“So… what do you think about this sudden event, David?” A low voice emanated from the metallic suit of armor standing beside David.
“You know me, Entalia. Why ask the obvious?” David sighed in resignation while observing the stage from the VIP seat.
“Is that sarcasm? You should be the one who is the happiest among us. After all…” Entalia pause and look at Prince Carlos's figure standing on the stage discussing with the referee “You were the main culprit of this shit show. All of this… just for ‘her’.”
“For god sake, her name is Leila. It is not THAT hard to remember.” David retorted, his voice filled with frustration. He then slumped in his seat. “Yes, I suppose I would be the happiest. If this works, then he can be with Leila. Our nation’s power will increase greatly with her help. However…” David changed his sight back to the frail figure on the stage “I have an unpleasant feeling about this situation”.
Entalia glanced at David with a quizzical expression “Are you sure you are not overthinking yourself? We both have witnessed the whole process and so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary.”
David shook his head and let out another sigh “Yes… nothing unusual so far.” While simultaneously thinking about the weird decision that Elisa had given to the Prince when they made the agreement “Maybe I am overthinking it.”
Entalia patted David's shoulder reassuringly “Relax, we are not dealing with anyone exceptional here. We are dealing with, and I quote ‘a lovesick idiot young woman who has no real use and is therefore unsuited to be the bride of our Prince’.” Entalia paused for a moment, gazing at David before continuing “ ‘She just happens to be a Duke’s daughter and gets to bind our prince with a marriage contract.’ I believe that was what you said to the King when we were in his private chamber, correct?”
David couldn’t see his friend's expression but it wasn’t necessary to hear the disapproval in his tone of voice “You’re right. No need to overthink this matter. Even in the worst-case scenario, we are not losing anything important. I do not need to beat myself over it.”
Entalia chuckled “That’s the spirit. Now, instead of worrying about a trivial matter, why don’t you focus on the actual problems after the Prince won?”
“Hold that thought.” David motioned Entalia to stop when something unbelievable happened on the stage.
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“Cough cough” Maria coughed loudly inside the dusted smoke created by the Prince’s fiery attack. “Seem like the protection doesn’t include fresh air” Maria mused to herself “Well, it is not that bad I suppose” she thought as she realized she was completely unharmed from Carlos’s attack.
In stark contrast to Maria's nonchalant reaction, Carlos was shocked “How?” Carlos was sure that was a direct hit from his attack. He was confused but just for a moment before he prepped the second attack. This time, unlike the first attempt where he just threw a few fireballs in Maria's general direction, he concentrated and created a fiery spear out of thin air in just a second and threw it toward Maria with great force.
“Cough cough…” and like the first attack, Maria stood unharmed. Her arm flailed around, trying to clear the excessive smoke from the fire around her.
“…”
A heavy silence fell, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere just moments ago. Every student at the Academy knew the extent of Carlos's formidable power. While they despised him, they couldn't help but respect his prowess and his unwavering dedication to challenge every single student and turn them into charcoal at least once. There were only two people who had managed to escape this fate: his fiancée, whom he wasn't allowed to harm, and Leila, the Saintess in training, who had personally introduced him to the ground, repeatedly.
“Wha... What did you do? Hey referee, was there someone outside helping her?” Carlos shouted.
“Please rest assured, Prince Carlos. No one is interfering with the match.” Odius talked to Carlos through the voice amplifier while looking at Maria in amusement.
The crowd that was silent from shock was recovered and now reacting to what Carlos said.
“Ahahahaha, did I hear it right? Prince Carlos himself is questioning the legitimacy of this match?”
“Yo Carlos, do you need your head check? I think you got a few screws loose. Did you challenge ‘her’ again?”
“Carlos, this is a duel. I know that asking the referee does not count as violating the rule but have some shame, my man.”
The battleground was instantly filled with laughter and mockery. Everyone does have as much doubt as Carlos but to use this rare chance for a little revenge, they are more than willing to ignore it.
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Hearing the mockery from the crowd, Entalia takes out an amplified crystal and takes a mouthful of air. But before he was able to proceed, David stopped him “Don’t make it worse.”
Entalia looks directly at David “You mean we should just let it be?”
David took the amplified crystal and put it on the table “Yes” David took a deep breath and continued “All of this happened because our prince has never been engaging in an equal battle. He either ends it in one hit or puts down in one hit. This might not be the best time for it but it is the fastest way for him to learn. All we should do, is watch.”
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Seeing his friend’s conviction, Entalia couldn’t say anything other than return his attention back to the stage.
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Carlos was angry, but he knew they were right to be mocking him. It was a question that he blurted out without thinking and he regretted it. He only has himself to blame for not being able to control his emotions. And so, Carlos relaxed and rethought the whole situation. Without Carlos yelling back, the crowd lost interest and went back to debating about Maria’s method of blocking Carlos’s attacks.
It didn't take long before Carlos made his next move. This time, he abandoned the idea of long-range attacks and opted for a more direct approach. His fists were now enveloped in high-pressure flames, creating a chilling sound that filled the air.
The screeching sound made everyone's attention focus on Carlos again. Their breath was halted. Whisper and murmur filled the air.
“Whoa, I… didn’t know he can do that.”
“Isn’t it an advanced elemental compress technique? Didn’t we suppose to train elemental harmony body first?”
“Yea, but we haven’t seen him train it nor any sign of elemental harmony body’s signature features”
Everyone was dumbstruck by Carlos’s power. They know Carlos is a step above the rest but didn’t know their power gap is that wide. This revelation wasn't good news for many students, especially for a group of people who want to pursue a certain target for marriage.
However, when Carlos unleashed his technique on Maria, it was Carlos himself who was sent hurtling through the air. Thanks to being the role of attacker, his body was stopped by an invisible barrier. Carlos struggles to stand up amid the dizziness caused by the impact. It took Carlos a while to shake off the dizziness but when he looked around, he found himself being surrounded by a magic circle. It took a moment for Carlos to realize what this magic circle signified. Carlos has seen it numerous times before. This is one of the safety features that come with being a participant in the battleground. When this circle appeared, it meant the participant had died.
Carlos struggled to get out of the binding circle but it was to no avail. He looks at the referee expecting an answer. Odius also conferred with other referees. After a while, he steps out and removes the magic circle “Prince Carlos, you have one chance left”.
Odius’s announcement bewildered Carlos. Wasn’t this duel based on a timer? The crowd themselves was also puzzled by this announcement. Odius is also bewildered by their reaction “Don’t tell me you never look at the rule set?”
“No, I did but what does that have to do with this?” Prince Carlos inquired.
“OK? Then can you read me the first line of the rule set?” Odius asked.
“Well...To win as the attacker, you must put the defender into an unconscious stage or push them out of bounds” Prince Carlos repeated the rule line that he remembered.
“That is the “How to win” portion of the rule set. You just skipped an entire paragraph there.”
Carlos tried to remember but all he remembered was some nonsensical story “You don’t mean…”
Odius nods his head confirming Carlos’s thinking “Yes, it is ‘This is a scenario simulation of a historical battle between a dragon and a turtle.’. They were not meant to be a simple introduction but what the rule is based on. We even put it on the name.”
“But the rules said…” Carlos stammered through his teeth.
Odius shook his head, explaining, “Those rules only apply in normal situations. When unexpected events occur, something like ‘What happen if the attacker hurt himself and died?’. This is where the first part of the rule takes precedence.
“I… hurt myself and died?” Carlos couldn’t process this statement, so did the entire audience.
Odius nodded “Yes, please look at your chest.”
Carlos involuntary looks at his chest. There was a hole in his attire. Judging from the burn mark and the size of the hole, it was undoubtedly made by Carlos’s attack. This revelation stupefied Carlos and the crowd. They look in Maria’s direction and feel goosebumps around their head. Now they feel lucky that they didn’t try to attack her outside of the Academy.
Seeing everyone has accepted the fact, Odius continues “Normally, we will just decide that it’s your loss but some have argued that a few dragons have a specific characteristic where they can defy death for a few moments to attack their target for one last time. In my opinion, it is very unlikely that the dragon in question has this characteristic but the one who argues it is very sure of himself so this is what you get. Remember to thank him later.”
Prince Carlos was sweating after hearing this explanation. To think that he had barely escaped defeat. This moment of realization makes him look at Maria again. To think that the girl who he always looked down upon is able to do this to him (No, it is impossible, at least it’s not her power. She is not that strong. This is a fact. But how?) Prince Carlos’s line of thought speedily run through a couple of explanations but he doesn’t feel like they are the right answer.
“Prince Carlos, you are on borrowed time. I know we didn’t specify the time but a “Last Stand” won’t last long. Here’s a hint: Do you feel your body slowly stiffen” Odius's voice rang out.
(Couldn’t you say it sooner) Carlos panicked and started his final attack immediately.
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““Prince Carlos, you are on borrowed time. I know we didn’t specify the time but a “Last Stand” won’t last long. Here’s a hint: Do you feel your body slowly stiffen”
After Odius's voice rang out, Maria saw Carlos hurriedly prepare an attack. It was a small flame. To Maria, that small flame was more insignificant than the last three attacks. However, as time trickled down, that small and insignificant flame had grown tremendously. As the flame grew in size and intensity, it also changed the surroundings. The air that was calm just a moment ago now raging along with the flame as if threatening to engulf everything. Even the crowd who were watching from afar were able to feel it.
“I know our power gap is wide but this is ridiculous.”
“Yea, with that kind of power, he should not be here as a student.”
“So all this time, he was just toying with us?”
Everyone was angry and shouted from afar, but Carlos paid it no mind.“Ignite!” As the prince yelled, the flame that obediently lay on his hand transformed instantly and engulfed everything standing on the stage. The raging flame that filled the barrier sketched to heaven and continued to burn for a good amount of time before it died down and revealed only one figure still standing on the stage. It was Carlos. Maria is nowhere to be seen.
The crowd was stunned.
“Did the safety feature break?”
“Not even a trace left? To think not even the safety feature can’t stop him. How terrifying.”
“So… what happens now?”
The crowd was in an uproar until someone noticed and shouted
“Wait… look!”
At the corner of the wall surrounding the battleground is a small hole shaped like a human figure. Beside it is Odius peering inside shouting something.
The sudden turn of the event caused a murmur within the crowd. No one among them expected Carlos to win after seeing Maria withstand the barrage of attacks unscathed. She even manages to ‘kill’ Carlos without touching the rule. It was then, that an announcement filled the battleground:
“Due to Prince Carlos's violation of the rule, Elisa is the winner of the match!!!”.