'I wonder what will happen if I really end up fighting him.'
Although Regulus appeared to be a man shrouded in mystery, Ria still felt the outcome of their confrontation would be her victory.
Ria was in no way an arrogant person, yet she understood the power of a unique 'Ace' card better than anybody.
Even with her father suppressing her in every way, she had still managed to reach the late stage of 'Ace' rank, a gap she was confident Regulus couldn't overcome.
Time passed, and more and more battles played out in front of the spectators as the weeds were rooted out, and only the elites remained gathered around the magic circle.
Ria and Regulus had both had their second fight, with them both countering their opponent's energy flow and finishing them off in a single blow afterwards.
Seeing the smug face of Regulus, who was just one victory away from desecrating the sacred grounds of the academy, the onlooking Saul Felt was growing more irritable by the second.
'How is this happening? I was sure it wouldn't play out like this.'
Like a volcano about to explode the examiner was fuming that the boy he had seen as the worst in the room was still standing there.
'As if I'll let an offspring of the Cosmos family creep his way back into the academy on my watch.'
Although they had their Duchy taken away for treason, the Felt family, to this day, still heard people talk behind their backs about how much better the Cosmos family was.
The constant comparison and loss to a fallen house was a stain on the Felt's reputation and name, one that Saul had no intention of being impartial about.
Looking down at the matching as well as the applicants around the room, an insidious plot hatched in his mind.
'Hmph, let us see what you do when you face a talent you can't possibly overcome.'
---
'To think the third test would be so easy, compared to the first one, it's a walk in the park.'
Whilst the first test was one purely for card energy, the final test was simple for the celestial energy-wielding Regulus.
'Based on my second opponent, the first star of Leo is roughly equivalent to mid 'Ace' rank.'
Although Regulus had won his second battle without drawing his sword, he felt his opponent's physical capabilities matched up with his, yet they couldn't help but be swallowed by his vastly superior basics.
"Regulus Cosmos and Ria Soleras meet in the middle of the magic circle for your final duel."
The slimy voice of the green-haired examiner alerted Regulus once more.
'Although there was a small possibility to think that it actually happened.'
The faces of those surrounding him also mirrored his emotions as they prepared to witness a fight between the two they saw as the greatest threats.
The bizarre Regulus and the monster Ria, one of these monsters, wouldn't make it into the academy.
Unlike the clueless Regulus, Ria, who had absorbed the reality of politics throughout her childhood, could see the motive behind Saul Felt's move.
'To be a Cosmos is a curse when being examined by a Felt.'
Possessing Cosmos' blood herself, Ria knew it was only due to her position as a princess that people didn't look at her as a traitor to the crown.
'That Felt is obviously using me as a tool to take out the 'trash' for him; I doubt this was the original matching.'
Although she could sense the injustice of the situation as a princess only in name, she understood there was no point in complaining.
'No matter who I face, it's all the same. I would have liked to know you better, Regulus.'
The man and woman, who looked like a match made in heaven, faced off against each other, causing both genders to feel jealous of their beauty.
'A King fighting against a Princess, eh? It almost sounds like part of a play.'
Rugulus mused as he looked down at the lithe figure of Ria in front of him. A burning desire for victory was present in her eyes as she unsheathed her sword.
An excellently maintained blade showing her love and care for it combined with a worn-down grip from years of practice was pointed at Regulus.
"Take out your sword before it's too late to regret it; this fight will end quickly."
Listening to the princess's words, his spirit as a swordsman was moved as his 'Prince' rank sword glimmered in the light for the first time. Despite the simplicity of the longsword, Ria felt an odd sense of majesty from it, causing her to raise her guard.
Yet the attack she was waiting for never came. Like an old tree with vast roots, Regulus remained stationary. The onlookers prepared for the first exchange with bated breath.
"You think I'm foolish enough to attack someone who can see the future first?"
"Do you think all I can do is counterattack?"
Responding to Regulus's question in kind, the stalemate was broken as Ria dashed forward. Coating herself in a layer of card energy, the wind whistled as she accelerated towards him.
'What will your next move be?'
Ria glanced into the future as she prepared to analyse Regulus's technique and find a weak point, yet she was met with the same image over again.
'Is this guy crazy?'
Facing an opponent physically superior to him, Regulus was planning to fight with just basic swordsmanship. Her sword aimed at his weak point. Ria thrust her sword towards Regulus.
Klang!
The sound of metal hitting metal rang throughout the room. A sword without a single flaw had met Ria's amateurish strike.
'What a perfect counter. Is he really the same age as me?'
Her eyes were wide as she replayed the path Regulus's sword had just taken. Without a single wasted movement, a perfect sword which seemed in harmony with the universe itself had met hers.
Despite her attack carrying vastly superior power, like a wave facing a tsunami, she had been engulfed by the perfection that lay within the blade of Regulus.
-
'She's strong, alright; looks like I can't let my guard down.'
His hand slightly ached from the single contact just now; although Regulus knew card energy made Ria physically superior to him, it was a hard reality to face.
'I was able to deflect about 90% of the energy in that attack with a parry, but it was still reminiscent of a boulder.'
He had bigger problems to worry about, however, as Ria approached him once more. Pushing himself forward with his celestial energy, Regulus met her in the middle.
Twin waves of celestial and card energy clashed as blows were exchanged between the pair. The wind from the clash pushed unprepared applicants backwards due to its intensity.
'Not a single technique has been used yet; this is all from plain swordsmanship.'
The scene in front of the applicants became even more dreadful as they realised they were witnessing a high-level sword fight.
Sweat began running down Saul Felt's forehead as a thought he never imagined he would have appeared in his head.
'There is no way he can actually win this, right? What am I going to say if the princess loses?
---
Ria Soleras was currently despairing in front of Regulus's unbreachable sword.
"Just how many arms do you have?"
Despite being physically superior and being blessed with foresight, she couldn't help but feel suffocated by Regulus's sword.
As if crafted of light itself, Regulus's sword seemed to multiply in front of Ria's eyes. Every single counter and attack on his was so efficient and completed so quickly that he appeared to have six arms.
Ria's brain was heating up as she tried to find an opportunity to exploit in the future, yet the relentless onslaught of Regulus prevented her from finding a single mistake.
As she glanced into the future, using her unique talent to its fullest, she saw a harrowing vision as Regulus's blade exploited an opening. Like a snake, his blade jumped through her defence and pierced her neck.
Startled, Ria retreated backwards at high speed, granting her space from the sword demon she was facing.
'He's improving every second as he figures out my style. At this rate, the amount of foreseen deaths is only going to increase.'
"Ha, it looks like fighting someone who knows what you're going to do isn't as easy as I thought."
Regulus's muscles were aching as he watched the distanced Ria, who was breathing heavily by this point.
"Maybe if you were stronger, your sword would have reached me, but unfortunately for you, you can't win yet."
Although Ria knew her swordsmanship was nothing but child's play when facing Regulus, she believed she was unkillable by the current Regulus.
'He must have sacrificed all cultivation during his childhood to reach such heights, a true madman worthy of respect.'
Seeing the confidence of the cold beauty in front of him, regulus could only shake his head and sigh.
"Although I acknowledge the effort and desire I feel behind your every strike, it would appear you are still too naive."
Raising his sword above his head and letting the celestial energy run wild within, Regulus locked eyes with a now panicking Ria.
"Your reliance on your foresight will be your downfall when you witness a higher level"
A golden construct of a lion's head appeared behind Regulus whilst Ria had a look of disbelief in her eyes as she searched for something.
"Alterf: Lion's Bite"
The effigy behind Regulus surged forward with impossible momentum, carrying with it thousands of hours of practice and polishing. It was a move of someone who once stood at the top.
The first technique of the Leo style, which corresponds to the first star, crashed onto the paralyzed figure of Ria, ripping half her body to shreds.
Coughing up blood, Ria managed to splutter some words before she turned into golden light and vanished from the magic circle.
"Not- Not a single cough, flaw. What a monster."
Reviving on the boundary of the magic circle, Ria felt the world around her collapse as darkness threatened to consume her.
Just a step away from the freedom she had lost, instead of laughing with new friends, tonight she would be sleeping in the prison she called home.
-Author's Note-
Maybe gift some power stones to motivate me, appreciate you guys for everything.