Dante chuckled at Solène's joke, then turned his gaze toward the arena.
Stepping out from the left entrance was Kaela. From a distance, her reddish-brown ponytail looked like a small flickering flame. She wore a sleeveless black combat tunic that hugged her athletic frame, paired with dark fitted trousers and soft boots that barely made a sound on the arena floor. Her lightly tanned skin complemented the fiery image.
Across from her stood Kara, her bright golden hair tied into two tidy braids that framed her face. A crisp white dueling jacket—adorned with silver trim and academy insignia—accentuated her slim figure. High boots and fitted pants completed the look, designed for speed and precision. Those round glasses gave her the appearance of a clumsy bookworm.
The two opponents locked eyes without exchanging a single word, while the stands—packed with five thousand spectators—erupted in cheers, roaring their support for the fighters. It wasn't hard to guess why the arena was so full; the crowd was drawn in by the allure of seeing two beautiful women face off.
"Hey, look over there! That's Kaela! Ooooh she's so cool! I want to take a picture with her!" Solène squealed like a fangirl, unable to contain her excitement.
Dante smiled awkwardly—his reaction felt strangely out of place compared to the wild enthusiasm of the people around him. But it didn't matter; he'd never cared much about what others thought. As long as Solène was comfortable being herself, that was good enough.
"Solène, take it easy. You'll get your chance—I promise," Dante reassured her. During their time at the Academy, Solène's lively and friendly nature had helped her get to know many people, including becoming the only friend of Kaela that Dante was aware of.
On the arena floor, the two fighters stared each other down, preparing for the battle to come. Kaela stretched out her hand, and with a smooth motion, drew her katana seemingly from thin air. Across from her, Kara couldn't match that dramatic display. Instead, she reached down to her side and drew a slender white double-edged rapier—designed more for piercing strikes than slashes. Then, in a deliberate gesture, Kara removed her glasses, revealing sharp eyes that stood in stark contrast to her earlier goofy appearance.
There was one thing that puzzled Dante: why had Kaela drawn her blade so early? Then it hit him—during their fight, Kaela hadn't even needed to use her sword to defeat him. To her, he must have seemed like a weakling, a blade of grass by the roadside, a background character.
But this time, things were different. Her opponent was a lightning-element user—someone likely dangerous if allowed to land a direct hit.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the match. Both fighters began circling each other slowly, their eyes never leaving the other's. Step by cautious step, they closed the distance, each searching for an opening, testing their foe.
For a long moment, neither found a chance. Then, without warning, Kara struck first—a rapid thrust aimed straight at Kaela. But Kaela was quick; she dodged aside and knocked the rapier away with her blade before counterattacking. Their weapons clashed again and again, exchanging brilliant flurries of strikes that left the crowd breathless.
'Wow… Kara can actually keep up with Kaela. That's impressive,' Dante thought, genuinely surprised. 'But just wait… Kaela hasn't shown her full strength yet.'
The duel unfolded in a blur of steel, a dazzling dance of attack and defense that thrilled the audience—but left Dante struggling to find the words to describe it.
"Whoo hoo! Go, Kaela!" came the loud, boisterous cheer of none other than Solène beside him.
Suddenly, a spark of lightning crackled between the two fighters mid-strike. Kaela faltered for just an instant and was forced to retreat.
"A surprise lightning burst from Kara! She's driven Kaela back!" the commentator's voice boomed, followed by a wave of applause.
The battle continued, with Kara unleashing arcs of electricity now and then—crackling through the air in sharp bursts of 'bzzzzz'. Each time, Kaela was forced to shift from pressing the attack to struggling to defend against the relentless assault.
Before long, Dante saw her cornered against the arena's edge. The square arena was no larger than half a soccer field—not much room for someone like Kaela, whose speed could have otherwise let her dance out of reach and find a better opening. The design was intentional: to force fighters into direct confrontation, to limit their movement and make every clash unavoidable.
"Oh no! Kaela's trapped against the wall! What can she do now?" the commentator cried, tension thick in the air.
But Dante wasn't convinced.
'Something's off. Kaela looks strange… she's not fighting at her full strength. Is it the lightning—has it weakened her?'
Her emotions felt unusual to him. With his ability to read feelings, he'd never sensed anything quite like this. There was a calmness, but also something else…
'It feels like… maybe she's got a plan of her own.'
Kaela's face showed effort and strain as she blocked Kara's rapid strikes, but deep down, Dante sensed her composure—like she was waiting for the right moment. This wasn't the Kaela he'd fought, the Kaela who had toyed with him easily. Was she truly in pain, slowed by the shocks?
Beside him, Solène had gone quiet, tense with worry. Dante found himself oddly relieved.
'At least she's not being embarrassingly loud anymore,' he thought with a smirk.
Kaela couldn't just keep blocking forever—she'd been pushed too far. Seizing the moment, Kara lunged, driving the rapier toward Kaela's abdomen. The blow was stopped at the last second by a shimmering shield component, but not before it dealt some damage. Kaela struck back immediately, her blade slashing in retaliation and forcing Kara to retreat.
"A direct hit! Kara's rapier found its mark—Kaela's been wounded!" the commentator yelled, the crowd roaring at the turn of events.
But then, as if something inside Kaela snapped, she seemed to ignite. She shed her restraint, her strikes coming faster, stronger—a furious storm of slashes. Kara, even with lightning-boosted speed, struggled to keep up under the relentless onslaught.
"Kaela's fighting back! She's furious now!" the commentator shouted, barely able to keep up with the action.
But Dante wasn't so sure.
'No… that's not it. There's some excitement, sure—but mostly, she's calm. Kaela's…'
"Whooo! Look at Kaela go! She's so awesome~~ show me more!" Solène's voice rose again, loud and exuberant.
Dante winced, annoyed at the disruption.
'Ughh… what a noisy creature. I could destroy you right now.' He hated noisy people—they broke his focus, shattered his train of thought. It was one of the reasons he preferred solitude, letting his mind wander through its own endless musings.