CH-12: RAVEN'S ADMIRABLE SKILLS

"Your intelligence is unmatched. Now you may demonstrate your skills."- the grand voyager spoke deliberately.

Axel unsheathed his sword and was ready to showcase his cryokinesis powers to the judges who sat in front of him. A drop of sweat, probably due to anxiety, ran down his temples. His crimson eyes were screaming determination as this was the most crucial moment of the entire trial. He was just about to swing his sword when he was interrupted.

"Wait! I have one question..."- Arthur spoke sternly.

"Sure, your high- I mean, uh, I mean-As you please..."- Axel responded nervously. He knew how shrewd Franciszek was.

"That sword is pretty plain, what is its name and where... did you get it from?"- Arthur questioned.

Axel swallowed hard, as he wondered why he was asked such a deep question but he managed to retain his composure and deviously answered-

"This sword is named Avenger. It was gifted to me by my uncle. Although we were not blood related, he took care of me when I was young and malnourished. After he was killed by some hoarders, I vowed to avenge his death."

"Oh I see..." Arthur spoke as his glare surprisingly changed to a scowl. "You may continue."

Now Axel slowly started swinging his Avenger deliberately. Ice cracked along the long rusty blade as he swung the sword with full force, each strike leaving a trail of white frost in the air. His movements were swift and precise, as if a dance of ice and metal. A swift thrust sent a wave of ice rippling outward, forming patterns resembling those of crystals on the ground. The entire room's temperature dropped rapidly but this magnificent demonstration was truly eye-captivating. For his grand finale, he spun the sword overhead, summoning jagged ice crystals that hovered in perfect symmetry before shattering into glittering snowflakes. Then, with a final, controlled breath, he stilled- completing his breath-taking performance.

His inky black hair dampened due to the sweat despite the sheer cold. At last, all the judges stood up, looking quite impressed as they applauded.

"Bravo! You are truly an amazing lad."- Reynauld complemented.

"I have never seen such a marvelous performance of ice! Great work Odion!"- Sebastian cheered.

"Excellent! It was so captivating!"- Jean Pierre said with a wrinkled smile, his eyes glimmering.

"You did great, but..."- Arthur hesitated.

Everyone in the room looked at him, perplexed. The three men questioned each other, unable to read the duke.

"After such hard work, this bastard dares to call on me?! THE AUDACITY!"- Axel thought as he put on a puzzled expression on his face.

"I think all of you are forgetting that we are recruiting people who can defend the country, not some opera performer. Say Odion, I have confidence in you, care for a duel?

Odion felt the world spin. He, just a regular man who trained only for like a week, fighting with the almighty Grand Duke? The same man who defeated two dragons single-handedly? This was like jumping into a well. Nevertheless, Axel couldn't risk killing his ego, so he decided to put on a hard boss persona.

"If that's what will truly define my abilities...BRING IT ON on dearest judge" - he said with a smirk, but little did anybody notice his legs trembling in fear.

Without wasting any more of his words, Arthur lunged at Axel with his sword, blazing with red flames. Axel managed to dodge in time but realized that he had to have confidence to tackle the tyrant. He decided to attack fiercely, now having found new confidence.

Steam hissed out as ice and fire collided. The two men circled each other, their eyes locked in fierce determination. Arthur struck again, launching a blazing wave of flames from his gold plated sword. The flames roared forward, devouring the air, but Axel responded in an instant- he summoned a thick wall of ice that erupted from the ground, blocking the inferno in a burst of steam.

"In a fight, you cannot be this slow."- Arthur taunted with a smirk, sending a wave of flames surging forward. The wall melted instantly and changed to water. It was an expected move. Axel darted behind the handsome man, slashing with the ice-coated sword. But of course Arthur was faster. He dodged it swiftly. In a split second he struck again with daring flames. Axel slowly became really tired and unable to dodge, the force sent him skidding backwards

.

He clenched his jaw, but then a realization struck him- "Fire can be unstoppable but it needs fuel. The longer the fight dragged on, the more energy Arthur would have to waste."

But before he could act on it, Arthur unleashed a final, explosive strike. The heat erupted like a volcano, which sent the poor young man flying. He crashed into the frozen ground, hissing in pain. The Grand Duke stood over him, flames dancing around his hands as he held a smirk. His body dampened. He said as sweat trickled down his wet forehead.

"You have exceptional talent."