Looking down at the arena, I saw Kayda standing between them, arms folded, lips moving as she spoke. Surprisingly, I couldn't hear anything despite the amplification runes. A sound barrier. My eyes flicked up to Mom.
"Kayda didn't put up a barrier," Mom said, handing me her scroll.
"What do you mean-" I started, but she tapped the screen. A direct feed.
"What do you mean this is all part of evolution, Rachel!" Amari's voice rang sharp from the device.
"Amari, you won't understand if I explain it like this. I must show you the way," Rachel replied calmly as she unsheathed a broadsword that glimmered faintly in the light.
"Seriously, I can't understand you anymore. We were such wonderful friends not even a year ago. Why?" Amari's voice cracked, pain flickering through her words.
"Why? Amari, you showed me where I belonged. The Draigs took me away from my rightful place when I was younger," Rachel said, her voice laced with conviction.
"What? Is it now a revenge story?" Amari expressed her feelings with incredulity and disappointment.
"A saintess will never harbor hate, even in revenge. I do not hate the Draigs," Rachel said, smiling serenely, as if her words made any sense.
"Then what is all this? Why invade?" Amari's question made me sit forward slightly.
"Invading? No. We are liberating this kingdom," Rachel said firmly.
Mom let out a grunt beside me.
"Liberating? "Could you please clarify if you fully understand what you're expressing?" Amari tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"Of course I do."
"No, no, you don't realize what you are doing. It's been like this for years with you. You always jump into things without fully considering the consequences, acting impulsively instead of thinking things through," Amari said, a small smile playing on her lips despite the heaviness in her tone.
Rachel's expression hardened. She suddenly dashed forward, her broadsword whistling as it arced toward Amari's waist.
Kayda stepped back, letting them clash.
Amari, without even flinching, caught the sword with her bare left hand. The steel screeched against her skin but didn't cut. Her grip tightened.
"Thank you for proving my point. Rachel, did you forget who my mother is?" Amari asked coldly, glaring down at Rachel, who was straining to pull the blade free.
"Let go!" Rachel snapped, her composure finally cracking.
"Sure." Amari smirked, coating her right hand in mana before slamming a palm into Rachel's stomach. The blow sent Rachel flying several meters back, skidding across the dirt, her sword tumbling from her hands.
"Oh, they really are quite resistant to magic," Amari said, eyeing the untouched armor.
"So it cancels magic?" I asked, glancing sideways at Mom.
"Yeah, but it also means Rachel can't use her light magic," Mom said, her tone cutting with practicality.
I facepalmed. "Hmm, so Amari should win this before Rachel removes her armor."
"Yes, but then Amari can't go all out with her magic. They're in a stalemate right now," Mom explained.
"Hah, not really. This is your daughter," I scoffed.
"...right?" Mom asked, not sounding as convinced.
Down below, Amari pulled out two daggers. "Alright, let's do this the hard way, Rachel."
"Heh, as if you, a sage, can use those," Rachel yelled, snatching her sword back and charging again.
"Yeah, but then again, I am a Draig," Amari replied smoothly, her daggers spinning in her grip. She easily deflected Rachel's clumsy swing and drove a blade into her arm.
"Ugh," Rachel groaned, clutching the wound. She slammed her free hand into the ground, a shockwave of light magic bursting outward. Amari leapt back, avoiding it.
In midair, Amari conjured several glowing orbs of raw mana and hurled them down like stars. They pelted Rachel, forcing her to stagger and block without any chance to counterattack.
"Why is she just using mana without any element?" I asked, intrigued despite myself.
"Elements won't work at all against resistance armor. But mana might slip through eventually. It's also cheaper to use," Mom explained, and I realized she was right.
"Ah, I see. I didn't know that."
"Now shut up and let them go on," she snapped.
Rachel lunged again, her moves increasingly desperate. Amari sidestepped, her daggers flashing. In a fluid motion, she slashed down and severed Rachel's arm.
"Aaagh!!" Rachel screamed, collapsing to her knees as blood splattered the dirt.
"Give up," Amari said flatly, eyes sharp.
"I would never!" Rachel shouted, staggering back. Light erupted from her wound, reshaping bone, sinew, and flesh. Within moments, her arm had regrown, whole again.
"Of course," I muttered.
Rachel lifted her new arm and unleashed dozens of light spears. Amari calmly raised a shimmering barrier, the attacks clattering harmlessly against it.
"You are still as weak as ever," Amari said coldly. She closed the distance in a blink, blades poised for the finishing strike.
"And the winner is Amari Draig!!" The announcers suddenly cried in unison, cutting the fight short. The crowd gasped, confused.
Kayda had stepped in, standing between them.
"What is the meaning of this?" Rachel demanded, panting, her eyes wide with frustration.
"Rachel, it seems your parents have withdrawn you from the competition," Kayda said evenly, her hand resting on Amari's shoulder to calm her down.
Rachel's face smoothed into serenity far too quickly. "I see. With an eerie calm, she said, "Until next time, Amari."
Her tone made me shudder.
"I'm going. The next few fights don't mean much to me," I said, standing up.
"Isn't it Katie next?" Mom asked.
"No, she's just before Zagan's fight. Don't worry, we'll be watching those two," I said with a nod.
"Have we even seen Zagan in the last few days?" I added as we walked.
"I found him, and he'll be showing up. Don't worry," Mom said, her voice holding that tone that made it clear she wasn't telling me everything.
A few minutes later, we entered Amari's changing room. She was sitting on the bench, toweling her face, her expression taut with frustration.
"Why did they back off like that?" she asked immediately, eyes flashing as she looked at us.
"I don't know," Mom admitted, her gaze scanning her daughter critically as if searching for unseen injuries.
"They most likely realized you were about to cut her armor apart before finishing the fight," I said, shrugging.
"Tsk, I thought I was masking that part," Amari muttered.
"You weren't doing it enough," Mom said, shaking her head.
"Yeah, well, with them calling her a Saintess and all... Breaking her equipment was probably the only way I could humiliate her," Amari grumbled, tossing the towel aside.
"We understand," I said, my tail flicking once behind me.
The room settled into a heavy silence, but we all knew this wasn't over-not with Rachel.
avataravatar
chapter 191:
[VIP Lounge — Arena Overlook]
"So it's Katie now, right?" I asked, glancing sideways at Kayda while we sat in the plush chairs of the lounge, the wide window giving us a commanding view of the arena below. The crowds outside our insulated room were a sea of noise, muffled to little more than background hums thanks to the enchantments built into the glass.
"Hmm, yes," Kayda said simply, arms folded under her chest as her crimson eyes lingered on the stage.
"Right, so what do you want to talk about? I mean, you were quite insistent that we need our own VIP room." I asked, reaching over to grab her hand as if to coax her into loosening up.
She pulled it back almost instantly, glaring at me with that sharp look that always made me feel like she was seconds away from calling me out. "Yeah, so what's your plan?"
"Hehe, of course you would realize, but don't say it, okay? And sorry, but I can't say too much myself." I leaned back in my chair with a chuckle, deliberately lounging like I didn't have a care in the world, though the truth was far from it.
"So what's the end goal of this plan?"
"I guess the end goal of this plan is to get looked down upon." I shrugged, as if that explained everything.
"They already do," Kayda said, shaking her head with a scoff.
"We don't know whether they know or not, Kayda. I mean, we had quite several leaks last year. I prefer not to rely solely on chance." I shifted my gaze back to the arena just as Katie and her opponent walked up to the stage, both of them radiating pressure even from this distance.
"Another paladin?"
"Hmm, yes, quite a high-level one at that," I replied, tilting my head as I observed his armor, his posture, and the way he carried his shield as though it were part of his body.
"Ah, she is still using my claymore, nice." I pumped my fist with pride, my chest warming at the sight of that massive blade gleaming under the arena lights.
"Of course she would. That thing is as close to a demigod sword as you can get," Kayda said, her tone making it sound obvious, like it was barely worth praising.
"Pfft, that thing isn't even close to the real thing, Kayda." I chuckled, shaking my head. "A real demigod sword? That's an entirely different level. The stat boosts alone, the way the weapon bonds with you, the abilities... That claymore doesn't even scratch the surface."
"I know. That's why I said, as close as you can get," Kayda corrected smoothly.
"Want one too?" I asked slyly, already calculating in my head what kind of weapon set she'd suit.
She gave me the most unimpressed look she could muster. "I'm a mage genius. What would I do with a weapon?"
"Close-range combat," I said without missing a beat, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kayda deadpanned. "Thousands of spells. No need. But... Build me a catalyst that can handle all my magic, and I'll consider it." She gave me a sharp side glance, and although her expression was unreadable, the gleam in her eyes revealed that she was baiting me.
"Is that a dare?" I arched an eyebrow.
'It's not impossible, but catalysts are made out of monster parts, and there's a reason for that. Whatever monster part you use, its nature bleeds into the weapon-its instincts, its abilities. It all depends on the monster. But what would happen if I made one out of my ice? Could it even be done? A thought for another time.'
"Sure, why not? "Now be quiet; the fight is about to start." Kayda lifted her hand to silence me.
"Let the fight begin!" The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers as both fighters lunged forward.
The paladin surged at Katie with his shield raised high, wings flicking for balance.
Katie responded with a high swing, her claymore whistling through the air as she brought it down toward him with brutal force.
He caught the blow with his shield, but his knees buckled, the sheer strength behind Katie's swing catching him off guard. His jaw clenched as he fought against her pressure.
Katie didn't relent. She pivoted sharply and launched a kick toward his chest, aiming to crush his stance. But the angel's wings flared, a sudden gust of air carrying him backward just in time. Katie's foot cut through space, though she didn't let the miss go to waste. Even as her leg extended, her free hand gestured, summoning three water javelins that shot past her in a deadly follow-up barrage.
The paladin twisted midair, wings beating hard. Miraculously, he managed to avoid all three spears, his shield snapping back into position as he prepared for Katie's next swing. But each time she struck, he staggered a little more, forced back under the sheer physicality of her blows.
"Oh, the combo attacks are in full swing today!" I grinned, leaning forward, excitement sparking through me at how well Katie was performing despite her mage background.
"Yes," Kayda said simply, but I noticed the small curve of her lips.
The paladin, realizing he couldn't keep up on the ground, shot higher into the air, wings unfurling in full.
Katie, unbothered, spread her arms wide, and water burst forth across the arena floor, flooding it with a shimmering layer.
"Hmm, she is doing the same as Amari; it's quite obvious what she is intending to do with that water," I remarked, noting the tactical similarity to yesterday's match.
"Yes, but then again, water is her thing," Kayda replied, her tone making it clear she found the repetition excusable.
'Amari is more impressive than Katie,' I admitted silently, comparing the two in my mind. Amari had a flair Katie didn't yet match.
High above, the paladin discarded his shield and conjured three radiant lances of light, hurling them down like meteors. Katie countered instantly, flinging her projectiles. The resulting collisions detonated into bursts of steam and smoke, shrouding the arena in a foggy haze.
Katie surged upward through the smokescreen, riding a jet of water like a launchpad. In a blink, she was above him, claymore raised in a vicious arc.
The angel dodged, wings straining, and retaliated with another volley of light.
Katie crossed her claymore in front of her, deflecting the blasts, but the lack of footing in midair dragged her back down. She landed with a splash in the water below, looking up at him with growing irritation.
He grinned back at her, taunting, and hurled another series of light lances. The crowd gasped at the back-and-forth, the fight descending into a frustrating stalemate. Katie couldn't keep him pinned, and he couldn't hit her cleanly.
Sweat trickled down both their brows. The paladin's wingbeats grew sluggish-angels couldn't fly indefinitely. At the same time, Katie's mana reserves weren't bottomless' Obviously,
'Obviously I would have done the job differently,' I thought. 'Make the air violent, strip him of control, force him down. And the ground only needed about three centimeters of water, not the knee-deep mess Katie just created. Efficiency, Katie, efficiency.'
"Katie won," I said casually, already predicting the inevitable outcome.
And indeed, as the cycle repeated, Katie shifted her focus. Instead of going for the angel's body, she slashed at his wings. He didn't expect it. Her blade carved through one, then the other, severing feathers and flesh.
He fell, his scream cut off as he crashed into the pool of water below. The water welcomed him like a mother's embrace-before turning into his grave. He thrashed, bubbles frothing to the surface, but Katie held the water firm around him, drowning him with cold efficiency.
Katie landed beside him, her expression calm, unmoved by the life draining out of her opponent beneath the surface.
"She really was done with him, drowning him with that amount of brutality," I laughed, more amused than horrified.
