While Jean digesting the fact that Kent is not going to enter in spirit world, Krum continued speak nonsense.
“I thought you’d finally gotten over that little Blue Planet worm.” He sneered, tilting his head with a smirk. “You’ll never see the face of that idiot again—destined to stay beneath my foot, where he belongs!”
Krum’s arrogance struck her nerve. Jean’s eyes narrowed, her hands clenched into fists, but her voice was calm as ice. “And what exactly gives you that right, Krum? To speak so freely about someone you’ll never be able to match?”
His smirk only widened, sensing an opportunity to provoke her further. “I’m just stating facts, princess. Unlike you, I know my value and my place.” He leaned in, sneering. “And maybe if you stopped chasing weaklings, you’d finally realize that you deserve someone worthy.”
“Phat”
Jean’s patience snapped. In a swift movement, she slapped him, her hand landing with a sharp crack across his face, leaving him momentarily stunned.
A hush fell over the crowd as Krum staggered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes flashed with fury, and he spit onto the ground, raising a hand to wipe the blood away.
“You dare!” he roared, charging at her with raging bull spell, his aura crackling with fierce energy.
“I dare,” Jean retorted, meeting his attack with momentum fluid spell, blocking his strike and countering with a force that sent him stumbling back.
The gathered mages murmured, some in awe, others eager to see the fight escalate. No one had seen her strngth till now and this is a great oppetunity for them to evealute her.
Krum, now humiliated and furious, retaliated with a series of rapid beast spirit spells, but Jean easily defend each one, her movements precise and controlled.
“You think you can humiliate me and get away with it?” Krum spat, unleashing a powerful horned python spirit spell. The ground shook, dust swirling around them as the python spirit moved in circles with wide open mouth, but Jean remained steady and turned the python into small earthworm.
“I warned you, Krum. Underestimating me was your first mistake.” She lunged forward, and with a quick turn of her staf, she sent a comet with demon face spell.
“Boom”
Krum cried out in pain, falling to his knees, trying to rise, but Jean was relentless. She landed a barrage of spells, each one driving him closer to defeat until, finally, he lay sprawled on the ground like a dead snake.
Everyone staring at Krum as a broken shell of the arrogant mage.
“P-P-Please,” he stammered, coughing up blood, “I… I yield…”
Jean stood over him, breathing heavily. “Remember this, the next time you think of disrespecting someone, make sure you can handle the consequences.”
With a final, cold glance, she turned and strode away, ignoring the astonished whispers and stares from the crowd. The onlookers stepped back, making way for her, each one realizing that Jean was not someone to be trifled with.
—
In the grand hall of the Stick Family Palace, under the glow of crystal chandeliers, a big gathering was going on.
King Stick, a fat figure with a crown of silvered hair, sat at the head of the council table, flanked by other allied kings and advisors, their faces shadowed with tension.
King Stick leaned forward, his gaze fixed on his daughter, Princess Sony, who sat across from him. “Sony, what happened at Frost family? Did that fellow Kent agree to our alliance?”
Sony didn’t respond at first. Her face was set in a grim expression, her jaw clenched. Then, with a slow inhale, she lifted her head and said, “No, Father. He rejected our alliance.”
A shocked silence fell over the hall. Sony’s hand curled into a fist.
King Stick’s expression darkened. “What are you saying, Sony?” His voice was loud, laced with disbelief. “How can he reject us? Does he not know the strength of our forces?”
“He knows, Father,” Sony replied, her voice low with frustration. “But he dares to throw our aid, even with the advantages we offered him. I offered him command over our troops and the freedom to choose all three Spirit World slots, yet he still turned us down without a second thought!”
Murmurs broke out among the kings and advisors, each one voicing their dismay and disbelief. The allied family kings exchanged uneasy glances, their faces growing pale. They had never anticipated that such a bold offer from the Stick Family—one that held the potential for victory in the Trident Summit—would be outright dismissed.
A few of them cast side-eyed glances at Sony, silently questioning her judgment.
King Stick’s gaze turned cold. “Are you certain, Sony? This Kent must be either foolish or arrogant beyond measure. Refusing such an alliance could be the end of him.”
“Father,” she said through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing, “he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s determined to challenge us alone.” She slammed her fist onto the table. “But he’ll regret it. This summit will be our stage to crush him and make him beg for our help.”
The murmurs grew louder, some of the allied kings nodding in reluctant agreement, others looking at Sony with barely concealed irritation. One elder king muttered, “She went too far, offering him so much without consulting us…”
Another king, his tone seething with disapproval, added, “Our alliance is stronger than one man’s pride. She risks making us look desperate!”
Yet, none dared speak out openly against her; Sony’s influence and strength within the Stick Family were unquestionable.
King Stick’s voice cut through the noise, his gaze sharpening as he turned to his daughter. “Do you still wish to marry this… obstinate fool, Sony?”
The hall fell silent once more, each figure in the room holding their breath as they awaited Sony’s response. This would determine not only her future but the fate of their alliance.
Sony didn’t hesitate. “Yes, Father,” she declared, her voice unwavering. “I will marry him—but only after I’ve broken his pride.”
– *[Continued in next chapter…] Tq 😉