Arene “Ren” Maxwell’s POV

Tsarra…she’s way more impressive than I thought. Is that how strong a princess should be? Could I even beat her if I gave it my all?

I watched from the side as a proud but tired Tsarra passed through the doors. Her drenched hair and robes clung to her as she strutted across. Her face was stern and serious, the exact opposite I usually associated with her. Her two different colored eyes gazed at me, and I swore for a moment they softened slightly despite her face remaining unchanged.

Given her current situation, I supposed that was her way of saying hello. I knew she had some type of goal in her mind or some greater purpose. That was why she was acting that way. I wished that I knew what it was….

“Are you ready, Your Highness?” my attendant asked me.

I let out a long and deep breath and gave her a firm nod. “Yes, I am.”

It took a long time for the stadium to be repaired and for most of the flooding to be dealt with. The constant downpour that came from the sea had drenched the entire city for two whole days now, with no signs of letting up anytime soon.

I personally voted to take the week-long break early to avoid the storm, but I was quickly vetoed by just about everyone. I guess the rain wasn’t a big enough factor to knock the schedule around.

Although that doesn’t make too much sense…this tournament should be for the students here…

It’s not that I don’t understand that this tournament brought a massive amount of money to us, practically filling our coffers for well over a year with just a single month of revenue. With the sheer number of tourists brought here, Flumare and the kingdom will receive carts full of gold from taxes. That’s not including the taxes from entry permits or tickets sold for the event. Even the food stalls, restaurants, and inns will bring unimaginable revenue.

The tournament has to continue, but…a week to ride out the storm didn’t feel like much to me. Maybe I’m just too naive about these types of things.

I let out a long-winded sigh that I didn’t mean, and the attendant waiting to push me forward gave me a worried look. I gave them an awkward smile, hoping they just thought it was nerves getting to me. Princesses were allowed to be nervous before a fight, right?

Eventually, the signal came, and the doors were swung open, letting the full brunt of the storm and deafening crowd in. Despite the entire arena being covered in rain, the stadiums were still filled to the brim with people. It was a sea of people without so much as a single missing spot.

But there are a lot of High Elves here today…more than usual. Was it because of Tsarra and the Princess? It must have been.

“Everyone, please stand up and welcome our shining Knight Princess! Princess Arene Maxwell of Luminar!”

“RAAHHH!!”

I let the rain splash against my smiling face and get in my eyes as I waved to the cheering crowd. I tried my best to keep my eyes open for as long as possible as I moved quicker than I usually would when walking out. But the rain eventually beat me, and I was forced to wipe my face clean. Thankfully, I had made it to my position, and the announcer wasted no time.

“Now let us welcome the mysterious Vampire from the far north of Amoth, the one who bears the last name of the Bloody Emperor! Prince Malachi Talgan!”

One could literally pinpoint the exact moment the crowd heard Malachi’s last name. The crowd that was so loud it drowned out even the storm was nearly entirely silent. For many who were not present for the preliminaries, it could very well be their first time seeing Malachi or even a Vampire.

And even though the legend of Talgan was less prevalent here in Luminar, as was the hatred for Vampires, it couldn’t be said that everyone shared that opinion. Sylvia had done wonders over the last year to change that image, as the people seemed to love her to an extent. But many still considered Vampires to be evil, blood-sucking monsters that came for your life in the middle of the night. Or, at the very least, a race of people to be avoided.

Yet…I don’t get the feeling that people hate Malachi.

As I walked toward the center to meet him, I gazed out at the crowd. I felt that more people were simply interested in him than outright hateful. They were closely watching the Vampire prince. Perhaps people wanted to see what he was like. Or maybe they wanted to see how I would interact with him.

Malchi and I met at the center of the stadium as we had every fight before. He wore a dark coat with a high collar over his armor and a simple Dwarven steel sword at his waist. Despite the rain dripping down his face, he still had on those weird dark glasses that covered his red eyes.

“Awful weather we are having today, mhm?” Malachi said with a slight grin.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the comment. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t expect him to say that, or it was just how he said it, but I found it funny for some reason.

“Yes, it’s truly awful out today,” I said in return. “But Malachi, can I ask you a question?”

He rubbed the tip of his chin and nodded slowly. “Well, sure, I don’t see why you can’t.”

“Why are you here? Did you come to this school just to fight in this tournament?” I asked.

Malachi pointed his head down slightly so I could see his red eyes just over the rim of his glasses. “So straightforward, but I guess we don’t have much time for chit-chat, huh? Well, to be truthful, I came to this school for other reasons. I had no idea this tournament even existed, and I just entered it for fun.”

“For fun?” I echoed.

Malachi shrugged. “Yes, for fun. It’s not every day I get to battle against people my age.”

His red eyes seemed to stare into my very soul from behind those dark glasses as his presence increased drastically. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “My opponents tend to be..older and a bit more… fanatic. This is just a nice change of pace.”

Is he talking about his homeland? Did he…he must have with that kind of aura. Malachi must have killed people before.

But his slight grin returned, and that pressure abated like it was a fever dream. “What about you? Why do you fight?”

Why do I fight…

“For my family, my friends, and those who helped me get here,” I responded instantly.

Malachi’s grin turned into a soft smile as he extended his hand. “A noble cause. I wish you the best of luck, Princess Arene.”

I took his ungloved hand and shook it as I returned his smile. “Same to you, Prince Malachi.”

We left each other and took our positions. We unsheathed our respective swords and faced off with one another across the platform. From all the matches I had seen of Malachi, he used that sword at his hip and relied on his overwhelming strength, speed, and regenerative abilities.

Well, besides his fight with Sylvia. I don’t think I could punch him across the platform if I tried.

The referee gave us both nods and with his hand, he signaled the start of the fight. Malachi and I both sprinted toward the center and immediately began our clash. We traded one blow, then another, then…

Huh?

I parried a blow and sliced down with my katana, immediately cutting his opposite arm. Instead of retreating, Malachi pressed his attack with a sloppy swing, and I stepped just out of range to dodge it. I followed up with another slice that connected with his exposed thigh.

Wha…what?

I watched as Malachi’s shallow wound knitted back together and healed in a flash. He swung his sword at me, and there was no doubt about its speed, and the strength of his blows did send shocks through my arms, but…

With some footwork and a side step, I sliced down and, once again, connected with him, drawing blood from his shoulder. The crowd roared in approval, but I hesitated for a follow-up attack because I felt like he was trapping me or that I was just missing something crucial. Because…

Malachi is mediocre at best. No, he is barely a beginner with that sword. Was he always this bad? Is he pretending to be worse than he is, or were his opponents just too afraid to fight him properly? Maybe he won by simply outlasting his opponents, but with this amount of skill, he couldn’t land an attack on me if he tried.

Malachi swung his sword, but I easily deflected it. I was too slow on a return strike, but he kept attacking me. One, two, three, four swings, but it was still just so wrong.

I stepped back and observed Malachi more. Now that I was closer to him, I could get a better look at him. His stance, even the way he held his sword, was that of someone who had only been trained recently. Yet…his hands?

“This is rather unsightly of me,” Malachi said with a weak laugh.

I narrowed my eyes at the Vampire. “You are playing around, Malachi, and I don’t like the way you are treating me. You aren’t a swordsman at all.”

“Well, I have a sword in my hand, and I am a man, so I think that qualifies, righ—”

“No, it doesn’t,” I cut him off. “You…you use your hands to fight, don’t you?”

Malachi was in the middle of taking a step toward me, but for the first time, I saw the man hesitate. “That’s right, you do, don’t you? Your knuckles and the skin on your fingers is a different color from the rest of your hands. My father is the same way. When his hands get healed over and over again, they don’t have the same color to them.”

Malachi turned his hands over and looked at them. I watched as he raised his eyebrows in surprise. He even nodded to himself and let out a chuckle.

“I—you’re right,” he said hesitantly. “I look at these hands of mine every day, yet I’ve never noticed that slight difference like you have. Isn’t that just crazy? Is that because they are my hands, and I’ve gone blind to them? How interesting…”

“Fight me with honor and everything you have, Malachi Talgan,” I said as I readied my sword.

He chuckled again and rolled his shoulders, letting his black cloak fall to the ground. Malachi took a single step to the side and launched his sword at blinding speeds. The metal blade hit the platform's edge and exploded into metallic fragments that spread across the platform. It was a show of strength and power that made his early attempts seem like child’s play.

Malachi even began to take off his glasses, and with a flick of his wrist, they disappeared into thin air only to be replaced by sky-blue knuckle dusters, which he slipped onto his hand. The Vampire stood across from me, his half-moon crimson eyes observing me with renewed interest.

“I apologize for my uncouth behavior as a fellow royal. I didn’t mean to belittle you, Arene Maxwell. Now, then, shall we get a little more serious?”

“We shall,” I responded.

We lurched at each other, but I saw it just moments before it happened. I stepped back and brought my blade up just in time to block Malachi’s punch. Malachi’s fist, guarded by the cobalt dusters, hit my blade with a metallic clang that rang out. The sheer power made my bones creak as it was so fast it barely registered in my vision. I would have eaten his fist directly to my face if I hadn’t been paying attention to his shoulders and hips, just like my father taught me.

I side-stepped his second jab and tried to counter-attack, but Malachi just ducked below my swing. I wanted to punish him with a kick, but he brought both his hands up and blocked me. Even though it was a forward kick, it still felt like I had hit the wall of a castle, not the arms of a person.

I thrust my sword forward with a feint and went for another cut instead. Malachi dodged it by a hair’s breadth, letting me cut some of his hair. I was far too close this time, and even though I was retreating, Malachi landed his first punch.

The left hook went straight into my armored ribs. My bones creaked along with the metal, and the air was knocked out of me with a single blow. Thankfully, it wasn’t enough to stun me, and I sent Malachi back with another swing.

Malachi kept the perfect distance away from me now. Never too close that I could hit him freely and never too far so he couldn’t strike me in return. Malachi’s entire fighting style changed within minutes. He showed the range of his skill with just the way he moved now. It was like he wasn’t even trying to incorporate his skills into his swordsmanship before.

He really was hiding his abilities. He had everyone fooled. Not even Kaladin noticed he was a hand-to-hand fighter. But maybe that was because Kaladin hadn’t had a chance to see Malachi fight.

I need to put my plan into motion if I want to win. I can’t delay it any longer just to test him.

I just needed a moment to cast my spell. But I had to drop my mana enhancement to feed the spell core. Yet the moment I cut the mana off from my body, I watched Malachi’s eyes go wide.

He burst forward with tremendous speed, and I just barely managed to block him with a swing. He sent another jab, then another, each one carrying a frightening amount of deadly force. I felt that I could no longer block him with my sword and opted to dodge backward, trying to guide him toward the side of the arena.

But he caught up to me. He was close enough that I could feel his hot breath on my skin. “Come now, Arene, are you off thinking about other things in the middle of our fight?” Malachi said with a sly grin that exposed his fangs an inch away from my face.

Pain jolted up my side as Malachi punched me again in the same spot. There was a low grating sound of metal bending. He had hit me hard enough to leave a dent in my armor, and my ribs felt far from okay. I was being toyed with now…I had become the one being hunted.

There was a blinding punch coming straight at me, and I brought my sword up to block it. Yet I felt it first. That punch was far stronger than before. And I could only watch with wide eyes as my sword burst into tiny pieces, cutting my face up as they exploded out. The only bright side of it all was that none of the fragments hit my eyes.

Malachi clicked his tongue and shook his head in disapproval as he let me back away. “Come now, where was that honor you spoke of before? I know you are far better than this, Princess Arene. Are you genuinely holding back after your little speech? You are the daughter of the Berserker King, and I have seen you go out and train in the morning long before most even rise. Don’t tell me this is all you have to show your family, friends, and those who helped you get here?”

Damn…damn…I…I shouldn’t have held back…I knew it. I should have just given it my all from the start. It was a mistake to probe him for a weakness. I messed up, and now I’m being humiliated for it.

Malachi is far more dangerous than I ever imagined. If this were a real fight, I would be dead. I didn’t want to use this at all, but…

I tossed the handle of the broken sword to the side, and with my mind, I dipped into my Spatial Ring. I felt the item I wanted in the magical room and willed it into my hand. A curved white scabbard appeared from thin air.

I slowly unsheathed the white blade. The rain dropped down the metal, and the pitch-black edge cut a striking contrast that I thought was beautiful. The sword felt perfect in every way. It was the best weapon that I ever had the honor of touching.

It was my master’s sword, the same blade that could go up against a Holy Artifact and win. Nothing could compare to it.

“I feel ashamed to use this weapon. I don’t yet believe I have the abilities to wield this weapon properly, that I am simply doing it a disservice by being so inadequate. But if I am to give you my all, Malachi Talgan, I will use this weapon to defeat you,” I said as I flicked the sword clean of rainwater.

Malachi narrowed his crimson eyes with a grin. “Now, there is the Princess Knight of Luminar I’ve heard about. Let’s hope your new weapon can match your skills a bit, mmm?”

Now, just as Kaladin’s Grandfather explained, let mana flow out from my hands like a spell core that was being filled by mana enhancement. It was an oxymoron, as that was impossible. A spell core and mana enhancement were not the same thing. That’s why I just couldn’t grasp the words in that book.

Yet this sword was different.

A thin mist appeared across the pitch-black edge. The small clouds danced about, and I brought the blade up to my face and inhaled deeply. The mist wobbled and seeped into my mouth. It was cool, soft, and fluffy to the pallet as it even had an almost sweet taste to it.

But I immediately felt the resulting change. I felt it in my core, in my very being. I was brimming with newfound power.

“Well, if you are just going to sit there, then I’ll come to you again,” Malachi said with a shrug.

Malachi launched off at me, and I quickly resheathed my sword. I bent at the waist and lowered my body, putting power into my legs. It was time for the first form of the Storm Dragon.

The Vampire was nearly upon me. His fist was ready to punch me into oblivion. I exhaled, and white mist seeped out from my lips. I unsheathed my sword but only cut the air.

That was because Malachi had retreated in an instant. The young Vampire stood far away from me. The hair on his head stood at attention, his tiger tail as rigid as a metal bar. For the first time, I saw him show a hint of fear. If it wasn’t for the rain dripping down his face, I think there might have been some sweat there.

“You…what did you do? What is that sword?” Malachi asked, his voice low and deep, almost like a growl of an animal.

“Come and find out, Malachi Talgan,” I said as I stared straight into his eyes.

He grinned again, but this time, it lacked the confidence, the bravado he had before. “It seems there will be a change of plans…let’s see what your new toy can do.”

Malachi launched another attack, and I used the first form once more. Malachi attempted to block me, but my strike was true. I felt little to no resistance as I cut his arm off below the elbow with a single swing of my sword.

Malachi looked down at his missing arm. It started to regrow right in front of me. The bone came back first, followed by the flesh that knitted together, and then the skin regrew over the red. It was…hard to watch. Even when Sylvia did it, it was hard to watch.

But I feel like Malachi’s healing is a lot slower than Sylvia’s…is that the difference in power between them?

I quickly fed mana into the sword and took another deep inhale of the mist. My core thrummed with power once more, and I struck at Malachi with the second form, a thrust that was faster than lightning in a storm. Malachi tried to step out of reach, but I impaled him straight through the stomach, going clean through his armor and out the back.

That was too much….damn.

For an average person, that strike would have killed them. But for a Vampire, it was a mistake, and Malachi, despite being surprised, head-butted me in the face, breaking my nose and forcing me back.

I didn’t yet understand just how much power I had with this weapon, and I could not control it properly. I was inadequate to wield it…I was not ready. I still had much more to learn.

“This is just insanity…” Malachi mumbled. “How can a single weapon make someone that much stronger? How can you be three, no, four times, as strong and fast as before? I can’t even see you as I am now.”

Ignore him. Initiate the plan while his wounds heal. Now is the time.

I resheathed my sword and closed my eyes. I released my mana enhancement but still let the mist from the blade work its way out from my core and into my spell core. With speed that rivaled me at my best, I formed my most potent spell core in the blink of an eye.

But it was not without consequences. My chest ached, my limbs felt heavy, and I wanted to vomit. But I had to continue on.

I have to show them. No, I want to show them all what I’ve become. I’ve gotten stronger, too…even if it’s just a borrowed power for the time being.

Crystal Field.

In an instant, large purple crystals began forcing their way through the stadium platform. Each of them varied in size, some being as big as a man or as small as an arm. But they all served a purpose. Whether I could make use of that purpose was still on me and my abilities.

It was a shame I couldn’t use my magic more offensively. I’ve tried for a long time, even with Kaladin’s help, but I just can’t do it. I can’t form a spell core to launch a crystal. It’s like crystal magic isn’t meant for that.

Either way, Malachi found himself at the center of my Crystal Field, surrounded on every side. If he pushed his way forward, he would have to break each and every crystal he ran into unless he wished to run around an endless maze.

I used this time to gather myself, to take deep breaths to steady my aching chest and lessen the burden on my heavy limbs. Malachi also seemed to be taking in his new surroundings as he stood unmoving.

I could see him through my crystals' reflections, but he could not see me. And it was through those reflections that I saw something strange. I watched in a mixture of confusion and horror as Malachi began to change. Not in a mindset or aura way, but physically.

Malachi's legs extended and grew into the size of logs, breaking the fabric of his pants. His arms were that of an average man his age, doubled in size, and the red veins pulsed against the skin. His shoulders spread apart and widened significantly, popping the armor plates off and onto the ground. And it was his face that changed the most.

His fangs extended far past his upper lip, and his mouth stretched into a feral grin. The hair on his head grew in length in a matter of moments as his facial features changed. His crimson eyes seemed to stare straight at me through the crystals. It was a terrifying sight to witness that silenced the ever-noisy crowd.

Somehow, Malachi had become more beast than man.