Mist Versus Ice 2

"These two are quite impressive. Their talent is noteworthy and something we can't easily ignore." A count who was seated in the VVIP region commented. [1]

"Even if we are to ignore the presence of a true magic spell, just the level of mana control the two have shown here is worth a lot. Despite their mana level, their control is already on the level of fourth-stage Guardian mages." The vice minister of the War Department sighed.

The Department of War was in charge of the military activities of the kingdom, which included border protection and war. While it was true that each duke, especially those by the border, had their own armies, the kingdom's official army was controlled by the Department of War. Not all border provinces were under the heads of dukes and most times, wars were led by the Department of War and not a duke. In summary, the Department of War was the kingdom's official army and was on a higher level than the armies of the dukes.

"It's too bad that they're both direct descendants of dukes otherwise, I would have given my all to get them." The vice-minister sighed.

As the vice-minister of the Department of War, it was only natural that the middle-aged man attended an event such as this, which showcased the talents of the younger generation. Just as the various noble families wanted to recruit some students, the Department of War was also interested in recruiting some students into the military; albeit since most of these students were of nobility and very talented, they'd usually be promoted to a middle or high rank after a few years of service.

"Haha. True, especially for the young lass, Emma. Lord Quentin would rather give up his title than send his lass over to the military." The count laughed. He was close friends with the vice-minister since childhood and was also familiar with Duke Quentin, so he could crack such jokes.

"But that kid, Vergil... If I recall, the Von Maeur family is only a second-generation duke family. They should be seeking to solidify their position in nobility. A connection with the military wouldn't sound bad and Vergil isn't the only son. It won't hurt to give it a try." The count advised.

"I'll think about it." The vice-minister responded.

Although the Department of War would like to recruit as many talented individuals as possible, they had a quota for those of nobility. The reason for this was to prevent any noble family from filling the ranks of the military with their descendants or allies and slowly seizing control of it from the inside.

Meanwhile, Emma and Vergil were still battling it out on the stage. Over five minutes had gone by and the battle was still yet to spot a conclusion, even with Vergil finally wielding his magic sword. Since the start of the tournament, including the qualifiers, this was the longest match Emma had fought in. She didn't look to be having a hard time, but she wasn't having an easy one either.

Even after Emma went on the offensive against Vergil, the latter was as slippery as an eel and managed to dodge her attacks at the last moment. At the same time, he would counter with his magic and force Emma to assume a defensive pose. From the way things were, the spectators were beginning to assume that the battle would end in a draw and the judges would have to collate the progress points from the tie-breaking criteria to determine who would take the point for this battle.

While many thought this was so, Asher, as well as a few other meticulous individuals, noticed something off. Ever since the start of the match, Emma had not gone past the two metres radius around her initial starting spot. This might not sound like much, but considering that she was able to keep her movements limited, it meant that Emma fully had this battle in her control despite how it seemed to be.

The most affected by the match were the protector mages who were former graduates of the First Dawn Academy. Even though they were third and fourth-stage mages, they felt threatened by some of the moves of the duo on the stage.

For the mid-rank and below third-stage mages, they believed that if they were in the same stage with either Emma or Vergil, their chances of victory would be tight, especially against Emma who was already in the third-stage.

As for the peak rank third-stage mages and the fourth-stage mages, while they were confident of winning, it would only be thanks to their higher level and not their skill. On the same mana level, the majority of the protector mages would lose against Emma.

'So this is what you call a genius.'

Just then, Emma suddenly stopped attacking. The stage was filled with scattered mist that was lying low with some remnants of shattered ice all over. The crowd was shocked as they didn't expect this to happen whereas Vergil felt this was an opportunity and pushed for the win. However, Emma suddenly snapped her fingers with a lovely smile plastered on her face.

"I win."

Vergil, who was dashing towards her with his sword in hand, was confused as to the meaning of the two sentences and although he had his guard up, it was too late.

"Ack."

Vergil let out a painful sound as he froze in place, his face staring at his opponent who was defenseless. Vergil's sword was just half a metre away from Emma but even at that, it couldn't cross that final gap and pierce her no matter how much force Vergil pumped into it.

Emma's smile was still on her face as she grabbed the sword and pulled it from Vergil's grip. Even as this took place, Vergil was still frozen in place.

Once the sword was in her grasp, Emma pointed it at Vergil's throat.

"Like I said before, I win."

[AN: Can you guess how Emma won the battle? Three chapters would be uploaded tomorrow if anyone can.]