"Not bad. But desperation doesn't suit you, heir of the Silver Fla."
I twirled my estoc lazily, letting the black flas dance along its edge like mischievous sprites. My smirk deepened as I tilted my head, watching Varen's fiery aura shimr around him, the heat radiating off him in waves. The crowd was in a frenzy, their cheers and gasps feeding the charged atmosphere, but my attention was wholly on the man before .
"You really are making this fun," I said my tone light and teasing. "But let's not stay on the defensive all the ti, shall we? I'd hate for the crowd to think the heir of the Silver Fla can't handle a little pressure.
The faintest flicker crossed Varen's eyes-an ember of irritation, perhaps, or a spark of resolve igniting into a blaze. His grip on his greatsword tightened, the knuckles whitening, and for a mont, he said nothing. Then, his eyes locked onto mine, shining with a fiery intensity that sent a thrill racing through .
"I shall do so," he said, his voice low but resonant, carrying the weight of his
conviction.
His greatsword rose in a deliberate motion, the silvery-red flas along its edge roaring to life. The air around him shimred as if the heat itself had beco a living entity, coiling and twisting around him. Then, with a deep breath, he straightened, his voice calm yet thunderous as he declared, "From now on, I will no longer hold back." The shift was imdiate and profound. A fiery aura exploded outward from his body, the sheer force of it rattling the protective enchantnts around the arena. The flas surged, bright and unrelenting, as though his very soul had been set alight. His eyes, already blazing, now burned with an intensity that seed almost otherworldly, a reflection of the power welling up from deep within him.
I could feel it-no, I could sense it. The energy pouring from Varen's core wasn't just imnse; it was purposeful, surging through his body like molten lava filling every crevice, strengthening him in ways that defied normal cultivation. It was raw, ferocious, and unyielding.
'Ah... so this is it,' I thought, my smirk widening as realization dawned. 'It's Ignis Ascension."
The na surfaced from the depths of my mory, a state unique to Varen's character in the novel, even at the start.
Ignis Ascension-the pinnacle of his fiery abilities, a state where his mana
concentrated so densely within him that it transford his entire body into a conduit for fla.
It was a power born not just of strength, but of the unshakable resolve that defined him as a male lead.
I couldn't help but chuckle, low and amused. "Oh, so you're finally taking this seriously," I murmured, more to myself than to him. "This should be good."
Varen's fiery aura flared brighter, his greatsword radiating a heat that made the air shimr like a mirage. The crowd seed to hold its breath, their excitent palpable as the arena itself felt smaller, the heat closing in like a smothering blanket.
"You like to provoke, don't you?" Varen said, his voice calm yet edged with a new, dangerous determination. His eyes locked onto mine, the fire within them promising nothing less than a storm of destruction. "Then allow to respond."
"Please do so."
He didn't reply with words.
Instead, he did move.
-SWOOSH!
Faster than before, with his greatsword cutting through the air with precision and power, it made even my reflexes strain to keep up. The blade glead, the silvery-red flas trailing behind it like a cot, and I stepped in to et him, my estoc ready, the black flas flaring in response.
'Let's see it, Varen Drakov,' I thought, the thrill of the fight surging through like lightning. Let's see just how far Ignis Ascension will take you.'
The shift in Varen's intensity was imdiate. His aura flared, a fiery storm swirling around him as if the very air obeyed his will. His movents were sharper, faster, more deliberate. This wasn't the sa Varen Drakov I had been toying with monts ago. Ignis Ascension had pushed him to the next level.
-SWOOSH!
The flas around Varen's greatsword roared to life as he swung it in a high arc, the blade descending with terrifying speed. Silvery-red flas trailed behind, creating an illusion of a teor falling from the heavens. I stepped forward, eting his strike head-on. My estoc flicked out, black flas twisting along its length as I angled it precisely against his blade.
CLANG!
The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, but I deflected the blow, redirecting the force away from . The flas seared the air around us, but I remained unscathed, stepping back into a defensive stance.
Varen didn't hesitate. As his greatsword followed through from the first strike, he channeled his fiery mana outward, manipulating it into a crescent-shaped wave of fla that surged toward with deadly intent. It was a ranged attack, but one that
forced to stay alert, as the flas curved unpredictably.
I pivoted sharply, my estoc flashing out to intercept. The black flas of the Fla of Equinox clashed with his fiery mana, dispersing the wave mid-flight. The residual heat grazed my arm, but I ignored it, my focus entirely on Varen, who was already closing
in.
Varen spun on his heel, his greatsword arcing low in a sweeping motion that carried his full weight and montum. Flas spiraled outward, making it impossible to dodge cleanly. His movent was fluid, his control over the range of his blade and the surrounding flas impeccable.
CRACK!
I twisted my body, angling my estoc to deflect the blade away from my legs. But the fiery energy trailing his strike caught mid-spin, slamming into my side. The searing heat bit into my mana barrier, causing it to flicker and crack. Pain surged through my ribs, but I gritted my teeth and kept moving, unwilling to let him capitalize on the hit.
Varen lunged forward, the tip of his greatsword blazing as he aid for my chest. His movents were precise, his speed nearly overwhelming, but I could see through the intent. It was a feint, the blade shifting mid-lunge to curve toward my left side.
CLANG!
I parried the strike cleanly, my estoc sliding along the flat of his greatsword to deflect it away. The flas hissed as they t the black fire surrounding my blade, and I stepped back into position, my breathing heavier now.
The crowd roared as Varen unleashed his full power. Channeling his fiery mana into his greatsword, he raised it high above his head, flas coiling and surging outward. The heat was suffocating, the energy crackling like a living thing. He brought the blade down in an overhead smash, the flas exploding outward as it descended.
BOOM!
I raised my estoc in a desperate block, but the sheer force of the attack overwheld . The explosion of mana drove back, the impact reverberating through my body as my barrier flickered dangerously. A sharp, burning pain lanced through my shoulder where the edge of his blade had grazed , tearing into flesh.
I stumbled, my stance faltering for a brief mont.
'Indeed...This is not an opponent that I should take lightly.'
It had been a while since soone managed to take this much power out of , but at
the sa ti it was kind of fun.
Varen straightened, his fiery aura still blazing, but I could see the faintest signs of exertion in his stance. He had poured imnse energy into that sequence, and while
it had done damage, I was still standing.
I grinned, wiping a trickle of blood from my lip. "Not bad at all," I said, my voice calm despite the burning pain in my shoulder. "You've really turned up the heat." Varen's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his greatsword. This was far from over, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill coursing through as I prepared to push back.
********
Varen's chest heaved as he steadied his breathing, the roaring flas surrounding him pulsing in rhythm with his heart. The arena echoed with the chants of the crowd, but their voices barely registered. His attention was locked entirely on Lucavion, the man who had once again defied the overwhelming might of his Ignis Ascension. Varen flexed his fingers around the hilt of his greatsword, the heat of his mana coiling and surging through his veins. His fiery aura blazed brighter, but despite its intensity, there was a gnawing realization clawing at the edge of his mind.
'He's not falling"
Lucavion stood opposite him, his posture as infuriatingly relaxed as it had been at the
start of the match. His estoc rested lightly in his hand, black flas flickering along its length with an unsettling vitality. A faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, as though the entire fight was nothing more than a ga.
For the first ti, Varen felt sothing he hadn't experienced in years. Doubt. Ignis Ascension has always been enough, he thought, his grip tightening. 'Enough to overpower any opponent, enough to break their resolve. But this man... he doesn't even look like he's using his full strength!
He exhaled slowly, allowing the tension in his muscles to dissipate. The crowd's chants
shifted, calling out both their nas in an electric rhythm that vibrated through the arena. Despite the growing weight of the fight, a faint smile touched Varen's lips.
'No matter his thods, he's strong. Stronger than anyone I've faced in this
tournant.'
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening as if he could sense Varen's
thoughts. "What's the matter, heir of the Silver Fla?" he called out, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "Don't tell you're finally feeling the pressure?" Varen raised his greatsword, the flas along its edge roaring to life. His eyes burned with renewed determination as he stepped forward, his fiery aura swelling with unyielding resolve.
"Pressure." He repeated. "Maybe you are right. Maybe that was what I had been
lacking."
"Oho? That is good then."
Lucavion repeated.
Then, it happened.
"Let's test you more."
Lucavion repeated. Then, it happened. "Let's test you more."
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