'Adrien Chase...'

Lucielle didn't know much about her opponent, but she knew enough to logically come to the conclusion that she couldn't win.

Not only was he an Otherworlder, but according to Rey, he had a wide array of Skills at his disposal. He could also create more skills if he wanted, so he was practically impossible to defeat through conventional means.

The most dangerous aspect about him wasn't only his cruelty, but that there really wasn't any need for him to hide his strength.

Unlike Rey and Lucielle, who were in disguise as Dragons, Adrien already identified as a human. He also had the backing of a Dragon Lord, which meant he was amply protected, even if he wasn't a Dragon.

He could display any of his skills without any limitations, since he wasn't undercover-a luxury they couldn't afford.

When analyzing all of these things, it was easy to conclude who the loser would be.

But-

'I still want to do this!' Lucielle told herself, smiling as she prepared herself for a fight that she had no chance of winning.

Right at that moment, the voice of the referee echoed in the air and the match began.

"Let the match... begin!"

~WHOOSH!~

Adrien moved first, faster than Lucielle anticipated.

His figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her. His hand crackled with a strange energy, a skill she couldn't identify. She barely had time to react, instinctively raising her arm to block.

A translucent barrier instantly shrouded her body right as his fist connected.

~BOOOOOM!~

The force of Adrien's attack sent a shockwave through her body, making her stumble back. Her arm throbbed from the impact, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to falter.

"So slow," Adrien said, his tone laced with amusement as he casually lowered his hand. "I expected more from a supposed Dragon."

Lucielle's mind raced that very instant. Adrien wasn't just fast-he was toying with her. His eyes gleamed with malice, as if he relished the idea of breaking her spirit. But she wasn't going to let him win that easily.

'Think, Lucielle... think!'

She launched forward, her body moving with the fluid grace of a dragon, though restrained to maintain her disguise. Lucielle's hands ignited with a blue flame as she slashed at Adrien, aiming for his midsection.

He didn't dodge.

~CLANG!~

Her fiery claws met an invisible barrier just inches from Adrien's skin. He smirked, and the barrier rippled, absorbing the force of her attack with ease.

"Barrier magic, huh?" Lucielle whispered, pulling back. 'Just how many Skills does he have?' She had never seen him use this one in the other fights until now, so it was certainly a new one to her. Still, she maintained her composure and decided to go along with the plan she had just conceived in her mind.

"You look surprised," Adrien said, stepping forward. "You should have expected this, since you're buddy buddy with R'ai. Right now, I only need one to deal with you before making it to the finals..."

Then, with widened eyes, he spoke like a maniac.

"Do you think you're strong enough to actually go against me?"

His words cut deep, but Lucielle didn't allow herself to be shaken. She just needed a decent strategy.

'I know I can't fight him head-on. I can't win that way, so let's try something else....' Adrien wasn't going to wait for her to figure it out. His eyes flashed, and the air around him distorted. Before she could react, dozens of spears made of shadow materialized in the air, hovering around him like deadly sentinels.

"Shadow Spears," he said with a cruel grin. "Let's see you dodge these."

~VWUUSH!~

The spears launched at her, one after the other, each one faster than the last.

Lucielle moved, her body twisting and turning as she narrowly avoided the onslaught. Each spear that missed her exploded upon impact with the ground, sending chunks of debris flying. But Adrien wasn't done. With a flick of his wrist, the remaining spears changed direction mid- air, homing in on her again.

'Tch...'

Lucielle's heart raced as she leaped into the air, her wings unfurling as they flapped behind her,

"Struggling already?" Adrien's voice taunted from below, his gaze never leaving her.

She grit her teeth, focusing on the ground below. 'I need to create distance.'

Lucielle raised her hands, her blue flames flaring brighter. She focused her energy, condensing it into a single point before releasing a massive wave of fire toward Adrien.

-VWUUUSSHH!~

The ground ignited in blue flames, spreading in a wide arc and forcing Adrien to step back. "Not bad," Adrien said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He waved his hand, and the shadows around him coalesced into a dome, shielding him from the fire.

'Of course, he has a counter for that too,' Lucielle thought silently. But her attack had bought her a few moments. She landed on the far end of the arena, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"I have to end this fast," Lucielle whispered to herself, clenching her fists. "I can't let him keep the advantage."

Adrien's barrier faded, and he stepped forward, unscathed. "Is that all? Pathetic."

Lucielle felt the weight of his words, but she refused to back down. She might not be able to win, but she had to at least make him work for his victory.

With renewed determination, Lucielle gathered some more Mana. She couldn't match Adrien's overwhelming power or the variety of his skills, but she still had something he didn't

-her expertise in Magic.

She dashed toward him, flames erupting from her feet as she closed the gap in an instant. Adrien's eyes widened slightly, surprised by her sudden burst of speed.

~BOOOOOOOM!~

Lucielle focused everything into one final strike, her claws glowing with a searing blue light.

Adrien raised his hand to block, but Lucielle had already anticipated that. At the last second, she twisted her body, pivoting around him and striking from the side.

"It's usele-"

~ZZZTTTZZ!~

At that moment, Adrien's barrier buzzed, as if it had been nullified.

Then-

~FSHIII!~

Her attack connected, the blue flames searing through Adrien's barrier and slamming into his ribs. He grunted in pain, staggering backward for the first time since the match began. Lucielle landed, panting heavily. Her vision blurred from the strain, but she smiled. She had managed to land a blow.

Adrien straightened, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. His eyes were no longer filled

with amusement.

Now, they were cold, furious.

"Well done," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "You actually made me bleed."

Lucielle felt a chill run down her spine as Adrien's aura darkened, a thick wave of malevolent

energy emanating from him. The shadows around him grew thicker, twisting into monstrous forms.

"You should have stayed down," Adrien said, his voice devoid of any humor now. "But now, I'm going to make sure you regret that."

She braced herself, knowing the real battle had just begun.

'I know he isn't going all-out at all. I'm also not, but there's certainly too much of a risk here

for me if he chooses to take this a lot more seriously.' Lucielle wasn't battle crazy, so she was ready to forfeit the match if necessary.

It was unfortunate that she hadn't met the threshold that would mark her as superior to

Ad'oni.

At least... not yet.

'Let's get a little more serious.'

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Thanks for reading!

Apologies for my lack of uploads for these past few days. Honestly... I feel sorry for letting you

all down.