CHAPTER 82: KAEL MEDICI VS JENNA MEDICI (PART 1)

The next day.

The sun was high in the sky, occasionally filtered by white clouds sailing lazily by.

The forest floor, still damp from the morning dew, absorbed the heat slowly. Between the cracks in the branches, rays of light filtered through, illuminating specks of dust and shiny moss. Here and there, fresh footprints from a wild boar or the more subtle marks of a fox betrayed the recent passage of wild beasts.

A light breeze rustled the tall leaves, carrying with it the scent of wet bark and freshly trodden grass. Further away, the sweet perfume of elderflowers mingled with the fresh air.

The birds were not silent: the tapping of a woodpecker, the chirping of goldfinches, and the distant warbling of a blackbird wove a scattered but harmonious melody.

The forest breathed, alive, as if every sound, every fragrance, and every ray of sunlight told a story that only it knew.

Miles away, the city remained just as busy, although without the same activity as previous days.

Everyone was heading toward the coliseum, for on that day, for the first time, they would witness a battle between the young masters of the Medici Clan. It was an unusual event, and no one wanted to miss it.

Inside the coliseum, loud shouts echoed throughout the arena. In the highest section, the high-ranking members of the Medici Clan were seated, including Zephyr, who had been absent for the first two days.

He had been busy with the incidents that had occurred on the mountain. Despite being in rank 5, he was not omnipresent.

On the combat platform, amid the din of voices coming from all sides, stood Jenna, with her blood-red hair and ruby-bright eyes, distinctive features of the Medici lineage.

She was wearing her battle outfit and holding her wizard’s staff, waiting for her younger brother Kael to arrive. She had been looking forward to this confrontation for a long time.

"Finally, I’ll get to see my brother’s magic," Jenna murmured to herself excitedly. However, after watching Kael’s previous battles, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

The presenter, standing in the center of the platform, began:

[Today is a historic day! For the first time, the audience will witness a clash between two members of the prestigious Medici Clan. And not just anywhere, but at the majestic Spring Tournament!]

His voice became even more euphoric.

[Kael Medici, the revelation of the tournament, whose mastery has left the audience breathless. He gave us an incredible fight against Jones yesterday!]

[And Jenna Medici, a prodigious magician who has swept away all her rivals without giving them the slightest chance.]

[Two stars of the Medici Clan! Two styles! One winner! Who will prove to be the best?]

As soon as the presenter finished speaking, Kael appeared under everyone’s watchful gaze. He crossed the coliseum with slow, steady steps, heading toward the platform where his sister watched him with shining eyes.

"Kael, give us another fight like yesterday! It was incredible!"

"Win again! I’ve bet my entire fortune... If you lose, my wife will kill me."

"Show us your power! Defeat your sister, we’re all rooting for you!"

"Kael, you bastard! You’ll never beat your sister. Or that indifferent look will disappear, hahaha!"

As he ascended the stage, all kinds of comments reached Kael’s ears. He ignored them. His expression remained impassive, like an ancient pond. But in his eyes... There was a dark gleam.

Jenna, seeing Kael climb up, narrowed her eyes slightly and asked curiously, "Brother, why are you carrying your sword? Are you planning to fight without it?"

"I’ll only be using magic in this fight," Kael replied with a slight smile, though his eyes remained as empty as ever.

That didn’t anger Jenna in the slightest. On the contrary, it excited her even more. It was exactly what she wanted.

Unconsciously, a smile spread across her lips.

Upon hearing this, the presenter wasted no time:

[OHH! Incredible news! Kael Medici will not be fighting this match as usual... he will only be using MAGIC!]

"Begin!" announced the referee.

Jenna didn’t waste a second. The essence of mana began to flow from her core into her magic diagram. She murmured chants in a melodious voice, as if activating commands on an arcane machine. The air temperature rose immediately.

Around her, magical circles began to materialize. One, two, five... They spun like living gears, covered in inscriptions that rewrote themselves in a scarlet glow.

"[Fire Arrows ×5]"

The air exploded with a sharp buzzing sound.

From the circles, five fiery arrows were launched, leaving spiraling trails of fire as they headed straight for Kael.

But Kael didn’t move. Not an inch.

In front of him, the ground shook slightly. Four magic circles appeared, stained a deep red, as if they had been drawn with coagulated blood.

"[Blood Shield]"

The air vibrated with a deep, heavy note.

From the circles, torrents of blood emerged, curving into geometric patterns before merging into a floating hexagonal shield, similar to dark red liquid crystal.

The fire arrows struck with brutal force. The shield withstood three... four... but the fifth cracked it without passing through.

A thick pall of smoke and steam covered the platform, obscuring everything.

Jenna frowned. She knew Kael wouldn’t stay still.

And so he did.

From the bloody mist, new songs emerged, faster and sharper. The smoke stirred. Several spears of pure blood formed with a liquid hiss and shot out like lightning bolts.

Jenna, on the other side, turned her body fluidly. Her feet didn’t touch the ground; they seemed to glide on a thin layer of wind. She dodged by inches. But her attention wasn’t only on the projectiles.

She had seen the shape of Kael’s magic circles.

And she was fascinated.

"So compact... so efficient..." She whispered under her breath, her eyes shining with genuine admiration.

Inspired, she began to readjust her magic circles as she moved. They compressed, trembling at their edges as they reduced in volume and multiplied in power.

Then she murmured:

"[Breeze]"

A gust of wind, clean and sharp, swept across the field.

The fog dissipated in an instant, revealing Kael’s motionless silhouette once again. He continued singing. His lips barely moved.

Jenna narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t fall behind.

She raised both hands and traced a symbol in the air with liquid fire.

"[Fire Snakes]"

The ground burned. Two fiery serpents emerged, slithering as if awakening. Their flaming bodies undulated gracefully, leaving a trail of molten ash behind them. They lunged toward Kael in a zigzag pattern, hissing.

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"[Blood Shield ×2]"

This time, two circles overlapped.

From them emerged not one, but two double shields that spun in opposite directions, reinforcing each other. The shield was thicker, darker.

BOOM.

The snakes struck with force.

The first shield shattered instantly; the second held. Flames and fragments of solid blood flew everywhere. The platform shook. Even the spectators furthest away felt the heat of the impact on their skin.

The fight was no longer simple.

It was a dance between two prodigies.

And both knew they were just getting started.