Emil

  “What an astonishing conclusion! Kai’s last desperate stand was completely thwarted! The Ice Maiden’s frosty domain remains impregnable even if in the face of a formidable opponent! Ladies and gentlemen, Liesel von Belle takes the first match of the Clash of Dawn’s knockout stage!”

  Emil watched as Academy staff members immediately swarmed the field to haul off Kai’s unconscious body. Liesel stood in the midst of the roaring crowd, calm and composed as she soaked in the fanfare. Aside from the faint smirk on her face, she looked carefree and nonchalant—a completely different sight compared to the fanatical joy she displayed during the preliminaries.

  “…Good grief, just what are you supposed to do against that?” Anna groaned, “I don’t remember her being this oppressive during the preliminaries. Was she holding back? And then Kai as well—the tidal wave that he created was not something a typical first-year should be able to do.”

  She tossed Emil a suspicious glance.

  “Seriously, how the hell did you survive against those two?”

  Did you already forget you were involved in that fight as well?

  “I don’t know about Kai, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Liesel was deliberately holding back during the preliminaries. What they both just showed now was definitely impressive,” Emil admitted, “However, this match was closer to a spectacle than an actual fight.”

  “How so?” Charlotte asked.

  “It took about seven seconds for Kai to manifest that tidal wave. And then another three seconds passed before his attack was finally unleashed. That’s ten seconds in total where he stood still in one place. That might seem short, but in an actual fight, ten seconds is an absurdly long time. He would never be allowed an opportunity to complete his attack. Maybe if he was using that move in an ambush before the start of a fight, but out in the open where his opponents could see him in plain sight? It would never happen.”

  “Fair point. I would have rushed him immediately if given the chance,” Anna said.

  “Exactly, but Liesel purposefully allowed him to complete his attack. She knew about her overwhelming advantage due to their Gift’s incompatibilities, and she was likely aware that Kai would need to do something insane to even have a chance of winning. Maybe you can call it an act of mercy, but she turned this into a show match. By stopping Kai’s magnificent attack, she utilized his desperation to magnify her own capabilities.”

  “She is quite cunning, isn’t she?” Charlotte said.

  Anna clicked her tongue. Her arms were folded, her fingers tapping frantically against the folds of her uniform. It was obvious that she was bothered by that performance. After all, it would be Liesel waiting for her in the semifinals. Suddenly, she turned back towards the corridors of the Nautilus.

  “My match is next after this one. I’m going in to prepare.” She shot a glance at Emil. “You better not lose yours.”

  “I know. Same to you.”

  “Good luck, Anna!”

  Emil watched Anna disappear into the Nautilus facilities. A frown crept across his face.

  I was genuine about everything I said just now, but what could I have even done against those two if they decide to unleash those kinds of attacks?

  When compared against those Liesel and Kai, his Gift seemed laughable. At the end of the day, it was still his combat experience and his Steiger training, not his Gift, that was carrying him through these fights. At this rate, once these first-years became more experienced, he would no longer be able to hold onto this tiny advantage.

  I need a breakthrough.

  He winced at the bitter realization.

  There was another observation that he noticed, but he kept silent out of consideration for Anna.

  During her fight against Kai, Liesel didn’t move a single inch from her starting position.

  ***

  Rory stood in the tunnels leading to the main stage, waiting on standby to be called onto the field. The sound of his ex-fiancée’s name clamored through the Nautilus. The feverish anticipation in the air was tantalizing. Ten minutes had passed since her match ended, and the excitement of the crowd still refused to die down.

  Her name echoed over and over again in his ears.

  Each utterance of the Ice Maiden’s name ate away at his spirit, reminding him of that crushing conversation the two of them shared the night before.

  “Rory, I’m going to annul our engagement.”

  Rory grabbed his chest, trying to quell his frantic heartbeats. The statement drove him insane as it echoed in his head.

  Why? Was I not good enough?

  He battled himself, looking inwards for answers. Who was he? A prince. A member of the royal family. A talented Exalted. A man who was well-educated in all matters of affairs, ranging from economics to natural sciences, from history to the musical arts. He had a handsome face, not inferior to the beauties of Ardair. He was not hedonistic nor did he possess the common vices that plagued the lives of the self-indulgent elites.

  Objectively speaking, he was, by all metrics, a fine person.

  So why?

  The question resounded in his head. He couldn’t stand the thought of having his annulment announced to the world. The shame and humiliation would tear him apart. He could already imagine it—the jeers and vicious eyes of the court cackling at him, mocking his impotence for failing to keep his woman.

  But above all of that, what Rory feared the most was the reaction of his elder brother, Aidan.

  He covered his mouth as his gag reflex instinctively kicked in. He shuddered—his insides burned and body trembled at the mere thought of Aidan finding out.

  I can’t let him know.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Melody’s voice suddenly rang over his delusions. “Ladies and gentlemen! After that exquisite opening match, let’s move onto the next! We have another exciting matchup! On the eastern wing, please welcome the beautiful Lira von Castille!”

  Aidan can’t know about Liesel’s intentions to break off the marriage.

  “And on the western wing, following a long line of excellence is His Highness, the Second Prince of Ardair, Rory von Astrea!”

  It was time to move.

  Rory pushed away the nauseous feelings and the hideous thoughts. He held his head high and walked out of the tunnels with a mask of composure. He was assaulted by the blinding sun and the loud, cacophonous cheers of the excited crowd. Normally he would have been elated at the warm reception, but now, he could only hear them as mockery.

  I’ll make so that our conversation never happened.

  His heart raged, pounding incessantly, booming in his head with hard, reverberating thumps. He squeezed his shaking hands, blood drawn as his nails dug into the skin of his palms. Spittle foamed at the edge of his mouth, but Rory was oblivious.

  I’ll make it to the finals.

  Melody’s voice echoed distantly in the background.

  I’ll make her mine again.

  “…Begin!”

  And I’ll make her regret daring to bring this up!

  Rory raised his hands above his head. Mana flooded out of his Azurite brooch and gathered in his palms. The stream of azure blue quickly changed to an ominous crimson light, spiraling violently in a maelstrom of energy. In his grasp suddenly emerged a colossal sword aimed skyward.

  With a harrowing cry, Rory brought the sword down. The massive blade descended in a wide crescent, cleaving through the desperate resistance of his opponent before smashing into the Nautilus stage.

  The thunderous tremors rippled across the colosseum.

  ***

  Dust and debris from the enormous attack gradually settled, unveiling the state of the field. Stunned silence kept the crowd frozen as they stared, jaws dropped, at the unfathomable sight they just witnessed.

  A quarterfinal match-up between the fourth and fifth seeds of the preliminaries had ended up in a single blow.

  “…W-Wow! Do my eyes deceive me? What did we just see?! Rory apparently takes down Lira with a single strike! What an insane turn of events!” Melody stammered from the commentary booth, clearly flustered at the unprecedented result.

  The silent crowd immediately roared into life at her words as if they were waiting for permission to get excited. Emil clicked his tongue, feeling nauseous at the savage reactions. The audience’s cheers suddenly sounded like the cries of barbarians.

  He stared at the Nautilus stage—now left with a deep incision split through the center of the concrete floor. The aftermath of Rory’s Gift. A group of Academy staff were already by Lira’s side, monitoring the unconscious girl’s condition. Emil caught one of them give a thumbs-up to the rest as the tensions in their face disappeared.

  “…Looks like she’ll be okay.”

  “Oh good.” Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Her hands were clasped together in prayer. “I wonder if something happened with Rory. He’s usually much more composed. This…passion is unlike him.”

  Passion is certainly a way of putting of it.

  There was no doubt. He felt it. A burst of bloodlust when Rory invoked his attack. For a moment, the air was suffused with murderous energy. The Academy staff on the sidelines definitely noticed as well since they reacted immediately once Rory’s sword descended. Whatever caused him to rampage, he must have overcome at the last moment before his sword landed. Otherwise, Lira’s unconscious body would not be so intact right now.

  “For those concerned, I have good news! Lira von Castille is okay! Just a mere scratch!” Melody announced, “Now as the Academy restores the field for the next match, I have a rare special guest in the commentator booth to offer her insights. Please welcome the First Princess of Ardair, Aoife von Astrea!”

  She’s quite the expert at diverting attention. Emil mused as the crowd immediately stirred at the sound of the unexpected name.

  The First Princess was just recently legitimized into the royal family. Even for most of the elites in attendance, this would the first time they hear her speak.

  And she certainly knows how to make an appearance, Emil thought as he listened with interest. He still hadn’t confirmed if Aoife was the same noble girl that he met in the slums of Lower Dannan.

  “Your Highness, what did you think about that match just now?”

  “Well, what can I say? I certainly wasn’t expecting a massive sword to descend from the skies.” Aoife’s unexpected statement drew a wave of laughter. “That was Rory’s special move, Excalibur. My brother Rory was always a skilled Exalted, so I fully anticipated his victory. With that being said, Miss Lira is also a formidable talent herself, so having the match end in a single blow definitely came as a shock.”

  “I think all of us could agree that we were hoping for a longer exchange. Nonetheless, what Rory showed was historic and it definitely proved he’s worthy of his advancement to the semifinals. Your Highness, this is your first time watching the Clash of Dawn in person. Are there any contestants or matchups that you’re excited for?”

  “I think I’m speaking for everyone when I say that I want to see a rematch between Emil Milligan and the Ice Maiden. Their riveting 3-way confrontation with Anna Seibert in the preliminaries ended without a conclusive finish. In a way, I’m glad it did because now we get to see more of these three in the upcoming matches.”

  Emil groaned at the sound of his name. Charlotte tossed him a playful glance from the side.

  Below the Nautilus stage, the Academy staff were quickly at work to repair the destruction left by Rory’s attack. Stones and dirt levitated from the ruined earth and were poured into the deep incision. A tectonic force then smoothed out the uneven edges.

  Emil frowned, wondering if he could use any of the techniques on display to further develop Bulwark.

  “Look at you,” a familiar voice suddenly echoed from behind, “You didn’t even do your match yet and somehow you already got the princess uttering your name. Attention just seems to follow you for free, doesn’t it? How enviable.”

  It was Kai, casually strolling onto the contestant observation deck with a languid look. His forehead was wrapped in thick bandages where Liesel had delivered a destructive blow.

  It would be enviable and amazing if I wasn’t an undercover student.

  “Are you sure you should be out and about? You got hit pretty hard on the head earlier,” Emil said.

  “Blah, not like I had a choice. The medical staff tossed me out the moment I was conscious. I got eliminated, which means my usefulness to the Academy ended. Someone who has no more value doesn’t get special treatment,” Kai replied, visibly bitter.

  Emil couldn’t help but smirk at his reaction. “Well, I think you put up a wonderful fight against the Ice Maiden. Even when all the odds were stacked against you.”

  “Oh, shut up. The last thing I need is consolations from a dude.” Kai waved him off before turning his attention towards Charlotte. “So, who’s this pretty face? Don’t tell me you already ditched Anna for a new girl.”

  “This is Charlotte von Braun,” Emil made the introductions while trying to ignore Kai’s blunt remarks, “She’s Anna and I’s friend. Try not to be rude.”

  “Is that so?” Kai said dismissively as he walked up to Charlotte. Without warning, he kneeled down on one knee and gently grabbed one of her hands. Unprompted, he kissed the back of her hands with a gentleman’s grace.

  “Miss Charlotte von Braun, was it?” he said without any of his usual connivance or frivolousness on display, “I’m Kai Kiyeng. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “O-Oh…l-likewise,” Charlotte muttered, stunned by the sudden greeting. The edges of her ears glowed a brilliant red.

  Emil’s jaws dropped at Kai’s sudden change. Who the fuck is this guy? It was difficult to reconcile the gentleman in front of him with the conniving bastard in his head. The contrast was disturbing. Knocked out of his daze, he quickly moved in to untangle Kai’s hands from Charlotte’s.

  “What?” Kai asked, displeased that Emil swooped in, “You’re staring at me like I’m a villain. What did I do that was so wrong?”

  “It’s what you have been doing that’s the problem. I guess rumors of you being a heartbreaker were true,” Emil accused, wearing a difficult smile, “Sorry, but she’s off limits today. And tomorrow. And likely till the dawn of time.”

  Kai shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was just merely introducing myself like a gentleman would.”

  “Introducing my ass! Your entire character changed the moment I revealed that she’s from a noble family!”

  “Now that’s just slander. Weren’t you the one who said not to be rude? Just because you know a different side of me doesn’t mean I’m being insincere.” Kai suddenly smirked. “Or perhaps, did you also want me to treat you like a gentleman, Emil?”

  Emil made a grotesque face. The thought of being on the receiving end of Kai’s gentlemanly fa?ade made him want to puke.

  “Alright, ladies and gentlemen! You’ve waited long enough!” Melody’s voice blared out the colosseum, “We’re finally ready for the next match to get underway!”

  Emil watched Anna exit the tunnels. Her scarlet hair fluttered under the noon breeze. A confident smile was engraved across her face without a tiny smidgen of nerves and concern.

  Good luck Anna.