Chapter 126: Seraphina’s Battle [2]

"Begin."

The moment Sylas gave the signal, Valdris called up his Armament.

A pillar of black light shot out from his palm and formed into a spear. The shaft was dark and smooth, with faint glowing runes running along it. The tip was jagged, shaped like a dragon’s fang, and it gleamed with a cold, deadly shine.

The spear hummed with power, a low, vibrating thrum that you could feel in your chest. Even with the academy’s restrictions in place, something ancient and strong rolled off it, raising the tiny hairs on the arms of the nearest students. The air around the spear seemed to thicken, heavy and charged.

Valdris held it like it was second nature, his golden eyes locked on Seraphina. The weapon seemed to vibrate slightly in his hands, like it was alive, eager.

Seraphina didn’t budge. She didn’t summon anything of her own. She just stood there, hands hanging loose at her sides, her breathing slow and even.

The students started whispering, low, buzzing murmurs that rippled through the stands. Some looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Others leaned forward, elbows on their knees, curiosity pulling them closer to the edge.

Ryker turned to Lucien and lowered his voice. "Mentor, what’s she doing?"

Lucien didn’t look away from the arena. "Watch."

Valdris narrowed his eyes, studying her. His grip on the spear tightened a little, the leather of his gloves creaking.

"You’re not bringing out your weapon?" he asked, sounding a bit thrown off. "You’re really gonna fight me with your bare hands?"

Seraphina tilted her head and gave a faint smile. "I don’t need one."

Valdris’s brow furrowed. He’d faced a lot of opponents, but nobody had ever refused to use a weapon against him when they were on the same level. Either she was way too confident, or she was plain stupid. He hadn’t figured out which yet. ℯℯ𝘭.

"You’re either really sure of yourself," he said slowly, "or really dumb."

Her smile didn’t fade. "That’s nice to hear."

He stared at her for another second, then shrugged, a small smirk showing up.

"Fine. If you want to fight with your hands, that’s on you."

He adjusted his stance and lowered his spear slightly.

"But don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Seraphina didn’t answer. She just raised her hand and curled her fingers into a loose fist.

The students held their breath. The only sounds were the faint rustle of cloth and the distant hum of the arena’s barrier.

Then Valdris moved.

He shot forward, his spear cutting through the air in a streak of black light, aimed right at her shoulder. Fast, clean, precise, the tip whistling as it split the air.

Seraphina didn’t even flinch. At the very last moment, she stepped to the side. The blade missed her by inches. The wind from the strike whipped her golden hair back, and a sharp gust hit the front row, carrying the faint scent of ozone. But her face didn’t change.

She didn’t hit back. She just watched him, calm and unreadable.

Valdris’s eyes narrowed. He changed his grip and swung again, this time in a wide arc at her midsection. The spear hummed louder, trailing a faint afterimage of dark light.

She ducked, smooth and easy, like she had all the time in the world. The spear passed right over her head, barely brushing her hair. The displaced air ruffled the stands, and a few students flinched as the gust reached them.

She kept moving, light on her feet, almost like she was out for a stroll. Her soles made soft, barely audible scuffs on the stone floor.

Valdris pushed harder, faster, more aggressive. Every strike was aimed well, every move had intent behind it. His breathing grew sharper, his footfalls heavier. The spear carved arcs of black light through the air, each swing leaving a faint, fading trail. But Seraphina dodged each one like it was nothing, her eyes never leaving his face.

The students watched in dead silence, not looking away. The tension was thick enough to chew on. The only sounds now were the whoosh of the spear, the scrape of boots, and the distant hum of the barrier.

After a while, Valdris pulled back and stared at her, dead serious. He was breathing a bit harder, but not from exhaustion, from the creeping realization settling in his gut. He hadn’t even been able to touch her uniform.

He wasn’t about to take her lightly. Lucien’s fight had already taught them all a hard lesson. Plus, the way she moved and carried herself, it was exactly like Lucien. That was more than enough warning.

He decided not to gamble. Better to go all out from the start and shut this thing down fast. He trusted his own power.

From the side, Lucien watched Valdris’s face shift and knew right away what he was thinking.

He just shook his head. This match is already over.

No amount of battle experience, Originat control, or tactics could compare with what Seraphina had. And also, the runes only restricted Seraphina’s cultivation, not her physical strength.

He was in for one.

He had S-Rank Thunder Talent, S-Rank Darkness Talent, S-Rank Demonic Talent, SS-Rank Draconic Talent, and S-Rank Spear Talent.

His talent was surprising, but he could only blame his luck that his opponent was his wife.

Valdris stretched his spear above him.

A large dark circular rune covered Seraphina, its streaks with dark lightning that ran around its edges. The rune flickered.

"Dark Lightning Rain."

Lightning was released from the rune, unstoppable with its piercing speed. It struck at Seraphina and the surroundings beside her.

The lightning skill combined both darkness and lightning. This meant that apart from the damage by the lightning, it corroded the body and could even absorb your stamina and life force.

The bolts came down with a noise like the sky splitting open, a deafening crack that made the stands vibrate. The ground exploded on impact, throwing up chunks of blackened stone and a thick cloud of dust that smelled like burnt metal and scorched earth. The dark lightning coiled and hissed over the rubble, eating into the rock with a sharp, sizzling sound.

A wave of heat washed over the front rows of the crowd. Students squinted through the glare, some covering their mouths against the gritty air that stung their eyes and throats.

The thunder faded. The hissing died down. Dust hung heavy in the air, slowly settling.

Then the smoke cleared.

Seraphina was still standing right where she’d been. Not a mark on her. Her uniform was clean, her hair unmoved. The dark lightning had hit her, but it just seemed to slide off and vanish. Even the ground directly under her feet was untouched, a perfect circle of smooth stone, surrounded by blackened, shattered earth.

Valdris stared. His spear lowered just a fraction. His jaw tightened, and a short, sharp breath escaped his nose.

He wasn’t dumbstruck. He hadn’t really expected to bring her down with one shot, not after the way she’d dodged him so easily before. But seeing it with his own eyes, seeing one of his strongest skills just bounce off her like water off a rock, still hit him hard. His hand clenched around the spear shaft, knuckles whitening.

The students let out a collective gasp. A few whispered frantically. The air in the arena felt heavier, like everyone was holding their breath at once.

Valdris let out a low, grim chuckle under his breath. He’d hoped he was wrong. He wasn’t.

He tightened his grip and reset his stance, his golden eyes narrowing. He wasn’t done yet.

He channeled Originat into his spear Armament as faint, Draconic-sounding chants echoed around him, low and guttural, like something ancient waking up. The air grew thick and cold. A faint pressure pressed down on the stands, making the students shift uneasily.

A circular rune appeared at the tip of the spear, eerie and dark, with lightning crackling around it. The rune pulsed slowly at first, then faster, like a heartbeat. The crackling grew louder, sharper, sending tiny sparks shooting off in all directions. The smell of ozone filled the arena again, stronger this time, mixed with something else, something heavy and metallic, like blood and old stone.

Valdris pointed the spear directly at Seraphina.

"Descent of the Thunder Dragon."

The rune exploded outward, growing massive in an instant. Dark lightning erupted from it, twisting and coiling into a shape, a dragon’s head, then its body, then its massive, clawed limbs. The beast shot out of the rune with a deafening roar that rattled the teeth of everyone watching. Its body was made of crackling black lightning, eyes burning with a cold, demonic glow.

It lunged at Seraphina, jaws wide, demonic intent rolling off it in waves. The malice was so thick it made the students eyes widened, taking Valdris seriously. The dragon’s lightning claws raked the air, leaving trails of dark, sizzling energy behind.

All Seraphina did was to stretch her right hand at the incoming dragon.