** 45 days after Glenn's awakening
"Are you ready, young master?" Hera asked as she adjusted my indigo blue robe.
"Yes, I think I've gotten used to this situation, though I'm grateful it's the last fight."
"These have been tough days."
"Indeed. Honestly, my mind is on the verge of shutting down from all the stress."
"Come on, young master. It's time. Just two more fights, and it's all over."
I walked toward the arena I had used so many times over the past thirty days.
I need to explain something to you all, and it's about how a fire often starts from small sparks. Sparks that, under the right conditions, can devastate entire territories.
My fight against Thadeus was one of those sparks. My victory floated like an ember landing on dry grass. Elian's words at the beginning, about me being his disciple, and at the end, about me being the most talented mage of this generation, were also sparks that added to my story.
And, as always, where there are many embers near a forest, a fire is the least to be expected.
Speaking of fire, a wicked queen, heartless, peace-destroying, sadistic, and manipulative, decided that these embers weren't enough and chose to add flammable fuel herself.
The only problem was that, in the middle of all this fire, was me.
The summary is simple: the news that an Awakened had defeated a talented and renowned mage from one of the noble families exploded across Chaos. Combined with the rumors that I was still at the Initial Awakened Rank and had defeated Thadeus without using a Nexus, the impact was overwhelmingly shocking. To the point of disbelief.
Many nobles from across the Demon Empire began questioning the queen's decisions to spread false rumors about some talented pawn of hers.
Incidentally, that's the nickname I was given: 'The Queen's Pawn,' since no one dared to ask her if I was truly her consort. A fact that made little to no sense in the minds of the powerful.
The Ferrox Umbra family, mysteriously, also did nothing to clarify the doubts of the many nobles who sent their messengers seeking the truth of the story.
As their omission became strange and indecent, rumors soon spread that a false campaign was being used by the crown to promote its new soldiers of this generation. To the point of inventing a far-fetched excuse that a mage with two affinities at the Initial Awakened Rank had defeated a talented mage from a noble family.
The uproar was so great that soon a royal decree was sent to all cities, stamped with the queen's seal. It was both an explanation and a summons.
"Royal Decree of Queen Selene Noctis
To the citizens of the Demon Empire, to the warriors of fervent blood, to the mages of sharp minds, and to all who dwell under the starry sky of our kingdom, hear the words of your sovereign, Selene Noctis.
It is with deep disappointment that I observe the insidious murmurs spreading like a poisonous mist among you. Rumors, doubts, and questions about the integrity of Our word have echoed through the corridors of cities and the fields of battle.
Know, therefore, that I, as queen and supreme authority of this empire, would never stoop to creating false rumors or deceiving those who have sworn loyalty to our throne.
Our word is sacred, forged in the flames of truth and tempered by the responsibility we bear toward all of you. Those who dare to continue sowing distrust will be considered traitors to the crown and will face the consequences of their actions under the kingdom's most severe laws.
In demonstration of Our benevolence and to prove the strength and truth that reside in our word, We summon all warriors and mages, from the Awakened Rank to the Initial Champion Rank, to participate in a singular duel.
The challenge will be to face Our sole representative, personally chosen by Us, in fair and honorable combat. The same one at the center of the doubts that plague you.
To the victor, two prizes of choice will be granted: a unique and special lesson with Master Elian, recognized as the empire's greatest mage, or their weight in gold, paid directly from the royal treasury, as a symbol of Our generosity and recognition of their skill.
Those who do not achieve victory, however, will be required to sign a Blood Contract, sealed with magic and irrevocable.
This contract will bind them to participate in an event of great importance that will occur in the near future, with the arrival of the Legendary Blacksmith, whose visit to demon territory will mark a crucial moment for the future of our empire.
The duels will take place at the Royal Palace, in Chaos, the empire's capital, on the last three days of the week.
All interested parties must present themselves to the Captain of the Royal Guard no later than three days before the start of the battles.
Let this decree serve as a reminder that the word of your queen is unbreakable and that distrust only weakens the bonds that hold our empire together. Those who prove their worth will be rewarded. Those who fail will have the chance to redeem themselves by serving the kingdom in its most crucial hour.
A Path of Strength and Victory!
Signed under the royal seal,
Yes, exactly what you're thinking. Selene summoned all the mages and warriors of the empire to fight me every weekend.
Needless to say, I wasn't informed about this in advance.
And since then, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I've been facing many of the empire's geniuses.
With the royal decree, so many people signed up that a selection process for the most talented was necessary.
Every day of the week, you could hear the sounds of explosions, shocks, and impacts from the battles taking place, and in the end, only nine earned the opportunity to face me.
I've been fighting three battles a day, nine in total each weekend. And today is the last day of the fourth and final week.
I've learned a lot about one-on-one combat during this time. I also understood why mages hate fighting warriors in the early ranks.
Seven of my draws were against warriors.
The upside of this situation is that it would have been impossible for me to fight three times a day without a Nexus. And, well, what I received fell into the "extremely broken" category.
'And here I was complaining about Thadeus's orb, how hypocritical!'
I had already won the first match of the day and was heading toward the conclusion of the tournament. At the moment, I had achieved seventeen wins, eleven draws, and six losses. And I had two more fights left before this hell ended.
Just for the record, my opponents were insanely strong.
Half of them were stronger than Thadeus, and some were close to breaking through to the Superior Champion Rank. But in most of those cases, I still managed to draw or win.
'Earthly Sovereignty, suck on that!'
Among my losses, the most notable was against a bastard named Alden. A mage who was my complete opposite, with affinities for earth and water. Making the fight impossible to win.
But of course, not all the empire's aces showed up. Many famous names didn't bother to come fight me. Others had already broken the accepted limit for the duel.
And I can only thank them from the bottom of my heart for not showing up.
My last two opponents were no joke either. They were renowned names from the Lunaris Argentum family, known as the 'Cold-Blooded Twins.'
And before we get into the brawl, you must be wondering how I've survived these days.
Well, my schedule hasn't changed much. The only difference and advantage I have is that I always receive a small report before fighting an opponent.
The day before the duels, I don't have to do endurance training with Lesley, leaving only survival combat training with weapons and simulated magic battles with Elian.
If there's one thing worth noting, it's that ten days ago, Dália went into closed-door cultivation. According to Master Elian, she had been ready to break through since the day he arrived at the Consort Tower.
Well, Hera has happily taken her place during my late-night sessions, but I'm starting to miss her.
I entered the royal castle's arena with firm steps. Today, in particular, there were quite a few people in the stands.
Entry was controlled, and only guests and family members of the participants could watch the battles taking place inside the fortress. This prevented unnecessary crowds in the queen's home.
Speaking of the queen, she hadn't watched one of my fights in two weeks. Perhaps the reason was my clear progress, albeit through struggles.
Or whatever insidious thoughts were running through that malevolent mind.
By my side was Elian, who had been the judge of all the matches so far. That alone was enough for many young people who looked up to him, and even in defeat, some still thanked him for the opportunity.
We walked side by side until we reached the center of the arena, where two demons, dressed differently, awaited me.
A girl, 1.75 meters tall, with short blue hair reaching her shoulders, blue eyes, a slim and well-defined body, wearing heavy armor with a massive red spear resting on her back. What really stood out was a red scar on her cheek.
Beside her, a demon with features identical to the girl's, with blue hair and eyes, slightly tanned skin, wearing a peculiar mage's robe.
Their most striking characteristic was stamped on their faces.
Lifeless eyes and depressed expressions. There wasn't a hint of happiness overflowing from their gazes.
There wasn't a hint of anything: expectation, nervousness, or euphoria.
"Challenger Seraphine Lunaris Argentum, take your place and prepare for the start of the battle."
Her brother left the arena and sat isolated in one of the stands' chairs.
I positioned myself as usual, a little over forty meters from the girl.
"Penultimate match of Queen Selene Noctis's royal challenge: Glenn versus Seraphine Lunaris Argentum. BEGIN!"