Chapter 91: The Third Day of the Festival (XX).
"Alarie! Alarie! Alarie!"
"Penelope! Penelope! Penelope!" The arena trembled beneath the weight of their voices- two names crashing against one another like colliding tides.
Mr. Wazinki announces, "Let the blitz match begin!"
Lady Evelyn moved first.
Water surged from the stone beneath her feet, twisting and rising with predatory intent. In a blink, it took shape- long, sinuous, scales glistening like liquid steel.
"Hah!" (Penelope) was testing the spell, it may be a form of elemental shifting but its core is still similar to an animal. She tilted her head, eyes sharp with curiosity rather than fear. "Let's see if your snake will still move even if the head is gone!"
"..."
Lady Evelyn didn't respond.
She simply clenched her fingers.
The water convulsed- and reformed.
A new head blossomed from the severed neck, fangs glistening.
"...gasp!" Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"A-Amazing! As expected of milady!" (Penelope) exclaimed, already moving again, her feet never quite touching the ground as she danced through scattered droplets. "Truly- your craft of magic is beautiful!"
The praise meant nothing. The villainess's focus narrowed. The snake surged forward again, coils snapping shut with brutal speed.
'Now. Trap her. Constrict. End this quickly.' The villainess still wanted to end everything, despite her father watching with great expectancy of victory.
The coils closed-
"...!"
Penelope vanished upward. Wind screamed as it launched her skyward, her body spinning gracefully before she landed at the edge of the arena, unharmed, striking a playful pose as if finishing a performance.
"Hehe! I knew it," (Penelope) chimed. "You would try that. Good thing I learned this spell recently."
Lady Evelyn's jaw tightened.
'Oh bloody light- she won't stay still.'
And worse-
"Hahaha!"
'She's enjoying this.'
A second snake erupted from the ground.
Water burst upward in a violent spiral, stone cracking as the creature took form.
"Amazing! Well her technique of construction is advanced! We haven't taught these to the students yet. With that sheer size and two! Well, no wonder she's truly an Alarie." The faculty of professors collectively leaned forward, eyes wide, murmurs rippling through the stands.
"So this is the daughter of Duke Vernon Alarie." Even seasoned military men watching- those who had witnessed wars, calamities, and forbidden spells- could not look away.
Two constructs.
Maintained simultaneously.
Without a wand.
What followed was no longer a duel.
It was a hunt.
"Hmph." (Duke Vernon) doesn't smile, knowing that this trick might look flashy and amazing but he knows this would greatly consume a lot of her mana, resulting in fatigue.
Penelope bolted.
"Chase."
"...!" Wind screamed beneath her feet as she weaved across the arena, her movements sharp, reactive- no longer playful. The snakes pursued relentlessly, water bodies twisting and surging with predatory precision, cutting off angles, forcing her to move where Lady Evelyn wanted her to move.
"T-two snakes?!"
One snake lunged.
"Well goodness," (Penelope) laughed breathlessly, dodging as wind wrapped around her ankles. "You really want this over fast, huh?"
Her eyes gleamed, they might have five minutes of fight time but to her as long as she's having fun... nothing else matters.
"Well then- two can play. "[Wind Magic: Tempest Waltz]!" It coiled tight around her ankle, compressing and sharpening until it screamed- an invisible blade forged from momentum and precision.
"No-!" One of the snakes surged forward, its body twisting violently as it threw itself into the path of the kick, water erupting in a desperate shield.
Too slow. The wind cleaved straight through.
The force carried on- unbroken and struck Lady Evelyn's arm. Blood welled instantly, red cutting stark against pale skin as droplets splashed onto the stone.
"Ngh!" (Lady Evelyn) staggered back a step, teeth clenched.
She hadn't expected that.
The crowd gasped.
For the first time in the match, the villainess bled.
Her gaze snapped to her wounded arm, fingers tightening as water trembled around her.
'...So the dancer had fangs after all.'
"Ngh!" (Lady Evelyn) staggered not expecting her attack. She hadn't anticipated that attack.
Not like that. Not through her defense.
High above the arena, Analissa sat frozen in the private stands beside Lord Ein.
The servants arrived quietly, placing fresh dishes upon the table, the scent of warm food drifting uselessly into the air- but she couldn't bring herself to eat. Her hands hovered, trembling, before falling back into her lap.
She couldn't sit still.
"You know, she's going to be fine." (Lord Ein) glanced at her, concerned, flickering across his features, but said nothing as she shifted again, legs bouncing anxiously, heart pounding too loudly in her chest. "You don't have to worry about her much."
Just as Lord Ein says that, the villainess got hurt.
"Lady Evelyn-!" (Analissa) yelped. Her thighs tensed and released as she struggled to steady her breathing, nails digging into the fabric of her uniform. Her eyes never left the arena.
"I can't believe it!" (Mr. Wazinki) shouted. "Lady Evelyn Alarie has been struck directly- Miss Penelope's wind magic amplified her kick!"
The edge of the arena loomed dangerously close.
Analissa clasps her hands together and she can only pray, "Oh please."
'Please... please be alright.'
Below, water trembled.
And the villainess straightened once more.
"One step more out and that would've been it! Yes! Whoo!" (Penelope) cheered, spinning midair. "Hahaha!"
Lady Evelyn steadied herself.
Her breath slowed.
"...I see."
Her gaze sharpened.
"So that's your plan, pushing me off... well..." She exhaled slowly. "My mind was clouded. I should have done the same."
The sting in her arm faded as water flowed back into her veins, knitting what it could, steadying her breath.
The villainess raised both hands.
Water surged in response.
The snakes shuddered- then reformed.
"...?" (Penelope) blinked.
Penelope twisted just in time, the strike missing her by mere inches-
BOOM.
The snake slammed into the arena floor instead.
The stone shattered.
A section of the platform collapsed inward, debris and dust exploding into the air as water tore through reinforced enchantments like paper. The crowd recoiled instinctively, professors rising from their seats, eyes locked on the destruction.
"You are too slippery." Torn bodies sealed, fractured scales smoothing over as liquid flowed with renewed purpose. Their eyes gleamed once more as they coiled and struck the ground in unison. "You fight well."
"That floor was warded-! She broke through it by accident-!"
Penelope landed hard, skidding backward, breath sharp in her chest.
She glanced at the crater.
"...Hah! Hah...! That was close," she muttered- no laughter this time.
From across the arena, Lady Evelyn stood unmoving, fingers subtly flexed, eyes cold and calculating. The snakes did not pause.
They circled again.
Tighter.
Closer.
The chase was far from over.
Penelope Thatcher never noticed the second snake. It rose silently behind her.
Fangs formed- too sharp.
For a moment, Lady Evelyn's heart lurched. Her mind was screaming, to break her legs then push her out the arena. The mood inside of her turns dark. The thought came unbidden, violent and clear.
'Break her legs.'
The image of the commoner girl etched with her broken legs, the silhouette of her smiling seeing the scene unfold.
'End it. Push her out of the arena.' The water responded instantly to her emotions, the snake's maw widening, pressure building at its core. The air around it felt heavier- dangerous.
Her mood darkened.
'If I bite- If she loses her legs-'
The image flashed too vividly.
'No.' Her head snapped sharply to the side, jaw clenched hard enough to ache.
"Coil." The command rang cold and absolute. The snake obeyed without hesitation. Its fangs dissolved into harmless ripples as its tail whipped forward instead, snapping tight around Penelope's ankle.
"Omph!" (Penelope) was yanked off balance and slammed face-first into the stone, the impact echoing sharply through the arena.
Lady Evelyn exhaled- slow, controlled.
She had stopped herself.
This time.
Its fangs dissolved as its tail snapped around Penelope's ankle, yanking hard.
"Omph!"
Penelope hit the ground face-first.
"H-huh?!"
"You should never celebrate early in a battle," (Lady Evelyn) said coldly.
"No! No-wait! [Wind Magic]-!"
The snake flung her.
Penelope sailed past the arena edge-
"It's over."
Thud!
Analissa stood up leaning more so on the edge of the stands eyes wide in disarray, "Is Lady Evelyn going to win?! The other girl is outside of the arena!"
-and stopped.
The commoner girl was hovering.
Wind howled softly beneath Penelope's feet, currents spiraling in tight control as her body remained suspended in midair.
"My feet aren't on the ground," (Penelope) said calmly, wind cradling her form. "Technically, I haven't fallen. I suppose you're right, milady. One should never be too soon to celebrate."
She lifted one hand slightly, fingers guiding the air with practiced ease.
"[Wind Magic: Wind Tempest]."
The currents stabilized, stronger now, keeping her aloft with effortless grace.
"The perk of having wind magic," she added lightly. "I never fall- as long as the song isn't over."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the arena.
"Penelope! Penelope! Penelope!"
"Show her who's boss!"
"Win!"
"Only one minute left!" (Mr. Wazinki) finally announced.
Lady Evelyn's breath hitched.
'One minute?! One minute?!' Her fingers curled, water trembling in response to her emotions. 'This girl is proving herself too much of a handful... and I feel like crushing her with all my might... no... I can't resort to murder... not again.'
High above, Lord Ein observed the match with a narrowed gaze.
'Their match is even,' He judged grimly. 'But Lady Evelyn is close... far too close to snapping.'
"That's got to hurt her pride," He muttered.
His eyes flicked briefly toward the private stands.
'And her father is watching.'
Smoke curled sharply through the air.
Duke Vernon huffed, cigar clenched between his fingers as his gaze bored into the arena below.
"Can't even win against a commoner," he scoffed. "She's gotten soft. This won't do."
Lord Ein took some more food that was sitting on the table growing cold, noticing Analissa hadn't looked away even once. Her thighs were still shaking, Losimer is not even sitting on her shoulder anymore because of that.
"Tweet."
'Analissa is quite the worrywart, these two share the same mind at times. They worry about each other when there's no need to.' The former masochist rolls his eyes, thinking that this romance of theirs better not cycle endlessly with no progress!
He can't have that- he invested his whole allowance and effort trying to get these two together.
"Well..." (Lord Ein) grins, thinking of a great idea to cheer her up and leaned over to the blonde girl.
"You could cheer for her," He said gently and continued to give more advice. "I bet she'd really love that. Let her know that you're here safe and with me. I know for a fact that all she could think about is you, even now."
The two of them watched as Lady Evelyn was being backed into a corner, looking unfocused as her attention was clearly on the stands as if she was looking for something.
"She's... probably thinking of you down there wondering where you are."
Analissa swallowed, looking back at Lord Ein and the girl who had been the subject of her mission. Her feelings were getting troubled, the thought of talking to her again somehow scares her but... to cheer for her- if... she would love it.
"Okay..."
The heroine stood again.
"Lady Evelyn!" She cried out. "Do your best! I'm here- watching you! Please... win!"
Lady Evelyn froze, hearing that sweet voice.
"...Analissa?"
Her eyes shifted instinctively toward the stands.
Penelope noticed.
"Where are you looking?" (Penelope) teased, floating lightly. "Is there something interesting over there?"
"Hah..." (Lady Evelyn) exhaled, relief washing through her chest seeing that familiar blonde hair safe and sound, even if she can barely make out a clear figure her heart knows that it's her Analissa Blanchet. "I'm so glad you're safe."
It felt as if an unbearable weight had finally lifted from her shoulders.
She smiled- small, genuine.
Finally, she can fight with no worries.
"My apologies," she said calmly, "for showing you such a horrible display of myself."
"Oh?" (Penelope) tilted her head. "Are you finally going to take me seriously now?"
"I'd rather show you."
Two water snakes burst upward at once.
"[Water Magic: Twin Abyss Serpents]!"
They coiled down with crushing force, aiming to seize Penelope's legs.
"I thought you'd do that again! Aren't you a bit predictable now, milady?" (Penelope) grinned. "Hah-!"
She twisted, wind flaring. "[Wind Magic: Gale Step]!"
But-
"Ice."
Lady Evelyn's voice cut through the storm.
"[Ice Magic: Permafrost Bind]."
Water froze instantly.
The snakes crystallized mid-motion, ice spreading across the arena floor, locking Penelope's escape path solid beneath her feet.
"This time," (Lady Evelyn) said quietly, eyes cold and unwavering, "you stay in the ground."
The snakes surged upward in perfect synchronization.
They wrapped around Penelope's body- arms, torso, legs, coiling tight, unyielding.
"[Water Magic: Constricting Coil]."
Penelope gasped as pressure crushed in from every direction, wind sputtering as her movement was forcibly halted.
Before she could counter-
"Ice."
Lady Evelyn clenched her fist.
"[Ice Magic: Glacial Shackles]."
The water snapped solid.
Ice raced along the serpents in an instant, crystallizing them into frozen chains that locked Penelope in place, pinning her arms to her sides, sealing her legs together. Frost crept up her skin, biting cold, merciless.
"H-hah-!" (Penelope) struggled, breath fogging. "I-can't move!"
At the very end, Lady Evelyn staggered back a step.
She raised her hands.
Ice clung to them- thick, jagged, crawling up her fingers and wrists like punishment made manifest. The frost burned, numbing and sharp all at once, her mana having overflowed without the restraint of a wand.
'This is the consequence,' she thought distantly. 'Of casting everything myself.'
Her breath came uneven.
Panting.
Tired.
In pain.
Every muscle screamed, her core aching from the sheer output she had forced through her body- but she remained standing.
And that was enough.
The win was assured.
Lady Evelyn approached the frozen figure, Penelope locked in place like a statue carved from winter itself. No words were exchanged. No hesitation lingered.
"Ngh-!" She lifted her leg- and kicked.
The impact sent the immobilized girl sliding fully out of the arena's bounds, ice cracking and scattering across the stone as her body crossed the line completely.
Only then did Lady Evelyn lower her foot.
Only then did she allow herself to breathe.
Victory, earned in frost and blood.
And paid for in pain.
"Whoohoo! Well done, Lady Evelyn!" (Analissa) could be seen cheering her on, despite her panic and distraught before she smiled and raised her bit frosted hand into the air.
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