Alice, by contrast, was radiant with satisfaction. Duke Yanryu himself appeared calm, sipping quietly — though the upward curl of his beard betrayed triumph.
Sora sat in silence, staring into his untouched wine. The thought of Éléonore marrying into Kelmania knotted his chest with anger.
He lowered his head, eyes shadowed — a silent storm gathering behind them.
Would you like me to keep this grand‑fantasy prose tone for the next chapter (formal, cinematic, and lore‑consistent), or would you prefer I transition into a more character‑driven narrative style with tighter emotional focus on Sora and Louise?
"Edit this chapter into natural English suitable for European and US readers. Keep the original length, details, tone, and structure intact—do not shorten it. Update all character names according to the story: change the protagonist from Lei Yin to Raion, change Tom Xiang to Tomoji Ren, change Haotian to Sora, and adjust any other names as necessary to match the story's setting. Make the text flow smoothly for Western readers while preserving the original plot, humor, and character dynamics."After the competition, the Kelmania group stayed in Torristine for three days. Duke Yanlong reached a series of agreements on behalf of the Emperor Kelmania and Queen Torristine Anrieta, maintaining and consolidating the two parties. alliances between countries.The tens of thousands of troops hoarded on the border between the two countries also slowly withdrew, and the cloud of war hanging over the two countries dissipated. On the third day, Kermania escorted Eleanor, who had been granted royal status, back to the country, and Torristine sent a thousand troops to protect the safety of the group within the borders of the country.But Haotian and the Griffin Team did not appear in the escort team. After two days of traveling, Kelmania returned to the border of Kelmania from the city on the border of Torristine, and the soldiers of Torristine watched Kelmania gradually go away. After returning to the motherland, Kermania and his party felt relieved and stayed in a city on the border. The local nobles warmly welcomed Duke Yanlong and Princess Alice and their party, held a lively banquet, and kept praising Ellie. Si, the Duke of Yanlong are strong, the army is well-trained and so on.The guests and the host had a good time. At this time, as the princess who was married, Eleanor bowed her head silently in her room.The blonde curly hair was a little listless, she hugged her legs and knees, and was in a daze.The dinner was placed on the table without moving a mouthful. I'm leaving Torristine now?From then on, it was difficult to see my father, my mother, and Katriya. She had a weak personality and must be crying in her room.And Louise, my dear sister Louise, will she miss me?Or will you be glad that my strict sister left?If I had known earlier, I would have been kinder to Louise. The figure of the family lingered in my mind, and then gradually a hateful face emerged. Haotian! ! Damn guy, he cheated away my lovely sister and ruined my body.Saying that kind of big talk, the result is not that you lost the competition.Will he regret it?Do I have any weight in his heart? "Da da da" There was a knocking sound on the window. Eleanor didn't want to pay any attention to it at all, she still hugged her knees in a daze. "Boom" an orange fireball melted the glass window, and a familiar voice came. "Eleanor." Eleanor turned her head to look, showing an incredible look: "Hao, Haotian?!" He was dressed in a strange outfit wrapped in black cloth, leaving only a pair of dark shiny eyes, but the familiar eyes still made Eleanor recognize him. "Put on these clothes and leave on Tabasa's Rhyme Dragon." Haotian threw over a black night suit. Eleanor froze for a moment. "You, why are you here? No, what do you want to do?" Haotian said lightly: "I won't allow you to marry other people." Eleanor opened her mouth, then turned her head away to feel unbearable to Haotian: "No, this is related to the alliance between the two countries. I will not leave with you." "I have the final say here." Haotian said domineeringly, "Hurry up, or I will knock you unconscious before taking you out." Eleanor: "..."Feeling Haotian's unquestionable firmness, she sighed: "If we do such a thing, maybe even Torristine and Kermania will not let us go." Putting on black night clothes, she walked to beside the bed. Haotian helped Eleanor up, and a Yunlong painted with black paint stopped in the air beside the window, and Tabasha was also shrouded in black clothes, and pulled Eleanor onto Yunlong's back. "Take her away, Tabasa." Haotian said. Tabasa nodded, and drove Yunlong to fly away quickly. Haotian pulled out the wooden slender wand from his waist, turned over and fell from the window. A fire broke out around the manor where the banquet was held, and there was a lot of noise for a while, servants fighting the fire, and soldiers running back and forth.The movement of the fire attracted the attention of the soldiers, and no one noticed that a dark dragon shadow in the sky carried Eleanor away. Taking advantage of the chaos, Haotian shuttled through the shadows in the corners and walls, and soon came to the balcony of the banquet hall. The hustle and bustle has not yet affected the place, and the noble officers in the hall on the second floor are still drinking, dancing, and listening to music.Many young male aristocrats surrounded Princess Alice to show their courteousness. Although Alice was honest, she also enjoyed the flattery of these people.The aged nobles gathered around Duke Yanlong, chatting softly, seeking out the slightest hint of the emperor's intentions. Using the [floating] magic to lift into the air, Haotian held his breath and stuck to the bottom of the balcony.He listened attentively to the movements above.The fire slowly spread to the building. There was a sudden silence above, and then there were screams and running, and those nobles and military officers crowded and fled towards the entrance and exit. Haotian turned over and came up from the balcony. Alice was stunned for a while and pulled out the wand from her waist. I thought that no one would be on the balcony, but I didn't expect the princess not to leave. Haotian looked around, there were not many people in the hall, Duke Yanlong was not here, maybe he was going to direct the evacuation and put out the fire.Then, let's target you, Princess Alice. Haotian held the wand and pointed it at Princess Alice. "You set the fire? You are a brave gangster, and you dare to fight back when you see this princess." Alice was full of confidence. She waved her wand forward, and a flaming blade slashed out. Haotian's figure flickered, and the blade flew out from his phantom. "Huh?" Alice was a little surprised. "Garfield Wendy Tu." [Wind Thorn] The lips trembled quickly, and the spell was completed. The Haotian magic wand pointed towards Alice's wrist, and a sharp fang-like block of air flew out from the front of the wand and hit Alice. Alice's expression changed, and she jumped back.The wind thorn left a finger-deep hole in her previous position. Haotian rushed forward, instead of using magic, he punched Alice with fists and kicks. The swift fist smashed out, breaking the air and making the wind, Alice's eyes widened. Silently, [Fire Shield].A half-human-sized, palm-thick flame blocked his fist. Haotian's expression became ruthless, and his fist castrated faster, piercing through the fire shield, and pounding heavily on Alice's lower abdomen. "Uh" Alice was in pain, her eyes turned white, and she almost passed out. Haotian bullied himself and slashed Alice's fair neck with his palm. Alice couldn't hold it any longer, and fell forward and fell unconscious on the ground. Haotian let out a breath, pulled off the sleeve that was ignited, held the unconscious Alice on his shoulder, took out a whistle with his free left hand and blew it.High-frequency sharp vibrations are heard. Humans cannot hear this sound, but griffins and others can hear it. Everyone in the Griffin team who was setting fire to harass them found that the Griffin under their seats stopped and turned to look at the source of the sound, knowing that the captain was gathering them.Throwing down the last torch, the Griffin Team drove the Griffin towards Haotian. The flames shot up into the sky, and black shadows flitted across the air. The soldiers of Kermania below found them, chasing the Griffon team with friends and gathering on the ground. William and others arrived one after another, except for the two riders who were injured in the second written test and were still training, a total of 7 riders came. "Isn't this Princess Alice?" William asked in surprise. "I didn't find Duke Yanlong, so it's the same with her. Take her and retreat quickly." Haotian threw the unconscious Alice to William, and shared a ride with another team member. The soldiers of Kelmania had rushed over, but the Griffin team had the advantage of flying, and they raised their altitude, and they were about to fly away from their heads. The steaming flames of "Raging" spewed from not far away. Everyone in the Griffin team scattered and avoided. A four-meter-long red bird surrounded by flames was staring at them angrily. The soldiers on the ground stepped aside, and Duke Yanlong stepped out. "Who are you? What do you want?" The Griffin was also dressed in black paint, and everyone was in black night clothes, scattered in the shadow of the fire, Duke Yanlong couldn't tell them apart for a while. Haotian didn't answer, and all the griffins were about to fly away. With a phoenix all over, the phoenix turned into flames, and flew towards Alice and William angrily.Seeing the flames along the way, the griffin dodged in fear. William smiled wryly in his heart. He who uses fire magic has nothing to do with the phoenix, which is the top of the fire system. Kicking the griffin with both legs, William could only do his best to run away. "Hayata Walter Walter Gelfin." [Water Shock] "Imo Walter Haye." [Water Bomb] Haotian and a team member using the water system made a move. The water bomb hit the phoenix, and was evaporated in an instant; then a stream of spring water with a diameter of half a meter washed away, and the impact of the water flow finally stopped the phoenix's movement, and then the water impact zone lasted for almost ten seconds. The incoming moisture fell on the phoenix, and even though the phoenix evaporated all of it, judging from the dim light of the fire, the phoenix was not feeling well. "Yah Phil Albrook." [Fireball] resonates and casts a spell. Synchronous chants came from below, and seven or eight red-robed mages were surrounded by soldiers in the center, aiming at the griffins in the sky and releasing [fireballs].Huge fireballs with a diameter of three meters smashed into the air one after another. The griffins scattered and avoided, the fireball was detonated on the way, and the blast blew away, making the griffins fly staggeringly. Haotian did not choose to fight these fireballs. "Ibaru Wendy Wo." [Floating] He applied levitation magic to the griffin, allowing the griffin to fly higher, thus avoiding the blast range of the fireball. The other team members followed suit, and those who couldn't [float] would be released by Haotian. Seven riders and nine riders were 30 meters above the ground, avoiding the attacks of the red-robed mages, and they were about to escape. Duke Yanlong, who had never made a move, couldn't bear it any longer. "Yah phil phil phil Albrook." [Fire Explosion] A five-meter-diameter fireball with fine golden patterns flew out from the tip of his wand, flew 50 meters under his control, drew an arc, and hit William, Alice, and the Griffon from the side. "Please." Haotian was powerless against the enhanced version of Pyroblast, he raised his left hand and pointed a water-blue round gemstone ring at the fireball. Only this time, the next is not an example. A thought came, it was the clone of the water spirit, Shui Ling'er, who lived among the water gems. When the golden Pyroblast was about to hit William and Alice, a soft force spread behind William and Alice. It was a water-blue curtain, reflecting the firelight below, which looked unbearable. The look of a hit. The golden explosion bombarded Shui Ling'er's opened curtain. Duke Yanlong's eyes widened in disbelief. The fireball and the water curtain are like entities. The fireball plunges into the water curtain and pulls out a depression of five or six meters, and then seems to be elastic. The fireball that penetrates into the deepest part is bounced back by the water curtain.Slam back straight to the ground. "Quickly disperse." Duke Yanlong yelled, and around ten guards blocked him. The golden explosion landed heavily, and with a "boom", it blew away the dust within ten meters in diameter, the ground trembled, and the flames scattered. Looking at the tragic situation below, Haotian was amazed at Shui Linger's strength. Everyone seized the gap and finally escaped.Kelmania, who has no flying troops, cannot catch up.Show moreReviewed 20 sources
After the third and final match, the Kelmanian delegation remained in Toristine for three more days. During that time, Duke Yanryu, acting on behalf of the Emperor of Kelmania, concluded a series of agreements with Queen Henrietta, reinforcing and consolidating the alliance between the two nations. The tens of thousands of soldiers massed along their shared border gradually withdrew, and the looming threat of war dissipated.vn-meido
On the third day, the Kelmanian escort departed with Éléonore, who had been granted royal status for her marriage into the Kelmanian court. Toristine dispatched a thousand soldiers to guard the procession until it left their borders, though Sora and the Griffin Squadron were conspicuously absent from the escort.vn-meido
After two days of travel, the party crossed from Toristine into Kelmanian territory. The Toristine troops halted at the frontier, watching silently as the Kelmanian banners receded into the distance.vn-meido
Once safely back within their own lands, the Kelmanian nobles allowed themselves to relax. They stopped to rest in a border city where local lords hosted a grand banquet in honor of Duke Yanryu, Princess Alice, and their entourage. The hall brimmed with praise and flattery — for the Duke's strength, for the discipline of Kelmania's armies, and for Alice's brilliance. The atmosphere was lively, with the hosts and guests all seemingly in good spirits.vn-meido
Éléonore, however, remained alone in her room, head bowed.
Her golden curls hung limply as she sat on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest and staring vacantly into space. The untouched dinner tray sat cooling on the table nearby.vn-meido
So… I've really left Toristine now, haven't I?
The thought pressed on her chest. From now on, seeing Father, Mother, and Cattleya would be difficult, perhaps impossible. Cattleya's gentle nature made it easy to imagine her crying quietly alone in her room.vn-meido
And Louise — her dear little sister. Would she miss her? Or feel secretly relieved that her stern elder sister was finally gone?vn-meido
If I'd known it would end like this, I… should have been kinder to her.
Images of her family drifted through her mind, only to be pushed aside by another face — one that filled her with a different kind of ache altogether.
Sora.
That infuriating man who had stolen away her precious sister — and her own chastity.vn-meido
He had boasted so confidently, yet in the end, he had still lost the formal competition.vn-meido
Is he regretting anything now? Do I mean anything to him at all?
"Tap, tap, tap."
A soft knocking echoed at the window.
Éléonore ignored it, burying her face against her knees.
"Boom!"
An orange fireball suddenly struck the glass, melting a hole through it with a hiss.
A familiar voice slipped in with the smoke. "Éléonore."
Her head snapped up. "So–Sora?!"
A figure stood framed in the opening, wrapped head to toe in black cloth, only a pair of dark eyes visible. But those eyes were unmistakable.vn-meido
He tossed something onto the bed — a black, close-fitting night outfit. "Put this on and leave with Tabasa on her Cloud Dragon."
Éléonore stared, stunned. "Wh–what are you doing here? No, what are you planning?"
"I won't allow you to marry someone else," Sora said, as if stating the most obvious fact in the world.vn-meido
Her heart jolted. She looked away quickly, cheeks heating. "No. This marriage concerns the alliance between our countries. I won't run away with you."
"This isn't up for debate," Sora replied, tone hardening. "Either you change, or I knock you out and carry you out of here."
Éléonore fell silent, feeling the unshakable resolve in his voice. Then she sighed softly. "If we do something like this, Toristine and Kelmania might not forgive us. We could be hunted by both sides."
Even so, her hands moved, pulling on the black clothing. When she finished, she stepped to the side of the bed.
Sora took her arm gently, helping her to the window. Outside, a Cloud Dragon, its scales darkened with soot and ash to blend with the night, hovered in the air. Tabasa, also clad in black, sat astride its back.vn-meido
Sora lifted Éléonore up to her.
"Take her, Tabasa," he said.
Tabasa nodded silently and guided the dragon into the night, its silhouette melting into the smoky sky.
Sora, meanwhile, drew a slender wooden wand from his belt and vaulted out through the melted window frame.
A blaze broke out around the manor hosting the banquet, flames leaping up to roar against the sky. Servants shouted as they formed bucket lines, soldiers ran in confusion, and orders were barked from every direction. The chaos of fire and smoke pulled all eyes downward — no one noticed the dark dragon shadow slipping away with Éléonore.vn-meido
Using the confusion to his advantage, Sora moved quickly through the shadows along walls and courtyards, sticking to blind spots between patrols. Before long, he reached the balcony outside the second-floor banquet hall.vn-meido
The uproar had not fully reached this part of the building yet. Inside, nobles and officers still drank and danced, accompanied by music and laughter.vn-meido
Several young noblemen clustered around Princess Alice, eager to impress her with wine and compliments. Though she tried to appear modest, she clearly relished the attention.vn-meido
Nearby, older nobles gathered around Duke Yanryu, speaking in low tones as they probed for hints of the emperor's will.vn-meido
Sora cast [Floating], rising silently to cling beneath the balcony's edge. He held his breath and listened carefully as the fire began to spread through the building.vn-meido
Suddenly, the noise inside shifted — music cut off, replaced by shouts and the stampede of feet. Panic spread as nobles and officers scrambled for the exits.
Sora pulled himself up over the balcony rail.
Alice, halfway through turning toward the commotion, froze at the sight of him. For a moment, her eyes widened — then she snatched her wand from her belt.
He hadn't expected her to still be here; he'd assumed the balcony would be clear. Duke Yanryu was nowhere to be seen — likely outside, organizing the evacuation and firefighting.vn-meido
Then I'll take you instead, Princess, Sora thought.
He leveled his wand at her.
"So you started this fire?" Alice's lips curled into a disdainful smile. "You're bold, attacking me here. Do you know who you're dealing with, you criminal?"
Flames erupted from her wand, slicing through the air like a burning blade.
Sora's body flickered, the fiery arc cutting straight through his afterimage.vn-meido
"Huh?" Alice's eyes narrowed in surprise.
"Garfield Wendy Tu." — [Wind Thorn].
His lips moved rapidly; the wand snapped forward toward her wrist. A fang-shaped lance of compressed air shot out, striking the floor where her hand had been moments before.vn-meido
Alice sprang back, a finger-deep hole left gouged into the spot she had just occupied.vn-meido
Sora closed in — abandoning magic in favor of fists and feet.
His punch sliced the air with a sharp whoosh, the force alone enough to disturb her hair.vn-meido
Alice's eyes widened. She hurriedly cast silently — [Fire Shield] — bringing a half-human-sized barrier of flame between them.vn-meido
Sora's expression hardened. He drove his fist straight through the flaming wall, scattering embers, and slammed it into her lower abdomen.
"Guh—!"
Alice doubled over, eyes rolling back.
Before she could recover, Sora stepped in and struck her exposed neck with the edge of his hand.
Her body went limp, collapsing forward into his arms.
He exhaled, shaking off burning embers from his sleeve, then hoisted the unconscious princess onto his shoulder. With his free hand, he raised a slim whistle to his lips and blew.vn-meido
A high, shrill vibration — inaudible to human ears — rippled through the night.
Out across the city, Griffin riders who had been scattered around setting diversionary fires felt their mounts twitch beneath them. One by one, the griffins stopped, turned toward the signal, and began circling back.vn-meido
The flames painted the sky red as black silhouettes darted overhead. Soldiers on the ground spotted them and shouted, forming ranks and readying spells.vn-meido
Within moments, William and the other riders arrived — seven in total, with two still back in Toristine recovering from the second contest.vn-meido
"Is that… Princess Alice?" William stared, stunned.
"I couldn't find Duke Yanryu," Sora said curtly. "She'll do. Take her and pull back."
He tossed the unconscious Alice toward William, then mounted behind another rider.
The Kelmanian soldiers surged forward — but the Griffins, wings beating strong, quickly rose beyond the reach of spears.
Then the air boiled.
A four-meter-long phoenix, feathers blazing like molten gold, shot up in front of them with an enraged cry.vn-meido
On the ground below, the soldiers parted as Duke Yanryu strode forward.
"Who are you?" he shouted. "What do you want?"
From his perspective, all he could see were black-painted griffins and riders shrouded in night gear, darting through smoke and flame. Their identities were impossible to discern.vn-meido
Sora remained silent. The Griffins beat their wings, preparing to flee.
The phoenix shrieked and shifted — its body dissolving into pure flame as it streaked toward William's griffin, locked on Alice like a hunting hawk.vn-meido
The griffin shrank away in terror, instinctively dodging the searing trail of fire.
William grimaced. As a fire mage, he was painfully aware of the gap between himself and a top-tier fire familiar like the phoenix.vn-meido
He kicked his griffin's sides, urging it to full speed.
"Hayata Walter Walter Gelfin!" — [Water Shock]!
"Imo Walter Haye!" — [Water Bomb]!
Sora and another water-aligned rider chanted in tandem.vn-meido
The water bomb splashed harmlessly against the phoenix, evaporating in an instant — but the rushing torrent of [Water Shock] slammed into it like a battering ram, halting its advance.vn-meido
For nearly ten seconds the torrent continued, falling in heavy sheets that the phoenix turned to steam — but even a being of flame could not ignore the strain. Its glow dimmed noticeably.vn-meido
"Yah Phil Albrook!" — [Fireball]!
Below, seven or eight red-robed magicians stood surrounded by soldiers, chanting in perfect unison.vn-meido
Giant three-meter fireballs shot upward one after another, chasing the Griffins through the sky.
They scattered desperately, the blasts detonating around them and battering the air with shockwaves. Feathers scorched and riders gritted their teeth, clinging tight.vn-meido
Sora chose not to meet these attacks head-on.
"Ibaru Wendy Wo." — [Floating].
He cast levitation magic on his griffin, allowing it to climb higher, escaping the worst of the incoming barrage. The others quickly followed his example — those who could cast [Floating] did so, and those who could not received the spell from Sora.vn-meido
Soon seven riders and nine griffins were gliding more than thirty meters above the ground, pushing beyond the effective blast zone.vn-meido
They were almost free.
Then Duke Yanryu finally moved.
"Yah Phil Phil Phil Albrook!" — [Fire Explosion]!
A five-meter golden-tinged fireball shot from his wand, curving through the sky under his guidance. It swung wide, then lunged from the side — straight toward William, Alice, and their griffin.vn-meido
Sora's jaw clenched. He could not stop the enhanced [Pyro Explosion] alone.
"Please…" he murmured, raising his left hand. The water-blue gem on his ring flashed.
Just this once. No second chances.
Within the gem stirred Shui Linger — a fragment of the water spirit bound to it.vn-meido
As the golden fireball hurtled toward William and Alice, a delicate, translucent veil of blue water spread behind them. It looked fragile, almost decorative, reflecting the inferno below like a mirror.vn-meido
The [Pyro Explosion] slammed into the watery curtain.
Duke Yanryu's eyes went wide.
The blazing sphere sank into the curtain, forming a deep crater five or six meters wide — then, as if the water's surface were elastic, it rebounded.vn-meido
The fireball shot back the way it came.
"Scatter!" Yanryu shouted. Around ten of his guards dove to shield him.
The golden blast crashed into the ground and detonated, ripping a crater ten meters across, sending dust and flame skyward.vn-meido
High above, Sora watched, awed by Shui Linger's power.
Seizing the moment, he and the Griffin Squadron pulled away at full speed.
Kelmania, with no aerial troops of its own, could only watch helplessly as their stolen princess and humiliated nobles receded into the night.