The academy had a way of turning ordinary days into staged performances.
Every duel, every class exercise—it was less about learning and more about spectacle. Prodigies flaunting their birthright, commoners trying not to trip under the weight of expectation.
Today's spectacle was mana combat.
The dueling arena hummed with energy, shimmering wards cast over the floor to absorb excess spells. Rows of students filled the stands, eager for entertainment. The instructors, draped in their ceremonial blues, called out names from their rosters.
The goal was simple: paired matches, test of spell control, not outright violence. But in practice, reputations lived and died on these duels.
"Next match—Kai Everhart and Seraphina Graye."
A murmur ran through the crowd.
Perfect.
I stepped forward, rolling my shoulders with deliberate ease. Seraphina was already at the center, her back straight, her expression carved from marble. The Golden Lioness stood tall, her platinum hair tied back, sword in hand.
When our eyes met, hers narrowed.
Of all the opponents she could have faced, fate—or perhaps the system—had delivered me.
"You should yield," she said flatly, adjusting her stance. "It'll be less humiliating."
"Yielding isn't in my nature," I replied smoothly. "Besides, it sounds like you're the one who's worried."
Her lips pressed tight, but a flicker in her gaze betrayed her.
The instructor raised a hand. "Begin."
---
She moved first.
Her mana flared golden, wrapping around her blade in a radiant arc. She lunged with precision, faster than most could follow. The crowd gasped at her speed.
But I didn't move.
Not right away. I waited until the last second, sidestepping just enough that her blade cut air. The momentum carried her forward, and I leaned in close, whispering as she passed:
"Careful. You almost touched me."
Her breath caught, and for a heartbeat her footing faltered. She recovered instantly, spinning back with another strike. This one I blocked with a conjured barrier of crimson light, the air sizzling where steel met mana.
"You're mocking me," she hissed.
"Observing," I corrected, the same word I'd used in the training yard. "Though I admit, you're even prettier when you're angry."
Her cheeks flushed, faint but undeniable. She pushed harder, her strikes growing sharper, heavier. But it wasn't just me she was fighting—it was herself. Her composure cracked with each clash, each smirk I gave her.
I let her push, let her think she was driving me back, all while feeding the fire.
"You're trembling."
"Shut up."
"You like this, don't you? Fighting me."
Her sword nearly slipped from her grip at that.
The crowd didn't see it. They only saw the Golden Lioness pressing the supposed extra to his limits. But I saw the heat in her eyes. The way her breath quickened. The flush spreading down her neck.
I leaned into the pressure, lowering my voice so only she could hear.
"Tell me, Seraphina. Are you trying to beat me… or prove to yourself you don't want me?"
Her blade froze mid-swing.
That single hesitation was all I needed.
I slid past her guard, mana flaring just enough to disarm her. Her sword clattered to the ground, and in one smooth motion, I had her pinned against the warded barrier, my forearm across her collarbone, her wrists trapped.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The Golden Lioness—pinned.
Her chest rose and fell against me, her eyes wide with fury… and something else. Something hotter.
"You—" Her voice cracked, betraying her calm. She swallowed hard, trying again. "You'll regret this."
"Will I?" I murmured, leaning close enough that my lips brushed the shell of her ear. "Because it feels like you're the one trembling."
She shivered. Just barely, but it was there.
The instructor cleared his throat loudly, breaking the tension. "Match over. Winner—Kai Everhart."
The wards flickered, releasing her from the barrier. I stepped back slowly, deliberately, letting her wrists go last.
Her face was flushed scarlet. Whether from exertion or from me, she would never admit.
She snatched up her sword, glaring at me with a mixture of rage and humiliation. The crowd erupted into whispers, students buzzing with disbelief. The academy's golden prodigy, beaten by a supposed nobody.
But it wasn't the duel that mattered.
It was the way her eyes lingered on me as she turned to leave.
Conflicted. Burning.
The cracks in the lioness's armor had widened.
---
Later that evening, the dormitory halls buzzed with gossip. I passed groups of students whispering my name like it was forbidden, some in awe, some in disbelief. Lily trailed at my side, her eyes shining with quiet pride.
But even with the noise, I felt another gaze on me.
Seraphina stood at the far end of the hall, her expression unreadable. She didn't speak. Didn't approach. Just watched.
And when our eyes met, she turned sharply, disappearing into the shadows of the stairwell.
[System Message: Seraphina Graye – Status Update: Obsession Awakening.]
[Resistance dropped: 21% → 12%.]
[New Trait Unlocked: "Denial Heat" – Increases lust gain during rivalry encounters.]
I smirked to myself.
The lioness was still trying to convince herself she hated me.
But hate, when twisted just right, was only another form of hunger.
And hunger always broke eventually.
---
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