“We don’t have to do this now, you know? I’m fine with doing it in a few hours or even tomorrow before class.”
“It’s fine. I’m not tired yet, anyway.”
“…If you say so.”
Rejecting Celestina’s offer, the two stood in the center of the sparring room, wooden swords in hand.
Azriel was no longer bare-chested. He wore a plain black t-shirt now, the bandages on his left arm still visible.
Amaya watched from the sidelines, worry etched on her face. Iryndra, in stark contrast, was perched on her ice throne, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Azriel regarded Celestina, suppressing a complicated expression. His face was unreadable, but his thoughts were anything but calm.
‘I did promise her back at the Christmas banquet that I’d duel her when we were in the academy…’
The problem was, he hadn’t expected it to be under these conditions. If she won, he’d have to join her faction.
But…
Was this really what she wanted?
Azriel had already revealed his ability to wield aura to her. Unless she’d somehow forgotten something so mind-shattering, why would she suggest a duel?
So then, why…?
She had to know winning against him was impossible.
Azriel could tell she was an intermediate now.
Sure, she was Celestina Frost. Her swordsmanship might very well surpass his own. She could likely defeat most intermediates without much trouble.
…But Azriel was confident, too.
Right now, he could take her down easily.
Celestina, in the future, might become an incredible threat to anyone who faced her. But now?
Azriel didn’t feel even the slightest bit threatened.
So, what was she thinking? Was she really that desperate to have him in her faction?
…Surely not, right?
‘I’ll give her a chance—and I won’t use aura.’
There wasn’t any grand reason for his reluctance to join a faction.
It was just… nothing he wanted to bother with.
And, well, Celestina wasn’t wrong. If he were going to join one, it should at least be fun. Joining Jasmine’s faction wouldn’t be fun. They’d just end up dominating the academy outright.
…Brother versus sister.
That didn’t sound so bad.
Suppressing a smirk, Azriel focused on Celestina as she spoke.
“Ready?”
Azriel gave a small nod.
“Make the first move whenever you’re comfortable.”
And move she did.
Like a silver blur, Celestina was suddenly right in front of him.
She was fast.
Just as her arm moved like a flash, the wooden sword swung upward in a sharp arc.
But Azriel wasn’t slow either.
Before it could scrape him, he tilted his head back slightly. The tip of the blade narrowly missed his face.
As he prepared to retaliate, a sudden, chilling sensation ran down his spine.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
Azriel’s eyes widened. Without thinking, he leaped to the right, and Celestina darted to the left.
A sphere of light struck the spot where he had been standing moments before, the impact splintering the wooden floor beneath it.
Narrowing his eyes, Azriel turned to Celestina. She stood motionless, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
Not giving her a moment to act, Azriel surged forward. His wooden sword arced downward with force and precision.
She didn’t move.
The blade sliced clean through her…
…or so it seemed.
Instead of drawing blood, a blinding light erupted from the wound. Her body shimmered for a brief moment before dissipating entirely.
‘A light clone…!?’
Azriel’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Instinct kicked in. He spun around, raising his wooden sword just in time.
Celestina’s strike came from behind, her blade crashing against his with a force that reverberated through his bones.
Gritting his teeth, Azriel pushed back, using raw strength to deflect her sword arm and throw her off balance.
Celestina staggered back.
Azriel stepped forward, thrusting his wooden sword with precision.
The sharp crack of the strike echoed like a bullet being fired. The tip of the wooden blade stopped just inches from Celestina’s eyes before she could even process what had happened.
Perhaps instinctively—or purely by chance—she managed to tilt her head to the side. The blade grazed her left cheek, leaving a faint mark but failing to inflict serious harm.
The moment passed in an instant.
Azriel didn’t relent. His right leg shot forward like a coiled spring. This time, she had no chance to react. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
His kick connected with her right hip.
“Akh!”
The force sent her hurtling across the room. She crashed into the wall, coughing up blood before collapsing to the ground.
“Your Highness!”
Amaya’s panicked voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Her eyes, wide with worry, locked onto Azriel.
He glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable.
Anxiety radiated from her gaze.
Even Iryndra, who moments ago had watched with excitement, now wore a look of unease.
Azriel turned his attention back to Celestina. She was on her knees, panting heavily, wiping blood from her mouth.
Then he spoke.
His voice, low and cold, sent a chill through the room.
“Don’t get involved.”
Both Amaya and Iryndra froze, their eyes widening at the unfamiliar edge in his tone.
Ignoring their reactions, he kept his gaze fixed on Celestina. Slowly, she began to rise.
As he watched her struggle to her feet, Azriel’s mind churned.
‘She’s desperate.’
Her eyes betrayed everything.
‘Is she really this desperate to win? To have me join her faction?’
He didn’t think so.
This duel wasn’t about him—at least, not entirely. There was something else driving her.
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter.
Because another, darker thought had begun to take root in his mind.
If she truly was this desperate… how far would she go?
Azriel had once told himself that, for the sake of easing the irritation gnawing at his heart, he would help these so-called heroes grow stronger.
It was a foolish idea. The world didn’t allow for such naive thoughts.
But now, an opportunity lay before him.
Should he take it?
‘There was a certain mini-arc with Celestina… What if I trigger it now and temporarily join her faction?’
There was no noble reason behind the thought. No grand justification like saving the world or preserving lives.
Azriel simply wanted to see it.
‘She is still too weak, but… it’s a good opportunity for me to reap some rewards as well.’
A plan began to form so quickly in Azriel’s mind that it even surprised him.
And so, for the sake of his own selfish curiosity, Azriel moved.
Celestina recovered quickly, moving without hesitation.
But before she could close the distance, a wall of ice erupted in front of her, forcing her to leap back.
Her retreat ended abruptly as her back pressed against something cold. Turning, she found another wall of ice, its reflective surface staring back at her.
Before she even realized it, she was surrounded—encased by towering walls of ice.
Azriel was still visible through the narrow gaps, calmly walking forward.
Celestina raised her wooden sword, ready to shatter the icy barriers, but his cold voice stopped her in her tracks.
“I didn’t expect the future Frost Queen to be this soft.”
The words cut through her like a blade. Her body stiffened, her face twisting in confusion.
“…What?”
“For someone who’s trained her entire life,” Azriel said, his tone dripping with disdain, “you can’t even best me with a wooden sword. Me. Someone who barely trained, who neglected his practice whenever he could until there was no choice left but to pick it up. Tell me, Celestina… what gave you the confidence to challenge me to a duel when you can’t even decide how to wield your weapon?”
Her grip on the wooden sword tightened instinctively.
“What are you trying to say?”
Azriel stopped walking, his gaze piercing.
“It’s simple. Why are you holding a weapon? To destroy? To protect? You don’t know, do you? You hesitate. You’re unsure. It’s as if you’re keeping yourself trapped, unwilling to decide what must be done. Why? Are you scared? Is the Frost Princess really this… soft?”
“…!”
“You came here to make me join your faction. It’s disappointing, really. When you revealed what you wanted, I expected more from you. But you aren’t strong, are you? Holding back against a stronger opponent, too much of a coward to take a proper step forward. It makes me wonder…”
Through the gaps in the ice walls, Celestina glared at him, her teeth grinding together.
Azriel’s eyes met hers, unflinching.
“Is your revenge really just empty talk in the end?”