The four figures stood facing each other as the noise in the arena slowly settled into an expectant murmur. An attendant stepped forward, his voice amplified by magic so it carried cleanly across the entire coliseum.
"Respected members of the Royal Family, esteemed Wizard King, honorable Magic Knight Captains, and citizens of the Clover Kingdom," he announced, "this is the final battle for Princess Sarphina's hand in marriage."
He turned slightly toward the opposing side of the field. "On one side, we have Veynor Velnir, heir to the noble House of Velnir, wielder of Gem Magic. Unlike his cousin Silas, Veynor possesses mastery over five elemental attributes—wind, fire, thunder, earth, and metal."
Veynor stood calmly, hands at his sides, his expression composed. The faint shimmer of mana around him reflected subtly off the arena floor, controlled and restrained rather than ostentatious.
The attendant continued, shifting his attention. "Beside him stands Kael Lorin, heir to the House of Lorin and wielder of Space Magic. Heir Kael's space magic excels in both utility and combat applications, and he is also highly proficient in swordsmanship."
Kael rested one hand on the hilt of his sword, posture relaxed but alert, as though the battlefield itself was familiar territory to him.
From the royal balcony, the king began clapping slowly, the sound deliberate and measured. "These two are among the kingdom's finest heirs," he declared. "Both in status and in strength."
The Wizard King inclined his head in agreement. "Indeed," he said thoughtfully. "From what I can feel, both of them are only a hair's breadth away from reaching the same realm as Magic Knight Captains."
Princess Sarphina remained silent. Her gaze lingered briefly on Veynor and Kael before shifting across the arena to Nova. After a moment, her eyes moved again, settling on Harry. There was no judgment in her expression, only quiet curiosity as she studied the unfamiliar boy standing beside the man who had shaken the noble court.
The attendant turned back toward the opposite side of the arena. "On the other side, we have Lord Nova Ashbourne, head of the Ashbourne household," he announced. "Lord Ashbourne is known for his proficiency in multiple elemental magics, and his strength has already been witnessed in the previous duels."
At the mention of Nova's name, the crowd erupted. Cheers rolled through the coliseum, layered with excitement, admiration, and no small amount of tension. Some shouted his name, others whispered in awe, while a few watched in silence, waiting to see if he would truly live up to the rumors.
When the noise subsided, the attendant spoke again. "And finally, we have Harry James Potter, partner of Lord Ashbourne for this final battle. Little is known about him, aside from the fact that he is Lord Ashbourne's student."
Harry felt the weight of countless eyes settle on him. He kept his posture steady, though his shoulders were tight, standing just slightly behind Nova without retreating.
In the captains' section, Rill leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. "Wow," he said lightly, "that kid's very young. Do you think he'll be my friend?"
Charlotte crossed her arms, studying Harry with a sharp gaze. "Lord Nova's student," she said. "If that's true, then he can't be ordinary."
Fuegoleon nodded slowly. "I'm more curious about what kind of magic he uses," he said. "There's no visible element reacting around him."
While the captains murmured among themselves, the Wizard King narrowed his eyes slightly as he focused on Harry. For a brief moment, his expression darkened.
Soul magic?
The thought flickered through his mind before he masked it, his face returning to its usual calm warmth.
----
Back in the arena, Veynor and Kael shifted their attention toward Harry, studying him with open curiosity. He looked young—too young, at first glance—but neither of them made the mistake of dismissing him. Being Nova Ashbourne's student alone was enough reason for caution. Everyone present had already seen how decisively Nova had crushed the previous two heirs in battle, living up to the reputation of a four-leaf clover grimoire holder with mastery over multiple elements.
Still, after a brief moment, the two exchanged a quick look and shared a discreet smile.
Their plan had worked exactly as intended.
They had never expected to defeat the holder of a legendary four-leaf clover grimoire in a direct, one-on-one fight. That much had been clear from the beginning. Nova's strength was overwhelming, and facing him alone would have been reckless. So they had prepared differently. By pushing for a two-versus-two battle, they shifted the balance without openly breaking tradition.
To maintain the appearance of fairness, they had allowed Nova to choose his own partner, with only one restriction—that he could not select a Magic Knight Captain. It was a concession they were confident would not matter. Aside from the Wizard King and the captains themselves, Veynor and Kael believed there was no one in the kingdom who could truly threaten them.
That belief extended to Nova's partner.
They didn't underestimate Harry outright. He carried himself with composure, and there was something about him that felt… unusual. But confidence was on their side. Against two heirs of their caliber, they were certain that whoever Nova chose would fall first.
And once that happened, the rest would be simple.
With their combined strength, they were confident they could overwhelm Harry quickly and turn the battle into what they wanted from the start—a controlled, decisive confrontation where numbers, coordination, and experience favored them.
They trusted their plan.
And more importantly, they trusted their own strength.
Looking at the two heirs across the arena, Nova simply smiled. To him, their confidence was obvious, and so was the structure of their plan. In the face of absolute strength, every trick, every scheme, and every carefully laid setup eventually became meaningless. He didn't bother hiding that certainty. There was no need to.
Beside him, Harry watched Veynor and Kael with quiet focus. Nova had already warned him that he would be their primary target, the piece they intended to remove first to tilt the battle in their favor. Harry understood that much clearly. The knowledge made his stomach tighten, but it didn't scare him. His breathing stayed steady, and his grip on his wand remained firm. Nervous, yes—but fear never crossed the line.
The attendant stepped forward once more, his voice ringing clearly across the coliseum. "All preparations are complete," he announced. "By royal decree, this duel will now begin."
At those words, mana stirred across the battlefield.
Four grimoires rose into the air at once, each responding to its owner's will. Veynor's grimoire shimmered with a hard, crystalline glow, gem-like patterns forming along its edges as elemental mana pulsed in controlled waves. Kael's grimoire warped the air around it slightly, space bending subtly as if the book refused to sit fully in one place.
Nova's grimoire floated up beside him with calm authority, pages rustling faintly as multiple elements responded in perfect harmony. A moment later, Harry's grimoire rose as well, hovering close to him, its presence quieter but unmistakably solid, anchored by something deeper than raw mana alone.
The arena fell into a tense hush.
The battle began with a probing strike from Veynor. He lifted his hand smoothly and spoke without urgency, "Gem Magic: Composite Series—Elemental Bullets."
The gems hovering around him lit up in unison. Hundreds of compact projectiles formed in midair, their cores shaped from compressed earth and metal.
A moment later, layers of fire wrapped around them, threads of lightning ran through their structure, and compressed wind formed spiraling channels that sharpened their trajectory.
With a simple wave of his hand, Veynor released them.
The bullets tore forward at extreme speed, filling the space between the two sides in an instant and spreading just enough to cover both Nova and Harry without leaving an obvious gap to slip through.
Nova glanced at the incoming attack and raised his eyebrows slightly. His grimoire opened, pages glowing with shifting symbols as he spoke evenly.
"Reality Script: Absolute Boundary."
The air around them warped subtly, as if space itself thickened. A transparent forcefield expanded outward, forming a smooth, stable barrier that enclosed both Nova and Harry. It didn't shine or pulse with mana. It simply held its shape, solid and unmoving.
The elemental bullets slammed into the shield in rapid succession.
Impacts echoed across the arena as earth and metal shattered on contact. Fire dispersed outward, lightning discharged along the surface, and compressed wind collapsed into sharp bursts that kicked up dust and debris.
Clouds of stone fragments and scorched particles billowed around the barrier, briefly obscuring everything inside.
Within the shield, Harry felt the vibrations pass through the air but nothing more. He adjusted his stance slightly, eyes focused forward, wand steady in his grip.
As the barrage ended, the dust began to settle. The forcefield remained intact, its surface unmarked, standing quietly between them and the attackers as the opening exchange came to a close.