Princess’s Struggle for Survival

As Lyra's sword tip landed on Sentos's neck, the surrounding water-elemental particles simultaneously lost their psychokinetic traction. The previously fixed spherical formation could no longer be maintained, scattering and spreading across the tiled floor with the flow.

Feeling the cold chill emanating from the blade's edge, Sentos raised his hand, signaling the referee to declare the match's conclusion.

This was the victory belonging to Lyra Beckett of Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

The magical projection magnified Sentos's hand raised high, making the translucent knight's sword resting on the man's shoulder clearly visible.

The next second, it seemed as if fireworks had exploded within the arena, and thunderous cheers erupted from every corner of the spectator stands, momentarily making Lyra's eardrums ache.

This was still in the state of recently dispelling the deafness spell, where her hearing remained relatively dull. Otherwise, even the victor might have had her mind shaken by the sheer intensity of the cheers.

On the competition stage, observing the arcane particles dissipating around Lyra, Sentos immediately understood the key point.

After locking onto his position, Lyra had cast a deafness spell upon herself. Although losing her hearing couldn't completely negate the negative effects of [Siren Song] on her, doing so had undoubtedly weakened its impact to some degree.

If his guess was correct, it meant that Lyra's latter half of the offensive had been carried out while completely deaf. For ordinary people, losing one of the five senses would severely diminish combat effectiveness. Yet, this pink-haired girl in front of him seemed entirely unaffected, her sword strikes remained swift and fierce, likely the result of extensive practice.

"An excellent match, Miss Lyra," Sentos said gently as he finally felt the blade against his neck withdrawing.

"It's been a while since a sparring match has allowed me such enjoyment. Truly, you are a genius competitor worthy of reaching the semifinals purely by Sorcerer strength."

Amidst the continuous cheers for the victor, Sentos, on the losing side, showed no obvious signs of defeat, instead courteously praising his opponent.

Hearing his words, Lyra snapped back from the arena's cheers, turning to face the man standing opposite and politely nodding.

"Lord Sentos is also very impressive. My ultimate victory was somewhat fortunate."

Just a little more, and [Siren Song] might have breached her psychological defenses. Had that determination to win faltered, she certainly wouldn't have been able to keep her physical movements swift.

Noticing that host Evelyn had not yet ascended the stage, Sentos gazed on at Lyra, who was dressed in a simple everyday outfit, lightly dusted off the debris from his collar, and spoke calmly.

"There's no need for excessive modesty. This victory is one Miss Lyra rightfully earned through her own performance."

"May I ask if Miss Lyra has other arrangements for the afternoon? Might I invite you to join me for lunch, to get to know each other better and discuss the details of this match?"

In Sentos's view, forming connections with a young woman as beautiful and powerful as this could only bring benefits.

Upon hearing Sentos's lunch invitation, Lyra lifted her gaze towards the man, hesitated not a second, and quickly shook her head.

"Sorry, I already have lunch plans."

Before ascending the stage, Astrid had told her she'd prepare a celebratory meal at the Purple Dragon Restaurant. Naturally, Lyra couldn't accept Sentos's invitation now.

Although even if she truly had no prior commitments, Lyra wouldn't have agreed anyway. For one, the customs of the Valeria Empire were far more conservative than those of the Pan-Human Alliance, and a man and woman dining alone together was already considered a rather intimate gesture. For another, something Astrid had mentioned one evening had significantly lowered Lyra's favor towards Sentos.

His demeanor was always refined and courteous, observing proper etiquette, rationally speaking, she shouldn't harbor such bias. But Lyra had never considered herself particularly rational. Disliking someone was disliking them; minimal contact while maintaining basic politeness was enough.

Having his lunch invitation declined, Sentos showed no sign of displeasure, merely standing slightly bowed. A few seconds later, Evelyn stepped onto the competition stage, her silver carved heels, her shapely legs swaying as they carried a faint floral fragrance, her pace graceful and composed.

"The long-anticipated first semifinal has finally concluded. Lyra Beckett, a second-year student from Elizabeth Academy of Magic, emerged victorious after an intense battle, winning this match in spectacular fashion."

"Let us cheer once more, congratulating competitor Lyra on securing her ticket to the finals, and wishing her even greater success in the upcoming matches."

"...Of course, aside from the victor, the other competitor deserves to be remembered as well. He too delivered an outstanding match."

Amidst the students' thunderous applause, Lyra planted her sword tip into the ground, stood upright, and turned to survey her surroundings. Countless gazes from the audience stands focused on her, and the sunlight falling from above shone like magically enhanced stage spotlights, gilding the slender, petite silhouette of the pink-haired girl with a golden rim.

Defeating Sentos, an early tier Magnus, with the strength of a peak tier Sorcerer, whether it was the surprise of an underdog victory that thrilled the audience, or the sense of connection her student status provided, right now, these young boys and girls were more than willing to pour their emotions into a match whose outcome had initially seemed unremarkable.

Listening to the enthusiastic cheers around her, Astrid uncrossed her legs, folded her hands across her chest, and her clear, bright red eyes quietly observed Lyra standing at the center of the arena.

She knew the other girl would win. And indeed, reality had not disappointed her expectations.

The next moment, Lyra's gaze met Astrid's in the stands. Across nearly a hundred meters, Lyra vaguely saw the approval in Astrid's eyes, and in that instant, even the sunlight above seemed to warm her heart, spreading gentle ripples of warmth.

Remaining in place until Evelyn finished the official hosting remarks, Lyra followed the staff off the competition stage.

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

Perhaps Astrid had anticipated the overwhelming enthusiasm of Elizabeth Academy of Magic students following Lyra's victory, which was why she had specifically chosen the more private Purple Dragon Restaurant instead of the crowded academy cafeteria for lunch.

Even so, along the path to the restaurant, nearly every passerby paused briefly to look at Lyra.

"Level-up challenge", this term usually applied only to early tier Apprentices or slightly higher middle tier apprentices. At that stage, mages hadn't fully detached from ordinary humans, and many factors could influence the outcome of a match, physical constitution, mental state, or even a stray pebble that might cause someone to trip. Winning a match against an opponent one level higher wasn't exactly earth-shattering news.

But at the Sorcerer level, the differences in mental strength quality and capacity between each tier were decided. Instances like Lyra's, where she leaped several tiers to defeat her opponent, were rare even in the academy's entire history.

And most importantly, this wasn't just some casual sparring match. It was a once-every-four-years international competition. Winning under the eyes of millions of spectators was fundamentally different from succeeding in a private duel.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even if Lyra failed to win the championship from here on, she would still become a star of the academy, a prominent figure in the eyes of numerous nobles.

Walking along the neat, flat stone pavement, the sound of clicking heels like a crisp autumn melody, Astrid noticed that the person usually drawing maximum attention, herself, had suddenly become the pink-haired girl holding the sword. A slight smile curved her lips. Without saying much, she leisurely walked toward their destination beneath Elise's parasol.

Arriving at the reserved private booth, Astrid placed her handbag aside and took a seat. The head maid went ahead to instruct the servers to bring the dishes, while Lyra and Amalia sat on either side of her.

Due to Sentos releasing a large amount of water-elemental magic during their match, Lyra had ended the fight looking as if she'd just been pulled out of a lake, soaked through. Before lunch, Astrid had taken her back to the dormitory to shower and completely changed her outfit. Now, Lyra was finally dry again, her soft, smooth pink hair no longer clumped together from moisture.

"Lyra."

Hearing Astrid called her name, Lyra straightened her back, her blue eyes attentively fixed on the silver-haired princess beside the table.

"Yes, Astrid...?"

Noticing Lyra's sudden tension, Astrid narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke gently.

"I've been watching the entire match from the audience. Lyra, your performance today was truly outstanding."

She'd already praised her right after the match ended, but bringing it up again was simply to make someone riding high on victory feel even happier.

Girls as pure-hearted as Lyra, Astrid understood perfectly. Praising them a bit more might not show on the surface, but deep inside, they'd be absolutely delighted.

As it turned out, Astrid had overestimated Lyra's ability to control her expressions. Hearing Astrid's words, Lyra's cheeks flushed slightly, and her smooth, pale legs gently swung beneath the table until her little leather shoes came to rest against the chair leg.

"It was okay... I won mostly thanks to you, Astrid..."

Whether it was [Lightfall], the core technique for breaking through defenses, or the intensive training she'd contained these past days, endless bombardment with ancient spell incantations that allowed her to maintain sufficient focus even after losing her hearing, these efforts had all contributed to securing her victory.

Another key factor was that, after being influenced by [Siren Song], Astrid played a vital role in helping her swiftly recover her will to fight.

Before stepping onto the stage, Lyra had heard Astrid saying that as long as she performed well, she could defeat Sentos. Since the princess had made such a judgment, it must be correct. She had no reason to give up simply because she was one rank lower.

"I may indeed have made some contribution, but defeating Sentos, Lyra, you were undoubtedly the one who put in the most effort and worked the hardest."

"Believe me, after today, everyone in Elizabeth Academy of Magic will remember your name."

Astrid wasn't exaggerating at all. She was certain that in the years to come, the name Lyra Beckett would only shine brighter.

Hearing this, Lyra lowered her head slightly. Praise from Astrid made her cheeks noticeably warm, and she felt a little lightheaded.

She had really defeated Sentos, and in a level-up challenge.

Undoubtedly, this victory had given Lyra immense confidence. Sentos's defeat showed her that early tier Magnus weren't untouchable deities.

If she worked a little harder, perhaps winning the championship wasn't impossible.

Imagining herself already standing in that position of universal admiration, with everyone looking at her and giving approving glances, Lyra couldn't help but smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

If she won the championship, her parents would surely be proud of her, and even everyone from her village would have their faces brightened with honor.

Look! This is our village's pride from Morin Village, crowned champion at the Magic Exchange Competition and defeating the prodigy from the neighboring country.

Seeing this, not only Astrid, but even the white-stockinged little girl sitting across from Lyra could tell exactly what the pink-haired knight was thinking.

However, considering that today's Lyra had indeed achieved the honor she had long desired, Amalia chose not to interrupt her fantasy inappropriately. Instead, she sat quietly in her seat, hands resting on her knees, legs neatly together, like an exquisite porcelain doll awaiting lunch.

After a while, returning to reality, Lyra realized she'd been daydreaming, right in front of Astrid, and shyly rubbed at her skirt, her pale legs pressing tightly together as well.

'I haven't even started fighting yet, and I'm already imagining what happens if I win.'

'Lyra, Lyra... just one victory, and you're already getting carried away?'

Sensing Lyra's inner excitement, Astrid fluttered her eyelashes and spoke again.

"After defeating such a formidable opponent, it's perfectly fine to be even happier."

"If this week's issue of the Empire Weekly hadn't already been finalized, I'd have written this match into the article, letting all the nobles across the nation know the name Lyra Beckett, letting them know that the Third Princess has such an incredible friend."

Since Lyra was so rarely this joyful, Astrid decided to let her enjoy it a little more, instead of always looking so pitiful, like a poor little puppy.

"Choosing Lyra back then, my judgment was definitely correct."

Nothing could make Lyra happier than Astrid's affirmation. Listening to the woman's gentle, melodious voice, Lyra felt profoundly satisfied. Were she still a child, she might have leaned both hands on the chair and swung back and forth in excitement.

"Astrid..."

"Mm?"

"I will win the championship..."

"...Absolutely, absolutely win it."