’Boooooo,’ irritating chorus of boos continued, but this time Akirion didn’t care. He was only incensed by the junk the crowd was throwing at him as he glared at Aria, who looked cocky for some reason. Akirion’s eyes appeared tired, with an emotionless face looking straight at Aria’s piercing orbs.
"Wow, I can’t wait to see how that girl is going to fight Akirion," the princess said, sitting on her golden royal chair. Her eyes were forcefully fixed on the stage as she tried to concentrate, while the announcer made noise through a megaphone.
The prince didn’t remember Akirion’s name; that’s when he asked, "Wait, who’s Akirion?"
The princess widely opened her eyes in surprise, asking herself whether Kaid was at home or sleeping during the process of calling names.
She raised a question: "So, what’s the name of the guy on the stage?"
"Ahh, maybe I didn’t catch his name... Wait, his name is... Ah, Akirion, yes, Akirion."
"Then why did you pretend as if you didn’t know it?" the princess asked again, her brows furrowed.
’What was that?’ Elina silently asked herself when they saw Akirion’s intense aura. ’Who is he? Who’s that guy?’ Elina’s questions coiled, one after the other, while her left eyebrow raised in confusion. Her hand covered her chin as her eyes remained fixed on Akirion.
’He’s totally different. We won the first event all because of him. The way he found the golden key was intriguing, and in this case, it left me with a question mark.’
The announcer’s voice buzzed as he started the countdown from 30 to begin the event: Akirion vs. Aria. The crowd screamed Aria’s name for motivation.
"Fake Class A, how am I supposed to finish you?" Aria mockingly asked, waiting for the start bell. Her eyes were completely filled with happiness and confidence as she saw Akirion as a mere unknown F Class. (There are only 4 classes: A - D.) Her mouth grinned with a scary fake smile.
"Oh, I’m so scared, pfff, did you expect that?" A simple grin appeared and faded at the same time as Akirion stood still, looking her directly in the eyes without blinking.
With a deep voice, he asked, "I should be asking you that—how should I defeat you?" Aria’s orbs widened for a second, then she regained composure as she swung her hands around, exercising, ready for combat.
"Choose any style you want if you want to finish me!"
"Yes, ma’am!" Akirion responded formally as he prepared for the fight, which was starting in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. ’Gooooooo!’ the crowd screamed, helping the announcer’s voice, which was drowned out by the crowd even through the megaphone.
The event started, with cheers raining down and whistles maturing, getting the contestants motivated. Aria was happy about the event. She molded her magic fireball as she began the counterattack on Akirion. Akirion dodged every fire attack, raising laughs from the audience.
He acted as if he was training for a dance competition, getting Aria’s orbs to flash with rage as she missed Akirion many times. Akirion jumped around like a frog, drawing all the aura attention off his back.
"Haha, I thought maybe he was strong, but no—he’s a loser, even if you don’t admit it," the prince said, laughing at the dancing Akirion.
The princess was left speechless as she watched Akirion’s funny, ridiculous performance. "Yeah, maybe you’re right; he can be a loser." The princess was forced to step away from Akirion’s side as he acted like a baby on the battlefield.
Cheers increased in Aria’s favor as she displayed more power during her fight. The boos gradually died down as they shifted to cheering for Aria. Her name was repeatedly called, and the crowd cheered her on.
Akirion spent a few minutes dodging until he got a chance to turn and fire his first shot at Aria. His shot barely reached her and, by simple force, was absorbed into her clothes.
Laughter flooded the stage as the crowd showed their teeth—some giggling, some grinning.
"Is that all you’ve got, Class A—Akirion?" mockingly asked Aria.
"Pfff, no! Why are you asking?"
"Just curious. Be careful, here I come," Aria said as she ran toward Akirion for close combat.
"Feel free," he replied, his eyes flashing with confidence as he watched her run toward him.
Aria gasped when she saw Akirion’s smiling face, spitting some provoking words at her.
Angrily, she shouted, "Are you saying ’feel free’?" Then Akirion remained silent, ready to dodge.
"Wait, what is Akirion doing?" Thaneiros asked himself in surprise when he saw Akirion shooting a low-level spell.
"I’ve seen him do better than that. Is he enjoying those criticisms?" Thaneiros was angry about the laughs he was hearing.
Elina was filled with fury as she watched the match. Her eyes burned with rage, her brows furrowing into a grid. Her hands shook with rage, her lips pressed tightly together, and her eyes closed after she had enough of the fight.
Her voice echoed in Akirion’s mind as she yelled, "Akirion! What are you doing?"
That had a deep impact on Akirion’s mind, causing him to stop and stare at Elina.
"I’ve heard enough laughs. What are you doing? I’ll come at you if you continue to dance like a loser," those words impacted Akirion’s wisdom—and Fiana’s—as she widely opened her eyes in astonishment.
"I was wrong," said the princess, her eyes gaining tears.
"What?" Kaid asked, brow furrowing in confusion.
"Not again! Why are you into that loser?"
An argument arose on the royal side. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ⓝovelFire.net
While Akirion was listening to Elina’s words, Aria shot fireballs at him, hitting him and knocking him onto his back. The loud noise of the crowd erupted as they cheered for Aria, while boos scattered over Akirion.
Suddenly, Akirion’s face flashed with rage. His face reddened, his fist clenched, and his teeth gritted. "I see—you’ve entertained them enough. Now it’s my turn," his deep voice caused the noise—the murmurs and cheers—to die down.
His eyes flashed with rage as he looked at Aria. She gasped in fear, nearly losing her balance as she reversed.
The princess’s face bloomed with a smile as she saw Akirion’s serious expression. She was turned on by his looks.
"Wow, he’s so handsome."
"Really?" Kaid said, feeling disgusted.
"It’s time to surrender or forfeit; choose one," Akirion’s voice echoed in the silence of the crowd, everyone watching his intense, scary face.
Aria gulped, shivers running down her spine as she kept her eyes locked on Akirion.
The stunned Aria remained silent, and Akirion moved without a response. He swiftly ran away from her sight, and she thought maybe he disappeared, but surprisingly, his footsteps thudded behind her.
Gasping, many spectators were flabbergasted by Akirion’s moves.
Aria considered fighting back, but Akirion didn’t give her a chance.
"I gave you a choice..." he cast a spell, ’fireball,’ which shot at Aria’s stomach, sending her to the end of the stage. "...but you proved to be dumb," his face blazing with rage, eyebrows crashing together, forming a grid.
The loudly booming announcer’s voice covered all gasps. "Oh, the strong Aria is on her knees!"
The crowd started murmuring, asking, "Who is that Akirion?"
Akirion continued, "Any last words? Because you didn’t reply to me, so I guess you want to die with my hands."
Aria’s voice trembled as she tried to reply. "A...A...," she sounded as if her mouth was full of blood. Her eyes darted in terror, unable to stay on one point, her body trembling, forcing her to stay on her knees. Her body was suffering burns, her insides screaming in agony, feeling hot.
"You see, he’s not a loser," said Princess Fiana, her face glowing with a smile.
"You are a betrayer."
"What? Why are you saying that?" her brow quirked in confusion.
"You once agreed that your Akirion guy was a loser, but now you’re praising him again."
"What do you want me to do? I realized my mistake quickly," she replied.
"Here I come!" Akirion shot a dangerous fire arrow at Aria, but the exhausted Aria, who had lost a lot of arcana, fainted after Akirion’s frightening shot. Before she hit the ground, Akirion rushed to save her from the fueled fire arrows.
He swiftly swooped her away, and the arrow reached the ground, causing a terrifying explosion.
The crowd grew quiet as they saw a scary explosion.
" Aria is down, again, she’s down!" the announcer’s voice boomed through the quietness of the crowd.