Novel Full Chapter 205: Blossom
Chapter 205: Blossom
On the screen, Liora stood calmly on her platform, facing her opponent across the stone floor.
She looked relaxed and cheery as usual, her long hair moving gently with the breeze that swept across the arena.
Her opponent, a tall second-year with a pair of short blades, seemed to be studying her carefully.
The proctor between them raised his hand.
“Begin.”
The boy moved first.
He rushed forward immediately, clearly trying to overwhelm her before she could cast anything complicated. His blades flashed as he closed the distance quickly.
But Liora didn’t move.
She simply raised one hand.
There was no burst of mana like with most spells.
For a moment, it looked like nothing had happened.
The boy was only a few steps away now.
Then suddenly—
He slowed.
His steps became uneven.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then he stopped completely.
The crowd murmured in confusion.
“What happened?”
“Did she cast something?”
Even the hostess sounded curious.
“Ah… it looks like the second year has suddenly slowed down! Did our young mage just cast a spell?”
On the platform, the boy looked around in confusion.
His blades lowered slightly.
“Wh… what…” His voice trailed off.
The way he moved suddenly looked strange. Like someone who had just woken up from sleep.
Liora tilted her head slightly, watching him calmly. Her eyes had a faint pink glow now.
Elion narrowed his eyes.
’So that’s it…’
The boy tried to move again, but his body swayed as if his balance was gone. He took a step forward, then another, his movements clumsy and uncertain.
To him—
The battlefield probably looked completely different now.
Dream magic.
Maybe even an entirely different reality.
To him, left was now right, right was now left, up was down, and so on. The boy suddenly swung one of his blades wildly.
At nothing.
The crowd reacted with a wave of surprised laughter.
“What is he doing?!”
But Liora simply stood there calmly. She raised her hand again and flicked her fingers lightly.
The boy stumbled backward as if something had struck him. But nothing was visible. Then he collapsed onto the platform with a heavy thud.
Fast asleep.
The proctor looked down at him, stunned for a moment, then raised his hand.
“Uh… Match over.”
The crowd burst into loud applause.
“Well, that was… unusual!” the hostess said with an amused laugh. “Liora wins her match in record time, and, without even needing to move!”
Elion looked at this with a relaxed gaze. “Well,” he said quietly. “That’s terrifying.”
A wave of murmurs began to spread through the stands. Many spectators were leaning toward their neighbors, whispering questions.
“What happened?”
“Did she hit him with something?”
“I didn’t even see her attack.”
Up above, the hostess smiled and lifted the crystal amplifier again.
“Well, that was certainly one of the more… mysterious victories we’ve seen today,” she said with a light laugh. “For those of you wondering what exactly just happened, perhaps our proctor can enlighten us.”
The proctor nodded slightly and stepped forward, addressing the crowd with a calm voice.
“The young lady you just saw belongs to the Blossom family,” he began. “A lineage known for its unusual magical affinity.”
The murmuring in the stands quieted down as people listened.
“The Blossom family’s techniques are closely tied to the mind and dreams. Most members of that family inherit some form of illusion-based magic, though it manifests in different ways depending on the individual.”
On the screen, Liora could be seen standing quietly while attendants moved in to carry her opponent off the platform.
“In the case of Miss Liora Blossom,” the proctor continued, “her affinity allows her to influence a target’s senses and consciousness. Once the spell takes hold, the victim begins to experience a dreamlike state, where their perception of reality becomes unreliable.”
Several spectators nodded in understanding now.
“That explains why he stopped moving.”
“Maybe he thought he was fighting something else.”
The proctor continued calmly.
“In simple terms, the opponent begins fighting against their own mind rather than their enemy. And in most cases, once the spell fully settles in… the victim simply falls asleep.”
A few people laughed softly at that.
On the screen, Liora gave a small polite bow toward the proctor and began walking off the platform as if nothing unusual had happened.
Back in the waiting area, Elion leaned back with a faint grin.
“Well,” he muttered quietly. “That’s one way to win a fight.”
Aria, still sitting on his lap, watched the screen carefully.
“She didn’t even move,” she said.
“Exactly,” Elion replied.
He rested his chin on his hand, watching Liora disappear into the tunnel.
“And that’s what makes it dangerous.”
The hostess lifted her crystal again, her bright voice quickly filling the coliseum once more.
“Well there you have it, ladies and gentlemen,” she said cheerfully. “A fine demonstration of the Blossom family’s unique magic!”
The crowd clapped again, many spectators nodding in appreciation now that they understood what had happened.
“Unfortunately,” the hostess continued with a playful sigh, “the matriarch of the Blossom family herself did not grace us with her gorgeous presence today.”
She placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
“A tragedy, truly.”
Then the entire stadium burst into hearty laughter.
Several nobles in the stands chuckled openly, while others shook their heads with amused smiles.
The Blossom matriarch was something of a legend among the older generation, known not only for her strength but also for her overwhelming beauty and charm.
“I would have come just for that,” someone shouted from the stands.
“Well said!” another voice laughed.
The hostess giggled lightly, clearly enjoying the reaction she had stirred.
“But we will have to settle for witnessing the talents of the next generation instead!” she added with a wink toward the platform Liora had just left.
The crowd applauded again.
Back in the waiting room, Elion leaned back slightly as he watched the screen.
Aria tilted her head.
“Who is the Blossom matriarch?”
“I thought you would have heard of her with your status,” Elion shrugged lightly. “I myself have no idea, but, apparently she is someone the crowd really likes.”
Mira had already returned to Elion’s side, leaning against him casually. On the screen, the last few second-year fights were finishing.
One student surrendered after being pinned against the barrier by a barrage of water blades. Another match ended when a lightning spell blasted a fighter backward off the platform.
A proctor’s voice echoed across the arena.
“Match concluded.”
The hostess clapped her hands together lightly.
“And with that, the second-year opening matches come to an end!”
The crowd applauded again.
She raised a finger as if revealing another surprise.
“But don’t go anywhere, ladies and gentlemen. The tournament is only getting started.”
She paused dramatically for a bit.
“Please give another warm welcome,” the hostess called out enthusiastically, “to the academy’s third years!”
The coliseum erupted into cheers once again.
Elion glanced at the screens and then leaned back against the bench with a relaxed expression.
“Looks like we’ll be here for a while,” he said quietly.
Aria nodded slightly and Mira chuckled.
“Well,” she said, stretching her arms above her head, “at least it’s entertaining.” He nodded in agreement.
Just then, the doors to the waiting room burst open with a loud bang.
A figure rushed inside so suddenly that several students turned their heads in surprise. The person looked a little disheveled, breathing quickly as if they had run all the way here.
It was Isolde.
Her hair was slightly messy, and her chest was rising and falling quickly as she tried to catch her breath.
She looked around the room in a panic, her eyes scanning every corner as if she was searching for someone desperately.
Then she spotted Elion.
Relief flashed across her face, and she hurried straight toward him.
“I’m late!” she blurted out.
Her voice somehow sounded like she was screaming and whispering at the same time, trying not to draw attention but failing completely.
She stopped in front of him, bending slightly as she tried to catch her breath.
“Please tell me… I wasn’t called yet,” she said quickly.
Elion raised an eyebrow at her frantic appearance. He leaned back slightly and thought for a moment.
“Well,” he said slowly, “when the first years went up earlier, all twelve platforms were filled.”
He glanced toward the screens for a second before continuing.
“And I didn’t see number three get called.”
He looked back at her.
“So… probably not.”
For a second, Isolde just stared at him.
Then she let out a huge sigh of relief, her shoulders dropping as all the tension left her body at once.
“Thank goodness…” she murmured.
She placed a hand over her chest, clearly calming her racing heart.
Isolde suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened slightly as something Elion had just said caught up to her.
“Wait…” she said slowly.
She looked up at him with suspicion growing on her cute face.
“How did you know I was number three?”
For a moment, the small group around them went quiet.
Mira raised an eyebrow with interest while Aria, who was still sitting on Elion’s lap, looked between the two of them with a curious gaze.
Elion blinked once.
Then he casually pointed toward his own number.
Number one
“Well,” he said calmly.
Isolde tilted her head. It took her a moment to understand after she glanced at Mira and Aria’s numbers.
“Ohhhh….”