Chapter 32: Explosion in the East Stand

The shockwave from the black fireball rippled wildly through the morning air, slamming into the transparent protective shield around the training field and creating a deafening echo that made my ears ring. The hysterical screams of the noble students erupted instantly; they ran frantically to save themselves away from the east stand, which was now beginning to be engulfed by thick flames mixed with toxic purple smoke.

"Protect the prince!" shouted one of the magic instructors with a panicked voice, while the royal guards immediately drew their weapons and formed a defensive circle around Prince Leonhardt.

 amid the chaos gripping the field, my gaze never left the young brown-haired knight in the prince's personal guard ranks. When the explosion happened and everyone panicked looking toward the stand, that traitorous knight actually showed an odd reaction: instead of preparing to face the threat or protect the prince, his hands secretly moved to form a forbidden magic gesture to trigger a follow-up explosion.

My guess never misses, I thought coldly.

Without wasting a single split second, my right hand swung straight forward. A very sharp blue ice crystal glow shot forward, splitting the air and striking right at the traitorous knight's wrist before he could cast his second spell.

Clang!

My sharp ice froze the knight's right hand instantly against the nearest stone pillar, making him scream in pain as his skin touched temperatures directly below the extreme freezing point. The dark spell that had almost materialized vanished instantly, stopping a much larger potential second explosion amidst the crowd of students.

"Traitor in ring one!" I shouted loudly, cutting through the chaos on the field. "Your Highness, catch that shadow faction minion right now before he destroys your entire guard line!"

Prince Leonhardt, who possessed exceptionally sharp combat instincts, did not need long to understand the situation. In the blink of an eye, the gold-plated sword in his hand had lunged to press against the traitorous knight's neck, locking his movements completely.

"How dare you play with fire in front of me," Leonhardt hissed with a chillingly cold voice, his ice gaze staring sharply at his own guard.

In the distance, billows of smoke from the east stand were still rising high, signaling that this was merely the opening act of a truly massive terror. The chess game between the court faction, the shadow faction, and our hidden alliance had just entered its deadliest phase.