Chapter Seventeen: Duel of Blood and Shadows
The academy's central arena gleamed under the late afternoon sun, its polished floors reflecting the tension that hung like a heavy fog. Students gathered in hushed groups, whispers traveling like wildfire. Rumors of the Bronze initiate's power, of his disciple's astonishing control over blood, and of the mysterious Kaelith had spread faster than any lesson could be taught.
Today, Selene would face Kaelith in a formal duel under Cael's direct supervision—a controlled environment meant to test her skills under pressure while observing the young but dangerously unpredictable Kaelith.
Selene's heartbeat thrummed in rhythm with the faint pulse of blood beneath her skin. She had trained tirelessly, learning to anticipate even the most subtle shifts in aura, mana, and the lifeblood of her opponents.
Cael stood at her side, his presence calm but commanding. "Remember," he whispered, "do not fight with strength. Fight with control. Let the blood guide you, not fear, not desire. Control first. Mastery will follow."
The duel began with Kaelith advancing at an almost imperceptible speed. His movements were fluid, precise, and almost inhuman. Each strike seemed designed not merely to test Selene's reaction, but to provoke instinctual mistakes.
Selene reacted immediately. Her blood ribbons, delicate yet deadly, formed arcs around her body, intercepting Kaelith's strikes without directly contacting him. Each ribbon pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, extending and retracting as if alive, subtly influencing Kaelith's momentum.
The students in the stands gasped. Bronze and Silver alike watched, wide-eyed, as the duel became less about brute combat and more about anticipation, control, and the unseen manipulation of life itself.
Kaelith smirked, clearly impressed but not yet defeated. He shifted tactics, moving unpredictably, attempting to disrupt Selene's rhythm and break her concentration.
"You are… more capable than I anticipated," he admitted, voice calm. "But one cannot survive by anticipating alone. Adaptation is required."
Selene's lips pressed into a thin line. Adaptation… control… blood obeys, she thought, letting her focus sharpen. The ribbons of her blood responded almost instinctively, splitting into multiple threads, creating a dynamic web of influence that subtly shifted Kaelith's balance.
For the first time, Kaelith's strikes faltered—not because he lacked skill, but because he could not anticipate the unpredictable yet precise flow of Selene's life-manipulated defenses.
Cael observed silently, his eyes faintly glowing crimson. Good… she is learning the rhythm of life itself. The blood does not lie. It obeys mastery.
He allowed Selene to push further, guiding her subtly with whispers and shifts in his own crimson aura, letting her feel the flow without breaking her independence.
Selene's ribbons moved faster, more confident, intercepting multiple attacks simultaneously. Kaelith's footwork faltered slightly under the subtle manipulation of his lifeblood, a warning pulse he could not entirely ignore.
Finally, Selene struck—not lethally, but decisively—her ribbons pinning Kaelith's weapon arm without causing permanent injury. The duel ended, and the arena fell silent.
Kaelith withdrew, his respect evident despite the faint smile on his lips. "You have learned well," he admitted. "But this is only the beginning. Control is necessary… but foresight is essential. I will return. And next time, the lesson will be harsher."
Selene exhaled, relief and exhilaration flooding through her. "I… I did it. I controlled him!"
Cael nodded faintly. "Yes. You understood the essence of blood. Today, you proved mastery is not force, but harmony. Remember this. The world outside these walls will not be so forgiving."
The duel had not gone unnoticed. Several Silver-ranked instructors whispered amongst themselves, their opinions divided between awe and fear. Some plotted to subtly align against Cael, seeing him as a dangerous anomaly, while others considered the potential of having a student capable of such control under their guidance.
Lyra Noctis, observing from the shadows, remained silent, calculating. Interesting… Bronze with a disciple capable of influencing Silver-ranked opponents. The academy itself may soon fracture around him. And the families—oh, they are blind to the storm forming.
Far below, the Demon King's crimson eyes glimmered in the shadows of the abyss.
"Yes," he murmured, voice echoing like thunder across the void. "The Blood Immortal trains again, and his disciple awakens. Families scramble, spies fall, and control spreads. Soon… the world will feel the true weight of blood. All will bleed… and all will remember."
Cael pressed a hand to his chest, feeling the familiar, faint pulse of life flowing through his veins.
Blood remembers. And so do I.
This duel was only a small fragment of what was to come. The academy was beginning to recognize the anomaly that was the Blood Immortal. The families were growing restless. And Selene—his first true disciple—was awakening to the deadly potential of life itself manipulated through blood.
The Blood Immortal had taken the next step in his return. The world had been warned.