Free Web NovelChapter 18: The Beginning of the Duel
The Arcadia Arena was completely full.
Thousands of students filled the stands.
Teachers.
Adventurers.
Guild members.
Even some nobles who normally never came near student events.
Everyone was there.
Everyone wanted to see the same spectacle.
The kid with the impossible cat.
Against the prodigy who had been dominating the academy for years.
---
"WELCOME TO THE MOST ANTICIPATED MATCH OF THE SEMESTER!"
The magical commentator’s voice echoed throughout the arena.
The crowd responded with an explosion of applause.
"ON OUR LEFT, WE HAVE THE STUDENT WHO DEFEATED AN ABYSSAL BEAST, DESTROYED A MOUNTAIN, AND SURVIVED GUILD BUREAUCRACY!"
"KAEL VEYRON!"
"WOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Kael raised a hand.
"I don’t like it when they list my mistakes."
"Meow."
"Thanks for the moral support."
---
On the other side of the arena, Aurelion appeared.
Hands behind his head.
Relaxed smile.
As if he were walking into a coffee shop.
"AND ON OUR RIGHT..."
"THE FIFTH OF THE BIG FIVE!"
"THE HUNTER OF A THOUSAND MISSIONS!"
"AURELION VOSS!"
The crowd roared again.
Aurelion simply waved.
"Hi."
"YOU CAN’T JUST SAY ’HI’ DURING SUCH AN EPIC INTRODUCTION!"
"Sorry."
"I’M NOT SCOLDING YOU!"
"Perfect."
The commentator sighed.
"Is he always like this?"
"YES!"
Hundreds of students answered at the same time.
---
Kael looked at the enormous forest that now covered the arena.
Giant trees.
Huge roots.
Moss-covered rocks.
Small streams.
It looked like a real forest.
Not an illusion.
Not a magical construction.
An authentic forest.
"The Arcadia Arena is terrifying."
"Meow."
"I don’t understand you, you know? I still don’t speak cat."
---
From the stands.
Luna waved both arms.
"LET’S GO, BIG BROTHER!"
"DON’T DIE!"
"THAT’S NOT VERY REASSURING!"
"SORRY!"
A few meters higher.
Seraphina watched in silence.
As always.
Neutral expression.
Perfect posture.
Completely still.
Until Kael noticed something.
"What the hell is she wearing?"
Several people near her also looked confused.
Because the shirt she was wearing was worth more than a house.
Probably more than several.
And in the center...
There was a perfectly embroidered image of the Little Fat King sleeping.
Kael stared.
"..."
"..."
"Did she have a custom shirt made of the cat?"
"Meow."
"I don’t know what you said, but yes... That’s very disturbing."
---
The referee’s voice echoed.
"Summoners."
"Prepare yourselves."
Both stepped forward.
"Begin summoning."
The crowd held its breath.
For the first time.
Everyone was going to see Aurelion’s creature.
The summon that had made him one of the Big Five.
The summon that had never been fully shown. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The summon that had been a mystery for years.
Aurelion raised a hand.
Light began to gather around him.
The entire forest seemed to darken.
Thousands of white particles appeared in the air.
Like stars.
Like fragments of the moon.
Like pieces of broken dreams.
Then...
A figure slowly emerged.
The crowd fell silent.
An elegant body.
Slender.
Beautiful.
The size of a horse.
Bright white fur.
Black horns that looked carved from obsidian. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Golden eyes.
And a body that constantly shattered into luminous fragments.
As if it existed between two worlds.
As if it was never completely there.
"Celestial Mirage."
Aurelion whispered.
Silence.
Absolute.
Then...
"What is that?"
"I’ve never seen it before."
"Is it a spirit beast?"
"Is it an illusion?"
"Is it alive?"
"It’s scary."
"Very scary."
Even some teachers looked surprised.
---
Seraphina watched for a few seconds.
"I see."
Kael looked at the creature.
Then back at Seraphina.
"I don’t see anything."
"Mhm."
"Honestly, I was expecting something weirder."
He pointed at it.
"This seems more like your style."
"My style?"
"Yes."
"Elegant."
"Mysterious."
"White."
"Scary."
"Very pretty."
Seraphina blinked.
"Thanks."
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"Thanks."
"You’re welcome, I guess."
---
Then it was his turn.
Kael sighed.
"Alright."
He slightly lifted the cat.
"Fat King."
"Let’s go."
The cat opened one eye.
Yawned.
Got more comfortable.
And went back to sleep.
Silence.
Kael:
"..."
"Perfect."
---
The stands exploded with laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
"HE DID IT AGAIN!!"
"HE DOESN’T LISTEN TO HIM!!"
"THE CAT IS HIS OWN BOSS!!"
The commentator was almost crying with laughter.
"THE LEGENDARY LITTLE FAT KING HAS DECIDED TO START THE MATCH WITH A REVOLUTIONARY STRATEGY!!"
"SLEEPING!!"
"ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!"
---
Aurelion watched the scene.
"Isn’t he going to help?"
Kael shrugged.
"He doesn’t like to work."
Aurelion nodded.
"I respect that."
"Thanks."
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"Now you know how it feels."
---
The referee raised his hand.
"FIGHT STARTED!"
BOOOOOOM.
The Mirage disappeared.
It simply disappeared.
Kael couldn’t even follow the movement.
One second it was in front of Aurelion.
The next...
It was behind the cat.
"FAST!"
Exclaimed the commentator.
"INCREDIBLY FAST!"
The creature struck.
BOOM.
The cat rolled on the ground.
Asleep.
"..."
Nothing.
---
The Mirage attacked again.
BOOM.
Nothing.
---
Third attack.
BOOM.
Nothing.
---
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
---
The entire academy watched with blank expressions.
"Is it hitting him?"
"I think so."
"Is it working?"
"I don’t think so."
"Is he asleep?"
"Definitely yes — and it’s strangely adorable."
---
The Mirage disappeared again.
This time it appeared several meters above.
And descended like a white arrow.
BOOOOOOM.
The impact kicked up dirt everywhere.
The cat went flying.
Smacked through several bushes.
Hit a tree.
And ended up embedded in the trunk.
Silence.
"That had to hurt."
Said Kael.
---
The cat slowly opened its eyes.
And for the first time since the match began...
It looked annoyed.
Very annoyed.
The crowd held its breath.
The commentator almost stood up.
"ATTENTION!!"
"ATTENTION!!"
"THE FAT KING HAS AWAKENED!!"
---
The cat’s eyes locked onto the Celestial Mirage.
Its gaze of contempt appeared.
The same gaze.
The one that destroyed an Abyssal Beast.
The one that blew up half a mountain.
The one that traumatized several teachers.
The one that turned Darius into a living meme.
"Oh."
Said Kael and smiled.
"Now it’s on."
---
The world seemed to stop.
The Mirage looked at the cat.
The cat looked at the Mirage.
And then...
The gaze hit.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Everyone waited for the explosion.
The destruction.
The disaster.
Something.
Anything.
But...
Nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
---
The Mirage was still there.
Intact.
Perfectly intact.
The crowd froze.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"How?"
"Why is it still alive?"
"IS THAT LEGAL?"
Even Kael looked confused.
"Did you just find something immune to your nonsense?"
---
The cat tilted its head slightly.
As if it didn’t understand either.
Then it looked at the Mirage.
Looked at Kael.
Looked at the forest.
And made a decision.
A historic decision.
A decision no one expected.
It lay back down.
And went to sleep.
---
Silence.
---
Kael:
"..."
---
Aurelion:
"..."
---
The crowd:
"..."
---
The commentator:
"..."
---
"Did he just give up?"
Asked someone.
"I think so."
Answered another.
---
The cat even started snoring.
---
"WHAT THE HELL?"
Shouted half the stadium.
---
Aurelion watched the Little Fat King for a few seconds.
Thinking.
Analyzing.
Calculating.
And then he smiled.
Not a mocking smile.
Not an arrogant smile.
A genuine smile.
Because he had just understood something.
Something very important.
---
He couldn’t hurt the cat.
That was obvious.
But the cat didn’t seem interested in fighting either.
Which meant...
The real battle wasn’t against the creature.
---
It was against Kael.
---
Slowly.
Aurelion turned his head.
And looked directly at the summoner.
"You know? I think the cat needs some real motivation."
---
Kael felt a chill run down his spine.
---
"Oh no."
---
Because for the first time since the match started...
He felt like he was the target.
And he didn’t like that at all.
