Chapter 82: The Third Day of the Festival (XI).
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Academy: The Stadium
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The High Section Magic Duel: Lady Evelyn Alarie vs Lord Owen Makedon.
The fight of the two noble representatives- has started.
The villainess tightened her grip on the spear shimmering into existence from her own power, its weight settling naturally into her hands.
"..."
She did not rush forward. Instead, her gaze swept over her opponent with razor precision, cataloguing every flaw and weakness- every crack in their stance, every opening in their guard, every hesitation in their breath. Just like how she can detect lies- she can also predict the opponent's movement just by observing with great focus.
Her eyes moved like a predator's, reading not just the body but the rhythm of the fight itself, dissecting her foe piece by piece until the battlefield unfolded before her as a map of opportunity.
Lord Makedon felt his bead of sweat dripping and saw that Lady Evelyn was not moving at all, "Ah... what a shame."
He had a few defense spells ready for when she attacked, but seeing the spear on her hands- he thought Lady Evelyn was conserving strength so Owen decided it's time to go high. "[Earth Magic]!"
His wand pulsed with earthen power, and jagged stone walls thrust upward from the floor, buying him breathing room. He shifted the battlefield itself, raising platforms beneath his boots, climbing higher as if the sky itself would serve him better than the ground Lady Evelyn commanded.
Mr. Wazinki leaned forward, his voice booming with awe. "Would you look at that! Owen Makedon isn't content to fight on level ground- no, he's rewriting the very stage! Stone walls, rising pillars- he's crafting a fortress beneath his feet, climbing higher to seize control of the fight! What a spectacle, ladies and gentlemen!"
From above, his voice rang out with cool confidence. "Height favors the watchful Lady Evelyn. I know your specialty within your family is having weapons crafted from your element. Let's see how your water spear reaches me now."
But Lady Evelyn's gaze only sharpened. She wasn't watching the ground, nor the podium he crafted.
She was watching him- his eyes, his grip, the small movements in every flourish of that precious wand.
And already, she saw the moment he would slip.
"Heh, she might think I'm a sitting duck from where I'm at but-" (Owen) muttered under his breath, confidence swelling.
"[Earth Magic: Mold Grip]." With a sharp sweep of his wand, the floor beneath Lady Evelyn cracked open and stone hands surged upward, gripping her ankles like shackles. "Got you."
Mr. Wazinki nearly jumped from his seat, his words booming across the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, Owen Makedon has snared her! Look at those stone hands- gripping tight, unyielding, locking Lady Evelyn in place! A brilliant move, cutting off her mobility!"
"..." She calmly looked down on her feet and realized what his plan was.
"This will be over in a moment," He smirked, his confidence blooming as he watched her stillness. The match has just gotten started and it looks like the villainess is not even going to fight back?
The monster wasn't struggling. She wasn't even resisting.
'What a fool,' he thought, already imagining his great victory against the daughter of a great military general but something about the way Lady Evelyn looked at him from below made him stop.
"..."
She was still staring at him- even with the ground restrained, any normal person would think that they need to move- get out of the way or something!
'Unless... she's...'
His grin faltered. Why wasn't she moving? Why wasn't she fighting back?
"Tch- can't let my guard down. I can't tell what this woman is thinking! [Earth Magic: Earth Arrows]!" He thrust his wand forward, and the stone at his command hardened into jagged bolts, each aimed to pierce through her where she stood.
Lord Owen lifted his wand high, earth magic rumbling beneath his feet as jagged shards of stone rose in preparation for his next spell. He was already smiling, certain the height gave him the advantage but not only that! He brought his wand.
"Best if you surrender, Lady Evelyn! You have nowhere to go!" He yelled.
"..."
Lady Evelyn had been watching- measuring the tilt of his wrist, the angle of his grip, the careless arrogance in his stance.
But then she remembered- the blonde girl that's waiting for her in the stands. The villainess looked at the crowd of cheering people, there were too many of them to see clearly but... it seems that Analissa Blanchet has still not arrived from the looks of it.
The spot of where they were supposed to be was still empty.
Lady Evelyn grits her teeth, trying to calm herself down.
'I want to see her.' She thought to herself, glaring at the entertained figure of her father on top of the noble stands. Lady Evelyn has no use for honor, but her father who doesn't even have an inch of interest in her life now suddenly shows up?
And demands for her to participate in something she doesn't want?
'If it wasn't for him- if it wasn't for father! I would've started looking for Miss Blanchet- she might be in danger!' The heroine's reputation is not great. Anyone could want her to get hurt.
'She's... not here with me.' The villainess wanted nothing more but to run, run as fast as she could away from the stadium and yell Analissa's name. Losimer hasn't given any report and her mind is just being clouded by the heroine's sickly state in the commoner's dormitory bathroom.
The last time... she went missing-
If she didn't... even tried finding her... what would've become of her in that bathroom?
Now... what if she's... stuck somewhere that she couldn't reach her in time?!
"This is a waste of time." In that instant, she moved.
Her spear shimmered with rippling light as she drew back her arm, every muscle aligned in perfect precision. The weapon left her hand with a whistle sharp enough to cut the air, a streak of liquid steel aimed not at Owen himself, but at the wand clenched in his fist.
"M-My wand!"
The impact was brutal and absolute.
The spear struck the wand dead-on, splintering it from his grasp and sending it tumbling end over end into the shadows beyond the dueling stage. The glow of earth magic sputtered out like a candle snuffed in the wind.
A hush swept the arena.
Then, Mr. Wazinki's voice rang out, sharp with awe.
"Ladies and gentlemen- did you see that?!
Her victory was written in the single, flawless strike.
One shot. That was all it took.
"You-!"
The spear's strike had already disarmed him, but Lady Evelyn was not finished. She extended one hand, fingers splaying in a sharp gesture, and the air around her rippled with moisture.
"[Water Magic: Serpent's Coil]." Water surged at her command, rising from the arena floor in a twisting column that spiraled upward with grace. It thickened, scales of liquid light rippling across its surface until the shape of a serpent emerged, sleek and terrible.
"Oh great heavens it's a giant serpent!" (Mr. Wazinki) held his chest, trying not to get blown away from the sheer size of it. Everyone in the audience was gasping in awe.
Its eyes gleamed a sharp, icy blue, and when its maw opened, the sound that tore free was not just a splash but a roar-
Its fanged head struck with crushing force, water crashing down like a tidal wave. The platform shattered under its bite, the stone splintering apart in helpless fragments as the impact was merciless. Cracks split the raised platform, the force of the water tearing through its base until the entire structure buckled beneath his boots. Stone shattered and collapsed, sending Owen tumbling down with nothing left to hold him aloft.
He landed hard, breath ragged, eyes wide with disbelief as he scrambled toward where his wand had fallen-too far, too out of reach. The once-cunning Lord Owen, who prided himself on craft and guile, now sat in ruins of his own element, stunned and powerless.
Lady Evelyn lowered her hand slowly, calm and unhurried, as though the outcome had never been in question.
She kept her hand by the neck- to keep him in place.
"You were right, this match was over in a moment."
Lord Owen's shock could be heard- it shouldn't be possible! She shouldn't have heard him say anything from way up there! Is she that crazy?!
Did she... read his lips or something?!
The observation skills of this woman are beyond human!
"You're..." He stuttered, unable to continue his words for the next one would get him in trouble but for him it's the truth, Lord Owen chuckled and saw the woman's figure as it is. '... a monster.'
"The match is over in just three minutes?!" (Mr. Wazinki), the announcer of the event clutched his chest in disbelief, then threw both arms wide. His voice boomed across the enchanted amplifiers that carried every word to the thousands seated in the stands. "The winner of the first magic duel- Lady Evelyn Alarie of the high section!"
The stadium erupted. Cheers thundered from every direction, echoing off the stone walls. Students stamped their feet against the tiers, and banners bearing the academy crest rippled in the wind.
"Alarie! Alarie! Alarie!" The chant grew louder, rolling like a wave across the arena.
"I can't believe it!" One spectator shouted. "The Alarie household is famous, but to win in under three minutes? That's insane!"
"In under three minutes- she might have broken the academy record!" Another cried.
Lady Evelyn stood at the center of the dueling platform, her spear dissolving into a fine mist that evaporated into the air. She showed no hint of triumph, no flush of victory- only calm detachment, as though the match had barely been worth her time.
She looks over to her father, watching from the noble stands.
"Hmph." (Grand Duke Vernon), only takes a puff from his cigar and leans over to one of his attendants giving out orders. It is only expected that his daughter is of the most excellence.
Was he proud?
No, he thought she could've been much better than three minutes.
"Hah... hah..." (Lord Owen) staggered to his feet, clutching his ribs. His wand lay broken beyond the dueling lines, useless. He wiped the sweat from his brow and forced a bitter smile. "I gave it my all... and I even had a wand. It was a good match, Lady Evelyn Alarie."
"Mm." Lady Evelyn's eyes barely flicked to him before scanning the roaring crowd instead. "It was."
Lord Owen froze at her indifference, then gave a short laugh. "...Haha."
The match has ended between the two, separating their own paths. They bowed to each other and left the ring.
Lady Evelyn went to the side, where no people could bother her peace.
Lord Makedon, who lost, decided to seek comfort from his friends.
From the lower stands, one of his friends called out, it was Lady Mary- who was suddenly taken out last minute by some 'injury' she saw Lord Owen's loss and wanted to comfort him. "Hey! Are you doing alright? You were amazing- you held your own against Lady Evelyn!"
The young man looks down in shame and embarrassment, not agreeing with what she said.
"Hey Mary- Yeah, but still... three minutes. She... beat me in three minutes." (Lord Owen) muttered, shaking his head. He couldn't help but stare pitifully at Lady Mary who was looking forward to the magic duel event- she ranked first in class when it comes to dueling.
Seeing that some didn't take it seriously, Lady Evelyn shocked many with her power and skills.
What a shame though Lady Mary... she... well now at this point everyone knows that she was replaced because of a certain someone's father.
"It didn't even feel like she was trying. I gave it everything I had, and she... she just swatted me down with one throw of a spear. Not only that- I know she observed me and stuff but it was clear that her head was not in the game- she kept looking at the crowd."
"I noticed that too," Another voice chimed in, it was one of their classmates who was really into the fight- anyone who didn't know Lady Evelyn well would not notice but... for them it was clear. "It was like she wasn't even focused on the fight. She wanted it over fast."
"I mean if I was fighting Owen I would want to beat him up quickly too." Laughter broke out around them, two boys gave each other high five and thought it was funny.
"Haha- very funny." Though Lord Owen didn't join in. He stared at the corner where Lady Evelyn stood, poised and unmoved, her gaze fixed somewhere in the crowd.
"She is that strong. But still..." His smile faltered. "The way she fought- it felt like her attention wasn't even on me. The whole time, she kept scanning the audience. Almost like..."
"...she was looking for someone," He finished, the words hanging uneasily in the charged air.
And suddenly, the victory didn't feel like a simple match at all.
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