Chapter 225 After The Duel



"Student Callius. Come to my office." 

As the voice filled with seriousness sounded around the arena, the woman who spoke signaled the young man who was responsible for the commotion.

"Understood."  As the young man responded, he nodded his head, and the moment after, they both disappeared, leaving the dumbfounded audience watching.

'It seems the competition will be fierce.' The woman with orange robes thought as she looked at the place where they were standing. 'But, I will get him no matter what. It had been a while since I saw such precise control over a one-star spell.' 

At that time, amidst the crowd's awe at Callius' formidable display of magical prowess with the mighty ancient magic he used, Maisy Humphrey's attention had been fixated on the initial moments of his performance. Her keen perception recognized the significance of his skillful use of a seemingly simple one-star spell. "It has been quite some time since I witnessed such precise control," she ruminated, her mind delving deeper into the intricacies of his technique.

For her, the true differentiating factor lay not in the raw power unleashed but rather in Callius' distinct approach to the [Fireball] magic. 'The way he used the fire magic for crowd control was different from a mage focused on research. 'He knows how to fight and how to control the environment.' Her anticipation grew, bubbling within her, as she envisioned the boundless potential that awaited him. 'I will be waiting for his growth eagerly. His innate talent combined with my teachings, I wonder what kind of monster he will become more than what he is right now.' she mused, her steps measured as she slowly made her way toward the exit.

While the young woman left the scene, of course, there were those who immediately reached the young man, who now became a corpse that had lost the distinct identity it had.

"Arden! No!" The young girl's anguished cry pierced the air as she rushed toward the lifeless body, her heart sinking with grief and disbelief. She pleaded with the attending personnel, her voice trembling with desperation. "Please, just give me a moment to see him." 

"Lady, we must attend to our duties," the person responded with a somber tone, their eyes filled with sympathy. "Once the examination is complete, you may have a chance to bid your farewell." Those eyes, who saw a lot of such things, were filled with sadness as they knew how the process was. It was painful, but it was how things had worked. 

"No!" Her voice cracked, her crimson eyes welling up with tears. "Arden... you can't leave me like this." Thoughts of her and Arden's shared memories flooded her mind, overwhelming her with sorrow and regret. "Emilia, please, try to compose yourself," a close friend of hers gently approached, struggling to keep her own emotions in check. "We can't change what has happened by crying. We must find strength and support each other in this difficult time." 

As she found strength and comfort in her friend's voice and arms, the young girl named Emilia buried her face in her friend's chest. "Y-You are right." Her voice was shaking, her body trembling with sadness; she tried to calm her heart as she kept shading the tears of sadness.

In the end, despite being treated as a sacrificial pawn in someone else's twisted game, Arden remained a human being until his last breath. His untimely death reverberated through the hearts of those who knew him, leaving an indelible mark that could not be dismissed as insignificant.

Even though history would forget him, burying him under his pages, at least there was a young girl who would remember the face of her lifelong friend until the end. 

On one side of the coin, the loser had lost his right to speak and live, while the winner took everything he could squeeze…..

The clash of ideologies…. The reason why someone fought for…. How noble one's purpose was….

It wouldn't matter in the end…. If one was the loser of the fight…..

Since history would only write the winner….

Of course, without being on the sides of the coin, there were still many others that were affected by the show that was happening right before their eyes.

'How can he use such strong magic?' Emma thought, not being able to believe his eyes. 'It was at least at the level of 3-star, or maybe 4. How could he have mastered it in such a short period of time?' Doubts filled her heart as she remembered the fight that had folded in front of her eyes. 'I thought he was just a fraud….. But, he was such a strong mage.' As those thoughts filled her head, a weird feeling bloomed inside deep her heart. 

A feeling she would have never felt normally as the protagonist of the game….

A feeling befitting the backstory of villains…. 

The feeling of inferiority.

'I can't stop right now…. I need to train more. There is no guarantee that he won't come after me or others.' However, there was one thing that made Emma different from the others in this world. She was the protagonist of the game. Someone who had distinct characteristics that made her the protagonist. And not being swayed by the pressure was one of them; after all, she was the future Fiery War Goddess….

'My hands are itching….' She thought as her hand touched the ring on the other. 'Let's go, my sword….' She thought, and so, Emma's footsteps guided her toward the exit of the arena, her resolve firm and her spirit ablaze. The feeling of inferiority, once a hindrance, now became the catalyst for her growth. In her heart, she knew that she had the power to overcome any obstacle, to rise above the shadows that threatened to consume her.

However, there was a distinct difference between her and one second before. It was the small particles of lightning wavering around her body as they were attracted to something. Her eyes, which had turned slightly white as the lightning moved around her, made someone's mouth curl upwards.

Someone whose eyes were on her from the beginning to the end….