CHAPTER 21

Yehanna gently mixed the creamer on her hot morning coffee as she silently listens to the conversation. Meanwhile, my best friend Ross, Princess Amaryllis, and the pink-haired girl Odette Fellglaze looked around the arena with amazement in their eyes.

“So, this is the Combat Room inside the Library. I’m so impressed.” Princess Amaryllis said with her eyes twinkling.

“It’s way better than we had back in Magic Academy, huh?” Ross started to stretch for a workout.

“W-Wow.” The pink-haired girl muttered with a blush on her face.

“Well, one of the privileges of being a Dragon Sage is to reserve access to this Combat Room. The Librarian would give me the key to this hall without question, as long as it’s about a Dragonoid Contract Ritual.” I raised my shoulders.

“With a Combat Room this big, I bet you get to battle like gladiators in this place, with fans shouting your name!” Ross laughed.

“It’s my third time here. The first was when I failed my entrance exam and my diarrhea kicked in. The second was against Yehanna, and I got beaten up so badly. I don’t have fond memories of this place.” I laughed while scratching my head.

I turned my attention to the pink-haired priestess named Odette. She’s poking the fine white sands of the arena with her scepter. When she noticed that I’m staring at her, she briefly looked at me and bowed with a blush on her face.

“About the Dragon Contract Ritual,” I said.

“Let’s get started then!” Ross excitedly pulled out a foldable steel sword from his waist. The steel sword expanded, and it glowed a red light when fully deployed. Then, he prepared into a swordsman battle stance. His crimson eyes are filled with excitedness and determination.

“Wait, I thought Miss Odette Fellglaze here is the one who wanted to be my Dragonoid Contractor?” I tilted my head. “Am I going to fight you?”

“Odette cannot fight.” Princess Amaryllis interrupted. “She’s a Divine Priestess who specializes in light enhancements and healing.”

“Let’s do a two-versus-two. I will team up with Odette, and…” Ross said. He looked at the silent Yehanna who just gulped a mouthful of her coffee. “Miss Yehanna Lancelot, I would want to have a spar with you too. Please team up with Ulysses.”

Yehanna maintained her poker face. She gently laid down her coffee on the nearest seat in the Combat Room, then she held the sheath of her katana. “Fine then. It will be a great honor sparring with a Royal Knight like you.”

“It’s also a pleasure to fight against an A-tier soldier from the Dragonoid Military Academy and a Dragonoid Contractor of my best friend. Please don’t hold back.” Ross’ red eyes glowed.

I can see that the whole arena is getting heated up. Princess Amaryllis went to the giant steps and secured herself the central seat where she can spectate clearly.

I looked at the pink-haired Divine Priestess, and she looked at me too. Her Dragonoid eyes are filled with determination, even though she’s nervous.

“I-I will do my best!” Odette made her war cry.

“Me too.” I smiled as I put on my Dragon Seal gloves.

“The condition of this Dragonoid Contract Ritual is simple!” Princess Amaryllis announced from the top of the coliseum. “Fight until the opponent is unable to fight. Surrender, and the other party wins the fight. For this Dragonoid Contract Ritual, the battle is won when the Dragon Sage seals the opponent Dragonoid's heart.”

Judging from the tone of the proclamation of the princess, it seems that it’s not her very first time seeing a Dragonoid Contract Ritual. Her deceased brother is a Dragon Sage, after all, so she might have seen lots of it.

“Ready… Fight!”

As soon as the princess gave the signal, the two sword fighters commenced their attack. Yehanna drew her katana, and Ross slashed using his steel sword. Their blades clashed against each other, each blade mirroring their opponent’s faces.

One, two, three sword swings. For each clash, sparks fly. Yehanna and Ross are evenly matched in their strength and speed.

After the fourth sword clash, both Yehanna and Ross jumped back. They have smiles on their faces, thrilled to fight one another.

Yehanna shifted her to her charging stance, gathering mana on her body.

“Wind Clone!” Yehanna shouted a speed-cast spell, and four astral projections emerged from her body. Each of Yehanna’s wind clones made their respective katana stances before flying towards their opponent!

Meanwhile, Ross raised his sword and poured mana into it, making it blaze. With a heavy swing, he unleashed a shout with full force!

“Phoenix Hurricane!”

A burning whirlwind occurred that swept up three of Yehanna’s clones in one go. When the hurricane faded, Ross was shocked to see that the final wind clone has not been dealt with!

“Hah!” With his fast reflexes, Ross slashed through the last wind clone. It disappeared immediately after getting hit.

However, the real Yehanna is nowhere to be found. Ross looked around, and everything was too late when he turned to his back.

“Oh shi-“

Yehanna was already ready for the kill, as her katana has swung from lower left to upper right. Her speed is superb, her slashes are deadly, and her genius in battle is almost unmatched.

It was Yehanna’s win in all ways possible, but there is a catch. This is a two-versus-two battle after all.

“With the power of light, I command thee, to protect my ally! Holy Shield!” Priestess Odette cried as she pointed her scepter towards the doomed Royal Knight.

There was a loud clang. Yehanna’s sword hit the magical barrier that the pink-haired priestess has created. This magical barrier covers Ross like a bubble, and now all attacks will be absorbed first before he suffers any damage.

Since Yehanna’s katana was parried, Ross took this opportunity to counterattack. He swung his sword upwards, but Yehanna managed to evade. Only a strand of her dark-blue hair and a piece of her sleeve was cut.

Yehanna decided to fall back by tumbling like an acrobat until she went close to me. Then she glared.

“You can help me if you want, oh good sir. This is your Dragonoid Contract Ritual after all.” Yehanna’s scolding is still full of sarcasm. I can see it in her smile that’s silently telling me that she’ll kick my butt off if I stay like a sitting duck.

“I’m sorry. I just thought I wanted to see who’s better between you and Ross.”

I pulled out a giant pistol from my coat and aimed it towards Ross. This is the very same magic air pistol that Yehanna is using, and I borrowed one from her War Factory.

Ross, Odette, and even Yehanna were surprised.

“You’re not going to pull out your good old rose wand?” Ross asked.

“Guns are faster than wands. Don’t lump me in with those old-fashioned Dragon Sages who only chants spell all day long. A handsome Dragon Sage like me has style!” I shouted proudly.

“It’s my first time seeing you wield an air pistol,” Yehanna said. “Are you sure you know how to use that?“

“Watch and learn, Hanna.” I arrogantly smiled at my partner.

I closed my left eye and aimed the pistol’s iron sights with my right eye. My target is my best friend Ross, who is about twenty meters away from me. I will be able to fire a shot before he gets close.

I poured wind magic to the giant pistol, and the circuits around it glowed green. Now that I charged mana on this weapon, it’s ready to fire.

“Wait, that’s too much mana!” Yehanna cried. She tried to grab the pistol away from me, but it was too late.

I pulled the trigger. From there, everything in my perception slowed down.

The air pistol overloaded, and I lost my grip on the said weapon. Because of the recoil, the pistol smacked on my face.

The overcharged air bullet was able to launch successfully. But because of the uncontrolled mana and the recoil of the gun, the bullet curved and went upwards, blasting the ceiling of the Combat Room.

My perception of time went back to normal when I realized that my world is spinning, and I’m lying flat on the ground.

“Idiot.” Yehanna held her forehead as if her brain is aching.

“Hahaha. You never change, Ulysses.” Ross gave a disheartened laugh.

Meanwhile, Princess Amaryllis had this disappointed smile on her face.

And the priestess Odette is quite confused about what was happening.