Captain Edward stepped into the center of the field, positioning himself between the two groups."I'll be supervising the matches myself. The rules are simple: no lethal blows, magic is allowed, and the winner is whoever forces the opponent to surrender or pushes them to their limit. Clear?"
No one replied. He only saw their determined, challenging gazes.
"Good. The first two fighters, step forward. The rest, move aside."
"We'll start—" Felix was interrupted by a soldier with brown eyes, who placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll go first," he said, ignoring Felix's piercing glare. "Sorry, Vice-Captain, but I'd rather get this over with quickly."
The soldier walked to the center, glancing at the boys. "Come on, who's my opponent? Let's finish this. I've got things to do—I don't have all day!"
The boys exchanged looks, then Andrea stepped forward. "I'll be your opponent."
"Good. Doesn't really matter who it is. None of you stand a chance anyway."
Andrea drew his sword and looked at him calmly. "Weren't you in a hurry? Then move it."
The soldier chuckled. "I like your spirit," he said, unsheathing his sword. "I'll try not to hurt you too badly."
Captain Edward saw both of them ready to fight.
"The first duel will be between the summoned Andrea and the First Unit's Squad Leader, Finnian Holt!"
The soldiers cheer at the announcement from Squad Leader Finnian. "Go, Squad Leader!"
"Begin!" Edward announced.
"Flame!" Andrea immediately launched a fireball toward the captain, who didn't even try to dodge—it hit him directly.
"Good precision and casting speed for a beginner…" said Finnian from within the smoke. "But it's not enough!"
He stepped out of the haze completely unscathed, eyes confident.
Andrea frowned. He used it…
—
During a day of training.
"Another challenger of yours will be my unit's squad leader, Finnian Holt," said Alexia to the group. "Normally he's friendly and cheerful—but extremely exuberant."
"So, a chatterbox. Great…" Leon muttered irritably.
"What's special about him?"
"In combat, he's not the strongest, but still well above average. He's a protégé of Vice-Captain Doran—trained physically under the Stonewyrm regimen."
"So he uses physical enhancement magic?" asked Alexandre.
"Exactly. But what truly sets him apart is his Unique Magic—what made him the top candidate for vice-captain. He can perform the same role Doran does in battle… a tank."
"So, another spell that boosts physical defense," Daniel guessed confidently.
"No," Alexia answered sharply, surprising him. "We're talking about something that might even surpass Vice-Captain Doran's Dragon Skin. His magic is—"
—
"Eternal Barrier!"
Finnian raised his hand slightly, and an almost invisible wall formed in front of him, blocking Andrea's next fireball completely.
"The Eternal Barrier creates impenetrable shields. The more energy you pour in, the more control you have over their shape and size," explained Doran from the sidelines.
"That's such a broken spell in a one-on-one fight. That kid's got no chance," said a blue-eyed soldier.
"Hey, if you can't break through my defense, maybe I'll try breaking through yours!" Finnian said playfully.
He charged toward Andrea, moving quickly, but Andrea managed to dodge with agility.
"Not bad—let's try this one! I call upon your aid, Lord: Agility!"
A blue light enveloped Finnian. He struck again—now far faster. Andrea barely dodged a thrust, the blade grazing his cheek.
Damn it! Andrea thought, stepping back.
"Where do you think you're going!?"
A barrier formed behind him, blocking his retreat. Finnian lunged with a punch, but Andrea ducked just in time.
"Come on, little rabbit! We're wasting time here!" Finnian swung his sword downward as Andrea knelt.
Andrea reacted instantly, conjuring another fireball that hit Finnian directly—but it only struck another Eternal Barrier forming around his head.
"Close one…" Finnian smirked. "Let's finish this!"
Just before he attacked, he noticed Andrea muttering something he couldn't hear. Wait—what's he doing?
A barrage of fireballs suddenly rained down from above, exploding on Finnian.
Everyone was stunned by Andrea's spell, while the boys cheered.
"Let's go, Andrea!" Michael shouted, jumping onto Leon.
"He's such an idiot…" said a curly-haired female soldier near Doran. "He knows that once he seals his head with the barrier, he can't hear anything outside."
"Yeah… Finnian's a great prospect, but he gets carried away too easily and forgets the basics," added the blue-eyed soldier. "Hopefully this teaches him a lesson."
"Don't count him out yet," Felix interrupted, his eyes glowing with his Unique Magic. "I can see it… he's not done."
From the smoke, Finnian emerged, battered but still standing. "Ouch… you got me, I'll admit it. Two of those fireballs actually hit me." He pointed to his scorched uniform—one tear on his right shoulder, another grazing his left side. "But those flames are nothing compared to the primordial fire from a dragon's breath."
Andrea tensed up. What kind of monster is this guy!?
"What's wrong? You look worried," Finnian teased. "You achieved your goal, didn't you? I've nearly exhausted my mana reserve… that's what the princess told you to aim for, right?"
Alexia smiled faintly, satisfied.
—
"However," Alexia had explained earlier, "his Unique Magic has two major flaws."
That caught everyone's attention.
"The first is that when we say 'impenetrable,' we mean it literally—nothing gets through. Not even sound. So, if you can force him to seal his own ears, you can cast a higher-level spell aloud without him hearing the incantation."
"And the second flaw?" asked Leon.
"It's the activation cost…"
—
"The cost of using my Unique Magic depends on how much energy I invest to define its size and form," Finnian explained now. "And when it ends, I must pay a tithe to the Lord—surrendering one-third of my remaining mana."
He looked toward Alexia with a smirk. "Clever move, Captain Alexia."
"So, what now? You giving up?" Andrea asked teasingly.
Finnian scoffed. "Don't mock me. You've already made me late for my appointment." His eyes half-closed, then he steadied himself. "But I'm nearly out of strength. Let's make a deal."
"I'm listening."
"I'll boost myself to the limit and hit you with everything I've got. If you're still standing, you win."
Andrea thought for a moment.
"What's there to think about? I'm giving you a chance. You can keep fighting, but how long do you think you'll last?"
Andrea seemed cornered. "Fine. I accept."
"Good choice. Get ready—if you don't dodge this, it'll hurt."
"Haha… do your best." Andrea took position, ready to evade.
"Then let's begin…"
Everyone watched closely, eager for the outcome.
"I call upon your aid, Lord: Agility! Strength! Authority! Instinct!"
With each enhancement, Finnian's body glowed in a different color. The aura around him grew heavier and heavier. Andrea began to sweat.
"An insane number of buffs…" Kael muttered, glancing at Doran. "How exactly are you training that student of yours?"
Doran didn't answer, watching silently.
"Lastly—Justice!" Finnian exhaled. "I'm ready! Here I come!"
"I'm waiting…"
In a flash, Finnian lunged.
Andrea couldn't react in time—his body froze.
Got him! Finnian thought triumphantly.
The sword slashed down—but missed, grazing past Andrea harmlessly.
"What!?"
Finnian stumbled, dropping to one knee, completely drained from overusing his enchantments.
"Well? Did I win?" Andrea said, resting his sword on Finnian's shoulder.
"You just used one of the princess's techniques, didn't you?"
"I did. I used wind magic to make your slash slide."
Finnian chuckled faintly. "Ahh… you got me. Just like she planned." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then sighed. "Yeah… I surrender."
A roar of cheers erupted across the field at the unexpected result.
"That was short," noted the blue-eyed soldier, watching Andrea help Finnian stand.
"Of course it was," Doran replied calmly. "That's exactly what they were aiming for. They can't handle a prolonged fight yet."
The boys congratulated Andrea for his victory. Alexia looked around before smiling faintly—but failed to notice her mother watching from above.
"Alexia has grown quite attached to those boys…" the Queen murmured.
The King remained unmoved. "I don't care. All that matters are the results—whether the summoned ones win or not."
"You're always so cold, father…" said the second princess with a faint smile.
Finnian walked back to the chosen soldiers, scratching his head in defeat. "My bad, I underestimated him."
"You deserve it for stealing my turn!" Felix snapped. "But now it's—"
"I'll go next," said Doran firmly.
"Huh!?" Felix blurted.
"Finnian is my best student. His loss is mine as well. I'll make it right."
"Damn your honor! I want to fight—" Felix stopped when Kael placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. "Prideful idiot…"
Vice-Captain Felix stepped aside, fuming, while Doran calmly walked to the center of the field.
"Captain Edward! I'll be the next one!"
Edward nodded. "The second challenger has stepped forward: Vice-Captain of the First Unit—Doran Stonewyrm!"
He turned to the boys—and saw Daniel stepping up.
Daniel reached the center. "As promised, I'm next."
"Good. I'm glad you didn't back down," Doran replied firmly.
Edward observed them. "Then the second duel is set. Prepare yourselves."
Doran reached over his back and drew his enormous shield, slamming it onto the ground, leaving a small crater. Then he unsheathed a massive black sword.
Daniel readied his spear, visibly tense.
"Alright… begin!"