Chapter Seventeen.
A crush, the informal feeling of love and admiration for someone, often someone you know you can't have a relationship with. __ Relationships made simple
The air was still, no one moved, yet all eyes were on the center stage, the training field.
Silver blond hair flickered in the wind, Leron stared at the opponent.
"What is your response little bird?" Adrian asked. They returned from Martindale a while back, he decided to finally confront Leron, to see where he was lacking compared to him; Was it strength or wealth?
"Me accepting the challenge of a twelve-year-old would be bullying, I have nothing to prove." Leron shook his head.
"I am thirteen, but as someone wise once told me, age is but a number… the truly powerful disregard it." Adrian said. "You seek the hand of a woman, yet you are such a coward, must she come fight for you like she did earlier?"
"Oh, so this is what this is about, Loise?"
"Are you fighting or not?"
"Is it because of Eloise?"
"In more ways than way, you ruin my plans, I shall see how much better… or show them how much of a rodent you are." Adrian said, his conversation with Lue flashing before him.
"Since you have insulted me this much, I can't ignore this." Leron nodded.
"Isolation dome." Adrian muttered; Leron wasn't a gyn nor was he an elf, he was an angel, and to use his power fully, he needed to be in that form, yet he was sure Leron wouldn't want any unwanted attention, maybe some non-Carter were in the house, some who didn't know of the reality of the hidden races.
"So indeed, you are aware that I am not like you." Leron said.
"No one is like me, little bird." Adrian's aura shot up.
"The winner of this battle forfeits any affiliation with Eloise and the Thornes." Adrian added.
"You treat her like she is an object for you to bargain with." A blinding light surrounded Leron, when he walked up, he was a four meters tall, one meter taller than Adrian, his halo was dimmer than Raphael but still shone a lot. Golden runes and symbols appeared on his skin. The bracelet around his wrist turned into a sword.
Adrian summoned his blade, but looking at Leron for a while he smiled.
"Null: What new magic shall you show me?" The echo halos took a while to form, this told him that this magic was one he hadn't faced before. "Flame Sovereign." Realizing that Leron might actually be someone of interest, one that might actually entertain him as well as the dean and maybe even be close to Lue's level, he decided to go all out from the beginning, having already taken complete control of Normal flame magic, he used Sovereign rewrite.
"Do you know one flaw I have with my power? If I am using Sovereign rewrite of a different magic type to fight another, my mana levels are capped." This was something that he discovered against his fight with the monkey, hence his decision to end things quickly.
"Lady Wall-heart, grant me power." Leron muttered.
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Swoosh.
Leron vanished from his spot.
'His speed isn't any slower than the Lion monkey's.' Adrian contemplated. His was prepared to phase away, any moment.
Boom.
Leron reappeared before him, the tip of his sword inches away from Adrian's face, The force sent the wind pushing forward.
Swoosh.
Adrian phased just intime as the sword hit the ground, creating a giant crater.
"You pack more of a sword than I expected…" Adrian wiped the blood from his face, The sword still managed to injure him, just a small cut though "This going to be fun."
Boom.
Adrian's eyes constricted; Leron's sword was already near his face again 'Phase' .
Boom.
As Adrian reappeared, Leron was already before him.
Boom.
This attack actually hit Adrian, sending him crushing into the ground "Pui" Adrian spat out a mouthful of blood. Raising his hands, he observed the several cuts and injuries; The ends of his lips slowly rose.
"You see these pairs of wings? They symbolize the purity of my angel blood. Only less than hundred and fifty other Angels possess them, yet you disrespect me, for what, a girl who clearly and will never like you." Leron hovered above the crater.
"Are angels physical fighters?" Adrian asked in a confused gaze, ignoring Leron's remarks. "Use some magic already." Adrian roared; he was totally pissed off at Leron's earlier words.
"Do you concede defeat" Leron questioned.
"Flame magic: Blazing Inferno." Voicing a spell was typically for Earth rank casters, but for those above it could help in focusing on the spell's potency.
A raging blazing sea erupted from the tip of Adrian's blade. Adrian took the time to heal himself, however, that was proving a bit difficult, the sword seemed to be imbued with dangerous toxins.
He healed himself just enough for him to stand and looked at the clearing flame, he didn't really expect it to harm Leron, but he hoped he did. One must know that even since his academy days, Adrian intentionally limited himself, restricting the number of spells he learnt, he even only practiced flame magic and only learnt a bit of healing water magic because, it was mandatory. In his arsenal of spells, he had only: reverse blaze, phase, blazing inferno, meteor and a few other spells. He was starting to believe he didn't have the skills required to beat Leron.
'The energy restriction... how much energy do I have left?' Adrian questioned old fool.
<
'That should be enough.' He stared at the unscratched Leron. The flames had painted the surroundings black, but he remained, beautiful, hovering in the air.
Adrian steadied himself, his bloodied gaze fixed on Leron, who hovered above the crater, radiant and untouched, his golden runes shimmering. The smirk on Adrian's face, despite his injuries, hinted at his unyielding pride.
"You shine bright, little bird, but let's see if that light can chase the shadows," Adrian taunted, gripping his blade tightly.
Leron's piercing gaze hardened. Without a word, he darted forward, his movements a blur as he descended on Adrian with a strike infused with light magic. The air cracked as the sword swung down.
Swoosh.
Adrian vanished just as the blade cut through where he stood, the sheer force leaving a fissure in the ground. He reappeared a few meters away, his breathing ragged yet his smirk unwavering.
"That speed of yours is impressive," Adrian admitted, raising his blade. "But let's see how you handle this."
Flame surged from his sword, spiraling into a fiery serpent that slithered toward Leron with blazing ferocity. Leron raised his blade, channeling his light magic into a shield. The serpent collided with the barrier, erupting in a blaze of sparks and flames.
Adrian wasted no time. "Phase." He vanished again, reappearing behind Leron, unleashing another attack—a fireball hurtling towards the angel's back. But Leron was quicker this time. His wings flared, propelling him upward in a dazzling burst of light.
"You fight like a cornered beast," Leron remarked, his voice calm yet edged with disdain. "But your tricks won't suffice."
Leron extended his free hand, summoning spears of light that hovered around him before launching them at Adrian. The ground quaked as the spears rained down, forcing Adrian to teleport rapidly, each step leaving scorch marks from the residual heat of his flame magic.
...
Eloise peered into the deuling ward, fingers digging into her sleeves.
'You should stop them.' Said her inner voice. 'You are the cause of this.'
But she didn't speak.
She couldn't.
Not when Adrian— fragile, terrifying, hers— looked at Leron as if he was on the verge of committing murder.
Not when Leron— steady, noble, hers too— looked back without fear.
This wasn't about her .
That was the worst part.
They had turned her into a reason to destroy each other and still she said nothing.
...
Adrian finally stopped, panting heavily. "You push harder than I expected," he admitted, flames flickering around him. "But I'm far from done."
A distant roar filled the air as Adrian raised his blade skyward, summoning a storm of fireballs that hovered above him before cascading toward Leron. The angel soared through the air, deflecting the fireballs with his sword in a symphony of light and flame.
As the battlefield grew chaotic with clashes of power, Leron descended with renewed vigor, his blade glowing with concentrated light magic. Adrian braced himself, his teleportation ready, but even he couldn't keep up with the angel's relentless assault.
In a flash, Leron's blade struck true, grazing Adrian's side and sending him tumbling. Adrian grunted, clutching his wound, his flames flickering weakly around him.
"This ends now," Leron declared, his voice commanding. He pointed his blade at Adrian, light magic gathering at its tip.
Adrian chuckled through gritted teeth; his determination unfaltering. "You're strong, little bird… but I don't go down that easily."
Adrian staggered, blood dripping from his wounds, his flames reduced to faint embers flickering weakly around him. His chest heaved with labored breaths as he looked up at Leron, who hovered above him, radiating divine light.
"This… can't be…" Adrian muttered, his voice breaking. He forced himself to stand, leaning on his sword for support, but his legs buckled beneath him. The weight of his defeat pressed down on him, heavier than his injuries.
Leron descended, his feet touching the scorched earth. His golden runes still shimmered, and his gaze was cold but calm. He pointed his blade at Adrian, its light unwavering.
"You've lost," Leron said, his tone final. "By your own terms, you forfeit Eloise."
Adrian's eyes widened, and the words hit him harder than any blow. He clenched his fists, his pride screaming in protest, but he knew there was no way to contest what had transpired. He had set the rules; he had laid the stakes.
"No…" Adrian whispered, shaking his head. "I underestimated you…"
Leron stepped closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over Adrian. "You treated her as a prize, a mere bargaining tool," Leron said, his voice stern. "And now, you'll face the consequences of your arrogance."
Adrian looked away, his vision blurring not from pain but from the unbearable weight of his own actions. The memory of Eloise's face, her laughter, her defiance, all flashed before him. She was never his to claim, yet the thought of losing even the possibility of her presence cut deeper than any wound.
As Leron turned, his light dimming, Adrian fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground. The once-proud flame wielder was reduced to a broken figure, staring at the smoldering battlefield.
In the silence that followed, Adrian's whispered words carried on the wind. "Eloise… I'm sorry…"
And with that, the fight was over, leaving Adrian to grapple with a loss far greater than just a battle.
Watching Leron's returning figure, Eloise wondered, would it have been better if she stopped the duel from ever happening?