Chapter 65: Rainbow Road

Cleru Neos

My Rainbow Dragon, a majestic creature of vibrant colors, flapped her enormous wings, sending billows of smoke from the recent explosion soaring away. My bloodline magic, known as Martyrdom of the Plebeian, enabled me to absorb all the damage meant for her during the encounter with the fearsome enemy Dracaryx. Amidst the chaos, a soft and reassuring voice, Jasmine's, echoed in my mind.

"C-Cleru... You don't have to be so heroic. I can take the attack."

Determined and unwavering, I protested, "I won't let any person dear to me suffer more injuries than I do!" Slowly, I mustered the strength to rise, my right arm drenched in a pool of crimson, bearing the brunt of a grievous wound. Pain seemed to radiate from every part of me, and I felt the warm, sticky trail of blood running down my forehead to my cheeks. The spectators in the arena looked on with pity, but their mercy was not what I sought. I had one objective—to emerge victorious.

For her sake.

In the midst of the intense struggle, a sudden portal materialized before me, revealing my beautiful and intelligent blonde nemesis, Reina Fleuret. She brandished her short sword threateningly, attempting to negotiate. "Stop sacrificing your life for some useless whim. Surrender already."

Seizing the element of surprise, I countered with a swift attack! My rainbow scimitar sliced through her waist, but she swiftly retaliated with a powerful kick to my face! Reacting in the nick of time, I summoned Martyrdom once again to shield my battered body from further harm. With only a mere 1% of my protective barrier remaining, enduring the excruciating pain was my only choice.

As I rolled onto the ground, the urge to rise quickly washed over me, but my limbs refused to obey! The pain I had endured thus far seemed insurmountable. Every muscle in my body ached, my head spun from blood loss, and the tendons in my fingers were severed, leaving me unable to even grasp my sword.

In the midst of my dire state, a voice filled with both love and concern pierced through the turmoil, screaming, "C-C-CLERUUUUUUU!!!"

A surge of adrenaline coursed through my entire being, ignited by Seris's magical words. Her shouts of encouragement seemed to infuse me with an unyielding determination, pushing my body beyond its limits in search of more strength. Exhausted but undeterred, I summoned every ounce of my physical, mental, and magical prowess to rise once more. Spitting out blood to clear my mouth, I fixed a fierce glare upon my formidable enemy.

"This is not a useless whim!" I screamed defiantly. "It was never a heist! I will become the Princess's Guard, even if it costs my life!"

Clutching my chest, I mustered all the energy and might I had left, and with a resounding cry, I called out, "DRACARYX!!! Activate Rainbow Road!"

Jasmine unveiled the full magnificence of her rainbow wings, gleaming brightly as they caught the sun's rays. In an instant, an invisible forcefield, shaped like a protective bubble, enveloped me and my loyal Rainbow Dragon. Rocks levitated in the air, and electric sparks crackled outside the barrier. Then, a deafening blast erupted from the ROYGBIV feathers, unleashing a dazzling array of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet lasers that surged towards my enemy knight.

Reina's dragonoid, Richard, had already expended all his power during the previous encounter with Dracaryx, leaving him unable to deploy a portal in time. Consequently, every blast found its mark, depleting Reina's shield plate to 0%. Despite the devastating assault, she stood resolute, her bravery earning admiration from the watching crowd.

The buzzer sounded, and the emcee declared, "The winner is the Plebeian Knight, Cleru Neos!"

However, instead of applause and cheers, the response from the audience was negative. Boos filled the arena, accusations of cheating were hurled at me, and a torrent of objects rained down, including tomatoes, fries, beer cans, rocks, and even a bald cat. My actions had incited their anger, and nothing could quell their rage towards me. I understood that the people had hoped for the student council president to triumph, but I couldn't let that happen. My resolve remained unshaken, for I fought not for popularity, but for the future I believed in.

Jasmine, in her humanoid form, approached my side, her deep concern evident in her tear-filled eyes. She seemed poised to deliver another heartfelt sermon, but my determination prevailed, and I managed to flash a blood-stained smile, giving her a thumbs up.

However, my body couldn't withstand the strain any longer, and I succumbed to unconsciousness.

When I finally awoke, I found myself in a pristine white room—an unmistakable hospital setting. My entire body was covered in bandages, and the dim light filtering through the window indicated that it was already nighttime.

Beside me, my faithful dragonoid, Jasmine, had never left my side, her exhaustion evident as she snored softly. I reached out and gently patted her smooth black hair, an affectionate gesture akin to petting a beloved companion.

The door to the room creaked open, and a figure, cloaked in a hood, entered before closing it quietly. Judging from her silhouette and the lower part of her face, I could tell it was a woman. As she unveiled herself, I recognized her immediately.

With long, radiant golden hair and sparkling green eyes, her countenance was a captivating blend of youthful innocence and mature grace. She was the woman with whom I had made an impossible promise during our childhood—the esteemed Princess Serenity Elkyria herself.

Sighing heavily, she looked at me with a brief smile, but it soon transformed into an angry frown. Her eyebrows furrowed, giving her a motherly air as if she were about to scold me with a slipper, just like my own mother used to do.

"Cleru! You used Martyrdom again! I told you to stop using it!" Princess Serenity scolded, hands firmly planted on her hips.

I couldn't help but grin, teasing her in return, "You escaped again. Your private bodyguards will be damned because of you!"

She brushed off her concern for her guards with an arrogant smile, declaring, "Don't worry about them! You're the only guard I want by my side! You promised me!"

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, feigning nonchalance. But her mood quickly shifted, and she caught me off guard by pinching my cheek, displaying her mercurial temperament.

"But you shouldn't sacrifice your well-being like this!" she insisted, her tone filled with worry. "You don't have to endure such pain just to win this tournament."

"I have to," I said with utmost seriousness. "We made a promise to each other: you'll be my princess, and I'll be your knight. I'll do anything to stay by your side. No one will stand in my way. I've reached the final part of the tournament, with just one more battle to go."

"Amphere Harrison," the princess murmured thoughtfully.

"I thought Mark Anthony Octavius posed the biggest threat, but I was wrong," I admitted. "Amphere Harrison has numerous hidden abilities. He can control dragonoids with his eyes, and his dragonoid has evolved into an even more powerful form. On top of that, they stumbled upon an absurdly formidable Dracaryx that led to the defeat of the General-level dragon knight."

"I've already requested Sir Harrison to lose the tournament," the princess said, bowing her head slightly, "but he didn't reply."

I took the princess's trembling, delicate white hand and pressed a gentle kiss on it. "Don't worry. I'll win the tournament. I promise you that."