Fury (2)
"We will now begin the first and second-year students' duel evaluation."
Magic Department dueling grounds.
There were four dome-shaped dueling grounds, and Snow White was sitting in the audience of one of them.
"Kyaaah! Professor!!"
"Haa, haaa!"
"Professor Fernando, I love you!"
"I just made eye contact!"
With the arrival of Fernando Frost, the handsome, silver-haired professor in charge of the first-year Magic Department students, the dueling grounds were filled with the screams of female students.
Professor Fernando only showed indifference. His cold demeanor only fueled the passion of the female students.
"Be quiet and listen. I will now explain the rules of the duel evaluation."
Professor Fernando stood in the middle of the dueling grounds, explaining the rules of the evaluation through a loudspeaker.
It was the exact same as before.
Surrendering was prohibited within the first minute of the duel. The duel immediately ended when someone fainted, became unable to fight, or declared surrender.
Kaboom───!
Fwoosh───!
Following the referee's call, students descended from the audience seats to the dueling grounds and began their duels.
The duels would be concluded with feedback from the judges. Optionally, the feedback could be received later in the form of a written evaluation, depending on the student's wishes.
White had been trembling since waking up in the morning. It had been a long time since she felt this nervous.
Without knowing, she found herself looking at Isaac, her senior with silver-blue hair sitting in another audience seat. He, with Zhonya's Staff slung over his shoulder, was observing the dueling grounds when he noticed White's gaze and met her eyes.
Isaac waved his hand lightly with a smile, seemingly mouthing, 'You can do it'.
Seeing this, White burst into laughter, easing her tension. Indeed, among the people at the academy, she felt most comfortable and fond of Senior Isaac.
Eventually,
"First Year Class D, Snow White von Kairos Elfieto. First Year Class A, Miya. Step forward!"
The referee called.
The students' attention was instantly drawn. It was a match between two extremes, the last in the grade versus the top seat.
If that was all there was, everyone would have dismissed the last in grade as foolish, but the fact that she was the princess of the Zelver Empire piqued everyone's interest.
"It's time…"
White looked at Isaac again.
Isaac nodded at her, and White nodded back.
Thus, Snow White, the princess whose name suited her pure white appearance…
…And Miya, the Priestess with finely cascading black jade-like hair, descended from the audience to the dueling grounds.
The students murmured among themselves.
Such a skill disparity wouldn't be good for either side.
The last in grade was bound to lose due to the overwhelming difference in power, and the top seat wouldn't gain much even if she won.
However, as long as White could have a proper match with Miya, she didn't care about the outcome.
On the dueling grounds.
White showed clear signs of nervousness, while Miya displayed a confident demeanor.
"The means are unlimited. Surrender is prohibited for the first minute. If one side faints or cannot fight, the duel ends at that exact moment. Proceed the duel with respect for each other."
Upon the referee's brief explanation, White responded with a "Yes!" and Miya nodded.
The judges watched the arena with bated breath. The princess of the Zelver Empire and the Priestess from the Eastern nation, these two female students were the very cause of a significant stir in the academy.
"Then, get ready…! Duel start!"
The referee raised his arm to declare the start of the duel and then stepped back.
The duel with an obvious result began.
Miya, with her arms crossed, showed no movement. She gave no indication of deploying a magic circle or preparing for combat.
She simply wore a smile.
In contrast, White prepared a light green magic circle in mid-air, ready to cast magic at any moment.
"Miya, thank you for accepting this duel."
White said this with a serious expression.
"Here I go…!"
Now was the time to show the results of her relentless daily efforts.
Even if she couldn't become friends with Miya, she aimed to at least build a friendly relationship with her.
White was determined to give all she had in this duel.
White extended her right arm towards Miya. The wind element magic circle began to glow.
The gentle breeze was enhanced with a light green mana, intensifying in force.
She launched it.
Whooosh─────!!
The magic circle unleashed a whirlwind.
The 4-star wind spell, [Whirlwind]. Although still at an unrefined level, she was able to cast it.
It was less powerful than her 3-star magic, [Wind Sword], which she had diligently mastered.
However, it had the advantage of having the widest attack range among White's spells.
The light green whirlwind harshly swept across the arena, engulfing Miya. A transparent protective barrier was deployed around the audience, shielding them from the effects of White's magic.
Soon,
Whoosh───!
Red flames swirled around, engulfing the wind.
Overwhelming mana. It felt as if gravity had increased several times as if something heavy was pressing down on her entire body. Fear spread across White's face.
Soon, the intense flames devoured White's wind and erupted in a column of fire.
4-star fire spell, [Flame Pillar].
Within the spiraling column of flames, Miya's face could be seen, still smiling.
Miya lightly waved her folded black fan, sending the flame-engulfed whirlwind flying away.
"…!!"
Whoo─.
Fwoooosh───!!!
White counterattacked again with [Whirlwind], but her spell was easily devoured by Miya's flames.
Watching the flames spreading inexorably, White sensed her imminent defeat.
The disparity in skill was a merciless and harsh reality. There was no chance for White to do anything but be overwhelmed.
Moreover, White didn't yet know how to use the 4-star spell, [Wind Wall]. Therefore, she could only focus on her [Basic Protective Magic] that she had applied to her skin and shield her face with her arms.
It was then.
Whoosh──.
The flames, instead of engulfing White, split apart right in front of her nose.
The flames spread out in all directions, creating towering walls of fire.
It seemed intentional as if to block the view of the referee and audience.
Inside the space crafted by flames, filled with heat so intense it felt suffocating,
Only White and Miya remained in this isolated space.
Admiration for the skill in manipulating the fire element as if it were her own limbs was now secondary.
Miya was approaching.
Despite trembling from instinctive fear, White tried her best to maintain her composure and combat stance. Miya, on the other hand, still had a relaxed smile on her face.
Miya stopped in front of White.
And then, Miya moved her lips with a smile.
Miya's voice, mixed with the crackling of the flames, softly conveyed words White never wanted to hear.
Gradually, a dark shadow fell over White's face.
She no longer cared about the difficulty in breathing due to the heat, nor the fear from the overwhelming disparity in power.
Just a few words were enough to ignite an unbearable rage inside the pure and kind-hearted White.
"…What did you say?"
White abandoned formal speech.
Despite her menacing voice, Miya only responded with a more sly smile.
"Why such a stern face? It's not like I said anything wrong."
"…"
"If you want to hear it again, I can repeat it."
Miya lightly waved her finger.
"Talking about your mother who has gone to heaven and her weak and pathetic daughter who herself almost got assassinated several times by her. How can such a princess, having experienced all that, still remain so weak?"
Whooooosh────!!
The anger constricting her chest intensified, and White's head raced at blinding speeds.
In an instant, White calculated and constructed three magic circles. For her, who previously struggled to deploy even one, this was a remarkable advancement.
Sometimes, overwhelming anger can paradoxically bring calmness. That was the case for White at that moment.
Friendship. Peace. Purity. None of that mattered now.
At that moment, she felt she'd lose her mind if she didn't land a proper attack on the black-haired priestess.
Whoosh──.
As the wall of flames receded, the dueling grounds was once again fully visible.
The referee, judges, and the students in the audience all watched the arena with shocked expressions.
No words came from White's mouth. She simply continued to unleash her attacks on Miya.
Drawing upon her mana, again and again.
Pheew──!!
Splash───!!
The slash of wind, [Wind Sword], and the 4-star, [Whirlwind], simultaneously unleashed in a flurry of attacks. This was the maximum power that White could muster at that moment.
However, the flames produced from Miya's magic circle easily swallowed up the spells that contained White's full power.
It was an expected outcome.
Miya waved her black fan.
Her superior [Elemental Efficiency] expanded the range within which she could deploy her magic circles. Consequently, Miya's magic circles formed all around White.
"…!"
Whooosh──!
Kaboom───!
A fierce attack.
The flames of dense mana mercilessly consumed White.
It was like witnessing an execution by fire.
Screams tore through the air amidst the blazing flames.
Miya, with her fan covering her mouth, listened to White's agonizing screams.
As the flames cleared, White, in her charred uniform, collapsed weakly to her knees.
Although she had managed to protect her hair with wind magic, only parts of her pure white hair were singed.
Her physical condition was undeniably terrible.
Yet, White clung to consciousness despite the excruciating pain, glaring fiercely at Miya without losing consciousness.
"It's nothing."
Miya had been curious about who White really was, wondering if she might be a malevolent person behind a facade of kindness.
But now she was certain. White was merely a white, pure human. To Miya, she was nothing more than a powerless, uninteresting bug, the kind she despised the most.
Losing interest, Miya looked at White with a bored expression.
"Ready to surrender now?"
Miya, squatting down in front of White, asked this question.
White, gasping for breath and trembling with rage, glared at Miya.
"You're honestly boring. Ah, if you won't surrender, how about I strip you naked right here? That'd be fun, wouldn't it? Your uniform is a total mess anyway. It wouldn't be bad to let everyone here see your naked body, right…?"
Again, the wind spell, [Wind Sword], struck Miya.
It was weak. There was no need for Miya to counter. [Wind Sword] couldn't even scratch Miya, wrapped in her skilled [Basic Protective Magic].
White's mana was already revealing its limits due to the consecutive attacks she had just performed with every ounce of strength she could muster.
Because of this, even [Wind Sword] couldn't unleash its usual power.
"Are you that angry? Do you hate me now?"
"…"
"Ah… Hair."
Miya looked down at a few strands of black hair that had fallen to the floor of the arena and muttered as if spitting out words as if she had just realized something.
It was right after that.
Miya's right hand grasped White's hair, and her left hand pressed against her abdomen.
Kaboom──!!
"Ugh!!"
Miya repeatedly condensed and exploded fire magic with her left hand, which was pressed against White's abdomen.
With her hair grasped, White's body was immobilized, forced to endure the full brunt of Miya's magic.
"This damned woman…!"
Veins throbbed on Miya's forehead, her expression a mix of annoyance and anger.
Striking a balance to keep White conscious yet in pain, Miya controlled the intensity of her attacks, repeatedly causing explosions at White's abdomen.
"How dare you, my hair…!"
"Ah, ahh…"
Though there was no visible change to Miya's hair, the fact that a few strands were cut by such a person incited unquenchable rage within her.
White seemed unable to even scream, only managing to emit a pitiful wail mixed with sobs.
Yet, she did not give up. Her will, fueled by anger, pride, and a desire to win, kept her from backing down.
Thus, Miya continued to inflict pain, exploiting White's emotions.
The referee sweated coldly, unable to intervene in the fight, as White still refused to give up.
All he could do was hope that White would surrender soon.
"For the sake of the Empire, you tried to do this and that to me, didn't you?"
"Grr…!"
Boom─!
"After all, you can't do anything."
"Ahh…"
Boom─!
"Being so weak, why are you so arrogant? Snow White?"
"Aaah, ahh…"
Boom─!
In the dueling grounds, only the sound of Miya's explosive fire magic echoed.
Miya's voice did not reach the audience, but the students murmured among themselves with shocked expressions.
"Even for a duel, isn't this too much…?"
"That's just… torture, not a duel."
"No, we should still see it through to the end."
"Idiot, what else would you call this? Her Highness the princess is barely hanging on, trying not to faint."
"Ew…"
The duel should have been considered over already.
Even at the risk of being accused of abusing authority, the referee contemplated stopping the duel for the student's safety.
White's bloodshot eyes began to roll back. Her body seemed to scream for release from the pain.
But White could not give up.
Thud.
White's fist weakly rose and touched Miya's cheek.
In that moment, a hush fell.
"Oh…"
The veins on Miya's forehead bulged more fiercely.
She removed her hand from White's tattered abdomen, grabbed her throat, and stood up.
"Gag…!"
White couldn't breathe. It was agonizing.
Fire mana swirled on Miya's hand.
Even though just uttering the word "surrender" would have sufficed, White could not bring herself to say it.
Her anger was unbearable, and the frustration of being powerless against Miya drove her nearly mad.
"Let's end it here."
Miya's voice was sarcastic.
This was dangerous. Even if healing magic could be applied after the duel, excessively severe injuries could still threaten a student's life.
"That's enough, Miya…!"
Just as the referee was about to urgently shout, "Stop the match",
A male student appeared suddenly right beside White and Miya.
He lightly touched Miya's arm, which was choking White.
Miya glared at the male student who dared to lay a hand on her, frowning.
"Just try and do something."
His voice was cold.
Silver-blue hair. A school uniform tie with a blue brooch, symbolizing a second-year student.
It was Isaac, a second-year senior.
Expressionless. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs. His crimson pupils emitted a cold glow.
The sudden intrusion heavily charged the atmosphere in the arena.
"Hello, Senior? Why the hell are you messing with our duel?"
Miya asked with a sweet smile and a gentle tone.
Instead of answering, Isaac gestured towards White. Miya turned her head to look at her.
White's eyes were rolled back, her body limp. She had lost consciousness, unable to even close her eyes.
She had finally reached her limit amidst the terrible pain.
"Ah, she fainted."
Miya chuckled and then released White's throat.
With a thud, White's body collapsed powerlessly onto the cold hard floor.
Isaac looked down at White, who was now completely battered.
For a brief moment, a myriad of emotions crossed his heart.
Beyond his silver-blue hair, his crimson eyes were as frigid as the coldest winter. Anger, deep as an abyss, enveloped his entire being.
His emotions leaked throughout the arena, enveloping it in his chill.
In the deep silence, the students were overwhelmed by Isaac's murderous aura, swallowing dryly.
"Miya…"
Isaac's eyes turned towards Miya.
His voice, both calm and cold, settled in the arena.
"…Duel me, right now."