novelDivide (3)
| ← Ch.213 | Ch.215 → |
Inside the drill hall for the single rankers.
There were many students present, even though the academy was supposedly on vacation. They had continued their training at the academy in order to further refine their skills during vacation and get the edge on their peers.
And there was a spar under way that had attracted an enormous number of people. The people present were all powerful in their own right, which made more people gather to see what could possibly attract so many powerhouses.
"It won't be easy this time!"
Three third year single rankers surrounded a single girl. However, there was nobody present who felt this was an unfair match up.
It was because that single girl was Adjest Kingscrown. *Woosh*
Adjest dodged the swordsmen rushing at her with minimal movement. She then invoked magic towards the person closest to her.
In a mere moment, the ice spear fully formed and was launched at the swordsman."Oof!"
He barely raised his sword to block Adjest's magic in time. But because of his sudden change of posture, he had revealed an opening in his stance.
Adjest didn't miss such an opportunity and broke through the siege on her.
After making a bit of distance between herself and her foes, she immediately invoked a spell. [Frozen Palace]
An ominous palace made out of ice appeared.
Dozens of magic spells fell on three single rankers simultaneously.
Adjest's magic was efficient. It was neither insufficient or excessive. Interrupting their movement restricted their teamwork, therefore removing a number of advantages they held. As single rankers, their skills were not anything to scoff at. They responded to the tireless downpour of magic in a calm manner and approached Adjest.
*Cling*
The duel began afresh.
But Adjest remained calm even though she gave the swordsmen an advantage by allowing them to close the distance.
She was a magic swordsman. A specialist who could cope with head-to-head and long-distance battles.
But they had already spent a fair amount of their stamina getting through her Frozen Palace. Inevitably, they ended up surrendering.
Adjest won without allowing them a single moment of dominance. The result didn't surprise anyone; everyone assumed she would win from the outset.
Adjest was such an entity, afterall. She was utterly insurmountable for the majority of her cohort. Ever since she entered the academy, she drew attention from many people. At that time, she was considered to have the best talent in the history of the Hebrion Academy.
All of that attention made people curious about her."Where is the Kingscrown family from?"
Everyone thought it must have been an amazing family as Adjest was so beautiful and had such excellent talent.
However, nobody knew anything about the Kingscrown family.
As the people were once again pondering this conundrum, there was a commotion behind them out of the blue.
"She's Katarina from the royal guard!"
Although some people may not know the faces of the royal guard, everyone knew their names. As Katarina came into the drill hall, she looked around then opened her mouth.
"Can everyone leave this drill hall for a moment?"
The students were puzzled at such a sudden request. They had no idea what was going on. She then added.
"I am going to spar with Adjest, but I don't think I can guarantee your safety."
"...!"
The sparring between two geniuses: a member of the royal guard and the pride of the Hebrion Academy. It was quite a rare battle, no, something impossible for them to see again.
'I want to watch!'
Everybody present shared the same thought.
But, they couldn't disregard her warning. As she said, if these two people clashed full-blooded, the aftermath would surely be tremendous.
The students reluctantly trudged out of the gymnasium. The noisy gymnasium was now deathly quiet in an instant.
Adjest and Katarina looked at each other, now alone. Katarina seemed delighted to see her."It's been a while, Princess."
Katarina bent herself at the waist and bowed politely."What brings you here?"
Adjest answered with a blank face but Katarina did not miss the discomfort in her voice."Your business is over in the palace."
"That's right. But Desir Arman asked me to accompany him to the Western Kingdom Union's Great Council. And I gladly accepted it."
"... You're here for Pram."
With Adjest's quick reply, Swan sighed.
"What kind of person do you, Princess, and Desir think I am? Do you really think I, a member of the Royal Guard, would put all this effort in for someone like Pram?"
"..."
As Adjest nodded silently, Swan shrugged with a smile.
"Well, I won't deny that half of the reason I'm joining is due to that." Swan and Adjest had mixed feelings one more time.
The grin fell off Swan's face. She couldn't look any more serious."But I came here because of you, Princess."
Swan knew Adjest's status as Princess from the very beginning. Adjest was next in line to take the throne of this Empire.
"I'm way past the age of needing your protection."
"We will see. Pick up your sword. I'll witness how much your skill has improved for the first time in a long time."
As Swan reached out her hand forward, a bow popped out of a dimensional space. What she held before her was her designated artifact as the person given the title of bow of the Royal Guard.
Adjest let out a sigh. She was very used to Swan behaving as she pleased without a care for the feelings of the other person.
She took out her Center of Ice from a dimensional pocket in her Clothes Line. In doing so, the temperature of the room instantly dropped.
*Bam*
Adjest was pushed away by the unexpected shockwave."That's not a bad reaction speed."
Swan raised her eyebrows.
Adjest used her sword to block the arrow she shot unannounced.
She didn't have the time to recognize the threat and block it. It was a movement that relied purely on instinct.
With a sore wrist, Adjest wasn't confident enough in her ability to take many more of those kinds of attacks.
Swan pulled the string of her bow, even though no arrow was nocked, seemingly aiming at Adjest. At that very moment, an arrow that hadn't existed appeared. It was an arrow of aura. [Magic Sword: Ice Wave]
Adjest invoked her magic sword to block the arrows heading her way."Urgh!"
She groaned unwittingly. The strength of the aura Swan flung at her was King Class after all. To say that it was enormous and heavy was an understatement. Adjest had to strain herself just to bounce off a single arrow.
Knowing that the battle would be over soon if she didn't try her best, Adjest invoked her imagery magic.
[Ice Empress]
The chilly air that was spreading in all directions retracted and gathered around Adjest. Her white-blond hair turned silver.
Swan, who looked on in silence, drew her bow one more time.
Adjest, with her newly heightened physical ability, read the exact trajectory of the arrow and evaded.
*Boom*
The arrow she avoided went straight into the stand of the drill hall.
Swan spoke with surprise.
"You've grown a lot, but that's not enough."
Her evaluation could have offended anyone else of Adjest's caliber, but she didn't show any reaction and simply focused on the battle. She kicked off against the floor, holding her sword and leaping towards Swan.
*Whoosh*
Adjest did not stop, facing the arrows headon while continuing her charge. [Frozen Palace]
She invoked another imagery magic.
Ice pillars soared everywhere and numerous spells were simultaneously invoked to block Swan's arrows.
Adjest's dash continued. Soon the distance between them had shortened vastly.
Swan hurried to back off and drew her bow. The gathered aura was released in the form of a multitude of arrows. This time, there were hundreds of arrows to contend with.
"...!"
Adjest couldn't help but be shaken by the attack that felt more like a wave before her.
It felt like the drill hall, full of aura arrows in flight, was going to be ripped apart in mere moments.
*WHOOOOOOOSH*
It was an outrageous display of force. True to that earlier feeling, the gymnasium was completely shattered in the blink of an eye.
While Swan stood still and studied the rising cloud of dust, Adjest jumped out of it without any visible wounds.
She had piled several defensive spells through the Frozen Palace, and blocked Swan's attack at the last moment.
Even though the Frozen Palace had been destroyed and she had lost a great deal of mana in the process, Adjest was now able to engage in close quarter combat with Swan.
"This is something else all together..."
Swan seized the tip of her bow. The frame of it sharpened and morphed into a blade-shape. Wrapping the bow in aura was her way of responding to Adjest's sword.
*Rumble*
It sounded like thunderstorms when the bow frame and sword hit each other.
Adjest's face stiffened. Even though she was in Ice Empress form, she was on even terms with Swan, an archer, in close quarter combat.
"The Princess has changed a lot. Your skills have changed a lot too. Unlike in the past, when I couldn't see your emotions at all."
*Clang*
"I found it funny, really." *Cling*
They continued exchanging blows while Swan found enough leeway to throw words at Adjest."The fact that there was someone who could change you, the stoic Princess, so much."
'So?'
Adjest did not stop dueling, letting her attacks answer in her stead.
Swan continued, her breath steady during this non-stop exchange of blows."But why are you hiding your identity from him too?"
For a second, the tip of Adjest's sword shook.
Swan did not miss that opportunity. She kicked the ice fragments free of the floor around her. Now filled with aura, the now loose ice fragments rushed at Adjest like a hail of bullets.
There was a huge amount of aura poured into such small pieces of ice. *Baaam*
Adjest took a direct hit from the ice fragments and there was a blast.
Adjest showed up pushing the dusty clouds away. Her hair was back to white-blond in no time.
The chill spread everywhere. The chill headed to Swan as if it had a will of its own. [Frozen World]
It was her new imagery magic that released the chill that was stored inside her body after releasing the Ice Empress form.
But that was the end of it.
Right before the battle reached the peak, Swan released her aura too.
The livid sparkle skimmed the chill rushing at Swan all of a sudden.
All of Adjest's magic was immediately suppressed.
Swan collected her aura as if she had satisfied herself that she had demonstrated enough of her might.
"Let's end it here."
Her low voice echoed in the stillness.
| ← Ch. 213 | Ch. 215 → |