⁜Vela Silvara POV
The Princess stood up, now coated in molten rock armour, and her eyes were glowing golden orange and she looked at Asura with a peculiar gaze, flicking her wrist and causing the ground to ignite in golden flames.
'Asura Fenix, you were someone I saw as a mere pebble, unworthy of my gaze, and I will surely apologise for this in the future, but now.'
'Please, fall to my blade!'
"I'll admit, the supposed trash from the Fenix territory..."
"Has my praise and respect and confirm his quality!"
"But I, too, cannot afford to lose!"
"I must fulfil my duties!"
Vela roared, her body exploding with heat as the ground melted beneath her, "Now show me everything you've got, Asura Fenix!"
To the Princess, there was no competition.
This wasn't so low anymore and instead became something important that she must win no matter the cost. She was now fighting against her future, the fate she couldn't escape no matter how desperately she tried to claw her way out.
Vela Silvara, the first Princess of the Kingdom of Silvara, knew that if she lost here, everything she worked for, strived for, struggled and suffered for would be wiped away!
Her body shot forward with such explosive force the ground cracked; her ability to display magic in the atmosphere meant she had reached the peak of Stage Two and was probably touching Stage Three already.
Red lines of flame followed her body as melting rocks rotated rapidly around her blade, aimed straight at Asura's chest.
"Brian... Sorry, but I'll have to use a bit of that power."
Clang!
Sparks and flames danced in the air as a beautiful sound echoed throughout the stadium, the two swords locking in a deadly embrace as Vela's mouth opened agape for the second time, as blood spurted from her neck, caused by the sharp claws on Asura's left arm.
'What technique!?'
'I have heard of techniques to change the body, but why...'
'His black eyes empty and filled with death... that golden stare causing my body to feel sheer terror!'
'I am Vela Silvara, princess of Silvara!'
'How can I falter to such fears?'
⟪Devil Arts⟫
—Liberación - La Primera Forma (Incomplete)
Asura's left eye turned black with a golden pupil in the centre, no iris, just a devilish void that seemed to absorb all light, and his left arm was now black with blood-red runes and patterns drawn along his arm, and the flames of his sword exploding with a dark, evil feeling that caused Vela's heart to shiver slightly.
⁜ Crowd POV
In the crowd, both Lorem's and Lucretia's eyes opened wide.
The match they were betting on suddenly changed as the golden coins on the table were knocked off by Lucretia's hand, slamming the table as black and blue flames flickered around Asura's left arm, pulsating with a heat that caused the molten rocks of Vela to freeze.
"Lorem! How dare you cheat me with this bet! Who is that boy!?"
"..."
Lorem didn't respond as she clutched her hands together, watching the two on the stage locked in a power struggle, feeling an intense storm brewing in her chest.
"I met him yesterday, the hell you mean."
"A bet is a bet!"
"Tsk, you bitch! Just wait next time. I'll drink you dry!"
"A damn first year, able to manifest their mana in physical form... How is this a boy with no mana core!?"
---
In the box above, the prince clenched his fists tightly as his sister continued to fight valiantly against the male who stopped his plan to seduce and fool the future demon queen.
"Father!"
The king noticed his son's strange appearance, watching the stage at first, believing it to be related to his sister now showing her power and prestige, so he waved his hand, causing all the entourage and retainers to leave the room before sealing it with noise-cancelling magic tools.
"Speak, my dear son. What ails you?"
"He is the one!"
"That damned bastard from the Fenix family, because of his interference, our plan to trick and use that slut from the demon kingdom to crush those who might threaten our rule was ruined by him!"
It was strange, but the king felt a sense of relief that, for once, the frantic prince complained about not his sister but an outsider. People changed, even if the boy's father was a dear friend in the past.
'I see...'
'The boy is handsome, just like his father. No, the boy surpasses his father greatly because she is his mother.'
'That damn Fenix, he managed to tempt the woman I wanted back then and forced her to marry him...'
Looking at his rabid son, he knew he wasn't competent in the king's chest, but the daughter couldn't rule. He feared the change she might bring, and he would be labelled as incompetent, losing territory to the demons to the north and the basement to the south.
"Leave it to me, my dear son. Let's make our move in the assessment in the south."
"Father!?"
The shocked prince wore a crooked smile as his face looked unsightly with messy hair and bloodshot eyes.
"Worry not. I will have Lorem fulfil her duties."
Watching the stage, the king felt slightly regretful and knew that another of his friends would soon become his enemy, but for his son and the legacy of his rule not to be seen as inferior, his pride would accept any abuse or hatred.
'Forgive me, old friend.'
⁜ Vela Silvara POV
Vela's body was sent floating in the air from another brutal swing from Asura's icy sword as the flames burned her cheek, destroying her earthen armour while the black arm grasped at the air, trapping her in a bloody hand and slamming her back down to the ground, forced to spin her body using a great burst of magic to destroy the bloody hand before landing.
"Haa....Haa... You...." Her breathing was faster, feeling her muscles screaming as his assault never stopped, a blue line cutting down her front, missing her chest and flesh only by a mere hair's breadth.
"Haha..." Asura chuckled, licking the blood from his lip, "Yes?"
His smile was so handsome she felt a shiver down her spine, realising what kind of weapon this young man was.
He was a natural-born monster!
A handsome and dangerous monster that she wanted to tame!
Vela Silvara realised that Asura Fenix was not some mere talent, a genius, prodigy or anything similar. Instead, he was a monster created by this world, destined to create chaos and war wherever he went.
And she admired him!
Her sword moved quickly, thrusting towards Asura's chest, hoping to finally finish the match and give herself time to rest and heal her wounds.
"Ha...ha...ha...hahahaha!"
But Asura's eyes shone brightly as the audience watched in amazement as his body twisted around the blade, moving like water as a blue flame covered his right leg, kicking upwards into Vela's chin.
Crack!
Her teeth rattled as blood spat from her mouth, and her body stumbled back, falling to the ground as Asura's sword rose above his head, the flames changing to a jet-black colour as they dripped to the ground like drops of oil, evaporating when they touched the arena floor, leaving small craters in their wake.
His sword came crashing down; Vela raised her blade, covering her arms with the last mana, a thick molten armour covering her body thicker than half a metre in a futile effort to block the strike.
Her eyes closed, biting her lips and tongue to endure the pain as she refused to accept defeat!
However, instead of the sensation of death and pain, she felt nothing. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Asura's blade resting beside her neck, and his body covered in sweat was standing over her, panting as the black flames vanished, and his left arm returned to normal.
"A wonderful duel, princess; you were so beautiful, like a goddess dancing on the surface of a lake."
His charming smile caused her heart to skip a beat as her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, "Y-"
"Vela wins!"
'What!?'
'Why!?'
The announcement cut her words short as Asura sighed, raising Nova and bowing with the hilt, pointing to the ground before her eyes, "Your victory, Princess. I hope we can duel again in the future."
Then he walked away, leaving her alone, lying on the arena floor, unable to comprehend what happened as the crowd suddenly went wild, screaming and shouting in delight! The fight showed not only was Asura Fenix the well-known no-mage but was actually beyond their imagination.
Some compared his beautiful swordsmanship, fierce aggression and handsome looks to the prince, most agreeing he was far superior, as the coupling of Vela x Asura became a strange whisper in the stadium.
"He..."
Vela couldn't move; her hands, legs, and body were completely exhausted as she desperately held the blood pooling in her mouth back, swallowing it before a soft hand touched her shoulder.
It was Lucretia, the only ally of the Princess in this god-forsaken capital.
"He wanted to lend you a favour, and you deserve to stand at the top."
Never did she expect to hear those words as she turned to find his figure, but he was gone like he never existed in the first place, only a trail of thick, crimson blood showing the damage he had suffered.