Chapter 303
The arena trembled as Selvara and Nina clashed again.
Selvara's twin Tekko-Kagi flashed like like lightning, each slash carrying the raw weight of demonic mana. She moved with terrifying precision—claws slicing through the air with controlled fury. Yet every strike was deliberately pulled back at the last moment. She wasn't trying to end the fight quickly. She was testing, measuring, holding back just enough not to maim the fiery noble girl in front of her.
Nina Ignis refused to yield.
Her wild red hair whipped around her face like living flames as she launched another blazing assault. High-level fire magic roared around her fists, turning every punch into a miniature inferno. She grinned through the pain—golden eyes bright with stubborn joy.
"You're holding back!" Nina called out, voice loud and teasing despite her heavy breathing. "I can feel it! Come on, demon girl—hit me like you mean it!"
Selvara's claws met Nina's flaming gauntlet with a deafening clang. Sparks and embers exploded outward, scorching the already cracked stone floor.
"I don't need to kill you to win," Selvara growled, voice low and rough. She twisted her wrist, forcing Nina's arm aside with effortless strength. "You're already bleeding. Stop this."
Nina laughed—bright, breathless, and utterly unbothered. She spun away from the counter and immediately launched a spinning kick wrapped in roaring flames. The kick grazed Selvara's shoulder, leaving a thin line of scorched fabric and reddened skin.
"Stop? Now? Where's the fun in that?" Nina shot back, landing lightly despite the exhaustion in her legs. "I'm not here to tap out the moment it gets tough. Someone's watching me too, you know. I want to make him proud."
Selvara's pale eyes narrowed. She slashed downward with her right Tekko-Kagi, forcing Nina to leap backward. The claw left a deep gouge in the stone where Nina had stood a heartbeat earlier.
"You're still doing this?" Selvara asked, voice carrying a hint of reluctant respect. "Even though you know you can't win?"
Nina wiped sweat and a streak of blood from her cheek, her golden eyes sparkling with that same cheerful defiance.
"Yeah. Because giving up would feel worse than losing. I want to show everyone I can stand on this stage and fight someone like you without running away. Even if I get my ass kicked… at least I tried. That's how you make someone proud, right?"
Selvara's claws paused mid-swing.
She knew that feeling.
The burning need to prove herself worthy. The quiet desperation to make Aiden look at her with pride. The same fire that drove her to fight even when this whole situation looked ridiculous.
For the first time since the duel began, Selvara's expression softened—just a fraction.
"…I understand," she muttered, almost too quiet for Nina to hear.
Then her voice hardened again.
"But I won't hold back forever."
She surged forward—faster this time. Her Tekko-Kagi glowed with deeper light as she unleashed a controlled barrage. Each slash was precise, powerful, but deliberately aimed to disable rather than destroy. Nina blocked, dodged, and countered with everything she had—flames roaring, fists blazing—but the gap in strength was becoming painfully obvious.
Nina's breathing grew ragged. Her movements slowed. Her uniform was torn in several places, the fabric singed and bloodied. Yet she kept smiling—tired, but genuine.
"You're… really strong," Nina panted between strikes. "I knew demons were no joke, but damn… you're on another level. Not like those used as slaves."
Selvara's cleanched her teeth and her claws slashed across Nina's side—drawing another shallow cut—but she pulled the strike at the last second, refusing to go deeper.
"Enough," Selvara growled. "You've shown enough heart. Yield."
Nina shook her head, golden eyes still bright despite the exhaustion.
"Not yet… I can still stand."
She lunged one final time—pouring every last drop of her fire magic into a desperate, blazing uppercut aimed at Selvara's chin.
Selvara caught the punch.
Her clawed hand closed around Nina's fist, demonic mana flaring as she absorbed the flames. The fire hissed and died against her palm.
With a single, fluid motion, Selvara twisted Nina's arm behind her back and swept her legs out from under her.
Nina hit the ground hard—back slamming against the cracked stone with a heavy thud. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She tried to rise, but her body refused. Her flames flickered once… twice… and extinguished completely.
Selvara stood over her, twin Tekko-Kagi slowly dissolving back into mana. She looked down at the defeated noble girl with a mix of respect and quiet acknowledgment.
"You fought well," Selvara said—voice low, almost gentle. "For a human."
Nina lay on her back, chest heaving, staring up at the sky with a tired but satisfied smile.
"Yeah… I did, didn't I?" she whispered. "Even if I lost… I didn't run. That's something."
She closed her eyes for a moment, then continued softly, voice carrying the weight of someone who had been carrying a heavy burden for a long time.
---
It had started the day her mother gave birth to twins.
The older sister came first. Her father held her carefully, as if she were made of the finest crystal, his face glowing with pride. "Look at her… she already has the Ignis fire in her eyes."
Nina, the younger twin, was placed gently into the arms of her eight-year-old brother. He rocked her with surprising tenderness for someone so young, whispering softly, "I am going to keep you save, both of you."
They were both beautiful, everyone said.
But by the time the twins turned ten, the difference had become painfully clear.
Her older sister was the better half — the golden child. Fire magic flowed from her like breathing. She could summon flames that danced like living dragons, elegant and powerful. When she trained, the entire family gathered to watch in awe. Father would clap loudly. Mother would beam with pride. "Look at your sister, Nina. Learn from her. Why can't you do the same?"
Nina tried. Every single day she tried.
While her sister received praise and private lessons, Nina trained alone in the quiet corners of the family grounds. She would punch trees until her knuckles bled and her arms shook. One afternoon, after hours of frustration, she finally managed to create a small burst of fire. It left a deep, burnt crater in the trunk… but the tree didn't even fall. Her sister could split trees clean in half with a single graceful flick of her wrist.
No one saw Nina's effort. No one praised her small victories. Mother would only sigh and say, "You could learn so much from your sister if you tried harder."
The loneliness grew heavier with every passing year.
But there was one person who always saw her.
That same evening, Nina pushed herself too far. Her last punch left a bigger crater than usual, but exhaustion crashed over her like a wave. Her vision blurred. She stumbled backward, legs giving out—
—and someone caught her.
Strong, familiar arms lifted her onto a warm back. She was too tired to open her eyes fully, but she knew that scent, that gentle rhythm of breathing.
When she woke up, she wasn't in her own bed. She was in his room, tucked under soft blankets. He sat on a chair beside her, carefully applying first aid to her burned and bruised hands. He looked down at her with that kind, patient smile he always saved just for her.
"Good job out there," he said softly, voice warm like sunlight after rain. "You've gotten stronger."
Nina's tired face lit up. She beamed, cheeks flushing, and leaned into his hand as he gently petted her head.
"Thank you, brother…"
He chuckled quietly. "How about this… I'll train you personally. But we'll keep it a secret from your sister. Just between us."
She nodded so fast she almost got dizzy, eyes shining with a spark of hope she hadn't felt in a long time.
From that day on, he trained — every evening, every spare moment. He never compared her to her sister. He never told her she wasn't good enough. He simply taught her how to fight with her own fire, in her own way. He was the only one who believed she could be strong too.
That was why she stood on this arena today.
Even if she lost. Even if the crowd cheered for someone else. At least she had tried. At least she had fought with everything she had.
Because somewhere out there, her brother was watching.
And she wanted — more than anything — to make him proud.
---
Nina lay on her back, chest rising and falling in shallow, pained breaths. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she stared up at the sky, golden eyes distant.
"Back home… they always praised my older sister," she said softly, voice hoarse but steady. "She was the golden child. The one with perfect flames, perfect grace. Father would clap every time she trained. Mother would smile and tell me I should learn from her. 'Why can't you be more like your sister, Nina?'"
A weak, tired laugh escaped her, turning into a small cough.
"I tried so hard. But no matter what I did, it was never enough. So I trained alone. Punched trees until my hands bled. Pushed until I couldn't stand. And every time I fell… my brother was there. He caught me. Carried me back. He never compared me to her. He just… believed in me. He trained me. Told me I was getting stronger. That one day I'd make the Ignis name mean something because of me — not just because of our blood."
She closed her eyes for a moment, a small, genuine smile touching her lips despite the pain.
"Even if I lost today… at least I stood here. At least I fought someone like you. At least I tried to make him proud."
Nina opened her eyes again and looked up at Selvara with quiet sincerity.
"Thanks… for not holding back too much. It felt real."
Selvara stared down at her for a long moment, her usual blunt expression softening just a fraction. Then she offered her hand.
Nina took it.
Selvara pulled her up gently — far gentler than anyone expected from the usually sharp-tongued demon.
"He seems like a kind brother," Selvara said quietly, almost gruffly. "Don't worry. I know he is always poroud of you."
Nina grinned — tired, but bright and unbroken.
"Thanks."
Mira Hale's voice finally cut through the heavy silence.
"Winner… Selvara Nightshade!"
The commoners erupted in loud, genuine cheers.
The nobles were quieter, but a few clapped reluctantly.
Selvara didn't bask in the victory. She simply turned her gaze toward the highest gallery — toward Aiden — and gave a small, satisfied nod.
She had won.
And somewhere deep inside, she hoped he was proud, too.
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END OF CHAPTER : 302 : SELVARA NIGHTSHADE V/S NINA IGNIS! 2
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