Xenovia dusted off her uniform and went back to holding Excalibur in both hands. She barely gave me time to catch a glimpse of the fight between Kiba and Irina before running towards me.
The cracked concrete beneath her feet gave me the only warning of the onslaught. Excalibur Destruction whizzed through the air, a silver blur aiming for my neck.
I raised my hand and conjured a compact blade of water, curved like a scimitar. The clash of magic and steel sent water droplets scattering in all directions. I took a firm grip on the liquid weapon and pushed it back, moving the sword away for a moment — just enough so I could slide to the side and avoid the second blow. A water weapon wasn't tough enough to stop more than one strike.
Xenovia's foot spun on the ground and, in the blink of an eye, she was already lowering the blade again.
I stepped back and shaped another water weapon with my other hand, this time a long spear, which I used to parry her lunge before it pierced my shoulder. But Xenovia was like a human hammer: even when blocking, the force of the impact pushed my body backward. Another exchange. Another explosion of impact.
My spear slid against the sacred blade, shattering mid-air and transforming into dozens of liquid stilettos. A flick of the hand, and the needles of water hurled themselves at her.
Xenovia crossed her arms, and the aura of Excalibur Destruction exploded outward, dissipating my attack effortlessly.
[The patrons' eyes shine with excitement at witnessing this fight.]
[100 credits have been sponsored.]
"If you keep playing around, you'll end up dead, Milicas-san," she warned, taking up her position again.
"You don't have to worry about me," I replied, letting a smile escape.
Steel and magic clashed several times in succession. My magical defenses were no longer holding. My water magic wasn't weak, but Xenovia was a monster of brute strength.
I jumped back and raised a water barrier in the shape of a shield. Xenovia brought her blade down with all her might, shattering the liquid defense in one strike. The impact made my vision flicker for a second.
'This is getting out of hand.' I raised my flat hand. "Wait."
Xenovia, who was about to attack again, stopped at once. "Hm?" She narrowed her eyes. "What? Are you surrendering?"
"It's not that, but since I'm fighting a strong opponent, I want to test something. May I?"
Xenovia, like the honorable knight she was, nodded and took a step back.
[The patrons are curious about what you want to do.]
I raised my left hand. A red glow suddenly appeared, accompanied by a magic circle in the air. Slowly, something emerged from it. The Ring of Hygron. The gift from my grandparents. It was the first time I'd worn it since I received it to win my first Rating Game. I knew it granted control over one of the four elements, but I had never activated it to find out which one.
[The patrons received a brief explanation of what happened off the broadcast.]
[The patrons are betting with each other to see which of the four elements you'll receive.]
[The entity 'Sorceress of the Black Flame' is satisfied with the gift, regardless of which element you win.]
[100 credits have been sponsored.]
As I carefully placed it on the ring finger of my right hand, I felt my magical power being slightly drained. At that moment, a stream of air rushed past me, swirling into a spiral. First light, almost a breeze. Then fast. Sharp.
My eyes widened. 'Wind.'
That was perfect. The versatility of the wind element was enormous, and considering that most devils only had an affinity with Fire, Earth, or Derivative spells, having both Water and Wind gave me a significant advantage with a wide variety of options.
[Some of the patrons are excited about the new possibilities you have.]
'I don't blame them... I'm excited too,' I thought as I smiled. "So, that's it. Thanks for waiting, Xenovia-san."
"Let's see if this helps you win!" Xenovia didn't wait any longer.
She launched herself forward, faster than before, but this time, I was already prepared.
I turned my right wrist a little to the left, and a small gale formed in front of me, propelling me backward. Xenovia missed the blow by centimeters. Her blade sliced through the void.
I lowered my hand and fired a blade of compressed wind at her. Xenovia raised her sword instinctively, but unlike water, wind couldn't simply be cut. The pressure of the gust threw her backward, dragging her a few meters.
She drove Excalibur into the ground to steady herself.
"So, wind magic now?" She ran a hand over her chin, assessing the situation.
"Courtesy of Duke and Duchess Gremory." I spun my hand in the air, and a current of wind followed my movement, forming a small curved blade made of air. "I liked the present. Didn't you?" I asked with a confident smile.
Xenovia kicked the ground and advanced again. When she brandished her blade, I dodged to the side with a blast of air and let my wind blade graze her arm. A thin cut appeared — nothing serious, but enough for her to feel.
She frowned and steadied her footing.
This time, we attacked simultaneously. Excalibur Destruction collided with my air blade. The pressure was brutal; the clash of power caused sparks and turbulent winds to fill the alley.
We slid across the battlefield, with gusts of wind shaking the hair of everyone around us. Xenovia blocked and dodged, but I could already feel it: she was panting.
[The entity 'The Firmament Exile' is enjoying the intense exchange of blows.]
[50 credits have been sponsored.]
'Only 50?! Looks like you want some entertainment!'
It was then that I leapt high into the air, using the wind to prolong my momentum. I looked down and saw Xenovia preparing to intercept me.
Smiling, I raised one finger and drew an alchemy circle with magic.
Yes, I know I had promised to use only magic in this fight, but I really wanted to try something new. And for them, alchemy was the same thing as magic.
Suddenly, the circle glowed in the air, and instead of stone or metal, as I usually used, this time I manipulated the very air around it. I concentrated the currents at one point and then released them all at once. An explosion of pressure pushed Xenovia backward.
She dug her feet into the ground, trying to resist, but she was thrown back a few meters.
[The entity 'The Firmament Exile' marveled at his new combination of magic and alchemy.]
[100 credits were sponsored.]
When Xenovia stood up, wiping the corner of her mouth, for the first time, she smiled. "You've improved."
I landed on the ground, but just as Xenovia was about to go for it again — even though her clothes were almost torn off by the wind — a distinct sound interrupted our battle.
*Piririri!*
Like everyone else, it took me a moment to identify the sound, and I only realized it was a ringing phone because the back pocket of my pants was vibrating.
"Just a second, please," I said, raising an index finger to Xenovia.
"And is this a good time to answer your cell phone?" Xenovia and Issei shouted at the same time, veins popping out of their foreheads.
"It's not my fault," I said, taking my cell phone out of my pocket.
I had already noticed I needed a cell phone, so I tried to buy one as soon as I got back to Earth. However, I didn't have enough money to splurge, even with Gasper being very lucrative for me, so I bought a simple flip phone just for calls.
Of course, the saving part didn't last because I had to buy one for Makima and Asia too. That way, we could keep in touch even when apart.
Besides, I wanted this cell phone not just for casual use but for days like this.
[Several patrons are irritated by this new interruption in the battle.]
"Hello...? Ah, it's you.... I know... I know..." I spoke into the phone as everyone watched me. "All right. Is everything ready?"
[Now the patrons are curious about what you're talking about.]
"Right.... I'll take you there. Did you tell that person I asked you to? That's great. You're the best. See you soon."
"Khum! Are you finished?" Xenovia asked, annoyed by my lack of conduct during the battle.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. But it's okay if I can reward you, isn't it?" I shrugged while still holding my phone.
Xenovia pointed Excalibur Destruction at me. "If the reward is to continue this duel until one of us dies, I'd be very grateful."
"Actually, that's not it."
Xenovia frowned. "Then what is it?"
"What do you think about getting Valper Galilei's head and the other fragments of Excalibur he stole?"
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