"Well, little sister, who would've thought I'd find you like this?" the man said, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Though they were both 18 years old — the minimum age required to participate in the test — he always treated her like a younger sister. Why? Because he saw her as inferior. After all, he was far more powerful than she was.
The true prodigy, the pride and joy of their family, that was Rowan. Unlike his sister, who had inherited the lesser class of [Fire Mage], he was a [Fire Archmage]. He was the one and only rightful heir to the proud royal family of Darnell.
Because of this, he always carried an air of absolute confidence, looking down on anyone who couldn't reach his level.
And it was to compete with this extraordinarily gifted brother that Ember felt the constant need to be perfect. She needed to prove that, even with an inferior class, she was still worthy of the name she had inherited.
Even so, as she stood face-to-face with her brother, her entire body began to tremble. The confidence she usually exuded dissipated into the air. Deep down, she knew she wasn't on the same level as that man.
She was inferior. A failure.
Her chest tightened, and she struggled to draw breath. Memories of the last time she had faced her brother surged to the surface. The scar on her back throbbed, a painful reminder that she shouldn't challenge those superior to her.
That being said, she had a promise to keep with the man who had saved her life. She had to win, somehow. With trembling hands, she tried to draw her saber.
"You're still using that inadequate weapon, little sister," the man said, casting a look of disdain at the weapon so precious to Ember. "You shouldn't cling so tightly to the past. That thing is just an old relic, and our mother is long gone. To begin with, she was never fit to be part of our family."
He said this without the slightest hint of remorse or sorrow for the death of the woman who had once given him life and raised him. As a true heir of the Darnell family, he upheld their traditional coldness and contempt for others.
Besides, he also deeply deposed hand to hand combat, regarding it as useless for a mage. This extended to the sword his mother had once tried to gift him, which he regarded with indifference. That's why he never gave any value to the sword his mother tried to present him. As a result, the only one who ever trained with her was Ember.
Also because of his natural arrogance, he thought most humans hold no value. But his sister was an exception. At the very least, she was beautiful and carried the blood of their family in her veins.
Even though she was weak, there were many ways she could be useful in the future. That was why Rowan, in the closest thing to a gentle tone he could muster, suggested:
"Don't worry, little sister. I have no intention of wasting my time fighting you. I wouldn't dream of harming a member of my family. So just give up on this fight, I will choose you to accompany me anyway. So get out of the way, I will eliminate that useless boy very quickly."
Pathetic as it was, Ember felt a wave of relief wash over her upon hearing those words. Even so, she gripped her sword more tightly, shoving her cowardly impulses to the back of her mind.
Seeing that determination to fight still burned in his sister's eyes, Rowan moved swiftly. A small explosion erupted beneath his feet, propelling him toward her so quickly she barely had time to react.
He struck a powerful blow to her stomach, nearly causing her to pass out. Her pupils dilated, everything around her seemed to shake, and she barely managed to stop herself from vomiting. Even so, she collapsed to her knees.
Rowan grabbed her by the hair, lifting her up and staring into her face with genuine anger. He despised when people didn't follow his orders immediately.
"Do you really think you're capable of standing against me?"
"It doesn't matter if I'm capable or not. I just know what I have to do!" she shouted, summoning her flames as she activated
In an instant, powerful flames consumed the entire arena, converging at a single point in a desperate attempt to burn her opponent.
"Indeed, little sister, compared to a commoner, you are quite strong."
Rowan summoned a fire tornado around himself, and his skill was so overwhelming that it dissipated her attack with ease.
The only thing Ember could do was continue her relentless attacks, all while declaring her unwavering resolve.
"I will take Davi with me to the next phase, no matter what happens. After all, I made a promise." A noble would never break their oath.
"I see. So that's your reason?" Rowan replied effortlessly, deflecting her attacks as though they were child's play. "Very well, it would be a shame if a promise made by a member of our family were to be broken."
He walked slowly toward his sister, ignoring all her strikes as if they were nothing. Naturally, no fire atack of a simple mage, could cause damage to an archmage. Then he deliberately unleashed a large amount of mana, solely to assert his superiority over her.
"I will grant your wish, little sister. I'll bring that useless boy along with us."
"Wait, that's not what you promised me!" This time, it was Rowan's partner who protested desperately. "I did everything you asked of me; you can't…"
Rowan suddenly dashed toward his partner, grabbing her head and slamming it forcefully against the arena wall. She fell silent immediately, pain shooting through her entire body like fire.
"Who are you to tell me what I can or can't do, slave?" Rowan snarled, smashing her head against the wall again, nearly fracturing her skull. "You were a somewhat decent enough servant, but don't fool yourself, your fat body or mediocre skills aren't enough to make you worth any effort."
The girl could do nothing but cry as unbearable pain coursed through her. After enduring all of his unreasonable demands, she was now being discarded without a second thought. In the end, she realized that her partnership with him was far from a blessing, it was a curse.
"Surrender if you don't want to die," Rowan ordered coldly, and the girl immediately obeyed.
With that, Ember and Davi continued in the match, but the redhead quickly surrendered as well. She knew she couldn't win, and if she could keep her promise, she was willing to admit defeat, even though it wounded her pride. She knew it was impossible for someone with a lower class to win.
However, things didn't end that way. Rowan grabbed his sister by the hair once again and kicked her forcefully, then ripped her sword from her hands.
"Little sister, I believe I've been far too lenient with you these past years." With a brutal motion he slammed her to the ground, stepping on her stomach with all his strength. "Before I finish this useless test, you must learn never to confront me, no matter the situation."
The girl screamed in pain as she endured the blows from her brother, but she obediently apologized. There was nothing more she could do; it was better to just accept the situation.
Meanwhile, Davi watched all of this with his fists clenched. He wanted to attack the man, to teach him a lesson, but he simply didn't have the strength to do so.
The most rational decision was clear: stay quiet and pass to the next stage thanks to Ember's brother. If even the redhead had accepted her fate, who was he to try to change anything?
Silently, he watched Rowan rip the precious saber from Ember's hands and throw her away. Finally, with a single strike, he destroyed the sword, coldly saying:
"This is to teach you to leave useless things from the past behind."
He threw the remains of the sword onto the ground and stepped on them as he walked toward Davi, speaking with his usual arrogance:
"You're really lucky, commoner. Now, just surrender so we can finish this."
Davi knew the most rational choice was to give up; this was a fight he didn't need to be in. Still, he clenched his fists so tightly that blood started to flow from his hands.
Then he made the only decision he could without regretting it later.
"I'm tired of hearing your nonsense. What century do you think we live in? Should I present your noble ass to the guillotine? She's great at dealing with noble brats like you." Davi drew the pistol he had been carrying all this time and fired it.
The shot was aimed directly at the bastard's head, but instead of taking any damage, the only thing that happened was that the pendant on Rowan's necklace shattered. That and his wand were the only magical items he carried, but both were incredibly powerful.
Taken by surprise, the arrogant man could have been severely injured by the attack, but the item saved him. Yet, the weapon, merely a prototype, finally reached its limit and shattered.
"How pathetic. Just as I expected from a commoner's weapon," Rowan sneered, his gaze dripping with contempt as he looked down at his opponent.
On the other hand, even after the surprise attack failed, Davi quickly steadied himself, ready to continue the fight. Victory might seem impossible, but that wouldn't stop him, he'd find a way, he needed to.
"I see you with to die the most painful way possible, commoner," Rowan taunted, taking a step forward, a smirk curling on his lips.