Silence held for a breath after the duel's end, as if the entire arena itself struggled to comprehend what just happened. Then the crowd erupted, a storm of voices that shook the coliseum walls. Students cheered, some in disbelief, others in raw excitement, while whispers spread like wildlife through the common stands.
But in a single area the VIP section, the reaction was a lot more sharper, more telling.
The guild leaders leaned forward, eyes gleaming with ambition. One, robed in crimson silk, muttered to his aide this was none other than Ace from the Top 4 Guild Crimsonwind, "Power like that... Space itself bending? He could carve a guild into legend"
Another, armored in black steel, simply smirked "He'll either be recruited... or feared. Maybe both." This was David Guild master of the Torvek Guild
The Dukes and Duchesses were less subtle, their voices tinged with unease. "A boy should not wield such strength so easily" Duke Bazel remarked, fingers drumming on the armrest of his chair.
Another countered, "Perhaps, or is it because it was your son on receiving end of such power—but strength like that is meant to change the balance of power. Imagine him bound to a noble house." This was Duchess Corven
The king sat in stoic silence, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts. The king, crowned in iron and silver, narrowed his gaze. "Not natural," he murmured, his voice low but heavy. "Space itself is not a toy for mortals. If he grows unchecked, kingdoms may bend as easily as his blade bends distance." The other Duke beside him only smirked, his time sly "Or perhaps he is the kind of weapon kingdoms pay for." Said Duke Caelthorn
All the while, the Headmaster remained stone-still. His weathered face betrayed no hint of surprise, but his eyes glimmered with sharp intensity, calculating, weighing. For him, this as no spectacle—this was proof, confirmation of something he had already suspected.
Beside him, the Vice-Headmaster allowed herself a smile, graceful and radiant, her chin resting lightly on her hand. "Did you see their faces?" She whispered softly, voice like silk. "Dukes trembling, the king cautious... and all from a single duel." She tilted her head toward the Headmaster, amusement flickering in her eyes with a hint of mischief. "I think our academy has just become far more interesting."
Back on the arena floor, the defeated Jake was carried by healers, his body battered but alive. The victor Adam his king silver hair falling around him, violent strands glowing faintly like starlight stood alone in the since between cheers. He raised no sword in triumph, offered no words. His calm, unreadable expression only unsettled the nobles further.
To the crowd, he was a star.
To the guild leaders, he became a prize.
To the king, he was a threat or a weapon.
To the Headmaster, he was an anomaly.
And to the Vice-Headmaster, be was a spark one that might ignite a fire large enough to burn the world.
The duel ended, but it's consequences were only just beginning.
The arena floor was still scarred from the last battle, fragments of stone scattered like broke teeth. Yet the crowd roared once more as two new figures stepped forward.
On one side, a girl with long golden hair tied neatly behind her head, a faint circlet glittering against her brow. Her blue eyes carried both grace and steel, her very step exuding noble bearing. She wasn't an ordinary noble but was the princess, twin to one of the kingdom's prodigies her brother Duke but she wasn't weak either.
She carried a slender sword, runes shimmering faintly along the blade. Water affinity radiated softly from her, the air around her was heavy with moisture.
Across from her stood her opponent: a girl with jet-black hair cut sharply at the shoulders, eyes polished obsidian. She wore no crown, no finery, only the insignia of her lineage a crest stitched onto her armor, marking her as the daughter of one of the Top 5 Guilds in the kingdom Mary Evergreen. Her stance was steady, honed, her grip on her heavier blade firm. She radiated confidence not born of title, but of countless battles and relentless training.
"Begin!"
Mary struck first, surging forward with raw strength. Her blade whistled through the air, arcs of sheer force splitting the ground as she pressed the princess hard from the opening.
Each strike carried the weight of someone who had fought monsters, mercenaries and even went through the gates and rifts. The princess parried with precision, her movements elegant but defensive, water forming a glistening barrier that ripple info shields around her.
The black-haired girl smirked and sneered. "A princess hiding behind water walls? How regal"
Selena's eyes narrowed and she countered. "Be careful. My waves don't just shield but they drown."
She moved, and the water around her erupted into spears, thrusting forward in rapid succession. Mary cut through them with sheer brute force, water spraying harmlessly across the arena, but it slowed her momentum just enough for Selena to strike back. Her blade flashed, slicing across her opponent's shoulder not deep but enough to draw first blood.
Mary only grinned wider, unfazed. Her strikes grew fiercer, faster, as her guild trained instincts drove to overwhelm her opponent. She carved through the princess's water constructs with relentless fury, each swing shaking the arena floor.
Slowly, Selena was pushed back her defenses bending under the weight of raw power, but her eyes never wavered. At the edge of the duel, when her opponent pressed the hardest, Selena whispered under her breathe, almost too low to hear : "Not yet."
Mary lunged, her blade aimed for the finishing blow, when suddenly Selena's water shield burst outward in a wave, drenching the arena floor. Mary stumbled, slowed, her boots splashing as she steadied herself. That was the opening.
Selena's sword sparkled, lightning crackled hidden no longer. The drenched arena lit up as blue white arcs danced across the water, electricity surging outward in a violent storm. The arena gasped as Mary convulsed, lightning searing through her body and her strength faltering under the shocking force.
"You... you had another affinity?" She spat, voice trembling as she tried to stand.
Selena's gaze was cold,steady and merciless. "I don't reveal anything to my enemies."
With a final strike, her blade flashed infused with both lightning and water. Mary's sword was knocked free from her hands, sent clattering across the stone. Selena pressed her glowing blade to her throat, sparks dancing along the edge.
The arena erupted in disbelief, some of the nobles whispering frantically and guild leaders murmuring with alarm. A dual affinity was rare but not uncommon. But for her to have hidden it, revealed only at the crucial moment, was something else entirely.
In the VIP section, the King leaned forward eyes filled with pride. The guilds on the other hand exchanged sharp looks, especially Mary's mother who looked at her daughters unconscious form with sadness and warmth.
And above them all, the Headmaster stroked his beard with some interest, while Vice-Headmaster just yawned and looked bored.
Selena lowered her blade, her victory was clear. She didn't fight just as a royal but as something more dangerous, a warrior who looked graceful and elegant but had hidden secrets and could unleash them at the perfect time.
She walked down the arena going back towards the stands her eyes met with Adams and she just flashed him a bright smile and waved.
"Damn that was cool."