I continued watching the battles. Most of them weren't particularly remarkable. Compared to the clash between Eleris and Leon, the fights between battle mages lacked intensity. Pure mage fights, on the other hand, were downright boring—just spellcasting from a distance, no pressure, no real exchange. Warriors were somewhat more interesting, but the most engaging matchups were always warriors versus mages.
I waited for something truly worth watching.
And finally, it began.
Seraphina Aurelis versus Mia Solarin.
A Saint versus a fire mage caster.
A Saint… right. I hadn't seen her at the banquet. She must've arrived in the capital quite recently.
My gaze lingered on her longer this time.
Her hair was thick, flowing freely in the wind—a radiant солнечный блонд that seemed to shimmer with its own light. It didn't just reflect light—it almost emitted it. Her eyes, warm and deep brown, carried a quiet clarity, like someone who saw more than she let on. She was short—around 160 centimeters—but her body was well-toned, balanced, without excess. Not frail, not overly muscular—refined.
Her face was soft, almost gentle in its features. The kind of beauty that didn't need to try.
And yeah—her figure didn't go unnoticed either. Definitely not something you'd ignore.
At first glance, she looked like a fragile, kind girl.
But that impression was completely misleading.
She wasn't weak.
Not even close.
The fight began.
Mia immediately started casting—classic fireball. How many times had that spell been modified already? Speed-focused versions, piercing variants, wide-area explosions… this one looked balanced between speed and impact.
Seraphina deflected it effortlessly.
Only then did I notice—her gauntlets were rank 4.
Interesting.
The fight continued.
Seraphina dashed forward, closing the distance instantly. Mia reacted by launching several lighter fireballs in rapid succession, but none of them landed. Seraphina simply slipped through them like they weren't even there.
A moment later, she reached Mia.
One clean strike to the stomach—
And Mia was sent flying to the edge of the arena.
She surrendered immediately.
She understood the difference.
Some people might think Mia was weak after watching that.
They'd be wrong.
Seraphina was just absurdly strong.
Her physical strength alone was already high. Add to that her rank 2 aura—and then the real problem: divine power. Not only could it heal, it could reinforce the body similarly to aura, sometimes even better.
At my current level, beating her was impossible.
The fights continued. Nothing particularly interesting happened. Some participants were already moving on to their second matches.
Then it was my turn again.
Fuck. Why is my luck always this bad?
I was up against Eleris.
She moved first—no hesitation—launching a lightning attack. I dodged. I had watched her previous fight carefully, so I was at least somewhat prepared.
Another lightning strike.
Dodged again.
She closed the distance quickly. I activated the 12 Steps of the Storm.
By the third step, she was already right in front of me. If I hadn't reacted in time, that would've been a clean hit.
She missed—and for a split second, her face showed confusion.
Like that… she actually looked kind of cute.
But it didn't last.
The confusion turned into excitement.
Now she was taking it seriously.
Several lightning strikes in rapid succession. Each one weaker individually, but together far more dangerous. At the same time, she rushed in again.
I predicted her movements, dodging, parrying where necessary—but it was obvious.
I was losing.
This wouldn't work.
My mind raced as I moved. The parry technique I used before probably wouldn't work this time.
So I discarded it.
Her style relied heavily on speed. Catching her cleanly wouldn't be easy.
That left one option.
Bait.
I could reveal my magic and win through surprise—but that wasn't what I wanted.
I wanted to win with aura alone.
So I decided.
I'd sacrifice my left arm to damage her right.
We exchanged blows. I waited patiently for the moment she'd go for a straight punch. I dodged everything else—spells, strikes—parrying only when necessary.
Nothing landed.
Until finally—
She threw the punch.
She expected me to dodge.
Or to get hit.
Instead—
I blocked with my left arm.
At the same time, I struck her right shoulder with my sword.
Not a thrust—a slash.
The blade bit deep.
At that exact moment, pain exploded through my left arm, followed by the violent surge of electricity from her close-combat style.
The judge immediately declared a draw.
Perfect.
That was exactly what I needed.
"You've changed."
Eleris spoke almost immediately. There was a clear smile on her face—she enjoyed that fight.
"Of course people change."
I didn't have much else to say.
"No… it's more like you're… different. Whatever. Forget it. Let's fight again sometime."
She sounded unsure for a moment, but the moment she mentioned fighting again—her confidence returned instantly. Excitement, anticipation—it was all there.
She waited for my answer.
For her, that moment probably felt like an eternity.
She must've sensed I was holding back.
She always had sharp instincts.
"Yeah. A lot has happened. And about another fight… sure."
I agreed.
Fighting someone like her would always be beneficial.
She brightened up.
"Then it's a promise. Don't forget."
Like that… she was actually kind of cute.
I returned my attention to the ongoing fights.