Extra Demon: Sacred Academy of Light

Daniela took a deep breath, her bright golden eyes fixed on her opponent. She was quite nervous; she could feel hundreds of eyes locked onto her. A great weight pressed mercilessly on her shoulders. Most people in the Empire knew who she was — after all, she was the daughter of the Empire's Saint. On top of that, her hair color, pointed ears, and the golden shade of her eyes were well known, as they were identical to her mother's.

She took another breath and cleared her mind.

Golden halos surrounded her body, and small, pure white sparks, like stars, formed tiny points that levitated in the air.

Daniela looked at her opponent — Lisa, the leader of Class Three. She wore silver armor tailored for women, and her wheat-blonde hair fell wildly over her sword. She held the sword firmly in her hand and gazed at Daniela with a serious expression.

"Daniela, I hope this will be fun," Lisa said with a gentle smile.

Suppressing her nervousness, Daniela returned the smile. "I hope so too."

Her opponent was a skilled swordswoman, while she was a mage — which already put her at a disadvantage, as she needed to maintain a certain distance.

A white flame appeared in Daniela's hands. "I'm ready," she said with a serious look.

Lisa nodded. "Me too," she replied.

Both young women turned to the supervisor, who nodded back, signaling the start of the duel.

*******

Azrael frowned as she stared at the student standing before her. She didn't like any of this. Letting out a sigh, she extended her hand. A black, tar-like substance oozed from her palm and quickly solidified into a black sword.

She wore no armor, only a simple black dress that reached her knees. Swinging the sword slightly, each slash left behind a trail of dark mist, which vanished seconds later. Satisfied, she nodded and turned her gaze to the supervisor.

Draven, the representative of Class Four, felt deeply unsettled by the sight of the black substance and the lingering mist. A whisper echoed in his ears, making his body shudder. The sensation of death was subtle but profound, shaking his mind. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head and firmly gripped the axe in his hands. His gaze hardened as he looked toward the supervisor.

Azrael pressed her lips together, her blood-red eyes gleaming faintly. From her feet, the same black substance began to spread, devouring all the light around the coliseum. Faint, agonized screams drowned out the voices of the living, until silence fell completely. Everything turned pitch black, and the air filled with thick black mist.

As Draven watched the darkness consume everything around him, his soul trembled along with his body. Goosebumps crawled over his skin, and cold sweat dripped down his face. He felt real danger — as if death itself stood before him. Clenching his teeth tightly, he tried in vain to suppress the fear pounding in his chest.

*****

"I didn't think you'd accept," Ariel said, a soft smile on his lips as he looked at me curiously. "I'm pleasantly surprised — and honestly, quite happy."

With a smile, he extended his hand. Tiny star-like motes of light gathered, fusing together into a brilliant, transparent sword. Holding it in front of him, he smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked kindly.

Arthur smiled back. In truth, he wasn't ready — though, of course, it wasn't like he could admit that. He let out a quiet sigh. "Give me a moment."

"Alright," Ariel agreed easily.

Arthur thought quickly. A lot was at stake — the system's 50 skill points and more importantly, his own pride. He didn't fully understand why Ariel and Elizabeth had proposed this duel, nor what they expected from it, but he didn't dwell on it too long. He would treat this duel as a learning experience, and while he wanted to win, deep down he knew it was impossible. He was still too new at this.

But that wouldn't stop him from trying.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment.

[Calm Mind] [Mana Control]

He activated the two skills, both of which were incredibly useful for a moment like this. Slowly, he drew his sword from its sheath. The blade gleamed with blue flames as he opened his eyes.

Locking eyes with Ariel, he spoke calmly: "I'm ready."

Ariel smiled. The motes of light swirled around his body, forming a silver armor decorated with sky-blue and azure accents.

The supervisor glanced at both of them and nodded. "Begin!" he shouted.

Arthur stood still, his mind cold and clear, matching the chill in his eyes. He could feel the blue flames coursing through his veins and body, surrounding him with cold. His blue eyes shone brighter than usual, occasionally releasing faint glimmers of light.

In an instant, Ariel vanished from his sight. Arthur's senses sharpened immediately. Bright halos enveloped him, and feeling a presence behind him, he quickly pivoted with swift footwork and swung his sword.

A powerful force clashed against his blade.

Ariel was still smiling, his eyes glowing as the motes of light surrounding him pulsed and flared. Small waves of energy began to gather around him.

"They're going to explode," Arthur thought.

His mind scanned the area, breathing slowly. His body ignited with blue flames, the cold within him growing even sharper — though he ignored it.

Boomm!

Controlled explosions erupted all at once. Silver dust spread across the platform. Ariel stood in place, scanning the surroundings with a cautious smile. He couldn't sense Arthur's presence anywhere.

"Did I kill him?" he wondered.

The air grew colder — yet somehow also slightly warmer. Ariel furrowed his brow.

Clank!

Reacting instantly, Ariel swung his sword. Chains covered in blue flames struck his blade with force. His eyes widened slightly as he swung again, sparks scattering around them.

The silver dust cleared, revealing Arthur emerging from within. Blue flames moved calmly across his body, his eyes cold and his expression unreadable. The chains in his hands melted away, and in his other hand, his flame-covered sword pointed directly at Ariel.

"Is that all?" he asked.

*****

Ariel slightly widened his eyes, carefully observing Arthur's body...He had hoped that at the very least he would be injured — but he wasn't! He had walked out of the explosions as if nothing had happened. His gaze shifted back to him, focusing especially on the blue flames that cloaked his body.

"Did he heal with them?" he wondered to himself."Truly miraculous..." he nodded silently, accepting the reality before his eyes.

Embracing the challenge implied in Arthur's stare, he tightened his grip on the sword's hilt. A smile spread across his face just before he dashed forward, swift as lightning. Bluish starlight motes swirled around his blade as he suddenly appeared in front of Arthur, swinging his sword once again.

The night's chill coursed through his body, filling him with energy. High above, the moon shone in all its splendor, casting its light across the world. Ariel felt completely in his element: lunar magic, lunar essence, and lunar energy all flowed in perfect harmony. There was no better time for him to fight than under the silver glow of the moon.

His eyes gleamed softly; the hazel color faded, replaced by a beautiful shade of silver, while his hair deepened into a darker black, as if devouring the surrounding light.

Beneath his feet, a lunar radiance slowly spread across the battlefield, clashing against the presence of the blue flames that surrounded Arthur.

—This just got interesting —Ariel said, a smile curling his lips.