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Regan turned around to see him standing there, his blue eyes shining in the morning light. He was dressed in his finery, looking every bit the lord he was. It was as if day by day, he became more handsome, more confident, more unbearable. She forced herself not to react as he approached them, that mischievous smirk on his face. But she blushed and acted like something got in her eye.

"Sirius, you should reconsider this," Octavia said with her wary voice, "Because if you hurt my daughter, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." Her expression was sharp and cold as ice.

Sirius only chuckled, "Ah, Octavia. I see you're worried. But Ylor accepted the duel. And now, we'll finally see who's stronger. As for you, you can watch from there," he pointed to the surrounding wall. "But I'll cast a shield, so no one will be in."

"And what if you harm her? She's my daughter, I won't just let you get away with it!" Octavia growled, clenching her jaw.

Sirius just smirked in response, "Now, now, Octavia. Let's not be hasty. I'm sure Ylor can take care of herself. And if she can't, well... she wouldn't have taken this challenge." He turned to Regan, his smirk widening. "Did you miss me, my love?"

Regan's cheeks turned even redder and she couldn't believe he was calling her that when her mother was just there. She looked at her mother, whose looks could kill.

"You wish," she snapped, her heart racing. She couldn't believe she was actually going to go through with this. But she tried to collect herself. After all, she had fought with him with swords as well. At that time, it was more impulsive and she hadn't had much anxiety. This time, her stomach was full with butterflies. 

"I wish, don't I?" Sirius teased. "But let's start. I don't have time to lose."

Regan took a deep breath and looked at him. "Let's do this."

Her mother nodded, her expression solemn. "Be careful, Yloria," she warned, giving her a tight hug before stepping back. Sirius turned to face the other direction, waiting for her to take her stance. The courtyard was empty, the only sound the rustling of the wind through the trees and the birds chirping. The sun was rising more now, casting a warm glow over the ground as they faced each other.

Sirius cast a spell, and a burst of energy washed around them. The energy turned into a large, swirling white mass that covered them. It meant that their duel would be protected from outside interference. She couldn't see anything outside, and she couldn't see her mother as well.

He smirked at Regan, "Well, Princess. It's not like I'm forcing you to do this. You can surrender and accept that you're head over heels for me. Or we can do this the hard way. You know, it's not a crime to accept your feelings."

Regan glared at him, her hands shaking with anger and determination. "I'd rather die in this duel than be head over heels for you." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, as she prepared to face him.

But his just chuckled knowingly, "So eager to fight," he remarked, "But let's not lose time. You want to fight like a real fighter, right?"

Regan nodded, her heart racing with anticipation. She didn't like how he was so careless, so confident about it.

He stepped away from her, "So be it them. But don't tell me you weren't prepared. Now, let's begin." And with that, he raised his hand into a fist, chanting something that she couldn't even hear from where she was.

The ground suddenly began to shake, an air of white-blue mist forming at certain points around the courtyard, growing quickly into the size of a small tornado. Regan's eyebrows furrowed, but she realized they were aimed at her.

"Don't be fooled by the color," he said, his voice echoing in the courtyard, "Blue fire is hotter than red. You know that from physics, right?"

Regan felt a flicker of irritation, her misty tornados beginning to move towards her. "You think that scares me?" she sneered, a fireball forming in her hand, that merely passed through the mist after she threw it.

"Oh, I have plenty of surprises," he retorted, casting another spell with a flick of his wrist. The mists began to grow larger, and she could make out the outline of....the outline of some creatures emerging from there. They seemed to be made of mud, with terrifying, distorted faces.

"What the—" she interrupted herself, jumping away as a creature reached out with a skeletal hand. She quickly cast a defense shield around herself. She didn't know what these creatures could do to her, but she didn't want to find out.

But the ground shaking hadn't helped in making her shield stable. It slowly dissipated, leaving Regan exposed again, the creatures looming closer around her.

"You're supposed to fight alone with me!" Regan shouted over the mist, trying to locate where he was.

"And it's what I'm doing," he replied, his voice whooshing in her ear. She was startled, turning away with a breath, finding him standing behind her.

Regan's jaw clenched, and she shot with a burst of fire, which he easily dodged. The fire hit a creature instead, making it dissolve into thin air. 

"How gracefully you treat your admirers," Sirius said, his voice thick with sarcasm, "These creatures payed great gold to see you."

Regan hit each creature without any mercy, her irritation rising. She managed to keep her distance, but the mud was now splattered around her clothes. They couldn't even make sounds, and she didn't know if her mother was seeing. But she probably wasn't, the barrier Sirius had cast was too tall, too thick.

The 'duel' went on, with her fighting of the relentless creatures, with the mist turning black, threatening to engulf her. He was playing dirty, and she could feel herself herself growing more and more frustrated.

"That's not fair!" Regan snarled, "That's not a fair fight. You're not fighting directly against me!" But the creatures kept coming, as if they liked getting vanished by her fire. She felt like she was playing hide and seek, and she didn't like it.

Sirius was watching from a corner, a smirk playing on his lips. "You want more action, right?" he murmured, before unleashing another spell, this time a fast, swirling vortex of fire in the center. It began to spin faster and faster, drawing in loose earth from around them. "What do you think of that?" he taunted. "Now it's time for the real fun to begin."

Regan swallowed hard. The vortex was blue, matching the color of his icy eyes. She used her own fire powers, trying to break it down, but it only grew stronger.

She focused on the creatures, trying to eliminate and keep them at bay. This was already becoming too tiring, with no direct confrontation as she had expected.

And then, she caught a glimpse of him. Without another thought, she attempted to hit him with a fiery chain, but he was too quick, sensing and defensing himself.

"Why don't you fight face to face?" Regan spat, her anger fueling up. She heard his chuckle, one that grated on her nerves.

"It's what happens when you don't open your heart to me, Ylor," he replied, and it only served to intensify her frustration. Her both hands glowed with fire bolts and she shot them from her sides continuously, hoping to find an opening, hoping to catch him somewhere.

She began to move around the courtyard, the fire vortex of his following close behind. She could feel the heat rising in the air, the sweat pricking at her skin. But she refused to show any weakness.

With a growl, she hit each creature simultaneously, hoping they'd reveal him. The creature's forms vanished, but the mist hadn't. Her hands were glowing, her breathing shallow.

"Where are you?!" she called, her eyes searching.

"Right here," he answered, the voice coming way to close.

She didn't bother for the direction, she aimed her fiery chains again, and this time, she actually got hold onto something. The mist cleared a little, and she saw her chains had wrapped around his arm, while his expression was still unbothered, his hand touching the chain with no flinch.

Regan wasted no time. She hit him with a blast of fire, sending away a few steps. She had him now, she thought, preparing another fireball.

But before she could launch it, Sirius surprised her. With a flick of his wrist, he sent something white, something that hit her square in her chest, sending her flying backwards. at her. She coughed breathlessly, and she could sense another attack of his coming.

Instead of standing up, she defended with her fire, but he responded with the same intensity. His was blue and hers was orange. The atmosphere grew even more charged, the electric statics sparkling in the air. He wasn't willing to back down, but neither was she. Smoke raised up as their fire collided, but didn't mix.

The creatures, those left alive, were now watching with lifeless expression, but from how they were standing in the side of the courtyard, meant they probably knew what they were watching.

Regan's teeth were clenched tightly, focused on trying to find another way to outpower him. But she didn't know any other she could use. She couldn't see him in the mist of smoke and fire, just his faint outline.

Tentatively, she began to move closer, facing much more pressure now. The smoke was so heavy, it was making her try hard to keep from coughing, not wanting him to hear her.

Regan could feel her muscles beginning to burn from exertion, her breathing growing quicker. But she couldn't back down it he didn't. She didn't want to lose this.

"Is this what we'll keep doing all day?" she called over the mist, her voice strained.

"If you want something else, you're free to surrender," she heard his retort, and even from here, where she couldn't see him, she could feel the smug expression on his face, "Besides, it's fire against fire, Ylor. The one who lasts longer wins."

Regan took a deep, unsatisfying breath, his words working well to fuel her anger. No, she had come here with a purpose, to protect her dignity, fight for her mother, for everything she had lost because of him, for everything he had done to her.

With a surge of strength, she pushed forward, the electric charge in the air crackling with energy, the harsh smoke beating at her face. Her fire now turned to a powerful blast, which he sensed, shooting back with his own.

But the impact was unexpected. It was so strong that the two forces collided, their sources momentarily cut. They got sent backwards, falling on the ground with a thud. The mist was still there, a curtain of illusion that hung in the air between them. The sun had risen even more in the horizon, shining with grace, and the creatures had vanished entirely.

Regan tried to stand up and she did, her mind swirling with dizziness. She waved her hand through the mist, which was slowly dissipating. 

She could barely make out where he was. But he was on the ground, leaning against one of the monoliths, his breathing heavy and labored. She approached cautiously, her steps measured. 

He looked up at her, his smirk not faltering a little. "How....astonishing," he said, his voice hoarse from the exertion. "I'll admit, you won, Ylor. Now, be a good girl and help me up."

Regan didn't buy it though. She knew he was capable for more than just that. She hadn't won anything. But she hadn't lost either. "You can get up yourself," she retorted, crossing her arms.

"What a shame," he drawled, his hand shooting up, "You don't even know how to make peace. I'm not going to bite, Regan. Just a little help. Come on, don't be scared."

Regan hesitated, not sure whether he was being genuine, or he was playing some game. But she couldn't read much in those icy eyes. And she wasn't scared of anything.

She extended her hand, just a little, but it was all the opening he needed. He didn't take her hand, he grabbed her wrist, sending Regan stumbling towards him with a gasp. Before she could react, he pulled her close, his breath hot against her ear. "You thought you won, didn't you?" he whispered, his voice low and husky. "That was all a game, princess. A game we've played for too long. But now, it's time to end it."