"A person who's been hurt too many times."
That was what I saw in Charlotte during our brief encounter.
So what happens when someone like that is suddenly given love?
A faint smile formed on my lips as I looked down at the crowd beneath the balcony. They walked, laughed, chatted—completely unaware of how easily their attention could be guided.
If I shouted right now, they would stop. Turn around. Search for the source of the voice. That's how humans work. As long as I pull the right strings, I can control their behavior, their focus, even their emotions.
I turned around and left the balcony.
At the very least, I was confident I could reach Radiant 3 by tomorrow. From what I could feel, this body was far stronger than most bodies at that stage. Maybe it was because Lucian had consumed dozens of bottles of Aetherium Potion before dying. There was an old theory that if a body was subjected to excessive strain, it would adapt and adjust. And perhaps because of that, those dozens of potions had been fully absorbed, leaving this body in an abnormal state.
When I returned to the hall, several nobles deliberately kept their distance from me. Their gazes avoided mine, clearly unwilling to get involved. Since there was no chance of forming any connections that night, I decided to return to the dormitory and sleep.
The next day passed like any other—except not a single sycophant approached me, and the entire academy was filled with whispers about the duel I was about to fight.
I was called to the administration office to sign official documents regarding the duel.
Toward evening, the effects of the potion completely wore off. I immediately formed a new connecting line with my stellar point. Although my control was still lacking, that weakness was compensated by my massive magical capacity. With that, I smoothly reached Radiant 3.
After classes ended, I headed to the duel arena.
A massive stadium stretched out before me, as wide as five football fields. People moved about, gossiping with faces full of anticipation. I entered and went to the participant area, where an old man who looked like a professor was already waiting.
Following his instructions, I stepped into a transparent capsule. The bracelet on my wrist began to glow, and moments later, the capsule opened again.
"You're now in a virtual body," he explained, pointing at my bracelet. "Any physical injuries won't harm your real body. Your real body is stored inside that bracelet."
I was slightly amazed. The technology in this world was absurdly advanced—but considering this was a fantasy world, I supposed it made sense.
After receiving a few more explanations, I walked into the arena.
A vast field with a surface like hardened cement spread out before me. I focused my gaze on a small point in the distance. There, Alfred stood with a feral grin carved onto his face.
Cheers filled my ears. Even though the stands weren't completely full, thousands of people were clearly watching this duel.
"Alright!" the announcer's voice boomed across the stadium.
"Today, we will witness a duel between the Prince of the Kingdom of Celestra, Alfred Aurelius Celestra, and Lucian Valcaryn!"
The stadium erupted with cheers.
"According to the agreement, if Lucian loses, he will be expelled from Orion Academy!"
The crowd instantly went wild.
"And in exchange," the announcer continued, "if Lucian wins, Prince Alfred must spend two hours every day with Lady Charlotte Seravelle from the first-year class!"
The commotion grew even louder.
"Is this guy insane?"
"I thought he'd demand power!"
"I even thought he wanted to marry the prince's sister!"
Whispers and laughter mixed together, questioning my supposedly absurd motive.
"Without further delay," the announcer shouted, "let the blazing duel begin!"
From afar, a red streak of light shot toward me at high speed.
I stomped my foot into the ground. Massive cracks spread out like a spiderweb. I thrust my hand forward, and chunks of stone of various sizes rose, hovered, then shot toward the red light.
But the light moved with terrifying agility, dodging the stones with inhuman precision as the distance between us shrank rapidly.
I drew my sword and prepared to dash.
Boom!
The ground behind me exploded, and my body launched forward at extreme speed. When we were close enough, I swung my sword at Alfred, whose body was already wrapped in blazing flames.
My blade collided with his burning sword. A deafening crash shook the arena as a shockwave blasted outward in all directions.
Alfred grinned mockingly.
"Your life is about to end. That's what happens when you touch my woman."
I snorted lightly.
"Relax. I'm pretty sure the hole wasn't that loose—unless your little brother is just really small."
"You—!"
The flames around Alfred exploded, growing even larger. The heat surged forward and swallowed me whole. Yet the fire stopped just short of touching my body, as if blocked by something invisible.
"Did you remove the air around yourself?" Alfred frowned, clearly shocked.
"Who knows," I replied casually.
I weakened the force behind my sword, dropped into a low crouch, then swept my blade sideways. The sword spun backward and down, then shot upward, aiming straight for his neck.
Alfred realized the shift in rhythm too late. His body pitched forward, but his reflexes were incredible—he twisted midair and blasted himself away with an explosion of fire.
I stepped forward. The flames in front of me parted, opening a path. In just a few steps, I emerged from the dome of fire.
In front of me, Alfred stood clutching his bleeding cheek. Shock was clearly written on his face as he saw me emerge completely unharmed.
Without hesitation, Alfred began fighting seriously. Flames exploded in all directions, burning across the entire arena.
"Maybe you can erase the fire around you," he said coldly, "but at the same time, you can't breathe, can you? In that case, let's see how long you can hold your breath."
I dashed forward, and my sword clashed directly with Alfred's.
A loud crash shook the air. Sparks scattered as the metal blades collided, the pressure from the impact traveling up into my arms. My feet slid across the ground as I resisted the brutal force of his strike.
Alfred sneered. The flames along his blade flared even more violently, crawling toward my sword as if trying to devour it.
I twisted my wrist, redirecting the angle of his slash, then shoved him back with a short burst of magic. His body staggered half a step, but he immediately planted his feet and countered with a crosswise strike.
I ducked. His blade passed just centimeters above my head, the heat making my hair feel like it was about to burn. Without stopping, I spun and slashed toward his waist.
Alfred jumped back, the ground beneath his feet exploding as a jet of fire propelled him away. Distance opened between us once more.
I attacked again, but every time I approached, Alfred sensed the point where the flames disappeared and immediately launched an attack there. Even though the fire didn't touch me, the heat made my breathing heavy. Sweat poured down my body. The sword in my hand grew so hot it felt like it was burning me. After several failed exchanges, I was forced to let go. The skin on my palm began peeling from the heat of the hilt.
"I can't stay still like this for long," I muttered.
As I tried to retreat, I could feel Alfred pursuing me. With my senses, I detected the point with the highest concentration of magic—and struck toward it.
Omniscience POV
Alfred felt Lucian closing in. From his perception, a mass of magic with overwhelming intensity was approaching him—far denser than the flames he had spread.
He prepared to block. The fire in front of him vanished.
But what appeared before him was only a cloak drifting through the air.
Before he could react, a powerful impact slammed into his back. His body was sent flying, smashing into the ground several times before coming to a stop. Blood burst from his mouth. His back felt shattered, though the injuries began regenerating almost immediately.
In front of him, Lucian emerged from the dome of fire without a single wound.
Alfred frowned. He created hundreds of fireballs and fired them all at once. Yet strangely, every single one curved away, avoiding Lucian.
He formed one massive fireball and launched it. Lucian walked forward casually. When the fireball swallowed him, a hole suddenly opened in its center—Lucian walked out unharmed.
"What the hell are you doing!" Alfred shouted in frustration.
Lucian only looked at him coldly.
Realizing fire couldn't touch him, Alfred incinerated the entire arena with terrifying intensity. Lucian flew into the air to avoid it, but then he raised his hand—every flame surged upward toward the sky and wrapped around Lucian.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed throughout the arena. Alfred felt the shockwave shake the ground beneath his feet.
In an instant, the ground below him was lifted into the air, throwing Alfred upward. As he tried to leap down, another rock slammed into his body and dragged him even higher.
Below, Lucian raised his hand. His blue eyes gleamed sharply. Earth and fire rose together, gathering and spinning, forming a gigantic sphere in the sky—swallowing Alfred inside.
The stadium froze, staring at the massive sphere floating in the air, formed from densely compressed earth.
Flames began bursting out. The rocks melted, turning into magma that rained downward. From within the sphere, Alfred emerged, his entire body engulfed in blazing fire.
"This isn't wind magic," he muttered, then shot forward to attack.
But just as he was about to reach Lucian with his sword, his body suddenly stopped, suspended in midair.
Thin threads had wrapped around his entire body.
When he tried to move—
His arm was severed, and his sword fell to the ground.
"Arghh!"
He screamed in pain as he realized his arm was gone.
In front of him, Lucian stared with a cold expression.
"Can't you regenerate that arm with your fire?"
Alfred grimaced, glaring at Lucian with pure hatred.
"That's enough," Lucian said flatly. "I don't want to be seen as cruel for torturing someone weak."
The threads moved.
In an instant, Alfred's body was sliced into countless pieces, then turned into a beam of light that left the arena.
The entire stadium froze, witnessing what had just happened.