Chapter 545
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{«If we fight each other to the bitter end, then even if one of us wins, she will not have enough strength to fight Baker. I'm not sure at all if we will defeat him with full strength…»}
{«You won't. I will beat him. Do you know why? Because he will not be able to escape from my all-consuming darkness, while your useless light, suitable only for lighting public toilets, will be no more dangerous for him than tickling. Brainless white chicken, I see right through you: you want to get at least a small chance to win. What a pitiful sight! How else are you going to embarrass yourself? I'm ashamed to be your sister…»} – Clementine's beautiful face showed contempt.
{«Turn on… your… brain rotten from the darkness… at least for a second!»} – barely restraining anger, Seraphima said. – {«If you were smart enough to watch the recording of the last tournament, or at least listen to the news, then you would know that Baker held out in a duel with Elsa for several minutes without missing a single blow! He broke her weapon, forcing her to use the elements! Now he has gone up three more stages…»}
{«And so what?»} – Clementine snorted, interrupting her rival. – {«How dare you even compare me to a pathetic human girl? I, a descendant of the direct blood of the Kagans, the great race of the dark ones, will not lose to some human!»}
{«Oh, good heavens, what an impenetrable dullard you are!»}
{«Cluck-cluck-cluck… That's what I hear! Are you hungry? Poor thing… Well, the caring mistress brought you something to eat.»} – Clementine sprinkled the arena with grits that came from nowhere. – «Come on, don't be shy. Don't fight on an empty stomach.»
Seraphima's fists were white with tension. Incredibly annoying! And how to stay calm after her antics?! Looks like Baker has every chance to win…
There were chuckles among the spectators. They guessed that the twins were mentally arguing about something, and such provocations are a very good strategy for winning, after all, an anxious mind always loses to a cold one.
~ding~
The signal for the start of the battle rang.
The girls got into a fierce fight. Darkness and light intertwined in a pair dance, and each of their movements generated beautiful green ripples of spatial attribute.
The audience could not stop contemplating such a beautiful sight. None of the opponents was inferior to the other in anything, whether it was speed, agility or the power of techniques. There seemed to be a bond between them that created the perfect balance of power.
Ten minutes later, the girls were overtaken by fatigue. Sweat dripped from their faces. They had already lost at least 75% of their energy, and it was still not possible to predict the winner. Is it really another draw? But such a scenario happens even less often than once in a thousand fights!
Seraphima easily predicted that the duel would soon end this way, which means that Srul would win… The very thought that this nasty fat man would undeservedly get the title she needed so much was infuriating. The feeling of anger and helplessness made her despair. Well, okay. She would rather give it to him than to her hated sister.
The girl thought so until, during a momentary respite, she met Baker's gaze… She saw a malicious, triumphant grin spread across the fat man's hateful face! Such a bastard, he is already looking forward to an easy victory in the final! She could not know that he smiled because of communication with Elsa.
{Go to hell!} – the usually calm Seraphima decided impulsively.
Suddenly, during the fight, Clementine seized the initiative. Blow after blow, she seized the advantage, pushing the opponent to the barrier, and when she finally drove her into a dead end, the light one suddenly gave up, which looked like the only way out of the situation.
{«What the hell are you doing?!»} – Clementine was indignant. Who would she be if she hadn't noticed that this white hen had deliberately given up? There is no satisfaction from such a victory! How dare she?!
{«If you lose to him, then I will kill you.»} – Seraphima promised sullenly.
Clementine was speechless. So that's the reason! Is her sister willing to give her the title to her own detriment, just to prevent Baker from getting it? Is she pinning her hopes on her?! It's disgusting just thinking about it!
{«I will defeat him, but not because you asked.»} – the dark girl finally answered.
{«I do not care. Do it. Wipe that smug grin off his face.»}
After a short pause, the imperial representative declared Clementine the winner.
The audience, apparently, did not notice the concessions. However, it would be foolish to deny that they all expected to see a grander finale of the fight than a dry "I give up".
The final round came in a minute. Since the empress's time is too expensive, the breaks between rounds were decided to be abolished, so the finalist almost did not restore her physical and elemental energy.
Baker entered the arena and, putting chewing gum into his mouth, took out the Scourge.
Clementine took out an elegant long one-handed black sword with patterns engraved on it - a gift from Asagi - and pointed it at her opponent: «Chubby, you're going to choke on this gum. Now the lady will show you your place.»
«I can't wait.» – Kyon chuckled.
~ding~
As soon as the signal for the start of the fight rang, the girl instantly rushed into battle.
Kyon sighed softly, bent his legs and pulled the Scourge to his right side for a special stab. He looked like a spring strained to the limit, capable of piercing even the heavens.
Clementine's sword was covered in black flames. It was not only capable of burning any kind of energy, but also much more deadly than ordinary fire.
When the opponent approached within 5 meters, Lovr instantly covered the Scourge with liquid light and attacked the girl in the chest with "Scourge fracture". The sunny yellow "Cut of light" – a stream of dazzling energy in the form of a wedge a third of a meter wide burst out of the tip of the sword. It contained all the parameters of a stabbing attack: sharpness, speed, mass, and even the strength of the Scourge! Moreover, he also multiplied them a little.
Each second counted.
Clementine's pupils widened in amazement. Baker's lunge speed was simply explosive! However, it was the bright wedge of energy that burst from the tip of his sword that caught her off guard. She will not be able to dodge it, she will have to beat it off!
~BA-A-ANG~
The clash of attacks created a deafening roar. "The cursed flame" under the influence of "The cut of light" instantly dissipated, turning into the energy of a spatial attribute, which spread out in a green sphere in all directions. The blade of light made the girl scrape 5 meters on the ground and almost lose her balance.
The audience gasped in surprise. The noble phaser clearly suppressed the imperial phaser with the power of his attack! If someone had joked about it on the street, the fool would have been beaten on the head with sticks, but this is happening for real! But at the tournament a month ago, everything was exactly the opposite… And what kind of strange technique did he use? He hadn't shown it before…
Seraphima jumped up from her seat, staring at the fat man in disbelief. No doubt, he just used the unique body ability of "The Archangel"! In order to conceive one of the most powerful and at the same time complex unique bodies among the light ones, one must possess unusually high moral qualities and have a great affinity with the element of light. But even if successful, overcoming each next stage of the body of "The Archangel" is comparable to reaching heaven.
The same body is cultivated by Amon, the leader of the young generation with exceptional talent.
Judging by the brightness and density of the blade of light, Dick not only possesses the body of "The Archangel", but also developed it to the same stage as Amon did, and this is incomprehensible.
Seraphima thought she found a gold bar in the trash. In the blink of an eye, her dislike for Dick was replaced by interest and curiosity for his person, because a person who cultivates the body of "The Archangel" cannot be bad.
Clementine, feeling a slight painful numbness in her hands and realizing that Baker had just used "The holy cut" – an extremely disgusting technique of the light ones - gloomily looked at the fat man and muttered through her clenched teeth: «So you are also one of them?»
«I you not understand.» – Lovr pointedly picked at his ear.
Clementine turned her gaze to her sworn enemy, and then back to Baker. If he is from the light ones, then why does Seraphima behave as if she sees him for the first time? And why did he regain only two phases of development in a year? And the quality of his strength is at some transcendental level… Some kind of devilry!
When Dick rushed forward, the girl involuntarily tensed up. With just one blow, he completely extinguished her flame, and also pushed her 5 meters away… Her arm still hurts. She's no match for him in close combat! But even in ranged combat, he will beat off all her attacks with his blades… And she's running out of energy!
{I'll have to use it…} – Clementine sighed humbly. Suddenly, her whole body was engulfed in a flash of darkness, and the whole world went out for a moment. After a second, the effect disappeared, but now everything that was inside the protective barrier has lost its colors, becoming black and white.
{Flash of darkness? No… The Sphere of Essence!} – Kyon guessed.
The Sphere of Essence is the most powerful control technique, the ability of a unique body. It is mastered, except for the rarest exceptions, not earlier than the imperial phase. It has the same nature as the unique body. Its effects can be very different, but, as a rule, it strengthens the creator and weakens everyone else in the radius of action. To destroy the sphere, you need to have overwhelming power.
However, The Sphere of Essence has significant drawbacks: it can be interrupted only when the practitioner runs out of energy. Accordingly, if the creator forcibly cancels the already activated sphere, he will still lose all energy. The same applies to its destruction. In addition, regardless of how exactly the sphere ceased to exist, its creator will not be able to use energy for several minutes, that is, he will become defenseless.
That's why the twins didn't use this ability in the semifinals. But there is another reason: their Spheres of Essence are opposite in nature, so their activation cancels each other, thereby marking an instant draw.
«The Sphere of Essence! Miss Clementine had just entered the imperial phase, and she had already mastered it! What a monstrous talent!» – commented the third general.
Elsa bit her lip. Seraphima clenched her fists. Even Stein raised an eyebrow slightly. And only the empress remained completely calm, although in the depths of her icy eyes there was some interest in what was happening.
Bloodlust erupted from Clementine. Her sword was covered with "cursed flame", and, unlike the last time, it burned many times brighter, and the eerie aura emanating from it seemed even more dangerous. Now its power is definitely enough to burn "The holy cut", which means that Baker's done!
Kyon shivered with mock horror: «Ah, it's too dim here. I'm afraid of the dark.» – with the last word, he flashed brighter than 25 suns. Everything that exists has turned into white light. The audience lost their sight for a while, and all their senses were strained.
The flame on Clementine's sword darted from side to side, as if in a panic, hissed and dissipated in a green haze. Colored cracks appeared in the black-and-white area, which rapidly spread in all directions. The Sphere of Essence disappeared with the sound of a bubble bursting.
~pop~
At this moment, the fat man burst the gum and nodded his head in satisfaction.
Clementine took her breath away. Having lost all her elemental energy, she collapsed to her knees and stared at Baker with dazed big brown eyes. His boyishly joyful face made the girl tremble with indescribable rage and humiliation. That bastard had destroyed her Sphere of Essence and taken away the title of the empress' senior disciple with just one damn flash!
Seraphima jumped up from her seat, blinking in amazement. There is no doubt that Baker just used the ability of a unique body, but does the body of "The Archangel" have something similar? She knew Amon well, and he had never demonstrated anything like this! The books didn't say anything about it either… The girl was more and more intrigued by Baker's personality.
A wave of shocked groans swept through the arena. There was no one in the audience who had attended the tournament of families in Boston, so no one recognized the flash that the messenger of the goddess once used at that tournament. Except Stone.
Elsa covered her mouth with her hand and then smiled brilliantly, happy for Kyon.
Stein frowned even more, though he looked thoughtful, not wary.
Kyon started the fight with "Scourge fracture" and ended it with "The flash of light", because he had to finish everything as soon as possible in order to save energy. He really didn't want to waste "The flash of light", which has an hour recoil, but The Sphere of Essence is no joke.
Having received a signal from her majesty, the imperial representative announced the winner: «Dick Baker unconditionally won the final round! Bravo!»
Elsa clapped first, and soon the whole hall applauded. No matter how ugly Dick was, no one doubted that he was strong, because he defeated each opponent with his incredible strength, which could not but arouse respect.
The fact that Baker instantly defeated even the imperial phaser at the 1st stage significantly pacified the anger of general Richard. So there's no shame in his grandson losing.
It was a load off Artemis's mind. He was able to breathe deeply.
And only Clementine did not want to accept her defeat at all. If she only knew about this flash, or if she didn't have a shortage of energy, she would surely come up with something to defeat the vile freak! Ah, she should have at least listened to the offer of the white chicken…
The girl really wanted to leave the tournament, but she decided to stay to see how someone stronger would beat this fat man, and preferably finish him off. It would be great if Stein fought him, he just has a score to settle with the pot-bellied scumbag.
Immediately after the final round, the imperial representative proceeded to the title ceremony. He took an oath from Baker in front of witnesses, and from that moment he officially became the senior disciple of the empress to the envy of all the junior disciples.
At the end of the ceremony, the imperial representative announced the start of the second stage of the tournament.
A screen with a bracket consisting of four participants appeared on the ceiling: Dick Baker vs. Asagi Hunter and Elsa Stone vs. Stein Valentine.
Suddenly the screen went dark… A crack appeared in the nephrite with the formation of the tournament bracket.
The audience looked around in bewilderment and whispered, when suddenly they froze dumbfounded…
Empress Lanatelle stood up to her full height and looked straight ahead with a firm gaze.
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{«If we fight each other to the bitter end, then even if one of us wins, she will not have enough strength to fight Baker. I'm not sure at all if we will defeat him with full strength…»}
{«You won't. I will beat him. Do you know why? Because he will not be able to escape from my all-consuming darkness, while your useless light, suitable only for lighting public toilets, will be no more dangerous for him than tickling. Brainless white chicken, I see right through you: you want to get at least a small chance to win. What a pitiful sight! How else are you going to embarrass yourself? I'm ashamed to be your sister…»} – Clementine's beautiful face showed contempt.
{«Turn on… your… brain rotten from the darkness… at least for a second!»} – barely restraining anger, Seraphima said. – {«If you were smart enough to watch the recording of the last tournament, or at least listen to the news, then you would know that Baker held out in a duel with Elsa for several minutes without missing a single blow! He broke her weapon, forcing her to use the elements! Now he has gone up three more stages…»}
{«And so what?»} – Clementine snorted, interrupting her rival. – {«How dare you even compare me to a pathetic human girl? I, a descendant of the direct blood of the Kagans, the great race of the dark ones, will not lose to some human!»}
{«Oh, good heavens, what an impenetrable dullard you are!»}
{«Cluck-cluck-cluck… That's what I hear! Are you hungry? Poor thing… Well, the caring mistress brought you something to eat.»} – Clementine sprinkled the arena with grits that came from nowhere. – «Come on, don't be shy. Don't fight on an empty stomach.»
Seraphima's fists were white with tension. Incredibly annoying! And how to stay calm after her antics?! Looks like Baker has every chance to win…
There were chuckles among the spectators. They guessed that the twins were mentally arguing about something, and such provocations are a very good strategy for winning, after all, an anxious mind always loses to a cold one.
~ding~
The signal for the start of the battle rang.
The girls got into a fierce fight. Darkness and light intertwined in a pair dance, and each of their movements generated beautiful green ripples of spatial attribute.
The audience could not stop contemplating such a beautiful sight. None of the opponents was inferior to the other in anything, whether it was speed, agility or the power of techniques. There seemed to be a bond between them that created the perfect balance of power.
Ten minutes later, the girls were overtaken by fatigue. Sweat dripped from their faces. They had already lost at least 75% of their energy, and it was still not possible to predict the winner. Is it really another draw? But such a scenario happens even less often than once in a thousand fights!
Seraphima easily predicted that the duel would soon end this way, which means that Srul would win… The very thought that this nasty fat man would undeservedly get the title she needed so much was infuriating. The feeling of anger and helplessness made her despair. Well, okay. She would rather give it to him than to her hated sister.
The girl thought so until, during a momentary respite, she met Baker's gaze… She saw a malicious, triumphant grin spread across the fat man's hateful face! Such a bastard, he is already looking forward to an easy victory in the final! She could not know that he smiled because of communication with Elsa.
{Go to hell!} – the usually calm Seraphima decided impulsively.
Suddenly, during the fight, Clementine seized the initiative. Blow after blow, she seized the advantage, pushing the opponent to the barrier, and when she finally drove her into a dead end, the light one suddenly gave up, which looked like the only way out of the situation.
{«What the hell are you doing?!»} – Clementine was indignant. Who would she be if she hadn't noticed that this white hen had deliberately given up? There is no satisfaction from such a victory! How dare she?!
{«If you lose to him, then I will kill you.»} – Seraphima promised sullenly.
Clementine was speechless. So that's the reason! Is her sister willing to give her the title to her own detriment, just to prevent Baker from getting it? Is she pinning her hopes on her?! It's disgusting just thinking about it!
{«I will defeat him, but not because you asked.»} – the dark girl finally answered.
{«I do not care. Do it. Wipe that smug grin off his face.»}
After a short pause, the imperial representative declared Clementine the winner.
The audience, apparently, did not notice the concessions. However, it would be foolish to deny that they all expected to see a grander finale of the fight than a dry "I give up".
The final round came in a minute. Since the empress's time is too expensive, the breaks between rounds were decided to be abolished, so the finalist almost did not restore her physical and elemental energy.
Baker entered the arena and, putting chewing gum into his mouth, took out the Scourge.
Clementine took out an elegant long one-handed black sword with patterns engraved on it - a gift from Asagi - and pointed it at her opponent: «Chubby, you're going to choke on this gum. Now the lady will show you your place.»
«I can't wait.» – Kyon chuckled.
~ding~
As soon as the signal for the start of the fight rang, the girl instantly rushed into battle.
Kyon sighed softly, bent his legs and pulled the Scourge to his right side for a special stab. He looked like a spring strained to the limit, capable of piercing even the heavens.
Clementine's sword was covered in black flames. It was not only capable of burning any kind of energy, but also much more deadly than ordinary fire.
When the opponent approached within 5 meters, Lovr instantly covered the Scourge with liquid light and attacked the girl in the chest with "Scourge fracture". The sunny yellow "Cut of light" – a stream of dazzling energy in the form of a wedge a third of a meter wide burst out of the tip of the sword. It contained all the parameters of a stabbing attack: sharpness, speed, mass, and even the strength of the Scourge! Moreover, he also multiplied them a little.
Each second counted.
Clementine's pupils widened in amazement. Baker's lunge speed was simply explosive! However, it was the bright wedge of energy that burst from the tip of his sword that caught her off guard. She will not be able to dodge it, she will have to beat it off!
~BA-A-ANG~
The clash of attacks created a deafening roar. "The cursed flame" under the influence of "The cut of light" instantly dissipated, turning into the energy of a spatial attribute, which spread out in a green sphere in all directions. The blade of light made the girl scrape 5 meters on the ground and almost lose her balance.
The audience gasped in surprise. The noble phaser clearly suppressed the imperial phaser with the power of his attack! If someone had joked about it on the street, the fool would have been beaten on the head with sticks, but this is happening for real! But at the tournament a month ago, everything was exactly the opposite… And what kind of strange technique did he use? He hadn't shown it before…
Seraphima jumped up from her seat, staring at the fat man in disbelief. No doubt, he just used the unique body ability of "The Archangel"! In order to conceive one of the most powerful and at the same time complex unique bodies among the light ones, one must possess unusually high moral qualities and have a great affinity with the element of light. But even if successful, overcoming each next stage of the body of "The Archangel" is comparable to reaching heaven.
The same body is cultivated by Amon, the leader of the young generation with exceptional talent.
Judging by the brightness and density of the blade of light, Dick not only possesses the body of "The Archangel", but also developed it to the same stage as Amon did, and this is incomprehensible.
Seraphima thought she found a gold bar in the trash. In the blink of an eye, her dislike for Dick was replaced by interest and curiosity for his person, because a person who cultivates the body of "The Archangel" cannot be bad.
Clementine, feeling a slight painful numbness in her hands and realizing that Baker had just used "The holy cut" – an extremely disgusting technique of the light ones - gloomily looked at the fat man and muttered through her clenched teeth: «So you are also one of them?»
«I you not understand.» – Lovr pointedly picked at his ear.
Clementine turned her gaze to her sworn enemy, and then back to Baker. If he is from the light ones, then why does Seraphima behave as if she sees him for the first time? And why did he regain only two phases of development in a year? And the quality of his strength is at some transcendental level… Some kind of devilry!
When Dick rushed forward, the girl involuntarily tensed up. With just one blow, he completely extinguished her flame, and also pushed her 5 meters away… Her arm still hurts. She's no match for him in close combat! But even in ranged combat, he will beat off all her attacks with his blades… And she's running out of energy!
{I'll have to use it…} – Clementine sighed humbly. Suddenly, her whole body was engulfed in a flash of darkness, and the whole world went out for a moment. After a second, the effect disappeared, but now everything that was inside the protective barrier has lost its colors, becoming black and white.
{Flash of darkness? No… The Sphere of Essence!} – Kyon guessed.
The Sphere of Essence is the most powerful control technique, the ability of a unique body. It is mastered, except for the rarest exceptions, not earlier than the imperial phase. It has the same nature as the unique body. Its effects can be very different, but, as a rule, it strengthens the creator and weakens everyone else in the radius of action. To destroy the sphere, you need to have overwhelming power.
However, The Sphere of Essence has significant drawbacks: it can be interrupted only when the practitioner runs out of energy. Accordingly, if the creator forcibly cancels the already activated sphere, he will still lose all energy. The same applies to its destruction. In addition, regardless of how exactly the sphere ceased to exist, its creator will not be able to use energy for several minutes, that is, he will become defenseless.
That's why the twins didn't use this ability in the semifinals. But there is another reason: their Spheres of Essence are opposite in nature, so their activation cancels each other, thereby marking an instant draw.
«The Sphere of Essence! Miss Clementine had just entered the imperial phase, and she had already mastered it! What a monstrous talent!» – commented the third general.
Elsa bit her lip. Seraphima clenched her fists. Even Stein raised an eyebrow slightly. And only the empress remained completely calm, although in the depths of her icy eyes there was some interest in what was happening.
Bloodlust erupted from Clementine. Her sword was covered with "cursed flame", and, unlike the last time, it burned many times brighter, and the eerie aura emanating from it seemed even more dangerous. Now its power is definitely enough to burn "The holy cut", which means that Baker's done!
Kyon shivered with mock horror: «Ah, it's too dim here. I'm afraid of the dark.» – with the last word, he flashed brighter than 25 suns. Everything that exists has turned into white light. The audience lost their sight for a while, and all their senses were strained.
The flame on Clementine's sword darted from side to side, as if in a panic, hissed and dissipated in a green haze. Colored cracks appeared in the black-and-white area, which rapidly spread in all directions. The Sphere of Essence disappeared with the sound of a bubble bursting.
~pop~
At this moment, the fat man burst the gum and nodded his head in satisfaction.
Clementine took her breath away. Having lost all her elemental energy, she collapsed to her knees and stared at Baker with dazed big brown eyes. His boyishly joyful face made the girl tremble with indescribable rage and humiliation. That bastard had destroyed her Sphere of Essence and taken away the title of the empress' senior disciple with just one damn flash!
Seraphima jumped up from her seat, blinking in amazement. There is no doubt that Baker just used the ability of a unique body, but does the body of "The Archangel" have something similar? She knew Amon well, and he had never demonstrated anything like this! The books didn't say anything about it either… The girl was more and more intrigued by Baker's personality.
A wave of shocked groans swept through the arena. There was no one in the audience who had attended the tournament of families in Boston, so no one recognized the flash that the messenger of the goddess once used at that tournament. Except Stone.
Elsa covered her mouth with her hand and then smiled brilliantly, happy for Kyon.
Stein frowned even more, though he looked thoughtful, not wary.
Kyon started the fight with "Scourge fracture" and ended it with "The flash of light", because he had to finish everything as soon as possible in order to save energy. He really didn't want to waste "The flash of light", which has an hour recoil, but The Sphere of Essence is no joke.
Having received a signal from her majesty, the imperial representative announced the winner: «Dick Baker unconditionally won the final round! Bravo!»
Elsa clapped first, and soon the whole hall applauded. No matter how ugly Dick was, no one doubted that he was strong, because he defeated each opponent with his incredible strength, which could not but arouse respect.
The fact that Baker instantly defeated even the imperial phaser at the 1st stage significantly pacified the anger of general Richard. So there's no shame in his grandson losing.
It was a load off Artemis's mind. He was able to breathe deeply.
And only Clementine did not want to accept her defeat at all. If she only knew about this flash, or if she didn't have a shortage of energy, she would surely come up with something to defeat the vile freak! Ah, she should have at least listened to the offer of the white chicken…
The girl really wanted to leave the tournament, but she decided to stay to see how someone stronger would beat this fat man, and preferably finish him off. It would be great if Stein fought him, he just has a score to settle with the pot-bellied scumbag.
Immediately after the final round, the imperial representative proceeded to the title ceremony. He took an oath from Baker in front of witnesses, and from that moment he officially became the senior disciple of the empress to the envy of all the junior disciples.
At the end of the ceremony, the imperial representative announced the start of the second stage of the tournament.
A screen with a bracket consisting of four participants appeared on the ceiling: Dick Baker vs. Asagi Hunter and Elsa Stone vs. Stein Valentine.
Suddenly the screen went dark… A crack appeared in the nephrite with the formation of the tournament bracket.
The audience looked around in bewilderment and whispered, when suddenly they froze dumbfounded…
Empress Lanatelle stood up to her full height and looked straight ahead with a firm gaze.
{If we fight each other to the bitter end, then even if one of us wins, she will not have enough strength to fight Baker. I'm not sure at all if we will defeat him with full strength}{You won't. I will beat him. Do you know why? Because he will not be able to escape from my all-consuming darkness, while your useless light, suitable only for lighting public toilets, will be no more dangerous for him than tickling. Brainless white chicken, I see right through you: you want to get at least a small chance to win. What a pitiful sight! How else are you going to embarrass yourself? I'm ashamed to be your sister} Clementine's beautiful face showed contempt.{Turn on your brain rotten from the darkness at least for a second!} barely restraining anger, Seraphima said. {If you were smart enough to watch the recording of the last tournament, or at least listen to the news, then you would know that Baker held out in a duel with Elsa for several minutes without missing a single blow! He broke her weapon, forcing her to use the elements! Now he has gone up three more stages}{And so what?} Clementine snorted, interrupting her rival. {How dare you even compare me to a pathetic human girl? I, a descendant of the direct blood of the Kagans, the great race of the dark ones, will not lose to some human!}{Oh, good heavens, what an impenetrable dullard you are!}{Cluck-cluck-cluck That's what I hear! Are you hungry? Poor thing Well, the caring mistress brought you something to eat.} Clementine sprinkled the arena with grits that came from nowhere. Come on, don't be shy. Don't fight on an empty stomach.Seraphima's fists were white with tension. Incredibly annoying! And how to stay calm after her antics?! Looks like Baker has every chance to winThere were chuckles among the spectators. They guessed that the twins were mentally arguing about something, and such provocations are a very good strategy for winning, after all, an anxious mind always loses to a cold one.~ding~The signal for the start of the battle rang.The girls got into a fierce fight. Darkness and light intertwined in a pair dance, and each of their movements generated beautiful green ripples of spatial attribute.The audience could not stop contemplating such a beautiful sight. None of the opponents was inferior to the other in anything, whether it was speed, agility or the power of techniques. There seemed to be a bond between them that created the perfect balance of power.Ten minutes later, the girls were overtaken by fatigue. Sweat dripped from their faces. They had already lost at least 75% of their energy, and it was still not possible to predict the winner. Is it really another draw? But such a scenario happens even less often than once in a thousand fights!Seraphima easily predicted that the duel would soon end this way, which means that Srul would win The very thought that this nasty fat man would undeservedly get the title she needed so much was infuriating. The feeling of anger and helplessness made her despair. Well, okay. She would rather give it to him than to her hated sister.The girl thought so until, during a momentary respite, she met Baker's gaze She saw a malicious, triumphant grin spread across the fat man's hateful face! Such a bastard, he is already looking forward to an easy victory in the final! She could not know that he smiled because of communication with Elsa.{Go to hell!} the usually calm Seraphima decided impulsively.Suddenly, during the fight, Clementine seized the initiative. Blow after blow, she seized the advantage, pushing the opponent to the barrier, and when she finally drove her into a dead end, the light one suddenly gave up, which looked like the only way out of the situation.{What the hell are you doing?!} Clementine was indignant. Who would she be if she hadn't noticed that this white hen had deliberately given up? There is no satisfaction from such a victory! How dare she?!{If you lose to him, then I will kill you.} Seraphima promised sullenly.Clementine was speechless. So that's the reason! Is her sister willing to give her the title to her own detriment, just to prevent Baker from getting it? Is she pinning her hopes on her?! It's disgusting just thinking about it!{I will defeat him, but not because you asked.} the dark girl finally answered.{I do not care. Do it. Wipe that smug grin off his face.}After a short pause, the imperial representative declared Clementine the winner.The audience, apparently, did not notice the concessions. However, it would be foolish to deny that they all expected to see a grander finale of the fight than a dry "I give up".The final round came in a minute. Since the empress's time is too expensive, the breaks between rounds were decided to be abolished, so the finalist almost did not restore her physical and elemental energy.Baker entered the arena and, putting chewing gum into his mouth, took out the Scourge.Clementine took out an elegant long one-handed black sword with patterns engraved on it - a gift from Asagi - and pointed it at her opponent: Chubby, you're going to choke on this gum. Now the lady will show you your place.I can't wait. Kyon chuckled.~ding~As soon as the signal for the start of the fight rang, the girl instantly rushed into battle.Kyon sighed softly, bent his legs and pulled the Scourge to his right side for a special stab. He looked like a spring strained to the limit, capable of piercing even the heavens.Clementine's sword was covered in black flames. It was not only capable of burning any kind of energy, but also much more deadly than ordinary fire.When the opponent approached within 5 meters, Lovr instantly covered the Scourge with liquid light and attacked the girl in the chest with "Scourge fracture". The sunny yellow "Cut of light" a stream of dazzling energy in the form of a wedge a third of a meter wide burst out of the tip of the sword. It contained all the parameters of a stabbing attack: sharpness, speed, mass, and even the strength of the Scourge! Moreover, he also multiplied them a little.Each second counted.Clementine's pupils widened in amazement. Baker's lunge speed was simply explosive! However, it was the bright wedge of energy that burst from the tip of his sword that caught her off guard. She will not be able to dodge it, she will have to beat it off!~BA-A-ANG~The clash of attacks created a deafening roar. "The cursed flame" under the influence of "The cut of light" instantly dissipated, turning into the energy of a spatial attribute, which spread out in a green sphere in all directions. The blade of light made the girl scrape 5 meters on the ground and almost lose her balance.The audience gasped in surprise. The noble phaser clearly suppressed the imperial phaser with the power of his attack! If someone had joked about it on the street, the fool would have been beaten on the head with sticks, but this is happening for real! But at the tournament a month ago, everything was exactly the opposite And what kind of strange technique did he use? He hadn't shown it beforeSeraphima jumped up from her seat, staring at the fat man in disbelief. No doubt, he just used the unique body ability of "The Archangel"! In order to conceive one of the most powerful and at the same time complex unique bodies among the light ones, one must possess unusually high moral qualities and have a great affinity with the element of light. But even if successful, overcoming each next stage of the body of "The Archangel" is comparable to reaching heaven.The same body is cultivated by Amon, the leader of the young generation with exceptional talent.Judging by the brightness and density of the blade of light, Dick not only possesses the body of "The Archangel", but also developed it to the same stage as Amon did, and this is incomprehensible.Seraphima thought she found a gold bar in the trash. In the blink of an eye, her dislike for Dick was replaced by interest and curiosity for his person, because a person who cultivates the body of "The Archangel" cannot be bad.Clementine, feeling a slight painful numbness in her hands and realizing that Baker had just used "The holy cut" an extremely disgusting technique of the light ones - gloomily looked at the fat man and muttered through her clenched teeth: So you are also one of them?I you not understand. Lovr pointedly picked at his ear.Clementine turned her gaze to her sworn enemy, and then back to Baker. If he is from the light ones, then why does Seraphima behave as if she sees him for the first time? And why did he regain only two phases of development in a year? And the quality of his strength is at some transcendental level Some kind of devilry!When Dick rushed forward, the girl involuntarily tensed up. With just one blow, he completely extinguished her flame, and also pushed her 5 meters away Her arm still hurts. She's no match for him in close combat! But even in ranged combat, he will beat off all her attacks with his blades And she's running out of energy!{I'll have to use it} Clementine sighed humbly. Suddenly, her whole body was engulfed in a flash of darkness, and the whole world went out for a moment. After a second, the effect disappeared, but now everything that was inside the protective barrier has lost its colors, becoming black and white.{Flash of darkness? No The Sphere of Essence!} Kyon guessed.The Sphere of Essence is the most powerful control technique, the ability of a unique body. It is mastered, except for the rarest exceptions, not earlier than the imperial phase. It has the same nature as the unique body. Its effects can be very different, but, as a rule, it strengthens the creator and weakens everyone else in the radius of action. To destroy the sphere, you need to have overwhelming power.However, The Sphere of Essence has significant drawbacks: it can be interrupted only when the practitioner runs out of energy. Accordingly, if the creator forcibly cancels the already activated sphere, he will still lose all energy. The same applies to its destruction. In addition, regardless of how exactly the sphere ceased to exist, its creator will not be able to use energy for several minutes, that is, he will become defenseless.That's why the twins didn't use this ability in the semifinals. But there is another reason: their Spheres of Essence are opposite in nature, so their activation cancels each other, thereby marking an instant draw.The Sphere of Essence! Miss Clementine had just entered the imperial phase, and she had already mastered it! What a monstrous talent! commented the third general.Elsa bit her lip. Seraphima clenched her fists. Even Stein raised an eyebrow slightly. And only the empress remained completely calm, although in the depths of her icy eyes there was some interest in what was happening.Bloodlust erupted from Clementine. Her sword was covered with "cursed flame", and, unlike the last time, it burned many times brighter, and the eerie aura emanating from it seemed even more dangerous. Now its power is definitely enough to burn "The holy cut", which means that Baker's done!Kyon shivered with mock horror: Ah, it's too dim here. I'm afraid of the dark. with the last word, he flashed brighter than 25 suns. Everything that exists has turned into white light. The audience lost their sight for a while, and all their senses were strained.The flame on Clementine's sword darted from side to side, as if in a panic, hissed and dissipated in a green haze. Colored cracks appeared in the black-and-white area, which rapidly spread in all directions. The Sphere of Essence disappeared with the sound of a bubble bursting.~pop~At this moment, the fat man burst the gum and nodded his head in satisfaction.Clementine took her breath away. Having lost all her elemental energy, she collapsed to her knees and stared at Baker with dazed big brown eyes. His boyishly joyful face made the girl tremble with indescribable rage and humiliation. That bastard had destroyed her Sphere of Essence and taken away the title of the empress' senior disciple with just one damn flash!Seraphima jumped up from her seat, blinking in amazement. There is no doubt that Baker just used the ability of a unique body, but does the body of "The Archangel" have something similar? She knew Amon well, and he had never demonstrated anything like this! The books didn't say anything about it either The girl was more and more intrigued by Baker's personality.A wave of shocked groans swept through the arena. There was no one in the audience who had attended the tournament of families in Boston, so no one recognized the flash that the messenger of the goddess once used at that tournament. Except Stone.Elsa covered her mouth with her hand and then smiled brilliantly, happy for Kyon.Stein frowned even more, though he looked thoughtful, not wary.Kyon started the fight with "Scourge fracture" and ended it with "The flash of light", because he had to finish everything as soon as possible in order to save energy. He really didn't want to waste "The flash of light", which has an hour recoil, but The Sphere of Essence is no joke.Having received a signal from her majesty, the imperial representative announced the winner: Dick Baker unconditionally won the final round! Bravo!Elsa clapped first, and soon the whole hall applauded. No matter how ugly Dick was, no one doubted that he was strong, because he defeated each opponent with his incredible strength, which could not but arouse respect.The fact that Baker instantly defeated even the imperial phaser at the 1st stage significantly pacified the anger of general Richard. So there's no shame in his grandson losing.It was a load off Artemis's mind. He was able to breathe deeply.And only Clementine did not want to accept her defeat at all. If she only knew about this flash, or if she didn't have a shortage of energy, she would surely come up with something to defeat the vile freak! Ah, she should have at least listened to the offer of the white chickenThe girl really wanted to leave the tournament, but she decided to stay to see how someone stronger would beat this fat man, and preferably finish him off. It would be great if Stein fought him, he just has a score to settle with the pot-bellied scumbag.Immediately after the final round, the imperial representative proceeded to the title ceremony. He took an oath from Baker in front of witnesses, and from that moment he officially became the senior disciple of the empress to the envy of all the junior disciples.At the end of the ceremony, the imperial representative announced the start of the second stage of the tournament.A screen with a bracket consisting of four participants appeared on the ceiling: Dick Baker vs. Asagi Hunter and Elsa Stone vs. Stein Valentine.Suddenly the screen went dark A crack appeared in the nephrite with the formation of the tournament bracket.The audience looked around in bewilderment and whispered, when suddenly they froze dumbfoundedEmpress Lanatelle stood up to her full height and looked straight ahead with a firm gaze.
