Ethan secretly felt sweaty palms for Rowena in his heart.
Kadela had rested long enough, pushing his body up from the ground. Every part of his soul was sending a sharp pain, yet these pains excited him.
The God of Trickery does not feel pain, nor does he get knocked to the ground repeatedly in disgrace.
When he accepted the identity of a human, those once-lost memory fragments were instead revived, and as a magician stepping onto the arena, he realized his advantage.
Resilience, and a more comprehensive understanding of magic.
Whereas Rowena cared too much about her performance in front of the Master of Demons.
Once fallen, she ceased pursuing, remaining lofty like a Pure-blood Mage, but for Kadela, this was not some academy-organized magic duel competition. It was a battle determining his life and fate, and he must win, no matter how many times knocked down; he must win!
Next, he intended to uncover a truth.
Facing Rowena, he resembled a novice just beginning to grasp magic duels, with each of his spells easily evaded by her. Yet after the initial frustration, he harbored a doubt—was Rowena aiming for a flawless victory before the Master of Demons, or could her body truly not endure too many spells’ hits?
Kadela realized his "resilience" stemmed from his soul status, but Rowena still possessed a human shell.
At the very least, he needed to attempt to break Rowena’s shell, forcing her true form to reveal itself.
Another cyan light lashed toward him. This content belongs to novel{f}ire.net
Kadela’s body transformed into a scattering darkness, mastering the Soul Transfer Spell more fluently, even able to weave other spells during its release.
The Petrification Spell was also cyan; several lights collided together, bursting into fireworks mid-air.
This time, the black smoky veil did not escape to the side but charged straight at Rowena, releasing a red arc within the rolling black smoke that Rowena unsurprisingly diverted elsewhere with her wand, as several cyan globes swiftly flew past and collided with the smoky veil.
What followed was more intense pain, Kadela only felt his soul being flung by massive force, slamming hard against the walls constructed of darkness.
But before that, he heard the sound of the magic barrier shattering.
Like a mirror shattering, scattered all over the ground.
This is the true power of cutting magic.
It was the seventh time he had been knocked to the ground, and he finally grasped the secret of cutting magic. He had to admit, among all the destructive spells known to him, it was indeed one of the most lethal.
More importantly, it was Rowena’s specialty magic, where amidst the fleeting moments of sparks, the cyan lights intertwined, making it hard for her to distinguish friend from foe.
As his blurred vision regained clarity, Kadela’s face finally showed a hint of a smile.
Although Rowena still stood there, not being knocked away like him, her silvery white pointed wizard hat was knocked to the ground, a clear cut rendering a corner of the hat gone, her waterfall-like black long hair cascading down, and the severed strands gently floated down in mid-air.
She had lost her previous composure, crimson blood flowing down her left cheek.
This left Kadela ecstatic.
This was the first time tonight he had truly hit Rowena with magic, also proving his hypothesis.
The effects of the spell would actually affect Rowena, at least until her human façade was peeled away.
According to the standard of "fair and square magic duel," once Rowena used the power meant for demons, it equates to losing the duel.
Seven certainly is a lucky number, always bringing good fortune to him.
The tactic of exchanging blows worked!
Thinking of this, Kadela employed his trick again. Before Rowena uncovered his tactics, he wanted to leave enough wounds on her, preferably diminishing her mobility, or even deliver a fatal injury!
He saw Rowena reinforce her magic barrier, no longer in a rush to attack.
She was a Dueling Master full of academy style, even when injured, would calmly and wisely make her judgments.
The smoke-form Kadela charged Rowena once again.
At this moment, what spell would this academy duelist master use?
It must still be cutting magic.
That was Rowena’s most adept destructive magic, and she already knew the transformative spell effects couldn’t directly apply to the soul.
She didn’t have many choices left.
Kadela drew closer and closer to Rowena, awaiting the instant when she would cast the cutting magic.
Yet what answered Kadela was a dull thud.
Once again, he was knocked flying, but this time, the sensation in his soul was different from ever before; he only felt a burning pain on his face, the flight distance wasn’t too far, merely rolling a few rounds on the ground.
Kadela experienced a brief mental blankness; he heard footsteps drawing nearer. As he raised his head, what met his gaze was Rowena’s furious face.
He finally saw the weapon Rowena used to knock him away—a sinister weapon surrounded by dark energy, appearing like a blunt instrument.
A stick, or a hammer perhaps?
Before he could figure this out, Rowena, in her high-heeled shoes, stepped on his chest, and then...