-1284- A Monster

The battle ended with Stella's defeat, forcing Rozen to use abilities beyond the Injunction Shackles.

As the battlefield had turned into a pool of lava, Rozen brought the bound Stella to the shattered spectator stands.

"Seeing this mess, I bet the chairman will be sighing again," Rozen said, glancing around as he released Stella.

"Ha... ha..."

Stella collapsed into a seat in the stands, breathing heavily as the light and heat around her gradually faded.

The brand-like wounds on her body slowly vanished.

Stella's dragon power went back to its dormant, unawakened state.

Watching Stella, Rozen pondered.

"So, you really can't keep your dragon power awakened all the time, huh?"

Due to the extreme consumption of magical power and heat by Stella's true abilities, likely as a survival instinct or a safety mechanism, Stella's dragon power usually remained dormant. Only by igniting a flame within her and increasing her heat to expend her magical power to the maximum could she awaken her dragon power and use her true strength.

Stella named this state — Dragon Spirit.

Once she used Dragon Spirit, Stella could wield her true power. Normally, she only used her flame abilities, fighting as a fire mage to avoid excessive consumption of magical power and heat, which would burden her greatly.

Luckily, having drunk dragon blood in the past, Stella's physique was nearly that of a dragon species, maintaining high body heat and making the burden of using Dragon Spirit not too great, albeit still a matter of consumption.

"If you can perfectly control your magical power and body heat, reducing wastage and achieving higher efficiency, your usage time of Dragon Spirit will greatly increase."

Rozen suggested this.

Just like Rozen, who in the past needed "ten" units of magical power to cast a spell, but after mastering Mind's Eye, could perfectly control his magical power and use "one" unit to achieve the same effect.

Even more, as Rozen's Mind's Eye reached a divine realm, his control over magical power also reached a divine level. He could use even less magical power for stronger spells, and even draw upon external magical power. Thus, his magical power control could not be measured by the world's most advanced methods and was rated S-class.

Now, although Stella had awakened her true power, her control over magical power and heat was far from perfect.

After all, Stella's magical power control was only B-class, far from the highest A-class, let alone the perfect control that reached Rozen's realm.

If Stella's magical power control reached A-class, her consumption problems would greatly reduce.

If Stella could perfectly master her body and control the loss of internal heat, the duration of Dragon Spirit would not only greatly extend but even her power would enhance.

Stella could now use her dragon power. The next phase should be reducing the consumption while in Dragon Spirit.

So, Rozen gave this advice.

However...

"I understand that, but my magical power is already substantial, and now it's mixed with my internal heat, making it rather volatile. Enhancing control over it is easier said than done."

Stella, catching her breath, looked at Rozen and sighed.

"Shizuku's magical power control reaching A-class already surprises me. As long as her control is higher than mine, her utilization rate of magical power is also higher. Thus, even if my magical power is stronger than Shizuku's, in a real fight, my endurance might be worse than hers, right?"

This was why, despite Stella's talents and potential surpassing Shizuku's, her actual strength was not much higher.

High magical power only meant superior talent. True strength depended on the individual's abilities in all aspects.

Even against Shizuku, let alone Rozen, whose magical power control was rated S-class and was beyond measure, Stella's control deficiency was evident.

Of course, Stella might not have been much stronger than Shizuku before, but now she not only had the powerful trump card of Dragon Spirit, but even her regular combat abilities had greatly improved.

Over the past week, Rozen hadn't just taught Stella the knack of controlling dragon power; he had also given pointers in other areas. At Stella's request, he even guided her on the methods of mastering Mind's Eye. Coupled with constant sparring, Stella's strength had significantly improved even without using Dragon Spirit.

At least, Stella was confident that with her current normal strength, she could make Shinguji Kurono retract her previous evaluation.

Retract the evaluation that she hadn't grown enough to defeat the academy's strongest student knight, the previous year's Seven Stars Sword Art Festival semifinalist, and the academy's student council president.

In about a week's time, Stella's progress was astonishing.

Unfortunately, even so, Stella still couldn't defeat him.

She couldn't defeat the lazy-looking man standing in front of her.

"You really are a monster."

Stella inadvertently voiced her thoughts.

"Why are you suddenly slandering me for no reason?" Rozen rolled his eyes and protested.

But Stella wouldn't relent.

"Even with Dragon Spirit's power, I can't beat you. I don't even know if I've forced out your true strength. I really don't understand why you're this strong."

Now, Stella understood just how much Rozen had held back in their past fights.

Serious?

All-out effort?

Stella, who once thought Rozen had been doing these in their battles, now realized it was all a farce.

This guy probably never got serious, nor ever went all-out, from start to finish.

Such a person...

"What else could you be but a monster?"

Stella confirmed Rozen's status with mixed frustration and admiration.

However...

"If I'm a monster, you, Princess, aren't much better."

Rozen gestured for Stella to look at the current state of the training ground, making Stella turn her head in embarrassment.

"Alright, the training ends here." Rozen smiled and said, "Today is the start of your first selection match, right?"

"Yes." Stella nodded vigorously, "Not just me, Shizuku also has her first selection match today, and Ikki's is tomorrow."

That means...

"If Shizuku plans to participate in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, she'll have to return today." Stella turned her head, gazing into the distance, murmuring, "I just wonder if Ikki will come back today."

This was also something Rozen wanted to know.

The two of them stood together, looking into the distance.

For a long time, they were silent.