Chapter 639: Spirit kings 3

BOOOOM!!!

VOOOSH!!

SWISSSSH!!!

Each clash shook the arena like rolling thunder, and the once–orderly stadium now trembled beneath the raw, unrestrained power of the two prodigies.

Flames spiraled, shadows twisted, and shockwaves rippled outward like invisible tsunamis crashing into the barrier.

The crowd erupted.

“Woahhh!!”

“Did you SEE that?!”

“What kind of speed is that—was that even human?!”

“I swear it’s getting hot in here—someone check the barrier!”

“So this… this is how the top prospects of the academy really fight…”

Different voices, different reactions—fear, excitement, disbelief—but all of them shared one thing: awe.

And they had good reason.

The arena’s grand stage, large enough to fit several urban parks, was being swallowed by their duel.

Stacia’s scorching crimson inferno and Flamme’s abyssal, twisting shadows were devouring space at a pace no normal mage could hope to follow.

Entire swathes of the battlefield melted into bubbling magma, while others quivered under writhing darkness that seemed to gnaw at the very air.

“I–I can’t… I can’t keep up with this…” Athy whispered, hands clasped over her mouth.

Her eyes sparkled like gemstones catching fireworks, unable to look away even for a heartbeat.

This was unlike any magical battle she had ever seen—nothing like the simple training duels between students or the controlled demonstrations shown in class.

This was overwhelming, destructive, beautiful chaos. A true fight between monsters wearing human skin.

Every spell was an explosion.

Every movement a blur.

Every collision a threat to the barrier protecting the audience.

She could see nothing but streaks of color—scarlet arcs, black crescents, spiraling winds—yet each one etched itself into her memory.

Is this… the strength of top-ranked students?

Her imagination ran wild, breathing life into her writer’s mind.

Notes, scenes, entire Chapters began assembling in her head.

She could already picture the kind of battles her protagonists would one day fight—grand, fiery, earth-shaking.

A thrill ran through her.

One day… she wanted to write a battle like this.

No—she wanted to understand

power like this.

To see it up close, to feel the heat and pressure and adrenaline of clashing titans.

But for now—she hugged her notebook to her chest.

Right now, she had one task.

Finishing her first beloved book.

After that… maybe I’ll write about this fight too.

“Huwawawah— it’s too bright… are they both okay?”

Emilia couldn’t help but mumble nervously, her voice trembling as she pressed closer to the railing.

The entire arena glowed with a furious mixture of crimson and black, and every clash sent shockwaves that made the barrier ripple like a disturbed pond.

Worry gnawed at her chest.

She could feel the raw destructive intent behind each blow—flames that melted stone, shadows that swallowed light, winds sharp enough to tear through steel.

’It’s a good thing I really came here to watch…’

A faint breath of relief left her.

Had she decided to stay in her dorm like she initially planned… she wasn’t sure she would have been able to sit still once she heard the news of the fight afterwards.

Now, at the very least, she could intervene at a moment’s notice.

Her fingers curled.

A soft shimmer of divine power leaked from her palms like thin threads of gold, gently swirling before she suppressed it again.

If something truly dangerous happened—if either Stacia or Flamme crossed a boundary the academy’s safety bracelets couldn’t handle—Emilia was ready to jump in immediately.

She’d heal them.

Shield them.

Pull them back from anything irreversible.

The bracelets were supposed to deactivate fatal blows and absorb a portion of heavy damage, but Emilia wasn’t naïve enough to trust them one hundred percent.

Not when the two girls were fighting like mythical calamities given human shape.

’I should definitely watch Vanessa’s match later too… I can already imagine hers being just as dangerous.’

Meanwhile, Alice—sitting casually beside the two younger girls with her chin resting on her palm—couldn’t help but smile at their reactions.

Emilia trembling, Athy leaning so far forward she was almost falling off her seat… both of them wide-eyed and innocent, completely swallowed by awe.

So cute. So earnest.

Alice turned her gaze toward the raging battlefield and gave a small nod to herself.

Her juniors truly were something else.

The sheer power Stacia and Flamme were displaying… it wasn’t just impressive.

It was frightening.

No wonder the stands were packed.

No wonder the academy ranked them the way it did.

Their positions weren’t just for show—they were built on real, overwhelming ability.

Stacia, huh…

Alice narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the blur of crimson that was Stacia flash across the field.

She already knew Riley had helped train the girl a few months back, and she expected Stacia to improve, of course.

But this?

This explosive growth, this raw strength bursting out of her like an unending tide?

This wasn’t normal talent. This was something else.

There were surely many factors at play—Stacia’s own determination, her affinity, her experiences.

But the faint, unmistakable imprint of that Riley’s mana… clinging to her flames, shaping the rhythm of her movements, lingering in the flow of her power…

There was no mistaking it.

No matter how one looked at it, Riley’s influence was all over her.

Alice exhaled softly, equal parts amused and impressed.

….

“They’re quite impressive.”

At the emperor’s words, the principal nodded in full agreement.

“Indeed they are…”

The emperor rested a hand thoughtfully against his chin as he observed the two students clashing fiercely below.

The stage shook, bursts of flame and darkness erupting like miniature suns and collapsing stars.

“I’ve known Flamme ever since she was a little kid,” he murmured, a hint of nostalgia threading into his voice. “So I’m quite surprised… someone other than her seniors is able to keep up with her—no, even pushing her into a struggle.”

The principal gave a small, proud smile.

“Well, Student Stacia is among our top prospects. Just a semester ago she shared the top seat among the first years alongside Flamme. So this level of clash… and this level of struggle between both of them… is within expectations.”

“I see.”

The emperor’s eyes narrowed with interest, a glimmer of ambition flickering in them. “It’s quite a shame Stacia already belongs to another kingdom. But perhaps negotiations can be arranged…”

He turned slightly.

“Leilah, you wouldn’t mind if I spoke to a few of the students I find interesting here, would you?”

The principal stiffened ever so slightly.

“As long as the discussions are reasonable and the demands aren’t… overwhelming. But ultimately, it is up to the students themselves whether they wish to entertain such talks. And also…”

Her gaze flicked toward the VIP seats.

“…others are lining up for future prospects as well.”

“I understand. Don’t worry—” The emperor smiled lightly, though the weight of his aura made several attendants instinctively straighten. “I’ll only select at least five. That should be well within reason, right?”

“Yes… that should be fine.”

Leilah answered, but her troubled expression practically screamed: Do you even realize who you are? You might scare the students to death by presence alone.

The emperor seemed satisfied with the answer regardless.

With a final nod, he turned back toward the arena—his attention locking once more on Stacia’s blazing form, eyes gleaming with curiosity and interest.

Although he didn’t want to admit it—not even to himself—the princess from the Del Luna Kingdom was, in all likelihood, far stronger than his own daughter Snow.

A faint crease appeared between the Emperor’s brows as he continued observing Stacia’s fierce clash with Flamme, his curiosity quietly deepening.

Her raw firepower, the sheer tenacity she displayed even when injured, and the way she forced a high-ranking spirit into exertion… it all intrigued him more than he expected.

’It would be good if the two get close…’

The thought rose naturally in his mind.

A friendship, or at least a mutually respectful connection between Stacia and Snow, could only bring advantages—political, personal, and perhaps even for Snow’s own growth.

He began considering potential ways to encourage such a bond, his fingers tapping thoughtfully on the armrest of his seat.

The Emperor continued to enjoy the spectacle for a moment, amusement glittering faintly in his eyes before he suddenly asked:

“Leilah.”

“Yes?” Principal Leilah responded, looking away from the stage.

“Out of curiosity,” he said casually, though his tone carried weight, “has student Stacia ever been involved with Riley?”

The question made the principal freeze. For a second she didn’t respond, then with a resigned sigh, she turned toward the Emperor with a troubled look.

“She has gotten involved with him, yes… but to what extent, I’m not entirely sure. That is a matter I am not well aware of.”

“I see…”

A satisfied smile spread across the Emperor’s lips.

Leilah’s spine stiffened.

Her expression screamed: What exactly are you so pleased about?

But she dared not ask.

…

Meanwhile, back on the stage—

“So… a high-ranking spirit of darkness and winds, huh…”

Stacia murmured quietly, her gaze locked on the Flamme-shaped entity floating ahead.

She had planted her sword into the cracked ground to steady herself.

Though she stood tall, the signs of fatigue were obvious—blood trailed down the side of her forehead, her breathing grew ragged, and the burns on her arms glowed faintly from overuse of mana.

Flamme’s last attack—the serpent-shaped wind arrow—had barely missed her.

She had twisted her body midair at the very last possible moment, but even so, the shockwave alone had left her battered.

“Hehe~ might as well give up now, right?” the spirit teased with a smirk eerily similar to Flamme’s. “Gotta say, you’re pretty impressive for a human… but in the end, Master won’t lose~~”

The entity’s voice vibrated with overlapping tones—Flamme’s cadence fused with a darker, older echo.

Shadows coiled around its feet like living smoke.

Stacia frowned.

A darkness spirit… and not just any, but a high-ranking one.

She could hardly believe it.

Darkness spirits were among the rarest spirit beings in the world—elusive, powerful, and notoriously difficult to form contracts with.

That Flamme was partnered with one was shocking enough, but this particular spirit seemed specialized in mental assaults and deceptive techniques… making it one of the most troublesome opponents Stacia could face.

’This just keeps getting harder…’

She tightened her grip on her sword, crimson mana flaring weakly around her fingers.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep