Chapter 488: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: The Clash of the Flower and Non-Flower II

Stella looked at Selena as the two of them faced each other on the stage.

For a brief moment, the sounds of the Arena seemed distant.

The cheers were still filling the enormous structure, but Stella’s attention had already begun to return to the present. Her golden eyes remained fixed on Selena as the memory that had occupied her mind slowly faded.

She had just snapped out of the flashback.

The memory of the day when her jealousy over the title of the Flowers of Britannia had begun.

"THREE!"

The crowd began the countdown.

The voices of hundreds of thousands of people rolled through the Arena while cheers for Princess Stella Aethelmont and Selena Galehart filled the air.

Flags and small banners were raised from different sections, and the spectators who supported each girl shouted their names as the countdown continued.

But, of course...

Selena Galehart was more dominant than the cheers for Princess Stella’s fans.

"Let’s have a good match, Your Highness."

Selena smiled softly while genuinely wishing Stella good luck as they prepared to fight each other.

Her posture remained relaxed, and there was no hostility in her voice.

"Thank you, Selena."

Stella replied with a soft smile as well.

Her expression was polite as well.

Her eyes, however, were different.

Selena Galehart...

She thought to herself with a serious tone.

Although she’s known to be really talented in the music field and in Cognis control...

That’s the only thing she amounts to.

Stella kept her smile in place while continuing to observe Selena.

I just made the gamble of writing those anonymous rumors about her for the news club to publish.

Since she’s the weakest Flower and also the weakest looking when it comes to mentality...

Selena is the easiest to attack.

The thought came without guilt.

Stella had already considered Selena’s position among the Flowers of Britannia and the things that could be used against her. The rumors had been a gamble since there was the probability, she wouldn’t be facing Selena in the Combat Festival, but they had worked better than Stella expected.

I just didn’t expect things to work in my favor, with Selena facing her own sister, and now I get to face her next.

I was able to get a good read on her Alchemist level, Alchemy Strategy and trump cards.

During that match.

Plus, she wasn’t around to watch me fight. So, I still have the upper hand in Alchemy Strategy seen and analyzed.

"TWO!"

The crowd continued the countdown brightly.

Stella’s golden eyes darted over Selena’s body from head to toe.

She observed her carefully.

The way Selena stood.

The position of her feet.

Her hands.

Her breathing.

Even the way she held her fan.

I can’t underestimate her though, but it doesn’t mean I can beat her, especially since the two of us are almost equal in strength.

Stella’s thoughts continued as she studied her opponent.

I do have more Cognis than Selena, and we both have a good number of Alchemy Accessories for storing Cognis.

This fight is already in my advantage, with her mentality already taking a small hit from the wild rumors I wrote about her, and the fact I’m stronger than her in Cognis Percentage.

Stella smiled, pleased with herself.

The smile was small enough to appear harmless to anyone watching.

"ONE!"

The hundreds of thousands of people in the Arena shouted the last countdown.

The noise rose to its highest point.

Stella steadied herself.

As long as I don’t underestimate her too much...

I will win.

And prove that I’m a better fit to be a Flower of Britannia.

Stella said to herself with sure confidence.

She kept the soft smile on her face, making sure that her opponent would not see the thoughts running through her mind.

Selena looked at the Princess quietly.

She could clearly see the confident expression Stella had toward this fight.

There was no fear in Stella’s face.

No hesitation.

She looked like someone who already believed she knew how the battle would end.

"BEGIN!"

The crowd shouted the commencement of the fight.

Immediately...

Clap!

Both ladies brought their hands together.

The sound was small compared to the roar of the Arena, but for the two fighters standing opposite each other, it marked the start of the real battle.

Cognis flowed from the still-constructing Adept Stars through their veins and out from their hands.

Their Alchemy Circles formed almost at the same time.

The cheering from the crowd increased as everyone became excited to see who would ignite their Alchemy first.

Gusts of wind flowed into the Wind Alchemy Circle hovering in front of Selena.

At the same time, particles of light flowed into Stella’s Light Alchemy Circle, which also hovered in front of her.

The two Alchemy Circles brightened.

Both Alchemies ignited almost at the same time.

But Selena’s Wind Alchemy was faster.

The drawn wind expanded around her.

It spread outward before wrapping around her entire body, creating a moving layer of air between her and the surrounding battlefield.

Selena was yet again going for her usual first Wind Alchemy execution.

Wind Barrier.

To protect her body.

And...

Stella was also going for the same thing.

"The two ladies known for always creating defense before performing offensive Alchemy attacks strike again!"

Patrick shouted excitedly from the commentator’s section.

The crowd reacted with another wave of cheers.

"I knew this was going to happen from the number of analyses done before this fight, because of how cautious and elegant these two beautiful ladies fight. I really wonder who is going to stand on top!"

He said calmly.

The two barriers remained around their respective users as the crowd watched.

Neither girl had rushed recklessly toward the other.

Both understood that the opening moments of the battle would be important, especially when they were already close to each other in overall strength.

Clap!

Both Selena and Stella brought their hands together again.

Almost at the same time.

But Selena was in the lead of execution because she had ignited her Wind Alchemy before Stella ignited her Light Alchemy.

"Tsk."

Stella clicked her tongue, a little frustrated.

"I knew Selena had good control over her Cognis, but I didn’t know it would be to an extent where she’s faster than me."

She said to herself in a low voice.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the wind gathering around Selena.

But the Princess didn’t look too frustrated because it wasn’t as if she hadn’t expected this.

She had already known Selena was skilled with Cognis control.

The difference was that Stella hadn’t expected the difference in execution speed to be this noticeable.

Selena’s Wind Alchemy ignited.

Wind flowed into the Wind Barrier and through her body.

Her training clothes were carried slightly upward as her body rose a little from the ground.

The wind also made her body lighter.

Selena’s feet barely touched the platform as the air supported her weight.

Then she dashed forward.

The wind amplified her speed, making her glide through the air with little effort.

Her movement was fast enough that the distance between the two girls disappeared almost immediately.

Stella’s Light Alchemy also ignited as Selena closed in on her position in a blink.

Clap!

The sound of Selena’s hands coming together for the third time echoed slightly toward Stella.

Stella now held a light whip in her right hand.

The weapon extended from her grip, its bright surface catching the light from the Arena’s Holographic Screens.

Stella pushed herself backward.

She passed Cognis into her legs, increasing the force behind her jump.

Her body shot backward in one large step just as Selena’s Novice-rank Wind Alchemy ignited.

Selena swung her opened fan.

A wind slash shot out from the Novice Wind Alchemy Circle.

The compressed air traveled across the platform toward the spot where the Princess had stood only a moment earlier.

Boom!

The wind slash smashed into the stone ground.

Snow and pieces of rock were thrown upward from the impact.

The explosion of air pushed loose snow across the platform, while several small fragments bounced across the stone before settling.

Stella landed.

Her boots scraped against the ground as she slid slightly backward.

She immediately controlled her balance and moved her hand upward, rolling the whip around her hand once before bringing it into position.

Whoosh!

Princess Stella swung the whip sharply.

Cognis reinforced her strength, giving the weapon more force behind its movement than an ordinary swing could produce.

The light whip cut through the air.

It passed through the falling snow and sliced between the small pieces of debris still dropping from Selena’s previous attack.

Boom!

The light whip slammed against the ground.

At almost the same moment, Selena waved elegantly while performing a somersault through the air.

Her body rotated over the platform as the wind around her kept her movement smooth.

She landed on her feet.

The instant her feet touched the ground, Selena began swinging her hand holding the fan.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Each movement was connected to the next.

Numerous wind slashes flowed out after entering the Novice Wind Alchemy Circle and emerging as amplified wind attacks.

They moved toward Stella from different angles.

Stella increased her speed.

Her right hand moved with the light whip.

The whip moved backward before Stella snapped her hand forward again.

The light weapon met several of the incoming wind slashes.

The first clash pushed the whip to the side.

Stella corrected her grip immediately and swung again.

Her light blade sliced between the wind slashes because the Alchemy attacks were not strong enough to stop it.

Several more wind slashes passed around her.

Others collided with her yellow Light Barrier.

The barrier trembled slightly from the impacts.

But nothing happened.

Stella remained standing.

She watched the next group of wind slashes approach before shifting her footing.

Her body lowered slightly.

Then she jumped.

Her body rolled through the air as she rotated once before bringing the light whip above her.

The weapon came down vertically toward Selena.

It was a fast counter.

Selena’s eyes moved upward.

The light whip slammed hard against her Wind Barrier.

The force drove her downward.

Her body dropped toward the ground because her second Wind Alchemy, an Adept-rank Alchemy, had lifted her slightly from the platform to increase her movement speed.

Boom!

Selena’s boot hit the ground.

The stone beneath her cracked violently from the impact.

The Wind Barrier absorbed part of the blow, but the force still pushed her down and caused cracks to spread beneath her feet.

The light whip also wrapped slightly around the Wind Barrier.

Selena noticed it.

Her eyes shifted toward the glowing weapon wrapped around the air surrounding her body.

She understood what had happened.

But before she could react...

Stella pulled back.

She used the whip’s movement to create distance while elegantly jumping.

Her right leg moved forward.

Her body turned toward Selena.

Her fist was ready.

The kick was already coming.

Selena was moving toward her at the same time.

The two girls rapidly closed the remaining distance between them.

Stella’s leg extended forward as she prepared to strike.

Selena’s body came toward the incoming kick with the momentum created by her Wind Alchemy.

The crowd’s cheers rose again as the two attacks were about to meet.