Rise of the Harem King

Vaguen's eyes shone with a crimson hue as the flames danced aggressively around him. The temperature in the arena rose drastically, causing the air to tremble as their two auras of fire collided. Ember, with her black sword, maintained her arrogant posture, but internally she felt the pressure of the raw power her opponent emanated.

"Your flames can't burn me," Ember said with an arrogant tone, taking a step forward.

Her black flames danced around her, absorbing some of the fire in her surroundings. The Queen of Hell's dominion over flames was unparalleled, giving her an enormous advantage against an enemy who only possessed fire powers.

Feeling energized by her opponent's power, the queen of hell smiled as if in ecstasy. Then she advanced, her sword cutting the air with a sharp whistle. The blackened blade left a trail of purple flames that crashed against Vaguen's orange flames. The impact generated a shockwave that swept across the arena, causing the nearest spectators to flinch.

Vaguen roared, and his flames intensified, forming fiery claws that tried to grab Ember. The woman spun, dodging the attacks with impressive agility, while her sword delivered precise strikes. With each blow, she caused the flames around Vaguen to falter, and little by little, the black flames began to dominate the arena, as if devouring everything else.

The man clenched his fists, understanding what was happening. That power was terrifying.

"You've got quite an ability, little girl," he commented, his voice tired.

Flames erupted from within the man's body as he prepared to charge with all his power. He knew he had to end the fight quickly, or he would eventually lose.

"Now you'll really burn!" he roared, advancing with his fists blazing like meteors.

Ember, however, did not retreat. Her arrogant gaze remained firm, and the black flames that enveloped her roared even louder, as if responding to the challenge.

When Vaguen threw his punch, she raised her sword. The impact was devastating: a wave of fire and darkness spread out, hurling debris into the air. For a moment, the audience couldn't even see who had won the exchange.

Within that flaming tempest, the fight became a dance. Vaguen attacked with aggressive punches and kicks but couldn't land a single blow. With every passing moment, he grew weaker. His ill-conceived burst of power only drained him faster.

"You don't understand, Vaguen," she whispered, after dodging another blow that exploded the ground behind her. "Your flames don't burn me… they feed me!"

Indeed, his flames began to lose their intensity, being swallowed ever more quickly by the Queen of Hell's fiery darkness. Vaguen realized too late that his every blow only strengthened his enemy.

In a final act of desperation, he gathered all his strength for one last attack. His body became a miniature sun, but…

Ember smiled.

She raised her sword, and her black aura exploded into a sea of infernal flames that swallowed all the light around them. The sun Vaguen was forming was extinguished as those brutal flames completely enveloped him.

Vaguen felt all the power leave his body, unable to do anything to defend himself against the powers of the Queen of Hell. He fell to his knees, feeling almost desolate.

At the same time, black flames began to accumulate on the tip of Ember's sword as she activated her ability, <Black Sun>.

But she never had the chance to release that power.

"I give up," Vaguen admitted with a deep sigh. "I think my time has passed."

The man stood up with some difficulty, his entire body aching. He had spent almost all his mana and couldn't even force his opponent to use her strongest ability. It was rather humiliating, but there was nothing to be done; time passes for everyone. He should probably abdicate his right to participate in the next tournament.

Admitting his own defeat, the man stroked his beard while admiring the young woman before him. "I expect great things from you, young one. Give it your best in the final."

"Yes!" Ember replied, undoing her transformation. "Thank you very much!" she answered, her tone a little nervous.

Vaguen then bid farewell and walked slowly to where his family was waiting. Ember, still surprised by her own victory, walked back to where Davi and the other two girls were.

"Congratulations on the win!" The first to greet Ember was Lara, who jumped toward her friend, hugging her tightly.

"You came to watch me too?!" the redhead exclaimed in surprise, melting into the tight embrace. She and Lara had been seeing less of each other, as they trained separately and were always busy doing whatever they could to get stronger as quickly as possible. Because of that, they took any chance they had to catch up. Ember even forgot for a moment that Sophia and Davi were also there.

"Ahem! Idiot, don't forget who you need to thank for being here!" Sophia complained with a provocative tone, crossing her arms to emphasize her voluminous chest.

"Right!" Ember smiled ironically and approached Davi, capturing his lips. "Thank you so much for all the support. If it weren't for you, I never could have wielded my sword with such confidence."

"Ingrate and boobless…" Sophia murmured with a provocative tone. Then she came closer to Davi, also pressing her body against his, trying to get his attention. The man, who was used to this, just let his hands wander all over the two girls' bodies, making them let out soft gasps of pleasure. The pleasure always calmed them down.

Now calmer, the two conversed amicably, but they didn't have much time for discussion because a member of the Darnel clan came to announce that the other fight had ended.

"Who won?" Ember asked apprehensively.

"Your father…" the man replied as if it were obvious. Well, in a way, it was expected. "You need to go to the healing room where they will recover your wounds. The final will happen in thirty minutes. Be prepared."

"Understood," Ember replied with little confidence. She would have preferred not to face her father; it was a little scary.

"Go on," Davi approached and gave the girl's back a light push. "I know you can win. Give it your best."

"I know you can do it!" Lara also chimed in with her words of motivation.

"Why are you waiting? Do you want to be eliminated before you even have a chance to fight?" Sophia, naturally, wouldn't offer gentle words. "You've already worked so hard to get here. If you decide to back down now, I'll make you swallow a thousand needles."

"Bleh," Ember stuck her tongue out and turned her back on the blonde, following the clan member to the healing room.

"You two are really getting along, huh?" Davi commented with a small smile as he looked at Sophia.

The woman blushed, and her gaze burned with fire. "What do you mean by that! I could never be friends with an idiot like her!" Her tone sounded so honest that Davi almost believed her for a moment.

"If you say so," he shrugged. "But when she wins, congratulate her properly, okay?" he said, ruffling the top of his girlfriend's head. "You'll regret it if you never tell people how you really feel."

"Okay…" Sophia replied in a low murmur. She had a habit of acting tough, but Davi could read her like a book.

Then they walked to where the final would be held. Only the main clan councilors and the guests of the two finalists were allowed to attend. Because of this, the audience was small, and Sophia, Lara, and Davi were able to sit comfortably in an isolated spot.

"One more thing, what do you want to do while we wait for the fight to start?" Sophia leaned over Davi with a perverted smile. "We still have more than 20 minutes, you know."