Princess’s Struggle for Survival

The casting power of Flickering Light, Passing Shadow itself was only peak tier Sorcerer level, but after Lyra first deployed Lightfall using her Sword of Light, this magic will receive overflowing light element amplification, boosting its power to early tier Magnus level.

At this very moment, within the mist-filled arena, light and shadow intertwined and clashed. Scorching specks of light vaporized the drops Sentos had gathered, while fainter patches of light clung to the small puddles nestled between cracks in the tiles, rendering those water-element particles sluggish, as if weighed down by lead.

Countless water-element particles in the air were vaporized by the searing heat around Lyra, while those remaining on the ground, for unknown reasons, became extremely inactive and difficult to manipulate with mental energy. Sentos furrowed his brows tightly, continuously waving his staff.

Just a single incantation had turned the tide of battle so drastic, what kind of magic was this? A treasure from the Valeria Empire's royal family? Why had he never heard of it?

In truth, this was the question in the minds of many spectators. Students might assume it was due to their own inadequate training, unaware of such magic. But the magic professor, who had spent years submerged in the Elizabeth Academy of Magic's library, knew this spell wasn't part of the academy's collection.

Either it was magical support provided by the royal family behind Astrid, or Lyra truly possessed extraordinary talent, capable of creating original magic at the peak tier Sorcerer stage.

If the latter were true, her future achievements would undoubtedly be boundless.

Regardless of what the audience thinks, all attention now centered on the empty arena.

Feeling the destructive aura emanating from Lyra, Sentos knew he couldn't keep holding back his trump card. He quickly began chanting a spell, and soon, a water sphere large enough to cover a quarter of the arena appeared, completely enveloping the man.

The instant Sentos entered the sphere, Lyra lost all sense of his position. This defensive barrier, similar to Ice Barrier, was an early tier Magnus-level water-element spell, capable of blocking most physical attacks and rendering the knight's most prized mental detection useless.

Water rippled, the human figure disappeared inside the orb. Layered curtains of water once again blotted out the sky, combining with evaporating white mist to form a natural barrier obscuring vision. Lyra gripped her long sword tightly, a beam of white light gathering at the blade's tip before straight into the water sphere.

Holy Light Vision, using light-element particles that coalesce into waves and refract upon contact to scan targets.

But clearly, Sentos had anticipated Lyra's method of locating him. The smooth water sphere, guided by mental energy, split into multiple thin streams, chaotically distorting the light.

Receiving no useful feedback, Lyra slightly furrowed her delicate brows, shifted her body, and the metal plates on her knight's boots emitted a crisp, clear sound.

If she were also an early tier Magnus, she could directly confront Sentos head-on using the inherent destructive power of Flickering Light, Passing Shadow. But the problem is that Lyra's mental energy quality was only at the peak tier Sorcerer level. Once prolonged elemental clashes began, her mental energy consumption would far exceed sentences'. The disparity in mental reserves between a Magnus and a Sorcerer was a dimensional-level advantage.

She absolutely had to find another way to pull Sentos out of his defensive barrier.

In previous matches, this foreign man with merfolk blood had never used this technique, so Lyra naturally had no prior preparation. Now, she could only rely on her quick thinking to try and break through.

When it rains, it pours. Sentos entering the water sphere wasn't merely to disrupt Lyra's offensive rhythm, he had even more dangerous follow-up moves.

A strange, incomprehensible yet rhythmic song echoed across the arena's center. The moment Lyra heard it, she recognized the danger, she gathered vast amounts of light-element energy around her and continuously chanted purification spell incantations.

Siren Song, Sentos' most threatening killing move. Once ensnared, Lyra will find it nearly impossible to concentrate. Whether casting spells or raising her sword in defense, everything will become exceedingly difficult.

Up to this point, both sides had finally revealed their trump cards. The real battle had only just begun.

Listening to the unfamiliar language, one she had never studied, echoing around her, Lyra steadied her breath. Her Holy Light Sword continues radiating light, constantly replenishing the light-element required particles by Lightfall and Flickering Light, Passing Shadow.

Since the match began, Sentos seemed to have never launched a direct attack, instead relying on defensive counters and barrier creation to slowly wear her down. Whether it was Raindrops or Siren Song, both were sustained effects, field-affecting spells that strengthened himself while weakening his opponent.

In other words, relying on his greater mental reserves, Sentos' steady, methodical combat style completely countered her.

To win this match, she absolutely couldn't follow his rhythm.

Taking a deep breath, scattered light-element particles converged around Lyra. The girl gripped her weapon tightly, her body shooting forward like an arrow from a bow, rushing straight into the water sphere.

Many spectators in the stands were instantly stunned, and even numerous upperclassmen held their breath in concern for Lyra.

Everyone knew that inside one's own created magic, the caster held an inherent home-field advantage. Sentos used the water sphere for defense, within it, every drop of water will be saturated with his mental energy. The moment Lyra clicked, her every move would be instantly detected.

In the VIP section, Iris watched the figure disappear into the sphere. Her eyes, previously expressionless, now hold a glint of curiosity and admiration.

Lyra remaining outside would only allow the Siren's Song to continuously affect her, eventually completely stripping her of combat ability. Only by entering the water sphere could she possibly solve the problem at its root.

Even if her position was constantly known, at least she had truly closed the distance. As long as that sharp, lethal blade finds its target, the latter's situation would instead become more dangerous.

Using her strengths against his weaknesses, this was exactly how a knight should handle a mage.

Gurgling water sounds echoed in her ears. Lyra, using light particles as a barrier, entered the light-blue water. In that instant, the Siren Song that had seemed to come from all directions suddenly became traceable.

Sentos' position… wasn't at the center…

Her limbs entangled by water currents, movements sluggish and difficult, Lyra focused mental energy on her legs and below, ensuring she could stay grounded, not overly hindered by the liquid.

Is he in the east…

Above her, the water's surface shimmered. Lyra held her breath and advanced in the direction the sound came from. Her Sword of Light stirred the water, attempting to disrupt Sentos' mental detection.

On the other side, Sentos, sensing Lyra's intention, did not panic. In water, his merfolk blood allowed him to breathe freely, and he possessed far superior limb control. Even if Lyra wanted to fight him to the death, it would be extremely difficult.

Besides, if she tried to locate him by sound, she would inevitably be affected by the Siren's Song. By the time she actually reached him, she'd probably have lost all combat capability.

.................

"Sister, do you think Lyra can win?"

In the audience, Amalia beside Astrid softly spoke, watching the battle unfold.

To outsiders, Livia Calliste was Astrid's adopted younger sister, untrained in magic, so even if she asked, she couldn't offer much insightful commentary.

Astrid paused slightly upon hearing the question, then opened her lips to reply after a moment.

"It's hard to say, but from the current overall situation…"

"Lyra has a decent chance of winning."

From the moment she chose to enter the water sphere, Astrid believed Lyra had a high probability of victory.

This decision wasn't necessarily perfect, but staying outside and passively letting Sentos drain her mental energy was absolutely impossible.

And… despite such overwhelming disadvantages, Lyra still hadn't revealed all her trump cards…

No need to rush. Just wait patiently.

Hearing Astrid's words, Amalia didn't ask further why. Instead, she leaned closer to the former, her arm wrapping around her arm.

Astrid, noting this, lowered her crossed leg, allowing Amalia to cling to her. Her hand moved down, gently resting on the white-stockinged loli's knee.

The battle continued, but due to the water sphere blocking the view, the projection screen couldn't broadcast real-time footage. Many spectators activated elemental sight, using their own powers to capture the movements of the fighters inside.

The Siren Song kept ringing. Affected by the melody, Lyra felt her spirit weakening, even beginning to think that entering the water sphere to close in on Sentos had been a mistake from the start.

'No… I didn't make a mistake. Only this way can I find Sentos…'

This was one of the effects of the Siren Song, crushing the enemy's psychological defenses from within. Just as Lyra suppressed the seed of self-doubt, the next moment, even more negative emotions flooded her mind.

'You've tried so hard already… As a peak tier Sorcerer, reaching the semifinals is truly impressive…'

'The gap between Sorcerer and Magnus is too great. Victory is impossible…'

'It's just a match. No need to push yourself so hard…'

Gurgling water sounds echoed through her mind. The discomfort from the Siren Song kept escalating. Lyra's time was running out.

Just as her consciousness grew increasingly hazy, Lyra used her last shred of clarity to raise the sharp tip of her sword and prick her fingers. A few strands of blood exceedingly in the water, like slender red threads, obvious, striking.

This wasn't just a match. It was a necessary step toward claiming the championship.

Lyra placed her injured finger into her lips, gently sucking. The bitter, iron-like taste spread across her tongue, stimulating her exhausted spirit.

Having stayed by Princess Astrid's side for so long, she should do something to prove to everyone that Lyra Beckett wasn't just the princess' attendant, but also her good friend.

She needed a championship, to tell others, and to tell herself, that she had the right to stand beside Astrid, with a slightly more equal identity.

Her feet planted firmly on the flat floor. The body that had briefly felt unbalanced due to mental turmoil stabilized once more. Lyra listened to the sound, now clearer than before, and realized she was approaching Sentos' position.

No more chances for him to escape. Start now.

Lyra softly chanted an incantation. Scorching heavenly light descended from above, shooting toward Sentos nearby like an orbital missile.

Blinding light pierced the water surface, followed by a sword radiating holy radiation.

Sentos, using the water as eyes and, sensed the Holy Light Sword rushing straight at him. His body instantly shifts like a nimble fish to the right. The Holy Light Sword missed, then returned to Lyra's hand upon summoning.

This feint attack was merely to pinpoint Sentos' exact location. The instant feedback arrived, Lyra forcefully kicked the ground beneath her. Tiles cracked and shattered, while correspondingly, the pink-haired girl gained a burst of explosive recoil.

Ten meters, eight meters, five meters… Inside the water sphere, a distance that could be closed in a blink now felt slightly longer…

Locking onto Sentos himself, Lyra's entire body was covered in dazzling holy light. The liquid surrounding her target was sliced by light-formed blades, taking on shapes similar to glass shards.

Feeling the water beside him rapidly dissolving, Sentos' eyes finally showed a flicker of panic. The Siren's Song continued, but its rhythm had become faster than before.

This wasn't right. After enduring the Siren's Song for such a long time, Lyra shouldn't still possess such strong fighting will.

What had he missed?

Seeing the water sphere begin to collapse, Lyra aimed her sword tip directly at Sentos. Holy light once again flowed along the blade's spine.

The sun's dawn light, the water-refracted glow, the flickering cold gleam at the sword tip, everything seemed to form an omnidirectional killing move, aimed directly at Sentos standing at the heart of the formation.

The strange, intricate chant continued echoing in the arena, yet Lyra seemed completely unaffected. A sharp wind lifted the girl's pale pink hair, but faster than the wind was her sword.

The sapphire on the staff continued flashing with odd light, but the blade struck first, hitting the staff directly and sending it flying several meters away.

The tremendous force sent a jolt of pain through his wrist. Expecting Lyra to attack him directly, Sentos had only managed to activate a liquid defense on himself, completely ignoring his staff.

He didn't have time to think further. Lyra's figure blurred like a phantom. Her blade, wrapped in sun-like holy flames, easily sliced through the water, now extremely fragile due to his lapse in concentration. The once-complete defensive net broke at one point, then crumbled entirely.

"You've lost, Mr. Sentos."

The cold blade pressed against the man's neck. At the same time, the deafening spell Lyra had cast on herself ended. Loose arcane particles drifted around.