"So, it's finally time to see who will win the bet," Rubina said, directing her link toward Lisa and Logan.
"Yes, but you will undoubtedly lose. The king has chosen his best royal guard," Lisa smirked, her eyes fixed on the battle about to unfold before them.
As soon as they returned to the castle, Logan approached the king with a proposal for a friendly match. He wanted to showcase the strength of each nation's mightiest warriors. Of course, Logan knew he hadn't brought their absolute best, but Rubina's abilities were formidable nonetheless.
To start, Logan requested that the King of Veridith, Thalor, allow Rubina to test her skills against nothing less than his ten strongest men. This proposal was met with a mix of skepticism and indignation from the royal guards, who felt the request implied their weakness. They decided to send their most capable soldiers to fight the girl. They were cautioned, however, about her ability to wield fire magic and advised to prepare accordingly.
"Well then, I believe the rules are set. Begin!" Thalor announced, his gaze shifting between the two sides. On one side stood ten equally armed soldiers—his elite royal guards, entrusted with his protection above all else.
Among the ten, a few exchanged skeptical glances, clearly underestimating the mage before them. Meanwhile, Rubina calmly began casting various spells. The soldiers hesitated, unwilling to be the first to launch an attack.
Annoyed by their condescending attitude, Rubina fired a flaming arrow, disrupting their close formation. It was more a warning shot than an attempt to injure, but it succeeded in rousing their anger.
"We'll show you why we're tasked with protecting the king!" one soldier declared, charging forward. His action spurred the others behind him to follow suit, each having already cast protective shield spells in anticipation of Rubina's fiery onslaught.
None of them anticipated a barrier of flames erupting before them, forcing them to collide headfirst into it. Their shields activated instantly, repelling them backward. Only a few on the fringes suffered minor burns, which only fueled their growing anger.
"Fine, have it your way!" one of them shouted, summoning ice magic to form spears. With a swift motion, he hurled them toward the girl. However, the spears melted into water before they could even reach her.
They were baffled. Somehow, she was able to cast magic with such speed and precision that it left them scrambling to reevaluate their strategy.
"Five and five," one of them called out. At first, no one understood what it meant until five soldiers rushed forward to attack, while the other five—likely the best spellcasters among them—stayed back and began weaving spells to weaken Rubina's fire magic.
Realizing her opponents were getting serious, Rubina retrieved a staff from her storage. The staff bore two large red mana crystals. Unlike the ones Logan had given to his creatures, these crystals were refined and compacted by Ruben himself. He had added layers of personal craftsmanship and rare minerals, enhancing their ability to both absorb and redirect mana with incredible efficiency.
The staff doubled the potency of her spellcasting, enabling her fire magic to hit with the force of a hero's regular spell—a formidable upgrade to her already impressive abilities.
"Get ready, everyone. This is going to hurt," Rubina warned. She had no intention of killing anyone, but her words carried an edge of determination. Nearby, Lisa placed a hand on her forehead, exasperated, while Logan merely shook his head. The outcome of the battle seemed all too predictable.
Rubina conjured three fiery serpents, each slithering forward with purpose, seeking their targets. The serpents required her full concentration to control, but their sheer presence prevented the knights from advancing. Two of the serpents confronted the five soldiers who had charged forward, while the third bypassed them, heading straight for the spellcasters. Its mission was clear: disrupt their casting.
The fiery serpents unleashed powerful streams of flame, forcing the soldiers to defend themselves. Though they managed to hold their ground, the serpents deftly avoided the water-based magic used in attempts to extinguish them. Their agility and power kept Rubina firmly in control of the battlefield.
The five guards who had rushed forward found themselves halting in their tracks. Two of them even hesitated, almost retreating to avoid the fiery serpents. Unlike the serpent targeting the casters, the two near Rubina grew larger, their bodies expanding to two meters in length and thickening to twenty centimeters. Being closer to Rubina allowed her to maintain better control over them while also increasing their size and solidifying their consistency.
One serpent used its coiled body as a spring, launching itself forward and striking a guard holding a shield. The impact forced him to drop the shield, its steel glowing orange from the heat, as just a graze had been enough to scorch it. The second serpent whipped its tail toward the remaining four soldiers, stretching and lashing out with such force that it momentarily drew their focus away from Rubina. They quickly resorted to water magic, frantically attempting to neutralize the fiery creature.
Meanwhile, King Thalor clenched his fists. He understood the source of the girl's strength and did not oppose the means by which she had attained it. Though tamers taming humans was outlawed in most kingdoms, he valued power above all else. Yet, witnessing his elite soldiers faltering against a single girl stoked a quiet anger within him—not at the hero or the girl, but at the possibility that others might prevent the hero from bestowing such strength upon others.
Thalor, fully aware of the outcome, rose to his feet.
"Stop. Ms. Rubina wins. Remove the serpents—even from here, I can feel their heat," the king declared, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument. Those present had no choice but to accept the result.
Rubina couldn't resist shooting a triumphant grin at Lisa, who clenched her jaw but gave a reluctant nod.
"You have shown us the strength of your army, Logan. I'm relieved to know you will soon join us on the battlefield," Thalor said, his gaze steady. "Now, if you would, please demonstrate one of your strongest skills. Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind about the power you wield."