39 The Royal Sparring

Flames danced across the dark stone walls of the northern training ground, their light flickering with every concussive blast of magic that echoed across the battlefield.

Two figures blurred in a fierce duel, a maelstrom of light and fire wrestling for dominance.

Friederich Eir Regis was a black-haired elven mage titled Stellius despite being only seventeen. He moved with a nimble grace. His pale blue eyes gleamed in the dim light, and his white arc-cloth billowed as he scaled the dark wall, using the very static blades he summoned as stepping ledges.

A blast of fire roared towards him mid-air.

Pushing off the wall, Friederich lunged, redirecting his momentum as the flames chased narrowly behind. He landed softly, bending his knees and shifting sideways to maintain his balance.

"Lampos-spatha!" Friederich shouted, pointing his fingers at his sparring partner.

In the centre of the training ground, Princess Aurelia Sol Solara stood defiant, dressed in a lavish white tunic and brown trousers. Flames erupted from her hands as she formed a triangular hand sign, aligning her index fingers and thumbs.

"Empyrion!" she bellowed, unleashing a torrent of smouldering fire. Her red hair and dark eyes glowed with the raw intensity of her magic.

Above her, ten white blades of light materialised. Noticing them in her periphery, she swiftly adjusted her tactics.

With a circular motion of her hands above her head, she cracked her fingers like a whip. Aurelia focused, picturing a volcanic eruption — a sharp peak bursting, spewing balls of fire skyward.

"Volcanic~Empyrion!" she chanted, flicking both hands upwards.

Her mana instantly transformed, erupting into a massive column of flame that blasted the descending blades away.

Friederich clenched his jaw.

Her fire essence was surging with power, growing stronger with every passing day. Sweat trickled down his arched brows, dampening his sleek, dark hair. He couldn't win with arcane force alone; a new strategy was needed.

"Lampos-spatha!" Friederich cast the blades again, this time to encircle Aurelia from all sides, their tips angled downward.

She scanned the field, puzzled by his seemingly failed attempt to enclose her. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work, Fried!" Aurelia shouted, her tone laced with condescension.

The elven mage dashed forward, baiting her attack.

As he expected, Aurelia quickly switched stances, forming the triangular hand sign again before firing a long-range jet of flame at him.

Knew it! Friederich thought, dodging sideways.

In the same motion, he summoned two glowing blades, imagined with blunt edges, one in his left hand and another hidden in his right.

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He bellowed and threw the blade in his left hand. "Catch!"

The weapon cut through the air, hurtling towards his opponent.

Aurelia read the move with ease. Clapping her hands together, she chanted, "Phoros!" An arcane barrier engulfed her, distorting the light around it.

The blade struck the shield and bounced off onto the ground.

With a liquid motion, she spun around, preparing to counterattack.

"Huh?" she gasped as a second blade tumbled through the air.

In a fraction of a second, she analysed its trajectory. It was completely off target.

Your aim is terrible, Fried! she thought, amused.

Seizing the opportunity, she resumed her cast of Empyrion to finish him off while he stood static and exposed.

"Burn! Empy—ugh!"

Aurelia's words cut off as the second blade struck one of the suspended blades from his earlier spell, ricocheting straight into her forehead. Her head snapped back, and she collapsed onto her backside with a heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Eyes shut from the stinging impact, she groaned and rubbed the reddened mark.

The triumphant smirk vanished from Friederich's face, replaced by a flash of alarm. He rushed to her side. "Aurelia, are you okay?"

He had cast the blades to be dull, but the impact was harder than he had intended.

Suddenly, Aurelia shot him a piercing glare, her dark eyes gleaming with fury.

"Au~Aurelia, time out!" Friederich stammered, motioning for a ceasefire.

It was too late. She was already forming another hand sign.

"Empyrion!" Her tone was ice.

There wasn't enough time to dodge. He hadn't anticipated such a furious counterattack. "Phoros!" Friederich chanted, raising an arm in a half-cross gesture as an arcane barrier materialised around him.

Colossal flames surged forward, their intensity growing with her rage. His barrier held, but the sheer force of the inferno made his breathing ragged and his limbs numb.

"Aurelia! Stop! I'm out of mana!" he yelled over the roaring flames.

"Holy Gaia!" The fury in Aurelia's eyes vanished, replaced by horror as she snapped out of her rage.

The flames ceased abruptly. The resulting shift in air pressure sent a shockwave blasting outwards, launching Friederich off his feet.

"Whoa!" he gasped as his thin frame flew across the battleground and slammed into the far wall. He crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud. "Ahh... Hades' hell..."

Smoke and dust thickened the air. Aurelia's eyes widened as she realised what she had done. She sprinted to him, crouching and casting a healing spell. A warm, green glow enveloped them, soothing his wounds.

Friederich struggled to sit up, leaning against the wall, his face and clothes covered in soot.

Avoiding his gaze, Aurelia muttered, "I'm so sorry, Fried..." She despised herself for letting her temper take control.

"I won..." Friederich murmured, his voice hoarse.

She puffed her cheeks in disapproval but couldn't help a small smile. "Yes, you did... You outsmarted me again."

A soft chuckle escaped him, and Aurelia joined in, the tension finally breaking. She stood and extended her hand. "Come on, Fried. You need to wash up before we head out," she said, her smile gentle.

"Yes, my princess. People of Germund need all the help they can get."

Suddenly, a faint hum echoed skyward as a silver Armatus flew past the cloud, hovering ten metres above the ground. It circled the defence tower as if preparing to land.

Sensing a potential threat, Aurelia's posture stiffened.

"Aurelia, no! Don't go!" Friederich called out, attempting to rise, but his energy was drained. He could barely stand.

"Fried, don't worry," Aurelia reassured him softly, her gaze fixed on the machine. "It's just a single Armatus."

She took off toward its location, leaving him leaning against the wall.

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