Determination

Chapter 2: Mystery.

P4. Determination.

A few days passed since my little encounter with Gastella and since then she did not try to confront me.

I assumed that Dracula told her not to but rather to observe my actions and to report anything noteworthy.

I did not care about this matter. My focus was on preparing the three of them for the upcoming tournament.

We were in the middle of a training session during off-class hours in the Colosseum.

Leyla was working hard on increasing her spell's magic power.

"Leyla, you are still not able to keep your magic stable when pouring more magic into your spells. Don't rush into it slowly increase the spell power then get used to it and repeat,"

Next, I gave Esteban advice on how to improve.

"Esteben, you still take too long to cast your spells. I understand you want to make sure that your magic circle is perfect, just keep on repeating and try to be faster than the previous spell you cast,"

Cecilia was also not free from my critique.

"Cecilia, when casting your magic I noticed you have the habit of getting up and close to your foe, it's a disadvantage when your opponent is using a close-range weapon,"

The three of them took my advice and continued to practice.

"My my my, look who we have here," A familiar male voice called out from the side.

We looked to the side and saw it was Randol Cranos, Leyla's fiance.

He was accompanied by some boys from his class.

He went straight to Leyla and stroked her violet long hair.

"You know someone like you should just go home and wait for me to marry someone like you," He said straight up in her face.

Cecilia wanted to confront him but before she could I grabbed her shoulder as a sign to stand down.

"Leave. I'm in the middle of my training," She has become more confident than the last time she stood before him.

"Training? Hahaha, you're weak, there is nothing for you to train," He said mockingly.

I stood with my arms crossed.

"Ha, in three days she will undoubtedly surpass you," I said from the back.

Randol let her hair go and looked at me.

"Not even 300 years would be enough time to ever reach me," He said with a smug smirk.

"Why's that?" He walked toward me.

It seemed the lesson I taught him wasn't harsh enough. He acts arrogant even when facing me.

"She's a fangless Vampire no… fangless Vampires are nothing calling them Vampires would bring shame in what a Vampire is they are closer to being human if anything," He did not shy away from letting his thoughts known.

His friends all laughed and mocked Leyla.

"She should be lucky she gets to marry someone like him,"

"I know right, perhaps she could be useful as a maid,"

"She's nothing but a trophy,"

Those words did get to her although she did a phenomenal job of hiding it.

"Silence," I said.

The moment I said that they became unable to speak, grabbing their mouths which they couldn't open until I would allow it.

It's the power to command people's actions with words.

"Now that your little support group is done talking nonsense let me show you something,"

I lifted my upper lip revealing my teeth.

"You also?" Cecilia said in shock.

Esteban was also surprised at what he saw or what he didn't.

"You don't have fangs either," Leyla mentioned being the most surprised.

That's right, I also was born without the fangs but during the Tragic War era this was no cause of mockery, power was everything during those times, and the ones that had more power gained more respect whether they had fangs or not.

Take me as an example, everyone knew I had no fangs and yet they respected me as their King because of my might.

Dracula must have been the one to alienate the ones without fangs over the ages until it was the norm to believe that the fangless are the worthless bunch we see today.

"You're the same trash as her," He said.

"For someone who was put in his place by trash like me, you sure talk big," I told him with a grin.

He clenched his fists in anger.

"How about this? In three days you will face off against Leyla and I'll guarantee you that she will win," I told him.

"I want to add a winning condition!" Leyla shouted with confidence.

I did not expect her to agree to this, if she had said she didn't want to then I would have called it off immediately.

"If I win, you will no longer speak or come close to me and our engagement will be cancelled,"

Randol was hesitant to agree, it almost seemed like he didn't want to cancel the engagement.

"Fine, if I win you will stop hanging out with your lame friends and obey my command forever," He said while pointing at her.

Leyla thought about it and looked at the three of us.

I nodded in agreement.

"Fine, see you in three days,"

With that said, Randol and his group left the Colosseum.

"Leyla, why did you agree to this?" Cecilia asked in worry.

Leyla smiled at her.

"I can't be afraid of him any longer, being friends with all of you has taught me that you must overcome your past by facing it head-on and not run away from it," She replied.

"I'm just worried about you," Cecilia maintained her warrant concern.

Leyla held her hand.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine,"

I stepped in.

"Of course you will be. Leyla, in three days I'll teach you a powerful ability," I told her.

The three of them looked stunned mixed with curiosity, they were anxious to know what I would be teaching her.

"I hope you're prepared for the hardest training of your life,"

Leyla looked more determined than ever.

"I am!"

Three days later

Me and Leyla were inside the Colosseum waiting for Randol.

"Remember what I taught you," I said my final words to her before Randol finally entered the Colosseum.

"Thank you, I know I will win this," She said.

"You actually showed up," Randol said with a grin.

"I won't let you torment me any longer," Leyla said firmly.

"I don't like your newly acquired confidence. I'll make sure you won't talk like this to me ever again," Randol said with frustration.

A judge stepped in.

I made my way to the seats where Esteban and Cecilia waited for me.

"Will she be alright?" Esteban said quietly with worry.

You and her trained by yourselves for the last three days. We couldn't speak to her since you also skipped lessons during that time," Cecilia questioned.

"She'll be fine," I replied with a reassuring smile.

Cecilia raised her eyebrow.

"I hope whatever you taught her in the past three days that was important that we couldn't speak to you two is going to grant her the win," She said.

In truth, I can only teach someone how to use magic whether they can in the end is up to them.

Only us and Randol's circle of friends are present.

"Are you ready?" The judge asked.

Leyla and Randol nodded in agreement.

3…

2…

1…

"Begin!"

Randol casts Isahel.

A magic circle appears on his stretched-out hand shooting a beam of fire at her.

Leyla counters with wotros shooting a water stream.

The two spells collide creating an immense amount of water vapour.

"Not bad," Randol said.

He casts electroz, and dozens of lighting spheres appear heading for Leyla.

"Watch out!" Cecilia yelled out.

Leyla creates a magic barrier around her.

The lighting spheres contain a lot of magic power and each of them could seriously injure her.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

Each lighting sphere that impacts her barrier causes it to weaken which Leyla needs to re-strengthen with her magic power.

"Give up," Randol said.

Randol forms a fist which is in flames.

With immense speed, he charged at the barrier.

*BOOOOOOOM*

The impact of the punch created a huge explosion which was followed up by an immense shockwave.

A lot of dust was lifted into the air blocking the view.

...….

"Leyla!" Cecilia stood up from her seat in a panic.

Esteban also looked worried.

"Oh no," He said quietly and with concern.

Cecilia looked at him with curiosity.

Esteban was able to see what Cecilia could not…. interesting.

The dust settled and the view became clearer and clearer.

We saw Randol holding Leyla by the throat off the ground with blood spilling out her mouth.

"Noo!" Cecilia was in despair seeing her like this.

Leyla raised her hand at him to cast electroz.

"Hahaha, your magic can't harm me," Randol was unaffected by her lighting.

Randol held her up nix which was magic that allowed the caster to move objects with their mind.

He rag-dolled her in the air until he slammed her into the ground hard.

Leyla lay on her stomach with blood and not moving.

"We need to stop this," Cecilia said with tears in her eyes.

I was about to get up.

"I-I won't give up," Leyla slowly got on her feet.

Her legs were shaking while doing so.

"You haven't beaten me," She said with a painful tone.

Randol was amused; he was happy to know that he could toy with her a bit longer.

"Well well well, you sure are a stubborn one," He said, getting ready to cast his next spell.

Leyla's violet eyes began to glow.

"Now Leyla, show us what you got," I said with anticipation.

"Is that?" Esteban half questioned.

"Yes, it's the skill called mind domain," I answered.

Inside Randol's mind.

There was nothing but darkness.

......…

"What is going on?" He asked, confused.

"This is your mind," Leyla's voice echoed.

"If it's my mind then-" Suddenly countless magic circles appeared.

Since it was Randol's domain he could create whatever he wanted his thoughts became reality.

"Foolish girl, you tried to fight me inside my own mind? You are not very smart," He said, shooting fire, water, lighting and light magic in all directions with the intent of hitting Leyla.

"Where are you hiding?" He answered after several moments of continuous magic blasts hitting nothing.

"You are the foolish one Randol," Leyla said. Countless violet eyes appeared destroying the magic circles.

"What is going on?" Randol questioned in panic.

"Now witness my domain!" Leyla was revealing her trump card.

Randol's mind domain began to shatter all around him.

"I now have surpassed you," Leyla said, destroying Randol's domain with her own.

The dark domain was replaced by Leyla's violet-coloured domain.

Back at the arena.

Randol was not moving, not even his eyes had any movement; they were lifeless.

The judge saw this.

"The winner is Leyla!"

Myself, Cecilia and Esteban ran up to Leyla.

"You did it!" Cecilia hugged her tightly.

"Ouch!" Leyla said in pain.

"Sorry, I forgot about your injuries," Cecilia said, casting Rimiel. Leyla's own regeneration did not have enough magic left to heal her quickly.

Leyla's wounds healed at a steady rate thanks to Cecilia.

"Well done, you did phenomenal," I said, tapping her shoulder.

"Thank you," Leyla said with a smile.

I looked around to find Randol who was lying unconscious. His mind is temporarily damaged; it would take time for him to recover.

"Let's go," I said.

A voice called out to me.

"Please help him," A female student asked with teary eyes,

"He needs this experience to bring down his arrogance," I said.

We left the Colosseum and called it a day.

Above I saw a bat flying circling the Colosseum.

"I hope you enjoyed the show, Gastella," I mumbled.

Hours Later inside Esteban's dorm room.

Esteban was on his bed…suddenly a black feather slowly descended toward him.

The black feather landed in his hand.

"I don't have much time left," He said with sorrow.