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"Yeah, I heard it too. They\'re really making a bet?" Cylien\'s brow furrowed in confusion.

"But what on earth could they be betting on?" Roda\'s curiosity peaked.

"I\'m also curious about that... but a bet between Amael and Adrian? It\'s making me uneasy..." Victor\'s voice trailed off before he noticed John, slightly apart from the group, quietly observing the unfolding scene with his hands resting on the guardrails. "John, do you have any insight into this bet?"

John, weary but compelled by Victor\'s earnest inquiry, shifted his gaze. He initially hesitated, but Victor\'s connection through Alicia pushed him to share. He was also a brother of a sister after all.

"If Adrian wins, he\'s marrying Alicia tonight and he can do whatever he wants with Edward."

"What?!" Victor and the others gasped in collective shock.

"But if Edward wins, Adrian\'s promised to call off the engagement with Alicia," John continued.

Silence gripped the group as they processed this revelation.

"What the...?!" Celeste\'s voice broke the silence, reflecting their stunned disbelief.

"Wait, who\'s Edward?" Roda asked, confused.

"That\'s Amael\'s other name, I think," Cylien clarified.

"But that\'s beside the point! If Amael wins, then Alicia might be set free..." Victor\'s heart raced as he watched Amael\'s determined fighting. In that moment, he found himself even more fervently rooting for him.

"But why would he risk something like that with a bet?" Selene\'s gaze flickered towards Elizabeth for insight.

"I don\'t know. Maybe he has feelings for Alicia?" Elizabeth shrugged, her tone nonchalant as she observed the unfolding fight with attention.

However, Elizabeth\'s nonchalant demeanor only served to draw perplexed stares from the others.

"Hmm, Elizabeth, shouldn\'t you be expressing some concern or worry? After all, he\'s your fiancé, and you do love him, right?" Cylien voiced the question that lingered in everyone\'s thoughts.

Elizabeth, realizing her misstep, hurriedly attempted to rectify the situation. "Uh... That\'s... well, it\'s nothing. We\'re engaged, so we\'ll sort it out ourselves."

Meanwhile, Celeste turned her gaze towards Victor, seeking answers. "Does he have feelings for Alicia too?"

"Huh? I... I\'m not sure. I mean, I don\'t think so," Victor stammered in response.

"But what if he does? It makes sense for him to want to call off the engagement if he has feelings for Alicia, doesn\'t it, Victor?" Roda\'s words carried a hint of logic, addressing Victor perplexed as she pondered the situation.

"Well... if he does have feelings for her and Alicia feels the same way, I don\'t mind. I mean... he\'s clearly a better match than Adrian, and all I want is for Alicia to be happy," Victor expressed, though he couldn\'t shake off his discomfort at the thought of his sister being romantically involved with one of his friends. "If that\'s the case, he seems rather... opportunistic. I\'ve heard he\'s already engaged to someone in his home country. Elizabeth is his second fiancée, and not even a month has passed since their engagement before he\'s fighting for Alicia..." Cylien\'s observation was met with thoughtful nods from the group.

"...fighting for her freedom from Adrian. It\'s kind of romantic," Celeste mused quietly.

"On the contrary, I\'ve known Alicia for a while, and honestly, I find it hard to believe she could fall in love with someone so quickly. There must be something more to this," Roda, who had been in Alicia\'s class in previous years. said.

"Even before considering that, Amael has to win in the first place," Cylien interjected. "Because if Adrian agreed to this bet, it\'s because he\'s pretty confident in his chances of winning."

At Cylien\'s remark, Victor\'s fists clenched involuntarily. He couldn\'t argue with her logic. Adrian wouldn\'t have accepted the bet if he didn\'t have a strong belief in his victory. Accepting the terms meant he could potentially gain Alicia tonight, along with whatever additional leverage Amael\'s defeat would offer him.

"You Sancta Vedelia folks sure have a lot of confidence," John couldn\'t resist sneering at their conversation.

All eyes shifted towards him, awaiting his input.

With a derisive snort, John watched as Edward extracted Adrian from his entrapment. "It wasn\'t Adrian who suggested the bet. It was Edward. You know what that means, right?"

Even after more than three months passed her and what they had done, the people of Sancta Vedelia were still underestimating people from the outside. Of course he didn\'t blame Victor and the others who were raised with that feeling of supremacy and didn\'t mean anything mean but he knew that it was just a question of time before their vision changes.

He let the statement hang in the air, no further explanation needed.

It was evident.

The only reason Edward had initiated the bet was because he harbored absolute certainty in his victory.

***

Observing Martin and Leire effortlessly handling their opponents, I couldn\'t help but acknowledge their skill inwardly.

"I guess you weren\'t completely weak after all," Adrian\'s voice interrupted my thoughts, drawing my attention back to him.

His body emanated a formidable aura of mana, noticeably different from before. His mana appeared darker, and his eyes glowed with an unsettling green hue. Water materialized around him, swirling as if alive.

As the tentacles converged, they transformed into the shape of a creature. At first, I mistook it for a deer, but upon closer inspection, it revealed itself to be a towering green gazelle. Its horns protruded menacingly, its gaze piercing.

"Now, let\'s see how you fare," Adrian\'s voice dripped with coldness.

-BOOOOM!

In an instant, the gazelle vanished, leaving behind a massive trail of water that surged towards me with alarming speed. Reacting swiftly, I raised my sword, bracing for impact. The force sent me skidding across the stadium, the blade of my sword vibrating against the onslaught of water. Yet, I managed to hold my ground, infused with more Ruah to bolster my defenses.

Glancing briefly at Alicia, I witnessed her engaged in combat with Adrian, who wielded a sword of his own, distinct from the watery manifestation he controlled. Despite her efforts to parry his strikes, she struggled to retaliate, each blow from Adrian driving her back.

"HIIIIN!" The gazelle emitted a sudden, piercing cry, and from its gleaming horns, two whip-like tentacles of water lashed out towards me.

With quick reflexes, I shifted my blade to intercept one of the tentacles while snatching the other bare-handed. The tentacle writhed in my grasp, inching dangerously close to my eye, poised to pierce it.

"Anathemas Fire!" I invoked, a mana circle materializing around my arm and engulfing the tentacle in flames. With a tightened grip on my sword, I pushed back against the gazelle, but it persisted, its yelps growing louder as it gathered more mana. Its horns aimed to impale me, and with a sharp crack, my sword shattered under the pressure.

Narrowing my eyes, I summoned more mana, channeling it into my palms. "Vysindra\'s Fire," I uttered, a purple glow enveloping my hands as draconic nails formed. Seizing one of the gazelle\'s horns with one hand, I extended the other transformed hand, pushing against the creature.

Despite its attempts to retaliate, my grip remained strong.

Summoning a mana circle before the gazelle, I commanded, "Vysindra\'s Burning Claws."

-BOOOOM!

The gazelle disappeared from view, propelled away by the force of the purple fire explosion. I propelled myself off the ground, flames in my hands hungry for more. I could feel my emotions stirring, influenced by the intense energy.

It was as Cleenah had warned me about these flames, their hunger growing stronger as I gained more control over them.

As a jet of water surged from the gazelle\'s horn, I swiftly blocked it with my right hand, steam erupting as my flames clashed with the water. Pressing forward, I closed in on the creature. Once within striking distance, I unleashed my left hand, invoking, "Fireball of Vysindra!"

-BOOOOM!

The gazelle let out a pained cry, its watery form tainted with purplish hues.

"Not done yet, huh?" I muttered, taking a step back before delivering a powerful kick.

-BAM!

The gazelle was sent flying once more, but I wasn\'t finished yet. Closing the distance once more, I ascended into the air, extending both hands. "Giant Fireball of Vysindra!"

-BOOOOOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion reverberated, propelling me further upwards as dust and debris filled the air. The ground beneath us was gouged and charred, yet the gazelle persisted, struggling to rise on its weakened legs.

Though I desired to end its existence, my attention was diverted by the sight of Alicia, battered and bruised. Adrian, despite sustaining burns, appeared in a far better condition. He murmured words that seemed to unsettle Alicia, shaking her mind.

Summoning the power of Samara, I propelled myself through the air towards Adrian, my velocity increasing until I resembled a burning comet streaking across the sky.

Adrian\'s expression twisted in surprise as he turned to face me, but it was too late.

"Reverse Claws of Vysindra!" My fist connected with his cheek with pinpoint accuracy.

"BUAGH!" Adrian was sent hurtling across the arena, crashing into the far side with a resounding impact.

As I landed gracefully on the ground, I glanced down at Alicia, who was still catching her breath. She looked up at me briefly before attempting to rise to her feet. I would have offered her a hand, but my palms were ablaze with dangerous flames.

"You should step away," I advised her.

"No," Alicia replied firmly, refusing to heed my words.

"You\'re really determined to win this bet, huh?" I remarked.

Alicia met my gaze with frustration. "I don\'t want to lose this stupid bet."

Approaching her, I locked eyes with her. "So, you\'re telling me you want to win just because you don\'t want to lose the bet?"

"Is that a problem?" Alicia countered.

"No, I\'m just surprised. It sounds like you want to marry Adrian, but just not right now," I observed. "Seems like you\'ve got a few screws loose."

"I don\'t... you don\'t understand," Alicia replied, her gaze darting towards the stands. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Following her gaze, I spotted a man standing in a secluded part of the tribunes, his expression unreadable. His crimson hair billowed in the wind, and his intense crimson eyes bore into his sister.

Alicia quickly averted her gaze.

So, he\'s here after all.

I rarely saw him around the Academy; he often skipped classes without it affecting his grades. But now, he had appeared.

This engagement between Adrian and Alicia clearly meant a lot to him for some reason.

When Cyril\'s cold gaze shifted towards me, I felt as though I was staring down an apex predator.

"Do you want Adrian to be your life partner?" I pressed, reaching out towards her arm with my still-burning hand.

"It\'s none of your business," Alicia snapped, striding forward.

"I\'m asking you a question," I persisted, my burning hand inching closer.

"Agh... just leave me alone!" Alicia winced, glaring at me.

"Do you or don\'t you?" I repeated with an intense gaze.

Alicia bit her lip, shooting me a reproachful glance. "Are you stupid, Senior?"

"I\'ll take that as a no," I replied, retracting my hand and moving past her.

Alicia winced, clutching her injured arm.

"Just rest and watch," I advised.

"You didn\'t have to hurt me," she retorted, her voice tinged with pain.

"You weren\'t listening," I countered.

"You dragged me into a bet without even asking for my consent!" Alicia choked on her words, her voice rising in frustration. I was taken aback as I noticed her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"...always the same," Alicia muttered softly, avoiding my gaze.

"I\'m sorry," I offered sincerely.

Alicia\'s grip on her arm tightened, and she shook her head slightly. "...I\'m used to it."

"I did it only because I\'m certain of beating Adrian. I wouldn\'t have let him touch you, honestly, Alicia."

"...just why?" Alicia asked

"For myself."

It was my selfish desire to get the Raven Art.

"But I will do it for you as well now."