Due to an unexpected series of events, the Dud Manor advanced to the Semifinals of the Clash of Manors, beating the Schwartz Manor with the score 3 Wins and 1 Loss.
Although the much awaited battle between the two Head Prefects didn’t go as planned, everyone was still fired up because it was now time for the showdown between the Jaeger Manor and the Eques Manor.
“Please, come up to the stage, Lily Langley and Alice Quinn!” Professor Barret announced, making the students, especially the boys, cheer loudly.
Lily was a very cute and charming girl, whom the boys found endearing.
Alice, on the other hand, was referred to as a cold beauty. She almost always had a serious expression on her face, but some of the boys actually like these kinds of girls.
Some of them were even making bets with each other on who would be able to break the ice that covered her personality, making her become a warm, and caring girl, who would become every man’s ideal lover.
“Who do you think will win this duel, Ethan?” Nicole, who, for some reason, appeared beside the blue-haired boy when the latter wasn’t paying attention, asked.
Ethan didn’t answer right away as he eyed the two young ladies who had just stepped into the arena.
“I don’t have enough information about Lily to answer your question,” Ethan replied. “I have seen Alice fight in the past, but she was already in a weakened state by then. Also, your duel with her was covered in a white mist, so I wasn’t able to see the battle between you girls.
“But, there is one thing I do know. Lily isn’t someone simple. Whenever she is around me, I always feel as if she was a wolf ready to pounce on me if an opportunity were to present itself. My instincts are telling me that I cannot judge her by her cute looks.”
Nicole smiled after hearing Ethan’s honest opinion. Truth be told, between Alice and Lily, she already had an idea about who would win.
However, she didn’t voice her opinion out loud because Ethan didn’t ask her who she thought would win the match.
Actually, Chloe and Luna were paying close attention to Ethan’s and Nicole’s conversation. They were also very curious about who would emerge victorious between Alice and Lily.
Lily was the Pillar of Jaeger Manor, and Alice had beaten Nicole in their one-on-one-duel, earning her the right to represent Eques Manor in the Clash of Manors.
The battle between the two of them would certainly be something worth seeing.
“Are both of you ready?” Professor Barret asked.
Lily and Alice both nodded their heads and took out their wands at the same time.
Seeing that both of them were ready to fight, Professor Barret raised his hand and announced the start of the battle.
“Duel Start!” Professor Barret shouted before teleporting outside of the arena.
The first thing that Alice did when the battle was announced was wave her hand, summoning a white mist to cover the arena.
Lily only giggled and didn’t do anything to stop the silver-haired beauty from creating a smokescreen to prevent others from seeing their battle.
“Awwww! Not this again!”
“Why?! I want to see it! Why use a smokescreen?!”
“Damn! Why go to this extent for a magical duel?! What’s the point in watching if there is nothing to watch!”
The students of the Academy voiced out their complaints out loud,, while some of them even resorted to booing Alice for her distasteful strategy.
Nicole, on the other hand, chuckled because she had experienced this scenario when she fought Alice a few weeks ago.
The reason why the pink-haired beauty, as well as the cute young lady, Lily, didn’t stop Alice from doing what she was doing, was for their own benefit as well.
They didn’t want others to see how they fought.
Among the countless spectators, there were only around a dozen people that could see through Alice’s smokescreen as if it didn’t exist.
One was the Headmaster of Brynhildr Academy, Professor Rinehart, and the other was Professor Barret, who served as the referee of the match.
The others who could also see the two ladies smiled with amusement because they were about to see something that was meant for their eyes only.
‘Too bad, I can’t see it,’ Ethan sighed. ‘And I wanted to see their battle as well.’
While he was lamenting his disappointment, a playful voice reached his ears.
‘Who said that you couldn’t view it?’
After hearing this voice many times in the past, Ethan instantly recognized it as the voice of the Mermaid Princess, Illumina.
‘Is there a way for me to see it, Illumina?’ Ethan asked.
‘Of course,’ Illumina replied. ‘You are currently being used as a couch by a race that specializes in playing tricks, and illusions. If there is anyone that can see through that smokescreen, it would be none other than the Fairies.’
Ethan blinked once then twice before realizing what Illumina was hinting at.
Immediately, the blue-haired boy spoke to Ruby, who was currently sitting on his right shoulder.
He made sure that the volume of his voice was low, allowing only those that were near him to hear his words.
“Ruby, can you see through that white mist?” Ethan asked.
“Yes,” Ruby replied in a heartbeat. “This petty trick is nothing compared to what Fairies can do. What’s wrong? You can’t see them?”
Ethan shook her head, which made Ruby giggle.
“Give me an additional 10 bags of candies and I’ll let you see it as well.” Ruby smiled like a business girl, who found a way to earn instant cash.
“Deal,” Ethan replied in a heartbeat.
“Hey, how about me?” Nicole asked in a low tone. “I want to see it too. I’ll give you 10 bags of candies as well.”
“50 bags of candies, and we have a deal,” Ruby replied.
“You only asked Ethan 10 bags of candies,” Nicole commented. “Why are you suddenly increasing the price?”
“That’s because Ethan is one of us,” Ruby stated as if this was a very normal thing. “He gets discounts.”
“T-Then, how about me?” Chloe asked. “I want to see it too.”
“Okay, 20 bags for you,” Ruby replied after thinking for a few seconds.
“And me?” Luna inquired.
“20 bags as well,” Ruby answered.
Nicole, who heard Ruby’s unfair pricing, couldn’t help but shake her head helplessly.
Clearly, the red-haired fairy was making things difficult for her, but she currently had no choice but to accept her offer because she also wanted to see the battle of her peers.
After everyone agreed on the price, Ruby and her friends all sprinkled Fairy Dust on Ethan, Chloe, Luna, and Nicole.
They then chanted something in the Ancient Fairy language that Ethan and the others weren’t able to understand.
A second later, the white mist that was blocking their vision suddenly vanished without a trace, surprising the four teenagers.
However, their surprise didn’t last for long as their expressions changed immediately after seeing the battle that was taking place in the arena.
A battle that was being waged between two prodigies, whose only goal was to win.𝒩𝔬𝑣𝒍xt.𝗰𝓞𝓂