Chapter 34: Duel with the Princess 2
The clash between fire and ice had only just begun.
As the mist from the melted spear faded, Lucas took a step forward, his boots pressing against the frostbitten stone of the dueling platform. Across from him, Princess Nyx’s eyes gleamed with a wild, electric spark—not anger, not surprise... but excitement.
She raised her hand again, and this time, not one but three ice spears formed in midair, rotating slowly in a deadly arc above her. The temperature around the platform dipped even further, thin cracks of frost spreading along the ground beneath her feet. Lucas could feel it biting at his skin.
But he didn’t back down.
He clenched his fists, and the flames around his arms grew fiercer, hotter. They flared like twin dragons dancing with rage, wrapping around his forearms and shoulders. Yet, strangely, they did not burn his robes or skin. The fire was alive—tamed, precise, honed to respond to his intent.
Princess Nyx launched the spears—one after the other, in quick succession.
Lucas dodged the first, ducking low as it shattered behind him with a sharp crack. He spun to the side as the second whizzed past, its icy tail slicing a clean line across the stone. The third came straight for his chest—he raised his palm just in time, forming a condensed fireball and throwing it forward. The two forces collided in a dazzling explosion of steam and sparks.
The students watching leaned forward, murmuring in surprise.
"How the hell is he keeping up with the princess?"
Some sneered, shaking their heads. "Tch. She’s just toying with him. No way she’s serious."
But deep down, they were all watching more closely now.