The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 165. Sparring (2)

Chapter 165: 165. Sparring (2)

Long shadows stretched across the hard dirt floor as the Academy’s arena glowed in the warm afternoon sun. There were only a few bronze-class students in the stands.

Rin Valarune stood in the middle of the arena, encircled by fifty light mana-powered swords that glowed like bright stars, poised to strike.

Lucian Caulem turned to face her, his gray eyes gleaming with wonder and intense concentration.

Professor Gidon, his rough face red with effort, approached the railing where Professors Avoor, Vaelm, and Isolde stood as heavy footsteps echoes the arena’s stands. After catching his breath, "I apologize for the wait." He was perplexed as Avoor and Vaelm gazed at the arena in shock.

Isolde turned to him, her blue hair catching the sunlight, eyes twinkling with fun. "You’ve arrived just in time for the show, Gidon."

Gidon stepped to the railing, looking down, and his jaw dropped at the sight. Rin’s shining swords floated in a stunning pattern, waiting for her command, while Lucian stood ready, his grin showing admiration and alertness.

Lucian’s voice was warm and teasing, and his smile grew as he said, "That’s damn too much, Senior."

Rin’s pink eyes blazed as her smile flashed, confident and bold. The swords rushed at Lucian in a dazzling storm, a wave of light rushing through the air as she swung her arm quickly. He clenched his teeth as he prepared for the attack, which sent clouds of smoke and dust swirling across the arena as each sword exploded on impact.

Rin continued to strike, using her staff to precisely aim each glowing blade. The last blow shook the ground and resonated through the stands.

Gidon’s voice was a low rumble of surprise as he gripped the railing, his knuckles white. "What have you done to that sweet girl, Isolde? She turned into a new monster."

"Her fighting style completely transformed," Velmera whispered as she leaned forward in the stands.

With a soft, awed voice, Mori nodded. "She’s not giving him a chance to retaliate."

Isolde laughed quietly as she glanced at Leo, who was standing with Erin Dranemount across the arena. "Two things forged her into this," she told Gidon in a wise-sounding voice. "I trained her to use her mana skillfully." And. With a knowing warmth in her voice, her gaze remained fixed on Leo. "Her anger towards a loved one."

Erin nudged Leo, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief. "Do you think that struck Lucian?"

Leo had a sharp smirk, steady red eyes, and a look of quiet pride. "If that scratches Lucian, he cannot be a prodigy of the Caulem."

As the dust cleared, everyone gasped, including Rin, who gasped in surprise. Lucian was unhurt, his tunic undamaged, his smile steady and bright. With his gray eyes sparkling and his voice playful yet challenging, he said, "Even I didn’t show a tenth of my abilities, Senior Rin."

Lucian had become practically fast after losing to the Valtharion, and he was able to dodge Rin’s swords with ease, each move demonstrating his intensive training.

Rin’s smirk came back, her staff spinning as she changed her stance, fearless. "Let’s see how you handle this, then," she said, slamming her staff into the ground with a loud thud, her voice strong with power.

"Graviton Cascade!" Waves of gravity spread out, bending the light as the air twisted and the arena shook with a deep hum. Under Lucian, the earth gave way, creating a whirling whirlpool of powerful energy that seized his legs in an attempt to immobilize him.

Lucian’s confidence was strong, and his smile persisted. A silver aura erupted around him as his body glowed—Silver Flash, a rare Caulem ability that he had perfected. He moved like lightning, too fast to see, slipping through the gravity field with smooth skill.

The vortex broke, dirt flying in a spray as he appeared behind Rin, his sword swinging at her back in a clean strike, its edge shining with controlled power.

Rin chanted a defensive spell immediately. "Luminos Aegis!" A bright dome of mana covered her, Lucian’s blade hitting it with a loud CLANG.

The impact cracking the arena floor in a web of lines. The dome pulsed, its surface glowing strong, then burst outward in a dazzling wave of mana, pushing Lucian to jump back.

He raised his silver aura to shield himself, landing lightly. "That’s a clever trick," he said, his voice warm with respect, gray eyes narrowing with focus. "But let’s raise the stakes."

He raised his blade, its edge glowing red—Blood Tempest, a special Caulem skill passed down through his family. "Here’s a taste of our family’s power," he said, his tone full of pride and challenge. With a fast swing, he sent a storm of red energy blades twisting through the air like snakes, their sharp edges screaming with mana as they rushed at Rin from all sides.

"Aether Maelstrom!" she shouted, her pink eyes gleaming and her staff exploding with blue light.

A storm of blue mana swirled around her, its loud winds roaring like a wild tempest as she spun the staff smoothly. Sparks and red shards flew across the arena as Lucian’s Blood Tempest’s red energy blades crashed into the storm, each one ripped apart by the spinning mana.

The bronze students in the stands gasped.

Rin was the focus of Leo’s red eyes. A tiny smirk formed on his lips as he spoke in a low, laudatory voice. "Not too bad. She made him utilize a blood technique."

"What, a sense of pride?" Erin teased.

Lucian grinned broadly and cheerfully. "Senior Rin, you’re making this exciting!"

Rin’s grin became bold as her staff glowed, illuminating the arena in a blue hue. "I’m glad you’re enjoying, but I’m not finished yet!" With a powerful, clear voice, she raised the staff high.

"Ethereal Dominion!" A massive, translucent ball of mana engulfed the battlefield, its surface glimmering with moonlight-like glowing runes, causing the arena to tremble. Mana surged, light bent, and gravity twisted inside the sphere, strengthening Rin’s every move.