Against The Odds

Taking a glimpse to the side, Anasthasia witnessed how Daniel bashed her side. His sheer power churned her, moaning from pain.

She sent flying, and at the moment, she purposefully raised her arm and cast 'Wind Cushion!' but the sudden burst of wind fizzled, voided into thin air.

She cast again, but led her no avail, caused such bewilderment in her thoughts, 'What happened, my powers—!'

It was an impetus she had a hard time stopping. Turning back once more, she found herself slammed against the wall.

'That was...'

Anasthasia winced in agony as cracks turned prevalent as she fell on her knees and hands clawed on the ground, gritting her teeth. She arched her head up and saw mesmerizing effect.

"There's an anomaly. The mana has weird fluctuations!" Her eyes surveyed the area and realized the predicament in her side; she began to lament in her thoughts, 'Someone had tampered the mana here!'

Then, her eyes darted at Daniel, turned luminous, and it was something she wasn't familiar with at all. She shuddered as her instincts clawed her.

'He's changed! Not a good sign for me—' She snapped out her thoughts as she saw how he dashed towards her.

Anasthasia reached her arm to the side, releasing a burst of flame that propelled her to the side. The jaunt was so timely that she rolled a couple of folds to the ground while dodging his lethal strike by the hair's breadth.

The impact caused a loud boom, and she could only clutch her chest from the sudden turn of events. Her back and legs trembled, left her momentarily immobilized.

'Refraction!'

Daniel narrowed his glowing gray eyes, staring daggers her way. His body glimmered like the sun's radiance. Besides, his hair and hem of his clothes rose, albeit enough to flutter to the side.

Anasthasia could feel the pressure within the distance.

Her ears perked up from the rambles of the onlookers; their positive actions caught her attention. That said, her hearing senses reinforced.

"He unleashed his 'limiter'! Worthwhile as a spectator!"

"Wait, what's 'limiter' again?"

Anasthasia thought the same thing. Her thoughts immediately plucked out the term 'limiter,' but it turned out someone answered her prayers.

"Limiters bestowed upon students who exhibit monstrous prowess; they are a must for they work as preventive measures whenever they are inside the institution's premises."

"Then, how did he unlock—"

Anasthasia shrunk her head, clasping her ears from the palm of her hands. The squeals, screams, and shouts outburst from their mouths. She had to jerk back, feeling repulsed, from the sound assaults.

"Did you see that lady who controlled the training grounds earlier? Now, we're about to see Prince Daniel's true and raw power!"

"Who do you think will win, though?"

"What is that question? Of course, it will be Prince Daniel!"

"I concur! I have heard how he—!"

"Come out! You can't hide forever!" Daniel's howl silenced the masses, looming stifling doom over them. The message was for Anasthasia, but it appeared they turned out the most affected.

She could only bite her lower lip, contemplating from her situation at hand, 'Behind the scenes, someone is using some underhanded methods here! I can't even detect!'

Anasthasia shook her head as she pondered, 'I must make my move.'

Anasthasia somehow knew where she was. Daniel was subtle about his stance, always keeping an eye approximately from her position. Unfortunately, She had more significant problems to deal with. The fact she still couldn't move had brushed off her advances, forcing her to stay in a defensive position.

'I don't know what this will be, but his eyes are telling me that his sword had such malicious intent to cut my flesh, and merely not my clothes—I don't want to find out either of them!'

She slowly loosened up the cloak in her, cascading down from her body. For a brief moment, she took the opportunity to stand, and as soon as her heel clacked on the polished tile, this garnered Daniel's smug grin.

"So, you're still in there!" Snickered, he sprinted with his arm in a ready position as he continued to reach out and slash her into two.

Seeing the slash released a blade of dust that ripped the cloak off, Daniel's eyes bulged as he witnessed how the cloak slowly appeared, but Anasthasia wasn't found. At that moment, he felt his neck stiffen, unable to move from the imminent danger.

His eyes leered sideways, noticing the sudden burst of fire. Instinct began to take over as he crossed his arms. Such immense heat and force thrashed him several yards away.

Anasthasia took the opportunity, with her legs gotten back on track, she somersaulted from the reaction, creating an ample distance between them. Her body materialized, revealing her sultry figure and granted a holistic response from the crowd.

Daniel's gleaming gray eyes widened for a different reason. His lips parted ever-so-slightly, and his stance quivered. But she saw how his stare reverted—this time, filled with regret.

"What's up? You're not going to fight me anymore?" Anasthasia beckoned her, which sent him to outrage.

"Quick! Someone stop him! Prince Daniel is currently out of control! Fed by anger and bloodlust!" Elise screamed in horror but Anasthasia paid no mind.

His eyes turned bloodshot, oozing with killing intent. "You messed with the wrong person!"

Anasthasia, although she wanted to use 'Seraphine' so badly in such a dire situation, dismissed and tried to fight her way. She bent her knees and awaited his fierce lunge.

Alas, their raucous dance commenced. Precise swings and thrust with the sword had offset from her dodges. Her moves turned elusive, making sure it never got to tear into her outfit. Leading Daniel, strike after strike, and sometimes with a quick burst of ice as parries, she took a foothold in their fight.

Anasthasia noticed how his sword lights never vanquished from its might. Beads of sweat trickled from her forehead as she thought of it over and over again.

Filled with rage, Daniel came so close as he kicked her legs, tripping her off the ground, and plunged the sword to the ground. Luckily, Anasthasia rolled to the side and launched razor-sharp blades of water. Series of metallic sounds made from every parry, and he could see how his hands trembled from such power.

Every strike made him stride back. Anasthasia, staggering, got up to her feet. She twirled with hands swung to the ground, sending a conical wave of ice.

She dazed for a moment as she saw how the ice melted quickly, vanquishing to a vapor.

'Not enough! I need more power—' Anasthasia halted, gasping for air as a great thump hit to her very core. 'Not—this! Someone—clipping out my powers!'

His prowess turned faster than ever.

Meanwhile, her power drew sluggish. She was currently losing as it was out of her favor. The need to end than dragging the fight grew stronger.

Daniel laughed maniacally, "Kill! I shall kill you, poor lamb!"

But the reaper loomed for a while, grasping unto her. The fight dragged longer than she expected. Her dodges turned erratic, and her parries lost effectiveness against his strength.

Daniel smirked as he seemed unharmed by her powers. Subsequently, he drew close and slashed her, but Anasthasia was quick enough to shift to the side, missing her by an inch.

His reflexes moved quicker than before; he turned around with hilt bashed unto her abdomen, like a hammer pounding a loaf of bread. Anasthasia's nerves lit up like a wildfire.

She got launched from a couple of yards, screaming in silence. On the other hand, Daniel caught up to her with his sword that gleamed so brightly once more.

Anasthasia had no time to wallow in her demise as she deeply thought, 'I must end this with a stronger power!'

In midair, she prepared herself. She calculated an ounce left of her magic and combined with the little to no mana reservoirs found within the training grounds to her bidding.

'Wait for it… Wait for it—There you go!'

'Fire Blast—' The fire spell was interrupted, which only burst at point-blank range, and blasted both of them away from each other. Before her vision engulfed by a sea of flames, she saw his uniform flare and burn to cinders. His skin had rashes and burns from the impact.

She found herself rolling and stumbling down among the dented marble floors. She curled up from the pain, and a lot of it this time around—the cumulative headache, searing body pains, and shortness of breath.

'This isn't—even training—anymore. I'm—literally fighting for—my life. Am—I going to—perish?'

Things turned out for worse; she bravely struggled to get back up. Her forearm quivered and could only lean from the cold marble floor, unable to give her the balance she needed.

She moaned one last time, then dropped so lifelessly on the floor.

But firm arms slowly embraced her critical body. The deep voice caused her to clung so dearly.

"Tasha…"