a tangible force in the air.
"You underestimated me, Klaus," she spat out with a venomous edge to her voice.
"There won't be a next time. This...this will not happen again. I won't hold back any longer." Her voice was ice, her expression a mask of grim determination.
Klaus nodded in acknowledgement of her words, his body tensing in readiness. He slipped into a battle stance, preparing for the onslaught to come.
Without a moment's hesitation, Valeria lunged. One moment she was standing still, the next she was a blur of motion, her leg swinging towards Klaus's head in a forceful kick.
Klaus reacted on pure instinct, weaving out of the path of her attack and responding with a punch of his own. It was a swift, powerful blow, but Valeria was faster.
She sidestepped his attack, their eyes locked in an intense stare-down as they each evaded the other's initial strikes.
Valeria's next assault was a storm of fury and precision. Each strike, every punch, kick, and knee, carried an intensity that threatened to snuff out Klaus's life.
But Klaus danced through the storm, each movement a study in deft evasion. With uncanny foresight, he sidestepped every blow Valeria threw at him, even her most daring overhead kick.
After a flurry of unsuccessful attempts, Valeria retreated a step. Frustration creased her brow as she wiped away a sheen of sweat. Her gaze darted to Margaret seated on the podium, and she swallowed hard, her throat bobbing.
"What are you doing, Valeria? If you don't know how to fight, quit and spare yourself the embarrassment," Keira's voice cut through the tension, her words piercing the air.
Her words stung, and for a moment, Valeria looked like she might retort. But catching the stern look on Margaret's face, she snapped her mouth shut and turned back to Klaus.
"My turn," Klaus announced, the moment Valeria's focus shifted back to him.
No sooner had his words echoed in the air then he was on the move. With just a few brisk steps, he closed the distance between them. His hand, already clenched into a fist, shot out in a savage blow.
Valeria was quick, managing to dodge Klaus's sudden attack. But as she regained her footing, Klaus's foot came swinging in a brutal kick.
Crack!
She threw her hand up in defense, blocking the kick and stumbling backward. As she prepared to retaliate, Klaus's knee slammed into her midsection.
Valeria staggered back, winded. But Klaus didn't give her a moment to recover. He was on her again, an unrelenting assault of punches raining down on her.
Each hit that connected shook her frame, etching lines of pain across her face.
"Ahhh!"
As Klaus launched himself into the air, he unleashed a devastating back heel kick. Valeria's agonized cry echoed around the arena as the kick landed, her blood spraying in a gruesome arc.
Her body tumbled across the ground, a puppet severed from its strings.
Klaus, poised to continue his assault, halted at the sound of Margaret's voice. "That's enough," she declared.
His steps paused, a silent acknowledgment of Margaret's command. But while Klaus stood frozen, Valeria was far from done.
She lumbered to her feet, anger twisting her features. Muttering an incantation under her breath, she proclaimed, "Frozen Nova."
The atmosphere changed dramatically.
A chilling burst of energy erupted from Valeria, the cold so intense it seemed to freeze time itself. Klaus found himself trapped within the icy blast radius, his body as rigid as a statue. A shiver of fear swept through him.
Valeria reveled in the change of tides, a smirk ghosting across her lips. "Glacial Spike," she murmured, her voice cold and confident.
As the spell rolled off her tongue, the ground beneath Klaus began to tremble. He tried to move, but found his body was held captive by the icy energy constraining him.
A sudden movement from below caught his attention. A razor-sharp spike, glistening with the harsh cold of the spell, began to thrust upward from the ground beneath him.