Princess Cecilia was about to face Reese Hunnington, the son of Earl Gerald Hunnington. He was a popular and skilled noble at Briswold Academy. He had long blonde hair, which was tied back into a low ponytail, a well-defined jawline, hazel eyes, a beauty spot above his left eyebrow, rosy lips, a muscular build, and was 6 ft 3 inches. He was known for his calm demeanor and charming personality, becoming the crush of many. He and Princess Cecillia rarely interacted with each other, but they were familiar enough. While he did not look down on the Princess due to her inability to use nature magic, he only engaged in the basic formalities when they met, nothing more, nothing less.
"I must say, you've performed quite well so far, Your Highness. However, I will not hold back, so I urge you to give it your all," said Reese.
"I would never ask you to. Whether I win or lose, it will be based on my own ability," replied the Princess.
Reese showed a slight smile as he heard this. Upon seeing this, the screams of many young women filled the stadium. Eulis couldn't help but frown a bit as he saw Reese smile. The same could be said for some other young men as well, with them going so far as to squabble with some of the women who were obviously supporting Reese. The competitors, however, were not perturbed. Reese and Princess Cecilia got into position as they waited for the match to commence. The Princess could already tell that this match would be different. Reese had performed exceptionally so far, and he was a much more powerful nature magic user. While she knew she had not slacked off in her previous matches, now that she had to face a real threat, she was understandably nervous. She felt nauseous, unsure if she'd be able to move her legs, and as her heart was pounding in her ears, she clenched her fists tighter and stared down her opponent.
All of a sudden, a distinct voice could be heard from the audience. Delima stood proudly and waved her handmade banner as she cheered for the Princess. This action prompted more individuals to show their support for the Princess. It got to the point where their cheers rivaled those of Reese's fangirls. The Princes also wanted to show their support, but they were not in a position to do so given the King's seemingly foul mood. Viola, on the other hand, did not hold back. She stood up and mimicked Delima's cheer, which was: "Gah, Gah Prema! Numo On! Yeh con dane! Numo On!" which was in a language that had long lost its place in schools. As she cheered, Viola rocked from left to right like a tilted statue. While no one besides Viola seemed to understand what Delima had been saying, they could somehow feel it. The King seemed a bit annoyed by Viola's actions but dared not to express his displeasure. Once Viola got the Princess' attention, the Princes also smiled at her. Eulis also joined this smile club, although the Princess was not able to see him due to her position.
The support she received was just what the Princess needed. The match soon began; before the Princess could even move, she saw a barrage of circular formations of earth coming at her. They had the appearance of small boulders. The Princess didn't even see when her opponent made the first move. There were nine formations coming towards her. The Princess did as best as she could to dodge them, but she soon realized that she wasn't going to be able to dodge them all. She positioned her arms in front of her in a firm but relaxed manner, ready to adjust to any target, and braced herself. She had managed to dodge five of the earth formations before the sixth hit her on the shin of her right leg, pushing her back. It felt like a barrage of needles pricking her skin. The seventh directly hit her upper left thigh. She managed to block the eighth earth formation using her right arm to cover her face, but the impact caused bits of dirt to enter the Princess' eyes. Wham! The final earth formation made a direct hit to the side of the Princess' head, sending her to the ground. The crowd reacted strongly to each hit the Princess took and fell silent the moment she hit the ground. The Princess felt as though her head was almost taken clean off; she instinctively reached for her head and neck. Her hand trembled as it drew closer. This was it. The challenge that she needed. As she looked over at Reese, while constantly blinking with red eyes, she noticed that he seemed to have been giving her a chance to get to her feet. Whether this was out of pity or mockery, to her, it was irrelevant. The Princess pushed the creeping fear down and got to her feet. The crowd cheered her on as she did. Delima clasped her hands tightly as she nibbled on her lower lip. The Princess tried to close the distance between them, but Reese wouldn't let her get close. He sent off earth-made projectiles one after another, with randomly changing shapes. Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! At the speed they moved, the Princess could only avoid them based on sound rather than seeing the form itself. Reese was gradually wearing the Princess down. Eulis, who had his arms folded, watched the match pensively. To the untrained eye, it may have appeared that the Princess was keeping up with Reese, but in reality, she was quickly depleting her stamina. The Princess knew that something had to be done. Suddenly, the Princess took a firm stance, staring at Reese as if to say, "Try me!" and Reese smirked as he accepted the challenge. He sent a barrage of earth-made projectiles blasting towards the Princess. The attacks were even more ferocious. He seemed to want to put things to an end.
The Princess, however, seemed to have something else in mind as she waited for the earth-made projectiles to get close enough before making her move. One after another, the Princess destroyed the projectiles. In a matter of seconds, the platform was gradually being covered with dirt and dust. Reese found himself in an unfamiliar position. He was so focused on his attacks, caught up in the heat of the moment, that he didn't realize that he had become engulfed in the dust. Once his sight was obstructed, he realized that he had fallen into a trap. At first he intended to clear the dust but worried that he might be attacked while doing so; instead he felt it may be better for them to both endure the obstruction. He carefully moved backwards, intending to escape from this dusty prison. The dust gradually cleared, but it wasn't as fast as he hoped. The spectators were eager to see what was happening. Reese did his best to stay alert. Soon he heard some movement from the Princess. Whoosh! A swift punch moved across Reese's face; had he not moved in time, the impact may have resulted in a crooked nose. After this attack, the Princess disappeared once again. Reese did his best to predict where the attack would come from, but he couldn't have expected what would happen next. Upon hearing some clacking sounds, Reese rushed forward and threw a right hook punch, but there was no one. The dust had now cleared enough for Reese to realize that the Princess' figure was nowhere in his field of vision. Then, before he could react, it hit him. Wham! The Princess landed a firm punch right between Reese's legs, where his babymakers were. Any greater impact may have caused his "berries" to be shaken from his "tree". Those present couldn't help but feel sorry for Reese - well not all present. He instinctively covered the affected area with his hands as he fell to his knees. The Princess then took this opportunity to put Reese into a chokehold from behind. As she locked the position in place, Reese began to panic. Although he hadn't fully recovered, Reese got to his feet, lifting the Princess in the process. Due to this, the Princess hastily wrapped her legs around Reese's torso as she struggled to keep the lock in place. By this time, the dust had fully cleared. The crowd looked on in amazement, filling the area with sounds of shock. While Reese's fangirls acknowledged that it was impressive that the Princess was able to even get that close, their delusional thoughts took over as some of them started to imagine how firm Reese's chest was, how Reese may have smelt, and being in the Princess' position instead.
Reese pulled the Princess's forearm. "I must say, you haven't disappointed."
"I never planned to."
Reese jumped, and before he could touch the platform, a pillar of earth pushed forward, thrusting himself and the Princess into the air.
"Let's see what else you've got up your sleeve." Reese changed position mid-air, leaving the Princess wide open to take the brunt of the fall.
They were falling towards the platform at an incredible speed. The Princess hurriedly released Reese and used her hands to push away from his body. She then adjusted her body in order to reduce her speed. Some of the generals looked on anxiously. The Princess braced herself for the fall, but the impact did not seem as significant as she had thought, as though something cushioned her fall. She took a hard fall, but it could have been much worse. There were many sighs of relief. The Princess rolled a bit until she was able to stop herself with her hands. Due to this, her fingernails chipped in several places. She no longer had the protection of the gloves that she wore. The areas that should have covered her fingers were exposed at the top, and bits of skin could be seen stripped from her knuckles. The Princess moved carefully, stopping every few seconds due to the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She panted heavily as she got to her feet. Reese, on the other hand, prepared a large, soft mound of dirt to cushion his fall. He skillfully dispersed the dirt, using it to lift him to his feet. He had emerged with the only noticeable changes being some areas of dirtied clothing and his hair now undone. His aura now seemed to have changed; he was embodying the image of Tarzan. "If only he was showing some chest," was a common thought that young women of his fan club had in mind. Reese smirked as he watched the Princess.
"No need for others to see her pitiful side," thought Reese.
Reese covered his lower body in the dirt. He then used the softened earth to raise himself up, strengthened the soft earth, and used it to cover his waist downwards, forming it into the lower body of a snake. Reese lunged at the Princess and used the softened earth to form hardened gloves. He then began launching a barrage of punches at her. The Princess just barely managed to evade his first round of punches. The Princess could barely keep up with the continuous strikes. She could feel her stamina being drained. All of a sudden, she felt her legs buckle. Wham! The Princess was pushed back. She barely managed to slow down the momentum caused by the attack. Her fingernails chipped even further, and her fingertips scorched as they were dragged against the platform. The light streaks of blood that revealed themselves on the platform were evidence of her effort. Any greater force, and she would have been thrown off the platform. Whoosh! Before the Princess could stabilize herself, Reese sent a powerful, thick veil of dust towards the Princess. Rather than trying to evade it, however, the Princess propelled herself towards the attack. Shocked by the Princess' action, Reese quickly and as subtly as possible pulled back some of the force from his attack. This was just what the Princess was hoping for. She burst through the veil and landed a punch, sending Reese back a few spaces. Hopeful murmurs sounded from the crowd; the Princess' situation did not seem as bleak as before. Reese recoiled slightly and wiped a substance from his mouth. The Princess drew blood! As his eyes met the Princess', Reese could feel something stirring up inside himself. This little rabbit was not about to be devoured by the snake. Reese smirked. Bam! Reese rushed towards the Princess at an unimaginable speed, as though he was launched towards her. The Princess had just barely gotten back to her feet and couldn't even stand stably; there was no time to evade the attack, no time to counter, but something, anything, had to be done. Boom! Reese was sent flying, to the shock of many, almost throwing him off the platform. He seemed to have been pushed back by some force. The Princess felt as though her body was overflowing with adrenaline; she could not explain what happened but knew it had something to do with her. After all, her body was being surrounded by a gentle wind. The King was jolted to his feet, dropping his wine, his eyes glued to the scene before him. Neither his expression nor his thoughts were clear. What they were now witnessing was unheard of. Everyone was buzzing with chatter. Delima used her hands to stifle her gasp. Her eyes glistened as they widened in disbelief.
"We… we did it," mumbled Delima.
Many students couldn't believe their eyes; everyone knew of the Princess' inability to use nature magic. This was a shocking comeback. Krissy gritted her teeth as she watched the scene; the veins on her forehead were so pronounced, it was almost as if they would burst. Her face appeared red, as though she was burning from the inside. Jemma, on the other hand, seemed more melancholy. She was also in no mood to try calming Krissy; it would just end badly for her. Eulis had a smile beaming from ear to ear as he watched the Princess. He was mesmerized by her determination and strength. The Princes looked on with a mix of shock, excitement, and pride. Alexander quickly looked over at Viola, curious to see what expression she was making but he found that she seemed more concerned than anything else. Alexander wondered what could have possibly made this an unpleasant moment, but he wasn't able to find out the cause of Viola's expression as the crowd's cheers attracted his attention. While there were still a considerable amount of Reese's fangirls, more people seemed to be cheering on the Princess; even the judges and the generals seemed very interested in what the Princess would do next.
The Princess herself wasn't sure what was happening, but she followed the feeling that had shielded her before. The magic seemed to be protecting her, holding her up, and gradually restoring her strength. She was not going to waste this chance. For this round, she took the initiative and, using her fists as a guide, sent what seemed like cannonball-like forces of wind towards Reese. The forces unintentionally varied in size and strength. At first, Reese strengthened his defenses in preparation for the attacks, but upon realizing that they didn't carry much weight, he used less strength. This act worked in the Princess' favor as Reese, who had let his guard down, took serious damage from the next set of successive blows. The Princess grew more confident with each attack, but she could feel that the magic was taking a toll on her body. While she would feel stronger one minute, she would feel weaker the next. She had to learn quickly, but she had no complaints; the thought that she might actually have a chance to win was enough to keep her going. While the Princess was feeling hopeful, Reese felt threatened; he had underestimated the Princess. It was not the time to ease up. Reese began to gather every speck of earth on the platform and pulled them towards himself. Though the Princess became concerned by this action, she calmed her mind as best as she could, focused on the energy within her, and began to circulate the air around her. Reese had now covered his entire body, fully taking on the appearance of a snake. The atmosphere was tense. This move would decide the winner once and for all. Both Reese and the Princess rushed towards each other, with the Princess propelling herself using the air around her. No one dared to look away; the winner of the match was about to be decided.
Boom! There was a small explosion on the platform. A thick dust cloud engulfed the platform and the surrounding area. Many spectators got to their feet, trying to catch even the tiniest glimmer of what happened. Many students within the vicinity of the platform could be heard coughing as they tried to clear the dust and move away from the area. The 3 Star Mages, who were strategically placed around the arena, began using their magic to clear the dust. Soon the result was clear. Reese was knocked unconscious and laid motionless on the platform, but the Princess was no longer on the platform. The Princess was a short distance away, being held up by Eulis. The crowd stood silent. Who was the true victor? Based on what they were seeing, the Princess seemed to have delivered the winning blow, but could she still be considered the winner while standing outside of the platform? After some time, the referee came to the platform and announced the result; it was Reese's victory. Upon hearing this, many members of the audience voiced their displeasure. Seeing this, Principal Snow addressed the crowd and explained why the result could not be changed. While the Princess' performance was admirable, rules were rules, and as they could not determine whether the Princess was knocked off the platform before or after Reese was rendered unconscious (due to the dust), they had to accept the result as shown before them. In order to allow everyone to calm themselves, Principal Snow announced a 1-hour intermission until the next semi-final match. The soldiers from Training Ground 20, who were working as medics, speedily came in and carried Reese out on a stretcher. If he was going to be ready for the finals, then he would need to be looked at right away.
Many students and even some of the Training Ground 20 soldiers rushed to praise the Princess on her performance. The Princess felt a bit awkward at first but showed her gratitude. Delima looked on with pride and a renewed determination about her research. The King, whose eyes followed the match closely, accepted the result, for he and a few others would have realized the Princess' flaw. Her lack of control and inexperience in using nature magic would have led to her attack dealing damage to both parties and sending her off the platform. While everyone may not be pleased with the result, it would be better to leave things somewhat ambiguous. The King sat back down, his expression still not revealing his thoughts, and raised his hand. A server quickly rushed over and brought a glass of wine for the King. The King accepted it calmly. Some of the generals present could not help but share their kind words on the Princess' performance; some even mentioned the fact that the judges gave her high scores for her performance. The Crown Prince was beaming with pride and couldn't help nodding along as some of the generals sang his sister's praises. Despite the lively atmosphere, General Burke was still sulking in a corner. Julie spent some time speaking with Viola and the Princes before she left with the twins to get more refreshments. Ember took this opportunity to try getting closer to the Crown Prince. As soon as Julie had left, she practically teleported from her seat to the Crown Prince's side. The Second Prince still wished to speak with Viola about what happened before but felt it would be better to wait, seeing as Viola's expression had lightened.
Eulis dispersed the crowd after some time, advising them that the Princess needed to rest.
"Are you alright?" asked Eulis.
The Princess released her arm from Eulis' hold and smiled. "I couldn't be better."
Eulis smiled in return. Eulis urged the Princess to seek medical attention, but she simply stated that she would do so a bit later. For the Princess, the pain was worth it; it was a small price to pay to see the faces which now acknowledge her efforts. She was happy, happy to finally be and feel like a true royal.
Along a dimly-lit corridor, a petite figure stumbled along breathlessly. "I…have… to go, I have to-"