บท 20: Ability Assessment - Memories Of A Distant Summer
Mu Xue didn't care for the spotlight, but her every move was so elegant and beautiful that the crowd became enthralled with her.
She jumped onto the arena, her body gliding like a feather dropped from a window. Landing with a soft sigh, she glistened like an aquamarine in the sunlight.
Small shards of ice wrapped around her body, causing her amethyst eyes to glow ice blue before stepping into her spot and holding her katana.
Lucretia began to hype her up and danced on the spot.
In reality, Mu Xue might not seem amazing now that she is in her thirties, but she reached the second stage at the young age of nineteen and has since seemed trapped at the threshold of stage three.
Normally, a person would reach stage one before turning twenty and then stage two before turning thirty, but geniuses always existed, as did those who started fast and then crumbled.
Maybe they believed her to be the latter.
However.
***
Inside the king's VIP box and watching the arena.
"Come on, everyone, look at her beauty, those lovely eyes that glisten a new colour! Her soft curves and wonderful swordsmanship!"
"Give some support to Mu Xue!"
Lorem was sitting quietly, no longer in the stands, as she was meant to protect the royal family during events like this. But suddenly, when she saw the current Mu Xue, a strange smile reached her lips as she tapped the table.
"Oh~ it seems the girl finally stepped into the third stage."
Her words caused the king's fingers to tremble, and the prince narrowed his eyes and watched as the male opponent was summoned.
"A woman of that level at the side of a useless earl with no mana core." The prince made his voice loud enough for the kind to hear as if to sow seeds of discord as the king stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Maybe I should have words with the head of the Fenix family..."
***
Mu Xue didn't move her gaze and stood silently, watching in the opposite direction because her master was watching her across the seat.
He waved with a gentle smile, letting her feel at ease as the blue shards of ice danced around her more beautifully. Some even formed pretty little roses and flowers.
"Oh! Look at the beautiful display of Mu Xue's mastery over the ice element!"
"Now~ let's summon her opponent!"
Some seemed to think she was putting on a display, but Mu Xue simply felt her heart racing as Asura watched her and didn't remove his eyes.
The crowd began to scream, but this time, it was only the women as the males didn't want to cheer for some handsome lady-killer who was known to put his hand out too many of the women in his territory and leave them as single mothers.
He stepped onto the stage gracefully, trying to show the same grace as Mu Xue, but his wind magic was weaker and less stable to the eye.
Mu Xue's ice wasn't done forcefully but was as natural to her as breathing.
This wasn't a high-level skill as anyone could do this; even warriors who lacked talent with magic and the elements could do so. It was called Atmos Weaving, literally translated as Weaving the magic of the atmosphere.
The caster would lower the total potency of their mana and magic by a small amount, allowing it to flow around their body, constantly reducing their spell cast time and recovery time by an equal amount.
"Everyone! The match is about to begin! Please prepare for some wonderful entertainment!"
Lucretia shouted as her skirt flipped, causing some boys to rush to the toilet as she left the stage to the edge and sat on an umpire seat.
"Fight whenever you are ready."
⁜ Mu Xue POV
"Mu Xue, Asura's blade knight, will fight you."
Mu Xue didn't take any action other than preparing her stance. She leaned forward, her hips lowering as she twisted herself slightly. Her hand rested above the long black handle, tied to it by a small gift that Asura had bought for her.
"Such a beautiful woman. I regret that I must fight such a lovely figure and hurt you."
His words were slimy and annoying, causing Mu Xue's gaze to become less human and ice cold; she grasped her sword, ready to cut him down without mercy.
"How could such a talented and wonderful lady serve the trash who cannot even use magic."
"Why don't you become mine? I will show you a world of pleasure that useless--"
Mu Xue's body vanished with the sound of cracking ice echoing before her body appeared above his head to the right, smashing into his face with her foot.
The sound of cracking bones caused her lips to curl into a wicked smile.
He flew backwards with a dull bang, his body crashing into the ground with a fierce thud while Mu Xue landed gracefully.
Her eyes focused on the male leader without emotion. She stepped forward gracefully, using faint patches of ice to glide towards him rapidly. As her leg pulled back, she slid at him at high speed.
He spat a mouthful of blood, rubbing his jaw, "Haha, I like your spirit!"
'I don't want you to like me!'
He blocked Mu Xue's kick with his armoured bracer, catching her attack, but the force caused the bone and cheap bracer to shatter; she was no longer stage two, and the difference in power of both her body and elemental force was like a child and a grown adult.
"Guha... ah... my arm, you bitch!"
"WOOOAH!"
"Oh god, she's so cute!"
Mu Xue gained a lot of praise as she seemed to skate around the arena like a fairy. Her brutal kicks broke Darim's arm before she twirled in several circles, her blue eyes matched with Asura's lovely ice-blue trail wrapping around her swift movements.
Master is watching, this bastard... how dare he!
'Asura... you are not garbage or trash!'
'Just wait.'
'Xue'er will wipe out those who think so!'
Darim began to struggle to his feet, his right hand crackling with earth magic as he tried to cast a spell, while Mu Xue approached with extreme speed, holding her blade, stabbing it through Darim's left knee, piercing through his armour and flesh, pinning him to the floor.
She slipped out the blade, a spurt of red leaving the wound before it seemed to freeze over as the male began to scream in agony. Mu Xue twisted her wrist before slicing across the air, cutting Darim's good arm clean off.
Ah... killing the enemy of my beloved master... so good. Die.... call my beloved master.... dare to call him useless!
'Die!'
Her blade sliced and slashed all thoughts only about her beloved master.
'Die!'
Like a brutal berserker, she thrust her blade into his face, deforming his cheeks and teeth, snapping them from his gums with a twisted smile on her lovely lips.
The words "Asura" moaned each time she attacked with a lustful and erotic whimper.
'Ahhh... master Xue'er wants you to kiss her more, make the fluffy feeling dominate her mind, then throw her...'
"P.....please.... help....!"
Disturbed by the gargling voice of Darim, Mu Xue looked down; nobody but he could see those crazed eyes, tiny pupils, and iris-like an insane animal!
"Die...."
She cut.
"Help..."
She stabbed.
"I'm sorry!"
And she slashed the boy's flesh without emotion.
"Please..."
Her blade sliced through the air with a beautiful shimmer of ice, her face serene without emotion as the crowd and stands were shocked. Lucretia was about to stop the fight, but her arm was held back by Lorem, causing this scene to continue.
A brutal but elegant execution of a lesser noble. Mu Xue's attacks were precise and methodical, removing Darim's limbs, ears, nose, tongue, and finally, his manhood.
Finally, her blade pointed towards his throat, but she looked not at him but towards Asura. Seeing his glowing eyes watching her and the smile on his lips, she felt her body burning despite being encased in the storm of ice.
'Master is smiling... Xue'er... Xue'er loves you; anyone who insults or hurts you, I will kill them!'
It was then that Asura's lips moved with a simple sentence that caused her body to tremble with pleasure.
Your dance was beautiful, Xue'er.
Mu Xue didn't know why, but she disliked how her father and brothers used their family martial arts from a young age.
It was too stiff and ugly... So, over years and years, she formed this beautiful, deadly dancing style with her ice shards and magic particles dancing around, making her seem like a beautiful princess of ice.
Even when they beat her, saying it was wrong for a mere woman to change their family martial arts... In secret, she hid away until her feet bled and her body was covered in bruises. She trained in this style...
Only when she met Asura... did her style gain any form of appreciation.
'Master, you said I was like a princess of ice come to save you...'
'So I will become your princess knight... hehe, Xue'er remembers, but maybe Master forgot such a thing long ago.'
Mu Xue thrust her sword through Darim's throat, ending the battle with cheers and applause. She was beautiful, elegant, brutal, and ruthless to her enemies but also kind, gentle, and loving to Asura.
Instead of waiting to be interviewed, she dashed forward, darting faster than when she fought Darim, more than twice the speed before jumping into the open arms of Asura.
"Master! I fought my best!"
Asura smiled as they twirled together; he told her to act how she wished, to discard etiquette and follow her heart, and even if he looked stupid, so what?
He was a pathetic man with no core, then why not use that to see this wonderful smile of his future wife?
Mu Xue felt her heart racing, feeling that since that day a week ago, her master had changed so much. She worried one day, she might wake up and fall back into the lonely life where he didn't care about her anymore and become an introvert in pain.
"You were beautiful, my ice princess."
"Will you forever protect me as my knight?"
Those words...
"The Winner, by complete devastation. Mu Xue, the Third Rank Blade Knight!" Lorem's voice echoed, stealing the attention of the crowd, while Mu Xue stared into Asura's eyes, the dazzling light glowing as his words registered.
'!!!'
Tears fell down Mu Xue's cheeks, happy tears of joy as she nodded, her soft lips pressing against Asura's cheek, "Yes... master, Xue'er will always protect you. Xue'er loves master... please... never leave me again."
Asura laughed, kissing her forehead as he whispered, "I promise... Xue'er. You're my knight and little Ice Princess. But let me protect you, too, sometimes."
Always in a world of their own, the tournament continued as the jealous masses tried to avoid looking towards the lap of Asura, where Mu Xue proudly sat.
She made him stop pushing her away and wouldn't take no for an answer.
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