Marcelline was in a different league from Rovan.

  The air in the arena hummed with tension.

  Elira raised her hand. Magic circles appeared behind her, glowing a soft blue. From them, numerous magic arrows shot out. This was the spell Arlen had chosen for her. It required little mana but high concentration. She didn't need to aim with her hands; she aimed with her eyes.

  But those arrows were no trouble for the Princess.

  Marcelline waved her staff casually. A wall of fire erupted from the ground, disintegrating the arrows instantly. Ash rained down on the arena floor.

  "Is this all you have?" Marcelline sneered.

  Elira didn't respond. With her hand already raised, she cast the next spell. A beam of concentrated light shot out of her palm.

  "Tch."

  Marcelline tapped into her mana, amplifying her physical speed. She leaped to the left, a blur of motion, avoiding the beam by an inch.

  But Elira moved her hand, and the beam followed, carving a scorched line across the stone floor.

  Marcelline raised her staff. Four fireballs materialized, rotating rapidly before shooting at Elira.

  A white, translucent barrier appeared around Elira. It was the standard shield. It blocked the fireballs, shuddering under the impact. The beam of light finally flickered and died as Elira lost focus to maintain the shield.

  Before Marcelline could compose herself, another barrage of magic arrows shot toward her.

  "Annoying pest!"

  She pointed her staff at the arrows. A blue mana shield formed around her, deflecting them harmlessly.

  Marcelline waved her staff in a circular motion. Each swing created a crescent blade of fire, sizzling through the air, aiming for Elira's limbs.

  Elira's white barrier blocked the first blade, but it shattered like glass under the heat.

  Elira fired a beam at the incoming blades, but the fire cut right through the light.

  Marcelline grinned. She had her.

  But her grin faltered.

  The blades were dangerous, yes. But they were too predictable. They only shot in straight lines.

  Elira didn't panic. She simply ran to the side, sliding on the dirt, letting the fire blades harmlessly singe the air where she had just been standing.

  The fight, to Marcelline's growing annoyance, kept going.

  "This fucking bitch..."

  Marcelline gritted her teeth, her chest heaving.

  She couldn't accept this.

  The fight was close. Too close. There were many chances she could have defeated Elira, but every time, the peasant slipped away.

  Marcelline could feel her mana reserves running low. If the fight continued like this, it would become a battle of stamina. And looking at Elira, who stood there calm and collected, Marcelline knew she would lose that battle.

  And that face.

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  That look of uncaring on Elira's face. The same look she had at the start of the fight.

  It irritated her. It clawed at her pride.

  Is she even putting up a fight?

  Is she looking down on me?

  HOW DARE SHE!

  Marcelline couldn't take this anymore.

  She tapped the chest piece of her armor. A hidden enchantment glowed red underneath the leather.

  She took a deep breath and started chanting.

  "Oh flames that birthed the sun..."

  Marcelline started running at Elira as she chanted. Fire erupted around her, taking the form of wings. Then a beak, a tail. A Phoenix.

  As she ran, she got faster and faster.

  Marcelline could feel the burning heat against her skin, even with the protective spells on her armor. The magic was too strong for a student. It was reckless.

  But she continued chanting.

  Elira threw all her spells at Marcelline. Arrows. Beams. But they evaporated before they could even touch the fire.

  When Marcelline finished her chanting, the Phoenix had grown massive, enveloping her completely. She was rushing at Elira like a warhorse at full speed. A comet of destruction.

  And yet.

  Elira still had that unbothered look on her face.

  "HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT, YOU FUCKING PEASANT!"

  I will win.

  I will stomp on your face in front of the whole school!

  The distance closed to zero.

  Elira didn't dodge. She raised her hand.

  A golden light flashed.

  The moment they collided, a huge explosion erupted. The ground trembled. A shockwave of heat blew the hats off the students in the front row.

  Dust and smoke covered the entire arena.

  Everyone held their breath. It was over. No one could survive that.

  But inside the smoke, at the moment of impact, Marcelline had heard something.

  A sound louder than the explosion.

  Crack.

  When the dust finally settled, the arena was silent.

  Marcelline was kneeling on the ground, gasping for air, her mana completely drained, her armor scorched.

  And standing in front of her was Elira.

  A golden barrier, covered in a web of spider-web cracks, shattered into dust around Elira's feet.

  Elira pointed one hand at Marcelline's forehead.

  "I win."

  "..."

  Marcelline stared up, her eyes wide, unable to comprehend what had happened.

  The referee rushed in, waving his flag frantically.

  "WINNER! ELIRA!"

  Elira lowered her hand. She turned and walked away, leaving Marcelline and the shocked audience behind.

  Marcelline slowly stood up. Her legs trembled, but she refused to fall. Her eyes locked onto Elira's back, burning with a hatred far hotter than her fire.

  This isn’t over yet.

  Once she was out of the arena and into the shadowed tunnel, Elira sighed in relief.

  She leaned against the wall, shaking.

  A wet, dark sound came from her sleeve. A black tentacle slithered out from under her uniform, wriggling blindly.

  Elira grabbed it.

  With a grimace, she ripped it off.

  She threw the twitching piece of flesh into the corner. It dissolved into black smoke before it hit the ground.

  Elira wiped her hand on her skirt. Marcelline had no idea how close to death she really was.

  Another day passed.

  Another sleepless night for Elira.

  After the duel, everything changed. Marcelline and her lackeys finally gave her peace. They didn't even look in her direction.

  On her way to the infirmary, the students kept glancing at her. But this time, there was no mockery. There was a mix of awe and fear in their eyes.

  Elira didn't care.

  She opened the door and sat next to Arlen's bed. The nurse had left to mind her business elsewhere, giving them privacy.

  Elira looked at him. He was still pale, but he looked peaceful.

  She reached out and caressed Arlen's hair, a faint, tired smile finally appearing on her face.

  "I win, Arlen."

  She leaned closer, whispering.

  "With just the spell you taught me. The one-time barrier... it worked perfectly. Isn't it amazing?"

  She looked at her hands. They were shaking slightly now that the adrenaline was gone.

  "That Princess bitch was strong. But I..."

  Elira stopped talking.

  Just now.

  She felt something.

  The hand she was holding twitched.