Perfect Avatar

The young girl was leaning against a fence, humming a nursery rhyme, when her young friend arrived, carrying a tray of fruits and various meats.

"Again?" She frowned. "I told you that I won't give you money later."

"Hehe, don't worry, it's a gift, you don't owe me anything."

I handed her the plate, she kept warning me for a while until she took the first bite.

Later, she asked me to bring something for her father too.

(The poor cannot eat when they are hungry, but when they have a little, they share among themselves.)

*

*

The battlefield arena was rumbling, and every seat was filled. A few students were scrambling to their feet, which usually meant that a famous student was about to perform. All the important personalities of the academy were gathered - the professors sitting in a special spot, and in the middle, the Dean.

They had been called urgently to watch a fight involving Thomas, an important figure among the students. However, since the case of Dora had been covered by the council, they saw this as a simple dispute between him and the weakest student and considered it a ridiculous case among the professors.

"I don't understand young Thomas. Why would he fight an E-rank? This is ridiculous," said one of the professors.

"I'll have a talk with him later. This is not like him."

As they talked, Candace watched the two opponents closely.

A few months ago, a special person had warned her about the potential of Dora, but after the result of the entrance exam, she had focused on him less and wasn't expecting a serious fight.

"I crave to wot how it befell, fine? 'tis not 'i Thomas' habit to challenge a weaker opponent, find me what's going on 'twixt 'em."

They nodded in agreement and observed quietly.

No matter how strong Dora was, an E-rank would always be an E-rank. It was a universal law by this point, and Dora could never beat Thomas.

The two combatants were already standing in the center of the arena, poised to engage in a fierce battle. A teacher stood nearby, ready to signal the start of the match.

"This is an official exhibition fight between E-rank Anesidora Carper and C-rank Thomas Villeneuve," announced the teacher. "The rules are the same as in traditional mock battles: you win if your opponent is unable to continue the fight, surrenders, or is severely injured, except in the case of a special technique."

As the spectators murmured, many of them mocking Dora's low rank, some expressed their doubts about Thomas' abilities.

"Isn't he the one who lost to a goblin-golem?" one person quipped.

"Why didn't he just surrender?"

The majority of the crowd was unaware of Dora's deadly reputation among E-ranks. They had gathered for what they believed would be an easy humiliation of a weaker opponent. The unfortunate Dora, who had previously crossed paths with one of the strongest students, was about to pay the ultimate price.

But little did the crowd know, they had also gathered for an execution.

"Begin!" The teacher signaled the start of the match and then vanished.

The spectators erupted in excitement, eager to witness a bunny being devoured by a lion. sinister.

Dora and Thomas gazed at each other without a word, both aware of the high stakes of the fight. Thomas looked at the stands where the council members and Zuri were and nodded.

"I think I'll lose no matter what," he said.

"Hm?"

"This kingdom prefers the worst kind of people. You only have to hide behind someone like her if you lose, and no one will expel you. You know that, don't you?"

Dora looked at him with a puzzled expression before laughing lightly.

He put his hand on his forehead and stared at Thomas with his ruby eyes.

"You know what the difference between you and me is? You think about that because you know I can win. I only think of crushing you."

"I'm only making sure you won't backtrack on your words," replied Thomas as he unbuttoned the cape of his uniform, releasing his aura.

A wave of energy passed through the arena, leaving behind a warm and calming sensation. Dora let the waves flow through his body and slowly spread his arms.

"It's delicious. It's the first time I've felt something like this. It feels like a wind at dawn."

Thomas raised his hand and pointed it at Dora.

"A compliment from you is as valuable as trash."

"Don't mind me. I'm not talking about you." Dora replied.

Suddenly, a black mist appeared all around the arena in the blink of an eye.

"Huh?"

In the stands, the spectators looked around. Most surfaces were covered in mist, which gave a sinister sensation.

Eryl frowned, showing a sign of anxiety for the first time. The council members were incredulous about the situation, while on the teachers' side, none seemed particularly upset.

The mist was only worrying in its origin, but in itself, it did not emit anything notable at the moment. In their center, they did not notice the lady in a young girl's body, who was tense in her seat, her eyes wide. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝗯𝐧𝐨𝘃𝐞𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦

On the battleground, Thomas looked around him and turned back to Dora when he heard his laughing.

"Is this your doing?" he asked.

Dora, arms outstretched as if about to hug the sun, closed his eyes.

"To achieve such richness in the quality of one's aura, one has to inflict grueling training on his body. Even with effort, not everyone can filter the mind to this level of purity. It is truly a work of art... And talking about a work of art..."

He opened his eyes and looked at Thomas with a mournful smile.

"I heard that you were a master magician, let's see which of us is the best in this field...