Chapter 8: "The War Lady's Arena"
Morning, Guest House – The Calm Before the Storm
The first light of dawn gently spilled through the wooden window shutters of the guest house. A bird chirped somewhere outside, announcing the arrival of a new day. Inside, two figures stirred from slumber.
Reydan slowly opened his eyes, the tension of the coming battle still lingering in his muscles. Beside him, his younger brother Kael yawned loudly and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Despite being just a year younger, Kael often acted like a kid around Reydan.
As they stepped out of their room, the guest house owner and staff greeted them with beaming smiles. "Best of luck today! We're all cheering for you!" one of them said, offering them bread and fruit.
Suddenly, royal knights appeared at the entrance, standing tall and proud in their silver armor. "We have been ordered to escort you to the coliseum," one of them declared.
On the way, Kael walked beside Reydan, looking up at him. "Bro, stop patting my head in front of everyone. I'm not a kid anymore. You are only 2 year older than me so stop It's embarrassing," he muttered, brushing Reydan's hand away.
Reydan chuckled, messing up Kael's hair anyway. "You'll always be my little brother i only see you 10 years old kid ( laughing)
"Trying to lighten the mood before the battle, Kael gave a small laugh and asked Rayden with a grin..."
As they walked through the grand halls of the colosseum, with royal guards escorting them on both sides, Kael glanced at Rayden with a sly smile.
"Hey, big bro... how old do you think the princess is?" he asked, pretending to sound casual.
Rayden raised an eyebrow.
"Why? You interested?" ( Smiling)
Kael grinned.
"No no... just wondering if you're too old for her."
Rayden narrowed his eyes.
"Tch. Please. I'm not that old."
Just then, one of the royal guards — without even turning — said calmly:
"She's twenty."
Kael snapped his fingers.
"Ooooh! Just two years younger than you!"
Then he smirked wickedly.
"You know, you'd make a great royal husband. Maybe she likes rugged guys with scars
Rayden gave him a look.
"Keep talking, I'll leave you in the dungeon."
Kael leaned in, whispering like a gossip auntie.
"Imagine this — Prince Rayden of the Sky Kingdom. Got a nice ring to it, huh?"
Rayden groaned.
"I swear, one more word—"
Kael laughed, hands behind his head.
"Too late, I'm already planning your wedding. . Maybe I'll be the best man and the flower guy."
Even the royal guard chuckled under his helmet.
("Rayden, who had been fully tense about the upcoming battle with the princess, finally began to ease up. Even his mood seemed to lift.")
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Coliseum Grounds – The Gathering
As they reached the coliseum, they noticed that all the candidates who had participated in the tournament were already seated in the stands. Everyone had come to witness the legendary battle.
At the center of the grand arena stood the princess, draped in her iconic golden light armor—an elegant yet fully covering attire. It was known that the princess despised revealing even a sliver of her skin during battle.
Reydan, too, had donned his monster-slayer blue armor, the one that had brought him victories in all previous rounds.
A loud voice echoed across the stadium. It was the king, seated on a royal podium.
"Today's match shall determine more than just glory. If the candidate manages to defeat the princess, he shall be declared the new King and Marry my daughter But even in defeat, he shall still be crowned the winner of this tournament and price "
The crowd erupted in a frenzy, cheering loudly for both the war lady and the mysterious monster slayer.
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The Princess vs. The Challenger
As the battle commenced, the princess stepped forward, holding a simple steel sword. No golden holy blade, no enchantments.
"The holy sword is too powerful. To keep the battle fair, I will not use it," she had once stated.
Reydan, well-aware of her strength, knew he had to rely on tactics. He cast multiple lightning traps all over the ground—his signature technique to paralyze foes who stepped on them.
But the princess, eyes narrowed with icy focus, simply whispered, "Dispel." She stomped the ground gently.
In an instant, all of Reydan's magic vanished like smoke.
Reydan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Kael, watching from the stands, froze in shock. But what truly made his heart pound with dread was what he saw next. Gazing into his brother's opponent with his minor mana vision ability, he saw something horrifying:
The princess's body shimmered with pure red mana, thick like lava, with streaks of yellow mana forming a halo around her eyes.
"I've never... seen this kind of mana density before," Kael whispered to himself, shaking.
Other characters nearby, fellow candidates who once fought in the tournament, murmured:
"Your brother is strong, but he's a fool. You can't beat the princess with swordsmanship. She's mastered the legendary 108 Arts of Swordsmanship. That's not something a 64-arts user can compete with."
Another added, "She's even got the Sword Rain Spell—an elite-level magic where thousands of magical swords rain down on her opponent."
Kael watched in horror as Reydan struggled to even land a single blow. The gap between them was enormous.
Yet in his brother's eyes, there was no fear—only determination.
To be continued...
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