Jeremias stood atop the platform with his dark-blue mage robe.
His long hair fell, almost covering his black eyes. They were clear and filled with confidence.
On his left chest was the Prospect insignia.
It radiated a glorious impression that further emboldened Jeremias’s confidence.
`Where’s my opponent?`
He had been waiting for a while now yet the person named Althea has yet to appear.
“What’s going on? Did the eldens surrender?”
“It’s almost a minute now.”
Jeremias narrowed his eyes.
He thought he could display his skills in front of everyone, but now, it probably wouldn’t happen.
That was when soft footsteps resounded on the other side of the platform.
Jeremias curiously observed the newcomer.
He was astounded to see an angel with golden-white and dark skin alternately painted over the left and right sides of her body.
The supple skin and her beautiful face almost made Jeremias fall in love at first sight.
Her eyes were closed yet strangely, her footing and sense of direction weren’t hindered at all.
Althea’s hair was rolled to a bun, forming a mixture of golden white and black like an animated yin-yang symbol rotating inward.
She wasn’t dressed in a mage robe like everyone expected her to.
The silent girl wore a black and golden white gown that blended perfectly with her body.
Her bare feet softly trod the floor as if she was taking a stroll on any other day.
“Wait, isn’t she an angel from the Quelsades family? How come her body is a mix of golden white and black?”, an instructor asked.
“Who knows? Maybe she’s a special kind of angel?”, another instructor replied.
The deans and instructors discussed Althea’s strange physical characteristics.
It was known to everyone that a member of the Quelsades Family was part of the rare race of species called angels.
Their bodies were either fairly white or mixed with some golden hue.
They were powerful existences second only to the elven and the fairies. Their morality encompassed all sorts of righteousness and were upright people.
However, because of such characteristics, they were deprived of cultivating dark mana essence for all their life.
“I think she shares the blood of a fallen angel.”, Dean James concluded.
There was another race called the fallen angels who had fallen into corruption by choosing to cultivate dark mana essence.
The once lustrous white ethereal or feather wings would be tainted in black. One of their eyes would become dark and hollow.
Then followed by being driven to madness and restless killing intent to slaughter every living being they come contact upon.
Zachariel had met one back then in the Dark Forest a month ago.
He, however, was unable to determine Althea’s true nature because she didn’t display any behavior similar to that fallen angel.
Althea raised her head and pointed in a particular direction.
`I-I can feel his aura. He’s here.`, referring to Zachariel.
She couldn’t dare to forget the man who was able to survive her deadly curse that has plagued her self-confidence and existence ever since she was born.
Althea had already planted Zachariel’s name deep in her heart and acknowledged him as her fated one.
Meanwhile, Zachariel felt a lingering emotion in his heart when he saw Althea coming out to the platform.
`I haven’t seen her for a while. I wonder how she has been.`
He had to apologize to her after suddenly dragging her into a dangerous situation a few days ago.
`I wonder if she hates me for it.`
Zachariel sighed.
“Hey, Zachariel. I remember that she tried to talk with you alone before. Did you know that her name was like that?”, Luiz asked.
Zachariel only smiled.
Luiz was enlightened after observing Zachariel’s facial expression
The others who didn’t see his expression wondered what happened.
Luiz suddenly blurted out, “Oh, I see. Hey Zachariel, you’re way too popular even with elden girls, you know.”, he teased.
Zachariel dismissed such ridiculous reasoning.
“It’s not like that, Luiz. Althea only wanted to talk with me, that’s all.”
…
The announcer was left speechless by Althea’s beauty and strange body color. He couldn’t describe any flaw in her at all.
He cleared his throat and asked.
“Fighters, are the two of you ready?”
His words pulled Jeremias out of his daze.
Both of them nodded.
Bang!
Jeremias made the first move.
`Fire Wing Assault!`
Several firebirds formed around him and flew towards Althea with great speed.
They left a trail of fire in the air, making the spell look beautiful despite its destructive capabilities.
The birds screeched before making an arc towards Althea.
Althea stood unperturbed.
It seemed like Jeremias’s attack was of no importance to her.
`Hmph, elden girl! Don’t act haughty later when my firebirds come and get you!`, Jeremias shouted in his mind.
He always disliked people who looked down on him.
After all, he had his pride as a Prospect candidate. For others to underestimate him was their undoing.
At that moment, he saw Althea simply waving her hand in front of her body then he realized that his entire flock of firebirds turned into a stream of water flowing to the ground.
The raging firebirds became gentle water flowing in a calm river.
`Wha-what just happened?!`
Jeremias was shocked and so were the rest of the audience.
“Did she just-“
“Turned fire into water?!”
The deans and instructors were dumbfounded.
Never once in the history of the Great Human Imperium did they witness such an event.
At least not when a rookie cultivator like Althea doing it.
This made Jeremias angry.
`So you’re definitely looking down me? Huh?! You eldens! I will show you how powerful and talented I am!`
`Fire Whip! Flaming Lasso!`
The fire whip rapidly extended and squirmed.
The blazing heat crackled and lunged at Althea.
Althea crossed her arms, followed by the flowing water down below forming a water sphere that covered her from harm.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The intense heat evaporated any water it came into contact.
Althea realized that her opponent took her seriously.
She extended her wings and flew away.
The fire whip had vaporized the entire water sphere however, Althea was no longer there.
Jeremias snorted and went to pursuit Althea.
`Once I take you down, I will make you mine!`
He was very eager in taking down both this match and Althea’s heart. After all, having a beautiful angel fall in love with him was what his heart desired.
Althea suddenly noticed the dark desires that Jeremias held for her. She knitted her eyebrows and turned serious.
On the sides, Al’dous had the same expression as Althea.
“That idiot human, he’s done now.”, he calmly commented.
“Done for? What happened, Al’dous?”, Raffila asked.
Al’dous hesitated.
He knew the reason behind Althea’s sudden cold demeanor. If Raffila hears it, she might become angry at Jeremias and spark a disagreement between the two factions.
Devils were usually insensible to the subject of love, but Al’dous was a strange kind of a devil.
Al’dous was about to reply when a cold feminine voice resounded behind them.
“Don’t ask, Raffila. Just watch.”, Thessalia spoke out. Behind her was the child Veidora with an indifferent look on his face.
“Princess Thessalia, you’re awake!”, Raffila was elated.
Thessalia nodded and went over to look at the platform below.
Her eyes narrowed, `Althea, are you really sure this is worth it?`
…
`Fire Wing Assault!`
Although Jeremias knew that the angel could turn fire into water, there should be a limit to how many times she could do it.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be holding his fire whip right now.
Screech!
Jeremias was having a good time pursuing Althea when the angel stopped moving and turned around to face him.
`Did she become impatient?!`
Althea waved her hands and turned the flock of firebirds into water again.
“Impudent!”, Althea shouted.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
“That girl! Don’t tell me she’s going to curse that young human?!”, Elder Gorfo softly spoke with a panicked expression.
Thalanil worried too. They didn’t want Althea to kill a human Prospect in this skirmish event.
`Should we… interfere?`
…
Jeremias’s line of sight caught the black and white eyes of Althea.
He felt a slight tremor in his brain and body. Something within him seemed to have been disturbed.
Althea’s body started to glow in golden white and black.
The left side was pure darkness while the other side emanated a blinding golden light.
`Sanction Overturn!`
The two different colors rotated slowly at first, then gained momentum as it swirled around Althea’s body faster for each passing second.
At that point, Jeremias’s sight was glued towards Althea’s eyes.
He tried to withdraw his glance but some force locked his muscles from doing anything.
`What in the Elder’s name is this?!`
His heart started to beat fast. A fearful sensation crept up from within.
He saw the golden light beside Althea shrinking as the darkness from her right side swallowed everything.
When the darkness swept over, Jeremias’s perception of Althea changed.
His world spun and he could feel his infatuation and lust slowly vanishing into nothingness, soon replaced with the feeling of hatred and disgust towards the angel.
‘Blink!’
The phenomenon ended.
“She- she did it! Oh no!”, Elder Gorfo was at a loss.
Thalanil, however, narrowed his eyes.
`This is very strange. Similar to what happened with Raffila and my daughter earlier.`
He knew everything that could be known about Althea.
Her personality, temperament, and the history of her curse, and what it was all about.
However, that Althea ‘he knew’ seemed to have been replaced by some sort of impostor.
If not for his supreme cultivation and experiences of many things during his long life, he wouldn’t have been able to notice the slight difference between the young angel in front of him and the one from before.
`No, this is the real Althea. I know it. However, something invaded her mind earlier and intentionally altered her behavior.`
His eyes glanced towards the group of elden Prospects on the sides and his intuition was proven correct after seeing the frightened expression on Raffila’s face.
`How interesting. Looks like someone is forcing these turn of events, I see.`
He kept his smiling expression and looked back at the platform below.
Jeremias stood there in a daze. After a while, his eyes turned red, and gritted his teeth.
`Fire Whip: Flaming Lasso!`
The fire whip extended once again. This time, however, Althea caught it barehanded.
Her skin burned in pain but she held it inside and pulled Jeremias over.
As an angel, their physical strength was stronger compared to a human like Jeremias.
Althea readied a fist, wanting to kill Jeremias by having her hands contact his body.
“Your Highness, Thalanil, we should make a move now!”, Elder Gorfo reminded.
If Althea succeeded, who knows how the Great Human Imperium might react to it. Once her fist touches Jeremias’ body, the curse would immediately take effect and it would be the end for the young human.
Thalanil waved his hand.
“No need. Someone will take the blame for us.”
His confident reply confused the elder.
`Someone will take the blame, but who? Althea? What is His Highness thinking?`
…
Just as Althea’s fist would contact Jeremias, someone held her fists tightly while Jeremias was pushed away from her.
Althea widely opened her eyes, “You-!”
