Echoes of Fire and Shadows
Chapter 78: Might and Magic (Part II)
—Renard's POV—
I was at a complete loss for words to describe what was presently happening right before my own eyes.
No matter what I tried, no matter what spells I used or how much mana I put into them, all of my efforts were completely fruitless.
The scene that was playing out in front of me was that of a younger boy, or in other words, my opponent nimbly dodging and striking down all of my spells without a single care in the world.
All the mana and the simple spells I had stored in my Nightingale's Song were long gone. I had resorted to using it all mere moments ago just to keep my opponent at bay…
"Alberis… As much as I hate to admit it, you might have been right about that comment of waking the dragon… This is ridiculous." I mumbled while holding my stomach with my left hand. Even after a while, I was still in pain from the attack he landed on me.
I couldn't help but take a long look at the bracelet in my hand. Not even five minutes ago it was in perfect and pristine conditions, but now it was filled with several cracks all over the object, making it clear that it was on the verge of falling apart.
The fact that my bracelet had been pushed to that sorry state by just one hit from my opponent was a deeply frightening fact for me. I knew with complete certainty that one more hit would mean defeat for me.
"I don't understand… I had made sure to pay special attention to all of his duels… How could he possibly be hiding so much of his strength before?" I incredulously asked myself that question.
I could only watch my opponent with uncertainty as he dodged everything I threw at him. Like an elegant dance, he moved with grace in the middle of an elemental storm and stuck everything down with that heavy scarlet scythe of his.
Whether it was lava, molten stone, meteorites, wind blades or even enormous tidal waves, it mattered little to my opponent. He simply cut down all of my spells with ease. His scythe began to glow with an ominous aura the more spells he managed to strike down with it… It didn’t take a genius to figure that it was an absolutely horrible development in the making.
Just from the sight of that scythe, I was able to deduce that the weapon was absorbing the mana behind the spells I had used against my opponent. I instinctively knew that a single strike of that scythe would mean my certain end.
It was easy to tell that the Skull Kid seemed to be biding his time to go on the offensive again, striking down more and more of my spells to feed his scythe with my power before using it against me.
I could stop firing spells at him, but as a mage that would mean my defeat either way as I had no other means of attack besides my magic. My martial arts leave much to be desired and in the face of such a seemingly relentless opponent, my defeat would be much faster.
Thus keeping him at bay with magic, even if it made my predicament worse, was the best I could manage at the moment.
Just gazing at that weapon and its ominous glow made me certain of one thing. I was very glad that I was protected by the academy’s bracelets. In my mind, I immediately dreaded the thought of having to face such a weapon in a real duel…
Certain death. That is all I see whenever I look at the edge of that strange scythe. Seriously, why in the thirteen hells does someone like him have such an ominous weapon?
But of course, the Caprasania family does not raise blind fools. It was clear as day for me that this situation was unsustainable.
I no longer had any means to escape other than my magic as I had already used my teleportation ring to escape from my almost certain defeat a few moments earlier, and from what I had seen during the tournament, it was more than likely for me to run out of mana before Julius's stamina would run out…
In other words, the more time I spent in this dangerous situation, the more certain my defeat would become. That was the most natural conclusion.
"I only have about half of my total mana left… If I am going to make a move to escape from this, I must act with haste." I muttered as I watched my opponent be completely unaffected by my elemental barrage.
Think, Renard, think… How could I turn around this situation before my defeat becomes a reality?
Even though I have come up with several dozen countermeasures against the Skull Kid and his multiple weapons, I wasn't truly prepared to face him. I thought that I was prepared, but that seemingly hidden strength of his quickly made me realize my mistake.
And with the addition of that scythe of his, it almost made me feel as if I was dealing with a behemoth on my own. Almost like a miniature version of the legendary Skull Crusher…
My attempts to overwhelm him with spells almost seemed like a fruitless endeavor…
Thus there was only one possible conclusion I could reach in this situation.
"I might have to… No. I must use that power in this situation. If I want to proceed to the finals, I must use it." I said with some hesitation while looking at my staff. "I was saving this for my duel against Alberis, but I no longer seem to have the luxury of hiding my last resort." I banished all the doubts in my mind and prepared myself for what was to come.
With a firm grasp on my staff, I looked at the stone that decorated the top of the staff. A True Dragon's egg that never hatched which had become a simple yet precious gemstone, a core that empowers this staff that represents the legacy of my family… Such a rare object whose worth is immeasurable, and its power even more so.
Even if the Skull Kid has been hiding so much of his strength so far, I don't think he will be able to overcome the power of my staff... I feel bad for using this ancient power against a younger kid, but I have no choice as everything is valid for the sake of victory. It is now or never.
"O great Nightingale's Song, transform the world with your melody and burn it all to a crisp… [Release: Draconic Might]." As soon as I uttered those words, my own staff came to life.
An explosion of mana followed soon after I had awakened my staff. The orange jewel at the top of my staff was engulfed in bright amber colored light which was only a prelude of what was to come… The jewel, which was formerly the egg of a True Dragon, was filled with protrusions and crevices from which more of that light and the mana seemed to burst out uncontrollably.
It didn’t take long for me to experience the results of awakening my staff… I could feel it in my fingers, my hands, my bones, my heart and even my very soul… I could feel the power of the dragons coursing through my whole being. I was filled with unbelievable amounts of power that nothing else could compare with…
This was the true power of my Nightingale's Song. This is the power that my ancestor, the Sage Blaise, had acquired.
I could feel my body morph to become suited to wield this outrageous power. I witnessed how my nails suddenly became sharper and longer, almost like the claws of a dragon. I felt how all of my muscles became filled with strength never seen before and how even a tail had begun to grow on my lower back. My eyesight had been vastly improved as well, so much so that I no longer seemed to have a need for glasses.
“I see. I knew you knew you still had another ace up your sleeve other than throwing meteors at me,” The Skull Kid said with enthusiasm as he nimbly continued to dodge all of my previous attacks. “I hope that change in your appearance isn’t just for show.” He said as he swinged his scythe to cut down more of the debris in his way.
As the power continued to surge from within, I couldn’t help but stare at my changed hand… All I did was to observe my newly formed claws in my hands as well as the endless waves of mana leaking through all of my fingers traveling back to my staff, forming an almost perfect loop.
“I can assure you that this power is not for show, son of the Skull Crusher.” I said as I shifted my gaze from my hands back toward my opponent. “But I am certain that you will learn that soon enough.” I stood proudly as I made up my mind to use all I had to win this match.
“It wouldn’t be a fun challenge otherwise.” The Skull Kid stood on top of a ruined spire and smiled defiantly. He had destroyed all of my remaining spells in the blink of an eye. “I guess that the warm up is over now, isn't it?” He spun his scythe around, which was still emitting an ominous red glow.
“Indeed. But you shall rest assured, as this battle will be over within an instant.” I was confident that I could defeat my opponent with this power.
I had to defeat him with this power… Otherwise, the sacrifice I made wouldn’t matter in the first place. After all, it is like the ancient words of my family… Everything has a price, especially things like love, knowledge, and power. Power is the most expensive of all.
That ancient wisdom proves correct once again in this case. The power I obtained from my staff naturally came at a price.
I must end this match as quickly as possible. The longer I take, the more time the staff will need to regain its power…
That is the price for awakening the power of True Dragon... The power that resides within the Nightingale's Song. Once this power is activated, the staff will become unusable and then it will require some time to recover its power through a special ritual that must be performed daily.
The last time I used this power, the staff became unusable for at least two and a half months. I had only used its power for a quick test that lasted less than three minutes. The time of use is not the only factor that determines for how long the staff will remain unavailable… The amount of power one draws from the staff is also a huge factor. If I were to use all the power hidden within my staff, I am certain that the staff would be drained for at least a year or more.
Though, according to the records left by the Sage Blaise as a warning, there’s also the risk of going through a phenomenon known as a Tainted Dragonification if one were to abuse the hidden power of the Nightingale's Song.
Which is why I cannot afford this battle to prolong itself any longer. I need to end this with my next attack.
First thing first was to stop the Skull Kid from jumping around the battlefield and stop him from countering my spells in an effective manner. With my newfound power that was an easy task.
As the overwhelming power of the dragons coursed through my whole being, I immediately raised my staff preparing myself to cast several spells at the same time. This battlefield was just an illusion imitating the real world, so there was no reason for me to hold back. There were no limitations to what I could do in this place.
Soon enough I was able to witness how the earth beneath us began to shake violently and how all the remaining buildings in the Ruined District, including the old watchtower I was standing on, crumbled in an instant.
“Sheesh… You must have really hated this place if you wanted to level it all to the ground just like that. You have nowhere to hide now, though.” Julius said with mild amusement as he landed on the ground. He was able to keep his balance despite the intense earthquake.
“I have no need for a hiding place. A shame that the same cannot be said about you, Skull Kid.” I replied before raising my left hand where I had been gathering more of my mana.
Within seconds, the ground started trembling even harder than before, almost as if the very earth beneath our feet was about to tear itself apart.
And so it did.
What once had been empty and broken ruins from decades ago now instead only a deep abyss remained in its place. The whole Ruined District had caved in deeply into the earth before my new power, all save for a small island right in the middle of the chasm.
“That was a bit much, don’t you think?” The Skull Kid said with some annoyance in his voice. He didn’t seem particularly bothered by this development. He had used earth magic to maintain the small patch of land he was standing on.
“I don’t think so. As long as something like this manages to restrict your movements, then it is more than enough for me.” I said as I looked down at everything from above, hovering in the air thanks to the power of the True Dragons coursing through my being.
“As you once said, this is barely a minor setback for me. I still have several ways to attack you and end this battle.” He said, completely unconcerned about the situation he was in.
“Is that so? We’ll see soon enough if you can keep that overly confident attitude of yours.” I couldn’t help but grin since my new plan was going smoothly. “In fact, how about we put that to the test now?” I said as I prepared myself to put a quick end to the duel.
Immediately after that, the huge walls that protected the city collapsed onto themselves and shattered into hundreds of pieces with a single stroke of my hand.
I knew that even with my current power, this was a feat I could only achieve with this imitation of the walls of Mutm. With the exception of the Skull Crusher, no one was capable of even leaving a dent on the actual walls.
But since these walls were just a copy, they didn't have the same purpose. Here they would serve as my weapon.
With another swing of my hand, the gigantic chunks of the shattered walls flew towards my opponent all at once.
The Skull Kid decided to make a stand against the imminent bombardment. Slicing through the huge projectiles with his oversized scythe almost like a hot knife through butter, he seemed determined to protect himself and the small island he was standing on.
This was just the beginning of the end.
Let's see how you handle being attacked from everywhere all at once.
Soon, after drawing more mana from within, countless fireballs appeared hovering in the air alongside thousands of tiny and sharp icicles, all of which immediately came down onto my opponent, intensifying the magical assault.
I won't take any chances, even if this renders Nightingale's Song for more than a year, I will make full use of the power of the dragons.
With that thought in mind while my bombardment continued, I took multiple deep breaths as I gathered large amounts of mana in my stomach. It didn't take long before I felt as if my body was burning from the inside out.
As I opened my mouth for a final gasp, that burning sensation came out from within in the shape of a torrent of wildfire aimed directly at my opponent, bathing him in flames.
It doesn't matter how skilled or powerful you are Skull Kid, even Alberis would struggle to come out unscathed from this kind of barrage of attacks.
Those were my genuine thoughts as my magical onslaught against Julius. This was my hidden trump card against Alberis, so in my mind there was no possible way that Julius could survive my attacks this time.
Unfortunately, I once more made the same mistake I had made throughout the match. I had underestimated the Skull Kid again…
I was barely able to see it in time, but in the corner of my eye I spotted a ring-shaped object flying rapidly towards my neck.
A chakram? And it is made out of dirt… When did the Skull Kid manage to make this and throw it at me with such accuracy? Is this some kind of a last ditch effort?
I suppose it matters little now.
Moving my head slightly forward, I was able to dodge the ring-shaped object without issue. However, I was oblivious to the danger lurking nearby.
As I continued to breathe fire into my opponent's location, I was suddenly able to sense a powerful presence directly above me. As I turned my head to look, I was left dumbfounded.
It was the Skull Kid. He was aiming his wooden white bow at me…
When did he get there?! How could he possibly escape my… No, there's no time to figure that out. I need to move out of the way before I get hit by one of those wind arrows. If I get hit one more time, I am certain that I will be done for.
Before this duel I had made sure to pay careful attention to all of the Skull Kid's matches in order to identify potential weaknesses.
I happened to find one specific weakness regarding his bow. This object, while very unbelievably powerful, seems to require some preparation time before it is able to shoot.
To be fair, this weakness is barely noticeable. In fact, it would be difficult for most people to take advantage of the small window of time before the bow is used.
But since I am not like most people, I can perfectly take advantage of such a small window of opportunity.
After gathering some mana in my hand, I waited until the last second to blast myself out of the way of my opponent's attack. During this, however, I had to stop my fire-breathing attack by holding my breath. My insides felt like they were melting due to the power of my own flames.
Still, my decision-making and my evasive maneuvers proved to be on point as a magical arrow barely missed me by a hair's breadth. As soon as the arrow made contact with the ground in the chasm below, a huge explosion of mana suddenly shook the entire alternate dimension.
Naturally, I did not waste even a single moment and attacked my opponent with the flames I had been holding within me.
The Skull Kid seemed to be unable to react in time and was quickly engulfed in a wave of flaming breath.
But even though I had managed to land a direct hit on my opponent, a sense of dread was rapidly taking hold of me. I knew how fast the Skull Kid actually was, so for him to receive my attack just like that seemed extremely disconcerting.
"[Third Dance: Carmine Crescent]!" A youthful shout came from behind, catching me completely off guard.
Despite me being flabbergasted by the sudden development, my body reacted on its own and thus I was able to block the incoming attack.
In just an instant, my Nightingale's Song had clashed with the Skull Kid's scythe. The sounds of the clashing metal echoed across the battlefield like an ominous melody. Though, it was not only the metal bodies of our weapons that were struggling against each other, but the mana within them as well, almost like two predators fighting for prey.
The blow was definitely one of the heaviest I had ever received. I was barely able to block the attack. It almost seemed as if I was fighting against Alberis.
I had never been particularly strong physically speaking, but if it hadn’t been for the power of the dragons coursing through me, I would’ve been done for.
The Skull Kid was looking at me with the same confident smirk that he had from before. He seemed to be enjoying himself while our weapons were stuck in such a dangerous clash. The ominous red aura in his scythe had grown exponentially, as it was now covering most of the weapon. Such a sight disturbed me more than I’d like to admit, since it was a sign that my time was running out.
Though, I didn't miss the fact that his uniform was torn out in some places and the fact that his bracelet had a few small cracks on it. That only meant that at least one of my attacks had managed to reach him.
“I never thought I'd get to fight someone who could transform into a dragon!” The boy spoke with even greater excitement than before. "This will be fun!" His confident smile grew wider as he continued to push me back with his weapon.
This is too dangerous… I need to get him away from me quickly…
As I looked at the smiling boy in front of me, it didn't take long for me to find an opening for a counterattack. With my new dragon claws, I decided to strike him with my right hand without delay.
However, much to my frustration, the moment my claws were about to tear his face apart, the Skull Kid simply disappeared without a trace.
Once more I was left gobsmacked by the sudden realization I got after my failed attack.
He's a Spatial Magician, just like Professor Dante… That would explain why he was able to suddenly attack me from behind, which only means that a few moments ago he had allowed himself to be hit by my draconic breath for the sake of catching me by surprise…
And on top of all, he seems to have an incredible dominion of Wind Magic… To be able to create footholds in the air so effortlessly, what a fearsome opponent!
I was a fool to think that by getting rid of the ground beneath us would grant me the upper hand. I'm certain that this is what Alberis meant by waking the dragon…
Honestly, This is simply a horrible development for me... Consequences be damned, I’ll have to use the full power of my staff if I want to win this match.
The situation was going from bad to worse as my opponent continued to prove himself more and more dangerous as the duel progressed… But still, that didn’t mean that I would simply give up and accept defeat.
My honor as a Caprasania and my pride were on the line, so I couldn’t allow myself to accept defeat no matter what.
“There you are!” I shouted as I quickly spun around and shot several Fire Arrows from my staff. With my enhanced hearing, I was to find my opponent due to sounds of disturbances in the airflow.
I was greeted by the sight of an fiery explosion the moment my spell came into contact with my opponent. Even though I had launched my spell in a rush, my Fire Arrows had so much mana that it would be difficult for the Skull Kid to come out unscathed even while using a barrier.
Once again, my assumptions proved to be correct as the smoke caused by the previous explosion was cleared. There, I saw Julius with his entire body enveloped by a barrier. Said barrier was very damaged to the point that it was about to crumble into pieces.
And so it did.
“So you were able to detect where I would appear while using teleportation… Color me surprised!” Julius said as the barrier around him ceased to exist. He was holding a wooden staff with a purple gem as its core in his right hand.
That's the staff he used against Smotia. From what I've seen the staff doesn't have any special offensive capabilities other than helping him cast spells more efficiently, which is still a huge problem.
"I guess it has to do with that transformation of yours," The boy said. "I remember reading that dragons are particularly sensitive to the fluctuations in the airflow as well as detecting changes in environmental mana. Not to mention that their senses are vastly superior compared to other races, even more so than the beastkin and elves." He spoke with a curious expression while staring at me.
"You're well informed," I replied to confirm his statement. "Frankly, I am quite surprised that you are also a spatial magician. You never cease to amaze, don't you?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well, I wouldn't call myself a fully fledged spatial magician just yet," He started to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. "I learned how to teleport merely a few days ago and I'm still not that good at it... Still, I suppose I should thank you." His awkward expression suddenly turned into a sly smile.
He learned how to teleport just days ago? Preposterous!
"Why would you want to thank me?" I asked the boy while I worked on my next offensive.
"Because of this environment you created!" His voice echoed through the battlefield as he looked around. "There's simply no better place to practice with teleportation! You genuinely have my thanks!" He smiled warmly.
"I suppose I could accept your gratitude this time around." I smirked while crossing two of my fingers behind my back in order to activate my spell.
Soon, hundreds of stone spears would fly out from the chasm and pierce the Skull Kid's body. If he decided to dodge or teleport, I would only need to blast him away, and if he decided to protect himself with a barrier or his scythe, I would only need to wear him out before going for the finishing blow.
Of course, this plan would only work for someone like me, a master of earth magic. No one would be able to pull this off so quietly.
"Woah!" The Skull Kid shouted in surprise as he barely managed to dodge the first of my projectiles.
That same projectile was followed closely after by several stone spears, one of which would even manage to hit Julius's weapon suddenly disarming him.
"I finally got you." I couldn't help myself but grin widely due to this positive development.
"Dammit!" Julius looked down with surprise as his weapon fell deep into the chasm below.
Though, as luck would have it, none of my other stone spears would manage to hit him again. The Skull Kid would carefully twist his body while using wind magic to dodge everything.
Still, I couldn't waste this unique opportunity. I needed to take down the Skull Kid before he could retrieve his weapon.
"This is the end for you!" I shouted while charging my mana to use my draconic breath.
Just like I thought he would, the Skull Kid prepared himself to teleport away to escape from the stone spears and my incoming final attack. He seemed to be planning to teleport behind me so he could counterattack.
I could feel the vibrations in the air behind me growing more intense as the Skull Kid quickly gathered his mana.
I immediately spun my body around the moment I saw the Skull Kid suddenly disappearing from where he was. I had decided to launch a strike with my claws before reducing my opponent to ashes with my flaming breath.
Though, as I soon found out, there was a slight issue with that course of action… Julius hadn't appeared in the place I had predicted he would. He simply wasn't there.
Where is he?! Did he somehow change his destination at the last second?!
Rapidly confirming my suspicions, I was suddenly met with a kick to the face coming from my right. I was barely able to block the attack by using my staff. Once more, I had been saved by my draconic instincts.
"Heh, so you were able to block that… And here I thought I could manage to catch you by surprise," The Skull Kid said with an easygoing smile on his face. "If I had to guess, you were trying to use the vibrations in the air to pinpoint where I would teleport. That's clever." He had guessed accurately.
"You're very persistent, aren't you?" I said with mild frustration.
Time was quickly running out for my transformation and I still couldn't land a decisive blow even at my full power.
I was not blind to the effects that the power of my staff had on my body. My arms and legs felt strained, almost as if my muscles were burning, while my stomach felt like it was being twisted mercilessly, causing a nauseating sensation. On top of all that, my heart started beating in an irregular manner, my vision was beginning to blur, and almost all of my bones hurt so much that I thought they were about to be turned into dust…
I had managed to ignore all of those symptoms because they were very mild at best, but now they were just completely unbearable.
I have barely used the staff for a bit more than my previous test, have I abused its power too much? Is this the Spoiled Draconification that the Sage Blaise was warning us about in his diary?
"You look a little concerned and tired,” The Skull Kid looked at me with a curious glance. “It appears that you haven't realized it yet, haven't you?" The boy suddenly asked, seemingly noticing what was troubling me.
Is this the doing of the Skull Kid? How could these symptoms be caused by him? Could it be…?
"Your previous attack provoked these symptoms…" I couldn't help but speak in a befuddled tone.
"Guilty as charged." He replied with an honest smile.
For some reason that smile of his and the fact that I had been deceived made me feel incredibly enraged.
"You little… I'll make you pay for this!" I shouted with anger.
I almost immediately pointed my staff at him, letting out a barrage of fire arrows while more stone spears were shot at Julius from below.
He was hit and burned by some of the fire arrows before he could manage to teleport away.
"Dragons are prideful creatures by nature. True Dragons even more so," The Skull Kid said as I continued to fire more spells at him. "I suppose it is only natural that that transformation of yours would make you more prideful. If you weren't so blinded by that newly found arrogance, you would have realized what was going on." His expression turned serious before teleporting again.
"So what?! Are you trying to imply that I will lose because of hubris?!" I shouted as my anger grew and my body became weaker. I was near my limit.
"Precisely." He said after appearing right in front of me and launching an attack with his bare hands.
I was able to block the strike with my staff. It was another heavy blow that was able to push me back with ease.
But my opponent did not stop there, he immediately followed after me and continued his onslaught.
I was hardly able to block Julius's flurry of blows, as each of his attacks was faster than the previous one, getting to the point where several of his punches were slipping through my defenses. With each of those attacks that I received, I couldn't help but grow angrier and angrier at the situation and my opponent.
"Just stay down already!" I shouted as I used my staff to deflect one of my opponent's strikes before attacking with my claws.
The Skull Kid swiftly diverted my attack, but before he could counterattack, I started to breathe fire in a frenzy in order to take him down.
"Weren't you told that you shouldn't leave your mouth open like that? You're gonna eat a fly or two if you keep it like that!" Julius decided to make a mockery of me before teleporting again. He was grinning the whole time.
I don't care anymore if my body crumbles to dust or if the staff becomes completely unusable, I erase that annoying grin from his face!
“Don’t you dare mock me! I am the descendant of the Sage Blaise and the heir of his power! The power that I will use to turn you to ashes!” I shouted before I continued to spit flames across the alternate dimension.
In the blink of an eye, dozens upon dozens of spells rained down on what remained of the copy of the Ruined District with the objective of erasing my opponent out of existence. I was not going to give him no quarter.
What was once some simple ruins were now a hellish landscape, with fire and ice raining from the sky, with several raging gales all around me, and huge columns of molten stone and lava rising from the chasm below. All the while, my fiery draconic breath consumed everything in sight.
Even if my opponent could teleport or counter my magic, there was absolutely no way for him to escape from this infernal scenario.
It took me a while to spot my opponent during my rampage, but when I did, I knew this would be our final exchange in this duel.
He was teleporting around the place, dodging the spells I was throwing at him and countering those he couldn’t dodge. The sight of his almost broken bracelet and this tattered clothing confirmed that I had managed to land a direct hit again.
This is the end for you! I thought as I gathered all of my mana for a final devastating attack.
My opponent was right where I wanted him to be, standing in one of his magical footholds in an open area, surrounded by dozens of my spells in every direction. I just needed to hit him directly with my dragon breath and he would be done for.
“Yes… I suppose this is the best moment to end the match. I pushed myself as far as I could. Anything more than this would be stupid.” The Skull Kid suddenly muttered to himself as he stood still. His eyes were suddenly focused on me, like he knew what was about to happen, yet he looked defiant.
It almost seemed like he wanted me to know that whether I attack with my dragon breath once or a thousand times, it wouldn’t matter to him. He wanted me to know that he would stand there and take my attack.
That defiant glare angered me beyond words. So much so that I was about to lose control of my mana and my spells. I was so enraged that it became very difficult for me to think straight.
“To ashes with you!” I shouted before a violent wave of mana surged from within in the shape of scorching dragon flames.
These flames had so much power that they threatened to engulf the entire alternate dimension and burn everything inside it until nothing remained.
It should have been over for the Skull Kid. That’s what I thought in my hubris fed by the endless power of the Nightingale’s Song. I thought that even if Julius was able to evade my draconic breath using his teleportation, any of my other spells would be enough to either eliminate him or stop him long enough for me to finish him off.
However, due to my hubris, I failed to see what was happening right in front of me. I had failed to see that the Skull Kid had recovered his weapon and that said weapon had absorbed so much mana from my spells that its power was now far beyond anything Nightingale’s Song could match.
“Fourth Dance: Scarlet New Moon.” The Skull Kid whispered in an ominous voice.
It happened far too quickly for me to realize what was going on. As soon as I heard those words, I saw the whole world painted in a deep scarlet before my bracelet and the relic of my family, my staff were both cut into pieces effortlessly.
The match had come to an end with a single slash of the Skull Kid’s scythe. That defiant gaze of his and ominous whisper were the only things on my mind as I suddenly found myself dumbfounded in the infirmary of the academy.
“I lost…” Those were the only words I had on my mind as I looked at the fragments of my staff resting in my hands while I was on my knees. The shaft had been cut into several small pieces, while the core, the petrified dragon egg remained intact.
Even with that sight, my mind couldn’t believe what had just happened. The realization that I was defeated in an instant was too shocking.
“What a fearsome opponent…” I muttered to myself as I looked at the dragon egg with a horrified expression.
The legacy of my family was destroyed because of me. The staff of my ancestor that had been passed down through generations of my family was ruined. The staff that aided my ancestor in the battle against the Demon King…
“This can’t be happening… What have I done…?” The simple realization of what happened made me feel nauseous beyond belief.
At that moment, I was certain that my life as a Caprasania was over. My father and grandfather would surely fly into a rage before shunning me and exiling me from our holdings or worse... It was more than likely that my ancestors would shun me in the afterlife too…
However, before I could continue going through that desolated rabbit hole of shame and dishonor, something unbelievable happened.
A heartbeat.
“It's alive?” I mumbled in disbelief while looking at the core of my broken staff, or rather, the previously petrified dragon egg which was now beaming with life. “How is this possible?!” I was in shock once more, but for an entirely different reason.
The egg was alive once more, there was no doubt about it. In that relic from ancient times, life was blooming once more. Its weak heartbeat was proof enough.
“Heat… It needs heat! If I want this egg to hatch it will need enormous amounts of heat and mana! I must act with haste before the hatchling inside dies for good!” I rose from the ground and tried to run back to my dorm, but as soon as I tried to take that first step, I felt like I was about to lose consciousness. My body felt too weak for the task…
“Why…? Why am I so tired when something so unbelievable is happening before my eyes! I need to move… Ugh…” Even talking was too difficult for me to manage now. I became so weak that I couldn’t even stand.
Fortunately, I was caught by someone before I could manage to fall to the ground and damage the egg. Unfortunately, it was by someone I had defeated in combat…
“Well, it looks like I was properly avenged by Julius. I know that the two of us are a thing now, but dear gods, I am really glad that I didn’t have to face him.” A familiar brown haired dwarven girl was the one that caught me.
“Yeah, and it was quite a battle too! I am kind of annoyed because he was holding back way more than he seemed. After seeing that and my battle against Alberis, my pride is in shambles now…” A familiar wolfkin spoke from nearby with a dejected tone.
I obviously knew these two.
“You two… Felicia of House Gradisia and Myria from House Estner…” I spoke weakly.
Both girls had changed into new uniforms and looked quite relaxed and happy.
“That would be us, yeah,” Felicia said with amusement. “How the tables have turned on you, poor Caprasania. Bet you didn’t expect to get demolished by Julius at the end.” She was making fun of me.
“...” I simply remained silent. I was not going to argue with her after my pathetic demonstration.
“What does defeat taste like for you after being undefeated for so long?” Felicia suddenly approached me and grinned from ear to ear. “Bitter, doesn’t it?” She was really amused.
“Feli, can you tone it down, please? Our friend here seems in need of healing magic and some medical attention. We can leave the friendly banter for later.” Myria spoke softly.
I couldn’t help but stare at her with confusion.
Why would she help me now? Even though I tried to educate her during our match, I was not particularly friendly to her back then, so why would she want to help me?
“Huh? You don’t want to make fun of the guy who defeated you? I had expected you to be quite angry at him, perhaps hurl one or two insults at him.” Felicia seemed as confused as I was.
“Yeah, and he got what he deserved, didn’t he? Julius beat him up, broke his staff and his spirit as well, so we are even now, I think,” Myria said as if it was natural. “Also, the goddess I follow preaches forgiveness as her most important teaching and it was just a stupid match in a tournament I didn’t want to participate in to begin with, so.” She shrugged afterward.
“Alright, if that’s how you feel.” Felicia just nodded in acknowledgement. “Since it is like that, let’s get him a bed for him to lay down and recover as well as a healer to help him out. I’ll take care of the bed.” The formerly unfriendly Felicia smiled before leaving.
“I suppose I could act as a healer now…” Myria suddenly looked at me with a serious expression. “Mr. Renard, how do you feel about amputation to make you feel better?” She said with a deadpan tone. It was disturbing…
What? Is she serious…? Is she actually going to…?
“Just kidding. A warm bed, a cup of milk, some butter cookies, and plenty of sleep should make you feel better after I use my healing magic on you, so just hang in there while Felicia finds you a bed.” She spoke to me in a caring tone after giggling for a bit.
“Why…? Why are you helping me?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I? It is not like we were enemies fighting in a war or anything. We’re fellow students. Sure, I was really pissed that I lost in a pathetic way because of my lack of experience and that you pointed out my flaws, but other than that I have no ill will against you.” She said after nodding to herself. “And if I did have a grudge against you, Julius took care of that really quickly.” Myria then showed me a confident grin.
…
It appears that I misjudged another of my opponents. Sigh, what a failure. It seems that she’s also stronger than me, isn’t she?
I couldn’t help but feel admiration for the dwarven priestess.
“Oi! I found a bed, let’s bring him here! I’m sure she’ll enjoy spending a bit of quality time with the Oriana sisters!” I heard Felicia shouting to get Myria’s attention.
“Great! I’ll get him there in a minute!” Myria shouted back with enthusiasm as she prepared herself to drag me along.
I suppose that I should accept this as the price of defeat…
“Myria…” I called out her name.
“Yes? Are you feeling ill? Do you feel hurt somewhere?” She asked.
“No… I just meant to ask a favor.” I replied.
“What would that favor be? If you were charmed by me and wanted to ask for my hand in marriage, well it sucks to be you because I am already engaged!” Myria looked very amused and happy when she said those words.
“No, I don’t particularly want that…” I weakly shook my head. “I want you to take care of this egg while I rest? It needs to be exposed to plenty of heat and mana, things which I currently lack right now.” I looked at her with urgency and desperation as I handed over the dragon egg.
That egg was presently more important than my own life, so I made sure to convey how important this favor was despite my current state.
“Isn’t that the core of your staff? It is very pretty.” She tilted her head while looking at the egg before nodding. “Alright, I’ll take care of it until you’re feeling well again.” Myria reassured me with a confident look on her face.
“As a member of House Caprasania, you have my eternal gratitude…” I said before my vision rapidly became blurry. It didn’t take long before I actually lost consciousness.
Chapter 78: Might and Magic (Part II)
END
EXTRA: Renard’s Status II
Name: Renard Arnault Caprasania
Race: Human (Draconification)
Age: 15 years old
Ability Points: 9,610 points
Titles: High Noble / Heir of Caprasania / Renowned Elementalist / Elusive Magician / Alberis’s Shadow / Clever Tactician /
Jobs: Magical Prodigy Lv.4 / Master Elementalist Lv.1 / Sage Apprentice Lv.4 / Destructive Magician Lv.7
Level: 57
EXP: 200 / 68,400
Attributes
HP: 5,201 (3,000+)
MP: 15,950 (5,000+)
DEX: 340 (100+)
STR: 206 (300+)
VIT: 3,101 (1100+)
DEF: 180 (60+)
RES: 460 (70+)
LUCK: 137 (20+)
SPD: 101 (200+)
INT: 186 (50+)
Common Skills
Hunting / Level 5
Riding / Level 9
Dancing / Level 4
Singing / Level 3
Superior Enhance Mind / Level 1
Enhance Defense / Level 1
Combat
Archery / Level 1
Armed Combat: Staff / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Evasive Maneuvers / Level 3
Fighting Spirit / Level 10
Unarmed Combat / Level 4
Second Wind / Level 6
Advanced Combat Tactics / Level 8
Magic
Mana Manipulation / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Mana Perception / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic: Earth Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic: Fire Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic: Wind Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic: Water Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic: Light Element / Level 5
Magic: Dark Element / Level 4
Superior Magical Attack / Level 6
Devastating Magic / Level 4
Resistances
Elemental Resistance: Earth / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Elemental Resistance: Fire / Level 9
Elemental Resistance: Wind / Level 9
Elemental Resistance: Water / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Elemental Resistance: Light / Level 4
Elemental Resistance: Dark / Level 3
Pain Resist / Level 7
Paralysis Resist / Level 8
Poison Resist / Level 7
Fear Resist/ Level 6
Man nuked the entire level and still got rekt. Feelsbadman
Never fight against a op main character with plot armor. If he starts dodging all of your attacks, you better pick a god and pray.
Tough I don't feel too bad for Renard, he's about to get something even better than a win in the tournament.
@GodlyKamui Ooh is he going to be a father of a future dragon waifu for the MC?
This is chapter 79, dont mess the order lol
Nah bro, this is the continuation of chapter 78. I originally wanted all in one chapter, but got a little carried away and we ended up with this lol.
Chapter 79 will be Neris's duel against Alberis.