Hope you enjoy this chapter! :-D Please Vote o the poll I left at chapter 23!

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Chapter 28 – The Princess’ Challenge

On the next day… as expected, I received a message from one of the messengers of the king. He told me to come on the training grounds near the palace. Frei then told me that they will come with me. Before I left, I made sure to tend to all of Altan’s needs and left while he’s asleep, in the care of Jisa. Upon arriving, Zala had an impatient look on her face with her arms folded. She looks at me with indifference.

Zala: What took you so long?

Nelus: I needed to do some things before we meet.

Zala: And what is that you need to do that is more important than the meeting with me?

Frei: He tended to the needs of Altan.

Zala: Altan… ah! The dragon child, the one Runice told me about… carry on then. Let’s get straight to the point… Nelus… marry me.

Nelus: No.

Zala: I see, I see… as expected… then duel me! If I win, marry me!!

Nelus: No.

Zala: Wh-why!! Don’t tell me you think that you can surely win!?

Nelus: I just don’t have the reason to.

Zala: Hmph! Only a coward would say that!

Frei: My Lord is not a coward. Also there is no reason for him to follow your selfish request.

Zala: Wh-what if I take that Altan from you!

As I look at her expression, it was full of anxiety and desperation. What is with that Luminant race that would make her go this far?

Fala: Calling our Lord Nelus a coward when you go about with that cowardly means!?

Zala: Sh-shut up!

Nelus: Let me ask you… would you really go that far?

Zala: Y-yes!!

Hesitation was obvious from her expression as she said her answer but I must say, it must took quite a lot of courage to go on with her decisions and I must respect that.

Fala: You dare!

Nelus: Enough… I’ll accept your challenge.

Fala: Lord Nelus!? Why?

Nelus: There must be a reason for her to go this far.

Fala: I see… well if it is Lord Nelus’ decision then I will just go with what you will decide..

Zala: Thank you…

Nelus: Then if I win, you will tell me everything about the current situation and your reason for doing this.

Zala: Alright… seems fair.

We then entered the training grounds with the guards watching. As I took out Kaikus from my spatial storage, Zala was astonished and asked if it is a real metallic weapon. When I told her it was real, she refuses to believe me as only earth element beings can use it. I didn’t tell her that that all elemental existences are present within me. I just told her that because I was a variant that I can use it while using mana. She became cautious as I then used God’s Eyes to see her status.

Zala FhylliseTitle:Royal Angelic CommanderRace:AngelGenderFemaleLevel:512ClassAngel KnightExistence:S-A

As she put on a shining armor made of wood, we readied ourselves. On her hand was a sword, made of metalia, it is a kind of wood that came from a Metalia tree. It is a type of tree that grows common metals with compounds like of the other world, like gold metalia trees and silver metalia trees, her armor is also made from it. The only difference of metalia from normal weapons is durability and the ability to hold mana and skills. Only a few uses them as it was quite hard to refine into equipment as it is also counted as an artifact so an artificer is needed, instead of a blacksmith of the earth element beings. Artificer is a legendary class so only a few have them. I used my God’s Eyes on the armor and weapon.

Gold Metalia SwordType:Sword, ArtifactDurability:1032 / 1391Quality:C ClassA weapon artifact made from gold metalia.

Gold Metalia ArmorType:Armor, ArtifactDurability:1600 / 1712Quality:C ClassAn armor artifact made from gold metalia.

Nelus: Oh? Metalia armor?

Zala: Ha! Runice is an artificer, you know!

Nelus: I see.

Zala: Well then… let us start.

Zala and I remained still as we awaited who will make the first move. As Zala was impatient, she immediately rushed towards me and slashes her sword. I parry with precision as I knock back her sword. I then used the opening to attack her.My sword scrapes her armor as she dodges. A part of her armor got destroyed as a lot of durability was taken from it. It was my sword’s skill, +. If she would have taken the hit head on, she would’ve been sent flying. She realized this fact as cold sweat falls on her cheeks.

Zala: You’re stronger than I thought…

Nelus: Likewise.

I continue to slash forth towards her as she easily dodges it. It seems that she is quite proficient with speed. I continue to speed up my slashes. As she seems to be getting cornered, she had no choice but to parry my sword. As she does so, her face went pale as the hit was extremely heavy, as again, activated.

Zala: Haha… it really is a metallic weapon… I’m quite envious that you can use such a thing… then how about I step up my game a bit.

She casts around her. I then jumped to slash my sword from above as I attempted to destroy it. As my sword hits the barrier, it sunk to the ground as a crater was formed. A bit of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She licks it as a grin appeared on her face as she was obviously excited to battle such an opponent while forgetting why she issued a duel with Nelus in the first place.

She then charged at me again but this time when I slashed at her. She disappeared, leaving a faint light in her place. She appeared behind me and slashes at me 5 times with extraordinary speed. As my instincts acted up I blocked all of her attacks without turning around as I didn’t have time to do so. Shock and disappointment appeared on her face as her surprise attacked failed miserably. I noticed that she didn’t use mana at all. She used her divinity… exactly like my Divine Combat… what she used was "Angelic Combat: Sword Style, Shifting Light".

I also decided to use my divine combat to counter her. My sword suddenly gained a silver aura around it. Sensing the danger, Zala tightened her stance focusing on defending as an excited smile appeared, wanting to see what I will do next. I in turn rushed towards her leaving after images behind me confusing her. One of the images attacked her. As each of my images have the same presence as me it would be hard to tell us apart especially with our speed.

My 3 images and I keep attacking her while shuffling our positions at high speed. She tried to block as much as possible while getting pushed back. Torrents of slashes kept coming at her faster and faster than before giving her a much harder time defending from the real slashes. Sparks flew everywhere as she was nearing her limit. What I used was "Divine Combat Style: Stance 11, Solemn Array". Finally, she casts a spell obstructing my view with a simple light spell, Flash. Even if it was a few second it gave her time to escape from my seemingly endless attacks. She catches her breath as she glared at me.

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Zala: What was that!? It was like one of my angelic combat.

Nelus: What I used was divine combat.

Zala: So this is the power of the divine race…

Seeing that her sword was in tatters, cracks appeared on it. She ordered one of her guards to get another metalia sword. Checking if the weapon was satisfactory, we continued our duel. She then casts a light spell . As we were meters apart she slashes towards me as a wave of light was headed towards me. I tried to block it but it just passed through my weapon and directly hits me. A cut appeared on my robe but there was no wound. A frown appeared on her face as she was disappointed at the damage she dealt.

Determination lit up in her eyes as she continued to send light wave slashes towards me as I dodged instead. My sword then lit up in flames as I charged towards her. She slashes at me while I dodge by rotating my body while putting my power on a single slash. Immediately, she tries to block it. The slash didn’t hit her but instead her sword.

All the colors were flushed out of her face as she looked at her sword. It has completely melted, she quickly let go of her sword as the heat was too much for her. She sighed in relief that it didn’t hit her. What I used was one of my sword’s skill . Its effects were covering my sword in high density flames. I also tested in adding a fire spell, around it testing the damage output and the effects were… the damage output increases tenfold, having the same temperature as lava. It truly has quite a devastating power.

Zala: Truly impressive… I promised father that I will only use it during emergencies but… come to me Duastria!

A pair of shining twin swords appeared on both of her hand as it was emanating a serene white light from it, seemingly compatible with her divinity. I then used God’s Eyes.

Heaven’s Twins, DuastriaType:Twin Sabers, Mana WeaponDurability:?? / ??Quality:STwin Sabers that was once used by an angel. He was known as the great swordmaster, Nielo. He was feared by the beings of great evil as he has the power to purge them. The evil ones then banded together to kill him as they see him as a threat. Forcing him to an all out war he was being pushed back. Sensing his crisis two others appeared to help him. The Divine, Cellux and the Demon, Riseos. In the end he was poisoned, he gave Cellux his last request before passing on.

Abilities:

3 Weapon Forms

Evil Slayer

Star of Heaven

A mana weapon… she slashes it towards me while I blocked with my sword clad in flames. As I looked at her sword it was unaffected by my flames. She then uses her other sword to attack me and succeeded. A shallow cut appeared on my arm as I retreated. I thought of using Corhylis at some point but didn’t, as I wanted to master using Kaikus first.

As she continue her flurry of slashes. She didn’t let me even a moment to counter so instead I tried to use a fire spell, as broken shells made of fire appeared around me. Suddenly the shells exploded in a chain reaction, completely obliterating the surroundings. Smoke covered the area, as it clears in front of me I saw a giant shield impaled on the ground with a vertical line on the middle. The shield was then lifted up with ease as it splits apart into two. Half of it was on her right while the other was on her left.

She walks towards me as I continue to fire spells at her. She completely blocks them all with her shield. She recalls the shield then jumps up. She summons the shield as she used the edges of the two shield parts to impale me using its weight as leverage. I was being pushed down by the extreme force and great weight of her attack as I block it with my sword. A blinding light appeared on her shield as the force continues to gradually increase as time passes. It was one of her mana weapon's  skill, . A crater appeared below me, seemingly to become bigger and bigger as we continue. She shouts while adding divinity on her shield. A calm voice then appeared on my mind…

???: Use me…

It was quite familiar and I instinctively replied…

Nelus: No, I won’t.

???: …

It was a familiar voice that even if I try to remember when I heard it but can't. Trying to shake off my thoughts I, concentrated towards the current situation instead. I resolved myself to finally try it… I used the fire spell… to finish it all… a ball of flames appeared on the air as it seems to distort like last time. I steeled myself and concentrated to making it stable. It slowly descends towards us. I used on myself. Sensing the power behind her she retracted her attack and turned around. Seeing the giant ball of flames heading straight towards her she impales the shield on the ground awaiting the impact.

A huge explosion occurred sending the group of angels around us flying. Frei carried Fala away while having a frantic pale expression, remembering the last time I used this spell. Shockwaves kept bursting as Zala grits her teeth as pain courses throughout her body. As the shockwaves stopped a crater appeared but this time there was no lava within it. I approached the crater and within it was a shield, still impaled on the ground and beside it was Zala  still holding onto it. She looks at me while smiling.

Zala: It is my lost…

She staggers, letting go of the shield as she loses consciousness. The shield then disappears as I picked her up and carried her. Suddenly, the king appeared.

Ciall: Quite a battle you had there.

Nelus: She is strong.

Ciall: I know.

Ciall, smiled wryly as I gave her to him. He then called the healer angels to tend to her. As she regains consciousness she looks at me.

Zala: I only lost today…

Nelus: …

Zala: I’ll come and challenge you again and next time… I’ll win…

Nelus: I’ll be waiting.

I turned around towards Frei and Fala as I head back towards the mansion with them.

Zala: You’ll see next time I’ll make you marry me.

Ciall: Oho? Not “Next time I’ll completely destroy you” like usual? Don’t tell me you are interested in him?

Zala: …

Zala ignored her father while appearing on her face was a faint pink tint. She tries to stand up and walks away.

Ciall: My, my… interesting. My daughter is finally interested in someone… but somehow there is a feeling that this might not go so well… no, I must be positive… as her father… I should believe in her…

No one noticed that there was someone else observing the fight. Someone that will cause quite a stir in the future.

???: Zala…

As everyone left, it then disappeared without a trace...

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :-D