章 2: Agni Kai (1/2)
As they emerged from the throne room, Azula and Asher strode side by side, enveloped in a palpable silence.
Once outside, Azula's lips curled into a sly smirk as she turned towards him, "You should consider surrendering now. It wouldn't bode well for the 'Fire Avatar' to suffer defeat in front of a crowd."
Asher disinterestedly glanced toward her as they continued walking, "The fact you think you can beat me, is a joke in itself."
Her brows knit into a scowl.
Azula was confident in her abilities, more than anyone else, but she wasn't foolish, if what she heard about him was true, then even she wasn't entirely sure if she would win. And from what she could tell, he wasn't interested in marrying her either, so she wondered if he would simply surrender, but it seemed not.
Asher then suddenly stopped walking as he had a slight smile, "How about we make a deal on this Agni Kai?"
Azula raised a silent brow, indicating she would listen.
"If you win, I'll become your loyal servant, but if I win, you have to provide me information."
She furrowed her brows, "Information? What type are you talking about?"
He continued to have a close-eyed smile, "I'll let you know later."
Asher calmly closed the distance between them as he opened his unique eyes and looked into hers inquisitively, waiting for her answer.
Azula wasn't flustered as she coldly stared back.
After a few seconds of silence, she chuckled, before it promptly turned into full blown laughter, "Hahaha! Is that it?... Sure I'm all for it."
They both then left without a word, awaiting the time they would be called down for Agni Kai.
****
After a few hours, the Agni Kai had finally started, as hundreds gathered into the small rectangular arena once hearing of the special event.
It wasn't every day you could see Princess Azula or the Fire Avatar fighting.
Azula had just arrived at the center of the arena, hearing the cheers for the Royal Family, her lips couldn't help but smirk.
'Lose? Their is no way I'd lose, if I do, I'll lose everything. Father will only see me as a political marriage tool to keep Asher tied to the Royal Family, and later he'd ascend to the position of Fire Lord, I'd be dubbed useless.' Her eyes were fierce as she had no plans of losing.
Eventually she glanced around confusedly, 'Where is he?'
As if on cue, a red streak of fire could be seen in the sky.
Asher zoomed down toward the arena, occasionaly he would sends out burst of fire, that would implode into a fire work, earning cheers from the crowd.
"Wooo! It's the Fire Avatar!"
"The Fire Nation's Genius! We believe in you!"
"Prodigy of Fire!"
He could only calmly smile as he decreased in altitude and jumped down from his broom stick, directly in front of Azula.
Sticking his broom into the ground, he left it there as he and Azula stood face to face.
"Nice to see you again, wife~" Asher playfully remarked.
The crowd gasped at his words.
"Wife!? Lord Asher and Princess Azula will get married!?"
"Yes! They'll be the Fire Nation's power couple!"
"Our Nation will flourish! Hooray!"
Azula's lips curled into a mocking smile as she faced Asher in the heat of their Agni Kai duel, "Well, Asher, it seems your confidence may be premature. Let's see if you can back up your words with action."
As the tension crackled in the air and the combatants prepared to clash, Fire Lord Ozai rose from his throne at the edge of the arena, his presence commanding the attention of all who gathered.
"My loyal subjects," his voice boomed across the arena, carrying the weight of authority and expectation, "We gather here today to witness a momentous event in the history of our nation. Princess Azula and General Asher have come forth to resolve their differences in the sacred tradition of Agni Kai."
The citizens gathered in the arena listened intently, their murmurs hushed in anticipation.
"In accordance with our customs," Ozai continued, his tone firm yet measured, "the outcome of this duel will determine the course of our nation's future. Should Lord Asher emerge victorious, he shall claim the hand of Princess Azula in marriage."
A ripple of excitement and apprehension coursed through the crowd at his words, their eyes fixed on the combatants poised for battle.
"However," Ozai's gaze swept over the assembly, his voice carrying a note of solemnity, "Should Princess Azula prove triumphant, she shall retain the right to decline this union."
"Now," He declared, his voice resolute, "Let the Agni Kai commence."
With a wave of his hand, he signaled the beginning of the duel, the arena erupting into a flurry of cheers, as they expectantly looked down toward the two combatants.
Azula got into a fighting stance as she warily stared at her opponent.
Noticing he wasn't attacking, she attacked first.
Swiftly thrusting her fists in consecutive motions, sending out multiple bursts of blue flames toward him.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Asher remained unperturbed, and responded with a single hand, with a flick of his wrist, he matched her power, three balls of yellow flames, meeting hers.
Boom!
The opposing blue fire's collided, both exploded into the air, creating a cloud of smoke.
But contrast to the crowd's expectations, the smoke didn't dissipate, but rather moved toward Asher's figure.
They watched as his one hand did a circular motion, containing the dense black smoke.
Azula's eyes widened as she realized his intentions, 'Smoke Bending!?-'
Her thoughts were cut off, as Asher pointed his two fingers forward, a powerful stream of black air shot forward.
Azula could only raise her arms up for defense, as she felt the dense hot air crashing against her body, pushing her back several feet.
She stumbled, gritting her teeth against the heat of the smoke.
Recovering quickly, Azula closed the distance between them, her movements fluid and graceful as she unleashed a relentless barrage of kicks.
Each accompanied by a burst of blue fire aimed at Asher's midsection.
Asher calmly watched as multiple waves of fire rapidly approached his figure.
He simply waved his hand across the ground, an instant after, a tall wall of flames erupted.
All of Azula's fire were seemingly absorbed by the wall of fire, before promptly disappearing.
She frowned, 'He's highly proficient in Firebending, he hasn't even moved a step, nor has he used his other hand...' Azula gritted her teeth, 'I hate to admit it, but it doesn't seem like I'll beat him in a battle of fire. Let's see how well he can hold up in hand to hand combat.'
As Asher remained still with a blank expression, he watched as Azula rushed at him.
'Hand-To-Hand combat huh?' He mused.
Nonetheless he focused as she reached his figure.
The battle raged on as Azula's attacks grew more ferocious, each strike fueled by a burning desire to overcome her opponent.
With lightning speed, she launched a flurry of punches and kicks, her movements a blur of motion as she sought to break through Asher's defenses.
But Asher remained rooted to his position, his casual demeanor a stark contrast to Azula's aggressive assault. With a steady palm, he would parry each of her punches and evade each of her kicks with ease, his movements precise and calculated.
He seemed almost indifferent to her attacks, as if they were nothing more than minor nuisances to be brushed aside.
In reality, they were roughly on par with each other. It was simply a battle between an immovable object, and unstoppable force.
Azula's frustration grew with each passing moment, her anger boiling over as she redoubled her efforts to land a blow. But no matter how hard she tried, Asher remained firm, and just out of reach, his defenses impenetrable against her onslaught.
'This bastard, I made him use both hands, but he's still not attempting to take a step from his original position... Let's see how well that works out for you.'
Then, in a moment of desperation, Azula launched herself into the air, executing a graceful backflip kick aimed directly at Asher's chin. It happened so fast that Asher barely had time to react, and the blow caught him off guard, sending a sharp pain shooting through his skull.
Blood trickled down his nose, staining his pristine blue uniform, as the surrounding crowd gasped in shock.
"He's bleeding!"
"Yay! Go Princess Azula!"
"Defeat her Fire Avatar!"
Ozai himself had a proud smile, 'He's indeed talented, just as much as Azula, so it seems it'll be a close match...'
Despite the pain, Asher remained composed, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Azula.
"Not bad." He remarked calmly.
And then, in a flash of movement, he changed his form, his stance shifting ever so slightly.
His legs were in a wide stance, his right arm tucked behind his back, and his left arm extended forward in his face.
Asher's demeanor then shifted, as a red hue of energy could be seen slightly emanating from his entire body.
"Lets kick it up a notch."
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