Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Dark Horse

The finale of the Rising Star competition was held between Adonis Kingsbane and Mariana Von Magnus.

​On one side stood the undefeated, abandoned nobleman; on the other stood the peerless beauty and brawn of Princess Mariana Von Magnus.

Her Astral Dominion Sword and Stellar Sovereign Physique made her stand out like a bright star, earning admiration and devotion from a single glance.

​”Amazing! Our Princess is so beautiful!”

​”No wonder she is everyone’s goddess. I could even die for her smile.”

​”Look at her sword; it’s attracting the stars themselves.”

​”She is so hot. If only I could have her for one night.”

​As one young man expressed his desire, a cold aura suddenly surrounded him from all sides, terrifying him to death.

The young man turned toward the source and saw Adonis’s predatory eyes.

It was the gaze of a hunter offended that someone was eyeing his belongings. The young man immediately bowed his head in fear.

​Seeing this, Mariana flashed a beautiful smile at Adonis.

​”Hubby, if you can win today, I will let you try any position you like tonight,” she said with a seductive wink.

Though the crowd couldn’t hear her, if they had, they would have died of envy.

​Adonis smiled and held out his sword. “Then get yourself ready, Princess. Because today, I’m not going to lose.”

The atmosphere in the arena was electric.

​Mariana moved first, her body glowing with the soft, ethereal light of her Stellar Sovereign Physique.

She glided as her Astral Dominion Sword followed a shimmering arc of starlight through the air.

​”Starlight Ribbon!” she called out.

​The blade didn’t strike with blunt force. Instead, it released a whip-like trail of celestial energy that sought to bind Adonis’s limbs. It was a beautiful, restrictive technique designed to control the flow of the battle.

​”Good start.” Adonis chuckled, his Agility kicking in as he stepped through the gaps of the light-ribbons with predatory grace.

Slash!

He swung the Chaotic Harem Sword in a casual, horizontal sweep.

​”Backdoor Severance Style: Shadow Veil,” he countered.

​Soon after, a mist of dark violet energy erupted, swallowing the starlight and neutralizing the binding effect.

As they drew close, their blades locked in a shower of sparks.

Pink-gold clashed deep violet.

​”You’re holding back, Darling,” Mariana whispered, her face inches from his.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Is it because you’re afraid of hurting your future Queen, or are you just distracted by how tempting I look in this battle armor?”

​Adonis leaned in closer, inhaling the scent of her jasmine perfume mixing with star power.

“I’m just enjoying the view, Mariana. But don’t think for a second that I’ll let you win.”

​He pushed off, using his Strength to force her back, then immediately followed up with “Relentless Thrust.”

Woosh, whoosh, woosh.

He aimed a barrage of strikes at her defense, but his movements were fluid and controlled, testing her reaction time rather than trying to break her.

​”Haha…” Mariana laughed in a melodic sound that carried even over the cheers of the crowd.

She parried each strike with her Astral Dominion Sword, her movements perfectly synchronized with the rhythm of the stars.

​”Cosmic Step!” she countered, spinning on her heel and using his momentum to swing him around.

As he passed, she playfully swatted the flat of her blade against his side.

“First blood to me, Hubby. You’re getting slow.”

​The crowd went wild, seeing the two most powerful students at the Academy exchanging blows with such finesse.

To the onlookers, it was a high-level tactical duel; to the two in the ring, it was a dangerous game of tag.

Meanwhile, Isabella, Millia, and Valentina felt very envious.

​Adonis recovered instantly, showing a smirk on his face.

“If that’s how you want to play, then let’s turn up the heat.”

​He activated his Chaotic Harem Body trait to sharpen his perception until he could see the individual pulses of ether in Mariana’s body.

He launched into a series of “Backdoor Severance Style” feints, disappearing into her shadow and reappearing on her flank.

Each time he got close, he didn’t just strike her blade, he let his hand graze her waist or his shoulder brush hers, sending a jolt of his Touch of Lust energy through her.

​Mariana’s heart trembled, her cheeks flushing a deeper pink that had nothing to do with the physical exertion.

“That’s cheating, Adonis,” she pouted as her Stellar Sovereign Physique pulsing as she tried to maintain her composure.

​”In war and love, there is no cheating, my love.” Adonis replied in a equally seductive tone

​He finished the sequence with a powerful overhead cleave, the Chaotic Harem Sword glowing with an intense violet light.

Mariana met it with her own ultimate move,

“Nova Flare.”

Booom.

Buzz!

It was a brilliant explosion of white light that pushed them both back to opposite sides of the ring.

​They stood panting, eyes locked, the sexual tension in the arena nearly as palpable as the ether.

The crowd was screaming, divided between cheering for their beloved Princess and the rising dark horse.

​”Ready to give up?” Mariana asked, tossing her hair on the back.

​”Of course not. I’m just getting started,” Adonis replied, his violet eyes glowing with a promise of what was to come later that night.

“But I think the crowd has seen enough of a ’fair’ fight. Shall we finish this?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she gave permission, Adonis charged forward in a explosive speed that blurred the line between shadow and reality.

He bypassed Mariana’s guard with a flick of his wrist, his blade dissipating into wisps of violet smoke.

He didn’t strike her, instead he moved to capture.

His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest, while his free hand caught her sword-wielding wrist, pinning it gently but firmly against her own collarbone.

​Mariana gasped, her soft body bending against his muscular frame.

Clang.

The Astral Dominion Sword clattered to the ground, the starlight fading from her armor.

​”Checkmate,” Adonis whispered, his lips grazing the shell of her ear.

His breath was hot, sending a shiver down her spine that made her knees weak.

“You were too focused on the stars, Princess. You forgot to watch the ground.”

​Mariana’s face turned a radiant shade of crimson.

“Hmph..” She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering shut as she surrendered to his dominance.

“You fight dirty, Hubby,” she purred in a playful defiance. “Is this how you intend to treat your Queen during our ’private’ lessons tonight?”

​Adonis smiled evilly. “No. I intend to be much more thorough than this.”

​The audience, having watched the high-speed dance of blades, was left in a state of absolute, stunned confusion. They saw the Princess, the untouchable goddess of the Academy, being held in a position that looked far less like a duel and far more like a scandalous embrace.

​”Damn! Did he just… grab her?” a student sputtered, his jaw hitting the floor.

​”That’s definitely not a combat stance! That’s a lover’s hold!” another shouted, clutching his hair in disbelief.

​The jealousy in the stands turned into a visceral, howling envy.

Thousands of young men watched, their hearts shattering, as their idol, the perfect First Princess, leaned into the hold of the “bastard” Adonis with a look of pure unadulterated adoration.

​”Get your hands off her, you absolute monster!” someone screamed from the noble section, though he didn’t dare step into the ring.

“Yeah. Don’t dirty our goddess.”

​Mariana ignored the cacophony. She turned her head, meeting Adonis’s gaze with a feverish intensity that silenced the rowdiest of the protesters.

She reached up, cupping his cheek, and pulled him down until their lips were mere millimeters apart.

​”The match is yours, Husband. But don’t think you can walk away from the prize. I expect you in my room by midnight. Don’t keep me waiting.”

​Adonis nodded. “I’m a man of my word, Wife. Today’s night won’t come fast enough.”

​“The winner is Adonis Kingsbane! Our newest Rising Star.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep