Chapter 51: A Mock Battle

Asami leaned back in her seat, her eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Since I'm already here, I may as well enjoy myself a little longer," she mused.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't want to return to the Imperial Palace yet."

Asami smiled knowingly. "Perceptive, as always." She then tilted her head, her expression turning slightly mischievous. "I have an idea, Rin. Why don't you have a mock battle against the consorts?"

Rin blinked. "A mock battle?"

Asami nodded. "It would be a good way to show them exactly why you are their instructor. Theory is important, but experience is what truly molds a mage."

Rin sighed inwardly. "With all due respect, Empress, the consorts already acknowledge me as their instructor. There is no need to—"

"Oh?" Asami cut him off, arching an eyebrow. "You think they truly see you that way?"

Rin paused. He knew what she was implying. The consorts—Suzuki, Miharu, Rei, and even Akane—each had their own thoughts about him. To say they viewed him solely as an instructor would be naive.

Asami tapped her fingers against the armrest of her chair. "I want to see how far they've come. A direct battle against their instructor should be the best test, don't you think?"

Rin frowned slightly. "And if I refuse?"

Asami smirked. "Then I'll have to use my authority to make it an order."

Rin groaned internally. His status as a commoner meant he had no real way of declining. If the White Empress gave an order, he had to obey.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, muttering a silent prayer. 'Why must she make things troublesome for me?'

Opening them again, Rin let out a slow breath. "Understood. I'll do it."

Asami clapped her hands together lightly. "Good. Then let's see how well my son's future wives fare against you, Rin."

Rin felt a headache incoming. This was going to be a long day.

The training grounds of the Consort Palace were quiet, save for the occasional breeze that rustled through the trees. Rin stood at the center of the field, his arms crossed, his expression composed and unreadable.

Across from him, the four consorts stood together, each with different expressions.

White Empress Asami had already explained the rules. "Rin has spoken highly of your abilities," she had said, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Suzuki, Rei, and Miharu had all flushed slightly at the praise, their pride swelling. Akane, however, had narrowed her eyes. She knew better than to take Asami's words at face value. There was something behind this. And right now, Akane did not like the feeling she was getting.

Then, as if confirming her suspicions, Asami's lips curled into a devilish smile. "That's why this battle will be perfect. The four of you… will fight Rin."

A beat of silence.

Suzuki, Rei, and Miharu blinked, processing the statement. Akane paled.

"Of course, Rin will be going all out," Asami continued, her tone almost playful. "Which means there is a high chance you will get hurt. But don't worry—I've cast a water barrier on each of you. The moment Rin destroys your barrier, you'll be considered 'defeated' and rendered unable to fight."

Akane felt her stomach drop. She had seen firsthand how terrifying Rin was when serious. She had watched him infiltrate the White Tiger Palace without a sound, slipping through layers of elite guards like a shadow. She had no doubt that, even holding back, Rin was still on an entirely different level from them.

Asami's gaze flickered to Akane's stiff expression. Akane flinched but quickly schooled her face into calm indifference, forcing herself to prepare for battle.

Then Asami added, almost casually, "Oh, and if you manage to defeat Rin, you will receive a favor from me."

Akane's hands clenched into fists. That was a dangerous reward.

A favor from the White Empress was not something to be taken lightly. It would give the winner leverage over her, a chance to ask for something nearly impossible. And for Akane, this could be a massive advantage in her future political maneuvers.

But… it was Rin she was fighting.

The other three consorts, however, took the bait. Suzuki, Rei, and Miharu suddenly looked much more motivated.

"A favor from the White Empress…" Miharu murmured, glancing at Rin with a thoughtful gaze.

Suzuki smiled sweetly. "That would be useful, wouldn't it?"

Rei cracked her knuckles. "If we win, we can force Rin to do whatever we want… disguised under an 'imperial favor.'"

The implications weren't lost on Rin. He let out a slow, inaudible sigh. 'I should have expected this.'

Akane, meanwhile, was still thinking of escape routes. 'Maybe if I just step back and—'

"Begin," Asami commanded.

Akane wanted to run.

Harumi, standing on the sidelines, watched with concern. She knew Rin was going to win. The real question was how much chaos he was going to cause in the process.

Rin rolled his shoulders and sighed, muttering under his breath. "Let's just get this over with."

Rin stood in the center of the training ground, his katana piercing the earth beneath him. His calm gaze swept over the four consorts, his presence alone radiating an almost overwhelming pressure.

"Plan carefully," he said, his voice composed, yet carrying a chilling weight. "Because I will take you down."

The air grew tense as his intent to fight sharpened. Though he wasn't using his full power, his sheer presence made it clear—he was not planning to let them win easily.

Suzuki, Rei, Miharu, and Akane were silent for a moment. A thin layer of sweat formed on their skin, not from heat, but from the sheer dominance Rin exuded.

Then, Miharu took control.

"Alright," Miharu said quickly, glancing at the others. "We don't have much time, so listen carefully."

Rei nodded, her sharp crimson eyes glinting with determination. "I'll take the front with you," she confirmed. "We're the vanguard."

Miharu agreed. With her wind and shadow magic, she had the agility to keep up with Rin's unpredictable movements. Rei, with her fire and earth magic, could provide sheer destructive force.

"Suzuki, you handle support," Miharu continued. "Your illusion and psychic magic will mess with his perception. If we can disorient him, we might have a chance to break through his defenses."

Suzuki nodded, smiling lightly. "I'll do my best." Her eyes, however, gleamed with excitement—perhaps too much. "Rin's favor is on the line, after all."

Akane grimaced. 'I don't even want the White Empress's favor! Rin's favor is way more valuable!'

And worse… she had spent the last two weeks constantly annoying Rin. He had every reason to retaliate now that the White Empress had given him an indirect excuse.

She turned to quietly step away. Maybe if she left now—

"Akane."

Rei grabbed her wrist, her grip tight.

"You're in too."

"No, no, I'm fine. You three can—" Akane tried to argue, but Miharu interrupted.

"You're the best buffer here. Your enhancement magic will make a huge difference." Miharu's voice was firm.

Akane's shoulders sagged. She was trapped.

With an exhausted sigh, she cast buffs on Rei and Miharu, enhancing their speed and power. "Fine. But the moment things go wrong, I'm surrendering."

Rei grinned. "That's fine. Just make sure we get an opening first."

Akane could only silently pray that they at least put up a fight before the inevitable happened.

On the other side of the battlefield, Rin lifted his katana from the ground, twirling it effortlessly in his hand. His gaze settled on them, unbothered.

Then, in a soft voice that sent a shiver down Akane's spine, he murmured:

"Let's begin."

The air between them grew still for a moment—like the quiet before a storm. The four consorts tensed, their eyes locked on Rin, who stood at ease, his katana resting lightly in his grip.

Then, like a trigger had been pulled, Rei charged first.

Her flaming sword ignited, slashing through the air with practiced precision. Rin shifted his stance, his blade meeting hers in a flash of sparks. The impact sent a powerful gust of heat rippling across the training ground.

Miharu wasn't far behind.

As soon as Rin parried Rei's blade, a flurry of wind blades came at him from the side, sharp and fast. Rin twisted his wrist, redirecting Rei's momentum while simultaneously slicing through the wind projectiles with his own counterattack.

"Not bad," Rin muttered as he stepped back, barely dodging another sweep of Rei's flame-coated sword.

Suzuki watched carefully from behind, her eyes glowing faintly. Her illusion magic had already begun weaving itself into the battle—making Rin's movements seem slower, his depth perception slightly off.

Akane, watching the flow of battle, felt a small spark of hope.

'It's working…! We're actually pressuring him!'

She took the chance to enhance Rei and Miharu once more, pushing their strength and speed to their limits. At the same time, she was waiting for the right moment to blind Rin with her light magic.

Rei's sword danced like a flame, each slash forcing Rin to move defensively. Miharu's wind magic pushed him toward disadvantageous positions, her strategy precise and calculated.

Rin was moving only to defend.

Suzuki smirked. "He's struggling."

Akane almost believed it.

Then Rin's eyes glowed purple.

A chill ran down Akane's spine.

Quantum Eyes.

The moment Rin activated them, the battlefield shifted. It wasn't about strength or magic anymore—it was speed, perception, and prediction.

To the consorts, nothing had changed.

To Rin, however, the world had slowed down.

He saw every movement, every spell, every shift in their weight, every twitch of their fingers.

And he moved.

Faster than they could react, he was gone from Rei's range.

Suzuki's illusions shattered under the sheer intensity of his sharpened awareness.

The first target?

Akane.

Akane barely had time to process the blur that was Rin before—

He was in front of her.

"Wha—" Akane's eyes widened in pure horror.

She felt her life flash before her eyes.

But before she could even try to escape—

CRACK.

Rin grabbed the water barrier around her and shattered it with his bare hand.

The force of the impact sent a ripple through the magical protection before it completely dissolved, signaling her elimination from the fight.

It happened so fast that Akane didn't even have the chance to cast her light magic.

Rin stood before her, his usual calm expression unshaken.

But then, he smirked.

A small, knowing smile.

"Yeah, that's right. I targeted you first on purpose."

Akane's entire soul left her body.

'You bastard… I hate you.'

She screamed internally, fists clenched.

But she couldn't really hate him. Not when he was so absurdly strong.

And now…

He turned his attention to the three remaining consorts.

"Who's next?"

The fight wasn't over yet. But Akane already knew—they never stood a chance.

The moment Rin eliminated Akane, the balance of the fight shifted.

Rei gritted her teeth, realizing their formation was now compromised. Miharu, ever the strategist, adjusted immediately, moving to block Rin from advancing further while Suzuki reinforced her illusions, trying to buy time.

"Don't stop moving!" Miharu commanded. "Akane's down, but we still have numbers!"

Rei nodded, her flaming sword burning hotter, while Suzuki's illusions blurred the battlefield, distorting Rin's surroundings.

Rin, however, remained calm. "Good," he said as he casually adjusted his stance. "You're adapting quickly."

Miharu lunged first, her wind-enhanced daggers cutting through the air. Rei followed closely behind, striking in tandem, their coordinated attacks covering each other's openings.

But against Rin, it wasn't enough.

He stepped into Miharu's attack instead of away.

CLANG.

With a single motion, he deflected her daggers and turned his body, letting Rei's flame-coated sword pass inches from his face. Before Rei could recover, he swiftly tapped the hilt of her blade, disrupting her balance.

At that moment, Suzuki's illusions fully activated.

Rin suddenly felt like he was surrounded.

Four Miharus. Three Rei's. Countless wind blades closing in.

For a normal opponent, the overwhelming sensory overload would have been paralyzing. But Rin wasn't normal.

His Quantum Eyes flickered, analyzing every illusion, every movement.

He saw through it.

Rin twisted his foot, shifting his position just slightly, then reached out and—

SNAP.

His hand closed around the space where Suzuki stood, hidden behind her illusion.

She gasped, realizing too late that he had already pinpointed her exact location.

With a gentle push, Rin shattered the water barrier surrounding her.

Suzuki froze. She had been defeated—before she even realized he had moved.

"Your illusions are impressive," Rin told her. "But you rely too much on visual deception. Against an opponent who can process information at my speed, you need to layer your misdirection."

Suzuki exhaled, still processing how quickly she lost.

That left two.

Miharu and Rei, despite everything, refused to back down.

"We're not done!" Rei declared, her fire burning even brighter.

Miharu, knowing they had no choice but to go all in, unleashed her strongest wind magic.

A powerful tornado surged forward, merging with Rei's flames, creating a blazing storm that roared toward Rin.

Rin exhaled.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

"Wha—?!" Rei barely had time to react before—

CRACK.

Her water barrier shattered as Rin appeared behind her, his katana resting lightly against her shoulder.

Rei's breath caught. She hadn't even seen him move.

And then, before Miharu could escape—

THUD.

Rin closed the distance in an instant, his foot tapping against the ground near Miharu's feet. The subtle shockwave was enough to disrupt her stance, leaving her vulnerable.

With a swift motion, he tapped her barrier.

It shattered.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

The match was over.

Rin exhaled calmly, stepping back and returning his katana to its sheath.

"That was a good effort," he said, his voice steady. "Your teamwork was strong. You made the right choice by combining your strengths instead of fighting individually."

The four consorts were still catching their breath, but they listened carefully.

"There was only one problem."

Rin looked at them, his expression calm yet resolute.

"You fought against me thinking that four high-tier mages would be enough." His gaze softened. "But you didn't account for the fact that experience and strategy matter just as much as magic."

Miharu, still on the ground, let out a deep breath. "So, in the end… we never really stood a chance, did we?"

Rin shook his head. "You did well. You just need to learn how to fight beyond your individual strengths. The real battlefield isn't fair—it won't give you time to plan, and it won't give you second chances."

Despite losing, the four consorts felt a sense of accomplishment.

Asami, who had been watching quietly from the side, let out a deep sigh.

She already knew Rin was strong. She already knew he was intelligent.

But seeing him so effortlessly dominate a fight against four high-tier mages…

She couldn't help but think, "This child is too perfect."

She had always known Rin was the better candidate for the throne. Yet, the Golden Princess's decree had given Rin the right to leave the Imperial Palace, and none of them could oppose it.

Asami crossed her arms, shaking her head. "Honestly… what a waste."

Rin turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Did you say something?"

Asami smiled. "Nothing. Just wondering how my son would react if he saw this match."

Rin sighed. He had a feeling he knew exactly how Kazuo would react.

But that was a conversation for another time.

For now, he had four exhausted consorts and a very smug Empress to deal with.