“Hah! I knew it,” Aqua scoffed. “You’re just big and full of talk but you’re nothing at all. Asha was even muttering earlier that this would be an interesting match since you’re supposed to be an Elder Druid. Turns out, you’re all talk. Hmf!”

“Does this mean I can go back to sleep now?”

“Not yet, Glacies. As I said earlier, we’ll turn this dragon into a chilled piece of meat.”

“Oh… right.”

“Now, go do your thing.”

Without further ado, Glacies lifted both of her tiny hands and said…

“Freeeeeze!”

Alas, the dragon indeed turned into chilled meat. Large crystals of ice enveloped the dragon from its huge feet to its head until it couldn’t move or talk anymore. Thanks to that, the shaking surrounding stopped and everyone started to ease back into their seats as they cheered Asha’s name loudly.

However, their cheers were served a little too early. As the emperor mentioned earlier, druids had the innate talent to predict the future.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Wynna had long abandoned her dragon form and what only remained was an animated dragon she controlled with her powers. Her real body dived into the ground of the arena and swam toward Asha’s position fast. She aimed to attack from beneath Asha where no barrier was found and pierce her with her arms that had then turned into swords made of the strongest woods in the forest. Truly, what a disadvantage it was to have an enemy who could peak into the future!

DUGSH!

The ground beneath Asha suddenly opened wide and a spiral of wood-turned-sword pierced her unknowing self in her stomach!

“Aahh!” everyone gasped in great shock. Some even blurted curses and screams.

Alexander and Kerensa’s faces turned wretched, along with many other spectators. Asha’s body had become lifeless, and the book she once held was now lying down on the floor, draped in the pool of her blood. Aqua and Glacies who just saw what happened quickly flew to her side and their faces turned horrid in a snap.

“Asha!”

“Master!”

They cried out her name but she didn’t respond. More blood gushed out from her stomach and tainted the marble floor of the arena. Aqua wept for the very first time. Her usual confident expression was no more and replaced with unending tears falling from her beautiful silver eyes. Glacies sleepiness left her and she herself cried rivers of tears.

“Masteeeer! Hu-hu-hu!”

Meanwhile, Wynna laughed like a maniac at Asha’s demise.

“Ha-ha-ha! This is what you get for insulting an Elder Druid! Death is what you deserve!”

Furious, Emperor Vasilias jolted up from his seat and extended his hand, signaling her capture. His knights immediately marched up the arena to surround Wynna. But as they did, a barrier suddenly prevented them from coming any further.

“Huh? What’s this?” one of the commanders said. “We didn’t set this up… did we?”

Then, it was followed by the sound of a hundred metal chains moving in unison. Everyone looked around them but they couldn’t see any chain. The sound it produced was very ominous, sending chills to their bones and electrifying their very skin.

“Huh? What’s happening?” Wynna asked as she surveyed her surrounding.

The next thing she knew, her whole body had been wrapped with hundreds of sturdy silver chains and a hundred swords suddenly appeared in thin air, all pointing at her! She tried to use magic once again only to be squeezed by the chains.

“W-What in the world is this?! Who made this?! I won this match fair and square! Release me at once!”

“Oh, did you now?” a woman’s voice whispered to her ears even if there was no one beside her.

“That voice… Hah! You’re supposed to be dead by now! H-How—“

“Why would I be dead? And from such a cheap trick as that? You’re making me laugh.”

Then, like a translucent cloth that fell from her, Asha revealed herself—untouched, unscathed, unbothered as she was earlier. This time, she stood beside the chained-up Wynna.

“She’s alive!” one of the crowds shouted in much joy.

It was soon followed by heavy cheers and heartfelt cries from the crowd. The emperor, empress, hero, and high priestess themselves couldn’t help but sigh in relief as they dropped to their seats. Aqua and Glacies cried all the more and immediately flew to her side to hug her.

“Master, you’re alive! Hu-hu-hu!”

“Aww, my cute little familiars,” Asha smiled at them and gently patted their backs. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I had to so for this trick to work.”

“What happened? sniff… I thought you died for real!” Aqua complained with her eyes still bawling. “T-There was a body… a-and blood! sniff… You cruel master!”

“Oh, that’s just a fake body. I guess I outdid myself and made it too believable, huh?”

“A fake body? Since when can you make fake bodies?”

“Since Solum leveled up.”

“That jerk? When did he level up?”

“Just this morning when I was stretching.”

“He did? Oh… I guess I have to spar with him again and see how much he grew stronger. But that’s not what matters now! Where did you go? Why didn’t I sense your presence?”

“Now that is an interesting question,” Asha chuckled.

Then, turning to the shadow man seated at the far side corner of the arena, she answered, “I think I finally figured out the trick to that undetectable stealth skill—all thanks to a friend who had done it three times before me.”

The shadow man heard what she said and grimaced at her.

“Undetectable stealth?” Glacies asked, wiping her tears away. “Such a thing exists?”

“Yes. It’s a long story but I’ll tell you later, okay? For now, thank you for the distraction you provided this prideful druid. If not for that, I wouldn’t have been able to execute my plan. You may go back to the Spirit Realm and we’ll talk later. You two deserve some rewards. And again, sorry for making you cry.”

“Hmf! You better! You even dared make this great Aqua cry!”

“Okay, master. See you later.”

And so, the two spirits soon vanished in mid-air, wiping their tears as they went.

“As for you,” Asha turned to Wynna who couldn’t move a single inch. “I can’t believe you intended to kill me.”

Wynna glared at Asha. Her eyes seemed to carry deep hatred for unknown reasons. Asha responded back with a cold, and terrifying stare that penetrated despite her blindfold.

“Do you know what happens to those who want to kill me?”

At these words, Asha’s hundred swords drew closer to Wynna until they were only a few centimeters away from her.

“I kill them first.”