fire flower; leopold vermillion x oc [Black Clover]

Chapter 24: Tournament

Anticipation thrums in my body as I stand on the sandy floor of the arena. A coliseum surrounds us, but I won't be fighting Seradina today. Even though I want to put her face in the dirt, I have to fight against her in points for this round. Make it count. You have the advantage here. Her type of spatial magic isn't for attacking.

I give Seradina a glance out of the corner of my eye. She still looks snooty and stuck-up, but I know that she's nervous. She's probably thinking the same thing that I am: her magic is at a disadvantage here. You've got this. Don't mess up your chance.

The referee motions for Seradina to step forward first, and I walk back to the sidelines. I won't know her score until after I've gone, but I can at least observe how she fights.

The referee exchanges a few words with her, probably telling her the rules of the tournament. Then he as well steps aside and motions for the round to begin.

From one of the gaping caverns looming in front of her, the clank of metal ricochets through the building. Seradina barely has enough time to break into a fighting stance before a huge, whirring robot comes leaping out of the darkness. Made of shining steel, and resembling something like a reptile, it gives an eerie screech before charging at Seradina. As I expect her to do, she disappears in a flash, stepping through her portal with lightning fast speed.

She reappears behind the thoroughly confused machine, and gives it a kick on its back. To my surprise, shards come flying out from where her foot lands, and the machine rears its head in anger and pain. But by the time it turns around, Seradina is gone. She pops up in front of it, punching it in the chest, her hand a blur of flesh and speed. I watch in shock as her bare fist spreads cracks along its body. And for the grand finale, she delivers a crushing blow on its head. The thing crumples to the ground, a heap of smoking metal.

She continues to fight like this, always teleporting away and using her bare hands of her feet to land blows. She doesn't even seem like she's breaking a sweat as she throws punches and kicks, popping away as soon as danger draws near. When the referee signals for the match to end, I'm in too much of a daze to think straight and count the number of machines lying around her.

But then it's my turn, and I'm taking Seradina's place, and she's walking past me with a smirk on her face. I take a deep breath, readying my magic, not letting Seradina's performance affect me. If she can punch and kick through those things, then so can I.

Strangely, the referee doesn't exchange words with me, but the thought escapes my mind as I hear the metal clank coming from ahead. The same machine comes racing out, sand spraying as it stomps towards me. I leap out of the way, dodging its attacks. As soon as three of them are on the field, I cast my first spell.

"Dark Magic: Obsidian Shards!"

Black spikes explode from around me, tearing into the shiny metal and spearing through the machines' bodies. As my spikes retract, I expect the monsters to drop to the floor from their wounds, but they remain upright, not a scratch on their surfaces.

What?! That's not possible! Maybe I have to use my body to attack them? Panic slowly starts to grow and grow as I roll to the side to avoid a slash from the nearest monster. Using my magic, I boost myself into the air and give it a kick in the same spot that Seradina attacked. My heel meets cold, hard, metal, and I yelp in pain as I drop back to the ground. They're magic-resistant and made of solid material; how did Seradina defeat them?!

"Dark Magic: Black Comet!"

I let out my power in concentrated bursts at the machines, but my blasts simply fade into their metal, as if it's being absorbed. They're definitely made of something magic-resistant. Gritting my teeth, I use my other foot to try and attack, but I only end up with a second aching heel. No no no no no. This can't be happening! The only thing I can think of is that Seradina cheated. The exchange with the referee in the beginning, her outward appearance being way too confident; but if the referee's on her side, I have no proof and no one to bring my case to. No no no no no.

I keep the monsters at bay with a few defensive spells, but all I can feel is burning rage at everything. And also aching unfairness, and a deep, palpable pain that I'll never get to be with Leopold. And when the dust and sand both settle, I stand facing the three monsters, breathing heavily, scoring zero points.

"Cheater!" I scream at Seradina, turning my full anger on her. But she only gives me a wide-eyed, innocent look, like Who, me? I storm over to her, trembling. "You cheater! The monsters you fought were different than mine! There's no way you took all of them down with your bare hands! They can't have been made from the same metal!"

"Don't be a sore loser, peasant. This just shows that I'm stronger than you. I've won the duel, so you can leave now." She gives me that same damn sneer, her lip curling cruelly at the end, her entire mouth tilted diagonally. It makes me see red.

"You haven't! I know you cheated! I win the duel through honor and playing fairly!"

"You don't have any proof."

"I do! It's right there in how we fought against the monsters! There's no way you were able to damage them when I couldn't unless the machines we fought against were different!"

"Or maybe you're just weak."

"Why, you—" I'm cut off.

"Mari is right! You cheated, Seradina."

We both look towards the voice, gasping at the same time as we see Leopold. The referee is standing beside him, looking guilty and sheepish. "I got him to tell me everything," Leopold says.

"But why?!" Seradina cries, running over the Leopold. "Why would you uncover my plan?! Don't you want to be engaged to me?! Don't you want a royal over a peasant?!"

Leopold wrinkles his nose at her, and I can tell he wants to brush her away. "Please. I've met royals like you. Marriage and engagement don't mean anything to you. They're just tools to get power and fame. I'd take Mari over you any day."

Seradina shrieks and wails, but all I can feel is joy, joy, joy. I race over, unable to contain myself, and run right into Leopold's arms; he holds me tight as we both laugh.

It's the best moment of my life.