Aisha was still thinking of what to do when Lancelot extended his hands, channeling magic essence to create multiple flames all launched toward Aisha burning and causing damage to her face. Each projectile moved with speed and force, forcing her go on the defensive.
Aisha's fire pulsed violently in response, forming defensive spirals, shields, and converging beams that met his assault head-on.
"Coward," Aisha shouted. "You trick me my beautiful face now die"
She fired a volley of compressed fire disks, spinning rapidly as they cut through the air. Lancelot responded by dodging each attacks.
Lancelot concealed aura immediately released.
Aisha froze.
His aura was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. The pressure distorted the air itself, heat
rolling outward in invisible waves. It was so intense that it burned her eyes just from seeing it.
"So hot—!" she cried, immediately deactivating her perception.
Lancelot smiled faintly.
"Affinity."
The next moment was even more shocking.
His aura condensed, flowing inward instead of outward, wrapping around his body like a second layer of skin.
Aisha froze, staring in disbelief.
"That's not essence skin…"
Essence skin was a basic skill, normally taught in middle school. It has high defense and middle offence unlike skills like essence fist which has high offence and high defence.What Lancelot displayed was entirely different something far more advanced.
In this world, schools were divided into three levels.
Academic was the lowest level. It taught children between the ages of five and ten. The first
three years were spent learning how to read and write. The remaining two years were dedicated to
the laws and culture of Britannia.
Middle school was for children aged eleven to thirteen. During the first year, students awakened
their magic cores, but they were forbidden from using them until they turned twelve. At that point,
they were taught basic techniques like essence skin and how to draw essence from their magic cores. When they reached thirteen, they underwent an affinity test to determine which magic element they were most compatible with. Once their affinity was confirmed, they could graduate to high school.
High school was an entirely different world a relentless competition.
It was divided into three major sections: the Market Section, the Mage Section, and the Creative
Section.
The Market Section consisted of three classes: Internal and External Affairs Class, Agricultural Class, and Trade Class.
The Mage Section included Spell Casters Class, Magic Class, Warrior Class, Soldier Class, and
Knight Class.
The Creative Section was the most diverse, containing Entertainment Class, Building Class, Art Class, Science Class, and many others.
Graduation from high school required passing a tournament.
Only the top ten students from each class were allowed to take the final test before graduation. The
sole exception was the Knight Class, where fifty students were permitted to participate. This was
because the Knight Class was made for only nobles it consists of the combination of internal affairs and external affairs class, culture, and knight class. Graduates from this class found employment with ease.
The final competition was divided by section.
From each section, the top one hundred students advanced to the next stage. Those who failed
were given two choices: graduate immediately with a D-grade certificate, or remain for another year
and attempt the test again.
In the second stage, the number of students that can promote to the next stage is thirty. The remaining seventy students graduated and were assigned positions within the castle.
The remaining thirty were then divided by section ten from each. From these, the top one student was Lancelot they granted him the title Knight of Britannia. The second and third ranked students became Elite Knights, while the remaining seven earned the rank of Expert Knight.
The title Knight of Britannia is a title that cannot be shared. It is given to the best Lancelot challenged the previous Knight then won and was acknowledged by all.
There was only one way to obtain it—by challenging the current Knight of Britannia to a duel.
Even then, the rules were strict. The reigning knight had the right to refuse the challenge but in reality that was not an option because it will rune the knight reputation.
Lancelot was the current Knight of Britannia. Affinity is a skill modified and recreated Lancelot it boost his defence and offence it also specialise in flying using this Trump card as an ace to defeat the current knight of Britainna. He wasn't just given the title he fight and earned it.
Then Lancelot acted. He created a clone infused with magic essence moving it across the battlefield in near-invisibility. It was a phantom, striking suddenly at the edges of her vision, forcing her to misjudge distance and timing. A misstep. A single split-second where her guard dropped.
Lancelot's clones multiplied all are equipped with the skill affinity, some flying, some running along , some invisibly striking at angles beyond perception. Aisha could not react in time she was beating to a pulp by Lancelot clones.
Lancelot stepped forward.
Aisha straightened across from him, her posture rigid but controlled. Her uniform was tore in several places, blackened by backflow from her own flames. One shoulder sagged slightly, the result of sustained backlash from earlier exchanges, her face was burned to the extent most part of her skeleton was showing in her jaw, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth evaporating as it touched the residual heat around her body.
They moved at the same time.
The first collision was sharp and violent. Aisha's fist drove forward, reinforced by essence fist. Lancelot twisted, the strike grazing his ribs. Pain flared, but he endured. His counter came instantly an elbow slammed toward her sternum. She blocked with her forearm, but the impact
numbed her arm and sent her sliding back.
They pressed in again. A low kick from Aisha clipped Lancelot's ankle. His balance wavered. A palm strike followed caught at the last second.
They clashed relentlessly. Fists, elbows, knees. Some strikes were dodged. Some were blocked. Others landed cleanly, leaving bruises and blood.
A blow caught Aisha's head. Her vision blurred. She responded with a headbutt that split Lancelot's brow. Blood ran down his face, but he remained steady.
Aisha's left arm trembled. Her ribs broken, flames rebelled, burning her from within. Lancelot bore bruises and burns, but his stamina held firm.
She lunged again. Lancelot stepped into the strike and dodge as soon as the attack was going to make contact he twisted her arm then drove her face into the ground. Stone shattered. Blood pooled beneath her cheek.
She rose shaking, broken but unyielding.
Lancelot kick her ribs repeatedly. Something cracked. Her body recoiled in agony.
She tried to counter. Missed. He twisted her wrist and snapped her elbow backward. Her scream tore through the battlefield as the joint gave way.
She collapsed to one knee, breathing ragged. Still she tried to rise.
Lancelot struck her chest with an open palm. The impact sent her flying into broken stone. She rolled, then lay still, breathing shallowly, alive but broken.
Lancelot stood over her, blood dripping from his brow, chest rising steadily.