Chapter 318: Praise The Sun! [Part 3]
Praise the Sun.
The signature catchphrase the citizens of Solara say whenever they honor "The Sun," whom they treat as their Deity.
One of the first Apostles of The Sun had founded the Solara Kingdom. Since its establishment, everyone who hailed from the kingdom had remained loyal to the God who watched over them.
Thanks to their fate, the people living in that domain were blessed with Sun Magic, especially the Royal Family, who could wield a fraction of their Founder King’s power.
Simply put, only the chosen ones could become a Solar Knight, Solar Saint, and Solar Saintess, most commonly exclusive to those who possessed the bloodline of the Royal Family.
Celestria was a Solar Saintess who sometimes received visions from The Sun.
In fact, she learned from one of her visions that when she arrived at the academy, she would meet someone who would change her life forever.
She was certain that this person wasn’t Alex.
Even so, she could tell that he would play a role in helping her find the person whom her Deity had told her about.
’No!’ Celestria thought. ’I must save him!’
Just as she was about to use her power to disperse the miniature sun only a few seconds away from colliding with Alex, a voice spoke directly inside her head.
"Worry not, Celestria. That child is in no danger. My flames will never reach him."
It was the voice of her Deity, and she, who had heard its voice several times, could sense a faint trace of helplessness in its tone, shocking her.
’Your Excellency! What do you mean your flames cannot reach him?! Does that mean that the Solar Knights cannot beat him?!" Celestria inquired in anxiousness.
"He can be beaten with might, but not my flames. He alone is someone whom my flames cannot burn."
Celestria’s eyes widened in shock at this revelation.
A deafening boom shook the arena the instant the miniature sun smashed against the young man. Under the sheer power of Prince Garen’s attack, most spectators expected him to be thrown from the ring immediately.
Perhaps Celestria was the only one who knew that his cousin’s attack would not harm Alex in any way.
The Colosseum trembled as the rumbling sound of flames and destruction spread across the barrier protecting the students from harm.
Prince Garen panted for breath as he looked down at the hellish inferno he had unleashed upon the world.
’I might have gone too far this time,’ Prince Garen chastised himself for using an unreasonable attack in a sparring match.
If he could, he would blame it on the smug look on Alex’s face, triggering him to go all out and wipe that smile off his face.
Even so, after calming down, he realized that this was not the proper behavior of a Knight of Solara.
In the end, he decided to apologize to Alex and try to make up to him once the dust had settled.
All the students gazed at the still-burning arena, their faces filled with fear.
Lavinia, Latifa, and Fran were all clenching their fists subconsciously as they looked at the sides of the venue, restlessly waiting to see Alex in safety.
But no matter where they looked, they couldn’t see the silver-haired young man anywhere, making them feel anxious.
After two minutes, Professor Rowan waited no longer and waved his hand, using the power of space to disperse the flames that were rampaging just a few seconds ago.
White smoke rose from the remains of the arena, making everyone sigh in their hearts.
"It’s over," Caelum said with finality. "No one would be able to survive such destruction."
Serenya and the other Elves nodded in agreement.
"Kaelen, help me," Lapiz said as she raised her hand, pointing it toward the arena.
The Prince understood what her sister wanted from him, so he nodded and joined her in what she planned to do.
Chanting to summon Wind Spirits, the two elves used a gust of wind to blast away the white smoke blocking the sight inside the arena.
They wanted to see the outcome of the chaos that Prince Garen had shown everyone.
The nature-loving Elves, understandably, held a deep aversion to Fire Magic. After all, the littlest flame could graze their home, the forest, down to ashes.
As the smoke finally disappeared from the arena, everyone’s gaze landed on a sight they didn’t expect to see.
"W-What in the Moon’s name just happened?!" Caelum exclaimed, his voice much higher than his normal voice.
Serenya also looked at the same scene in disbelief, and she was not alone in her reaction.
Nearly everyone in the Colosseum stared in shock, with some of them even rubbing their eyes to ensure that they weren’t seeing things.
Professor Rowan chuckled as he looked at the young man, seated on a chair while casually sipping some tea. If they didn’t know better, they’d think the fight had a tea break.
"Oh? Is it over already?" Alex asked as he placed the porcelain cup gently on the small table, crossing one leg over the other as though he were in the middle of a garden party rather than the aftermath of an apocalyptic assault.
The audience’s jaws collectively dropped.
Theo nearly collapsed back into his seat. "H-He’s... drinking tea... after that?!"
The students of Solara could only gape, their pride crumbling like the melted arena floor beneath Alex’s feet.
Alex exhaled in satisfaction, savoring the last trace of warmth from his drink, then slowly raised his eyes toward Prince Garen. His smirk widened into something wicked.
"Not bad, Prince Garen," Alex said, his voice carrying through the stunned silence of the Colosseum. "But no matter how hot your flames burn, they’ll never be hotter than me."
The young man then brushed his hair backward, his coolness prompting Chuck to furiously write the words Alex said in a notebook, planning to use it in the future.
Dim Dim smirked. Just like Celestria, the Dim Sum God knew why Alex could act so shamelessly in front of everyone. Especially since it also knew that Svalinn couldn’t be melted by the flames nor the heat of the sun.
Prince Garen slowly landed on the ground and collapsed not long after.
He no longer had any strength to fight. After using everything he had, Alex remained unscathed, and even had the time to drink some tea, making him feel as if everything he had done was all for naught.
But as if reading his mind, Alex decided to finish him off with a compliment.
"Prince Garen, your flames were wonderful," Alex said as he lifted a kettle. "It was hot enough to let me brew some tea. Well done, mate."
Prince Garen’s eyes rolled out of their sockets as he fainted on the spot due to grief and shame.
The Solara students who had been cheering moments ago fell into a deafening silence.
How could they not be humbled?
The flames they had treated sacred were used to merely heat up a teapot so Alex could enjoy some tea in the middle of a duel.
This feeling of helplessness and grief was simply too much, prompting some of them to tear up.
The Student Council President, Theo, pressed his palm over his face as if he had seen the biggest lie of his life.
"First, he slaps away Phoenix’s Descent... then he uses the flames of Sunflame Annihilation to heat a damn kettle. I... I can’t anymore..."
The Elves were just as dumbfounded as everyone else, making even Prince Kaelen look at Alex as if he were looking at a monster for the first time in his life.
"U-Unbelievable," Serenya whispered, her sharp eyes filled with disbelief. "He made light of Solara’s ultimate technique and treated it as a joke."
Caelum nodded. "If news of this reached the ears of the Royal Family of Solara, they would no doubt treat Alex as the bane of their existence."
The Elf glanced at the VIP seats of the Solara Students, his gaze landing on Celestria.
Celestria, however, did not share the same despair as the others.
Her gaze lingered on Alex, her lips parting ever so slightly as the words of her Deity echoed in her mind.
"My flames will never reach him..."
For the first time in her life, the Saintess of Solara trembled, not out of fear—but out of awe.
"This boy..." she whispered under her breath. "Just who... no, what are you?"
The arena remained silent, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Even Professor Rowan refrained from breaking it, his sharp eyes glimmering with amusement as if he had just witnessed the opening act of a grand play.
Then, as if he were completely unaware of the storm he had caused, Alex stretched his arms, stood up, and stifled a yawn.
"Hey, Chuck, isn’t it about time for you to wrap things up?" Alex asked.
The young man’s reminder made Chuck, who had retreated to safety along with Vaan, snap out of his daze.
"Wow! That was an amazing battle!" Chuck shouted. "Everyone, give a round of applause to the winner, Alex Stratos!"
Everyone was too shocked to start clapping, so the silence continued for a few seconds until it was broken by the clapping of a single person.
Vaan clapped his hands and looked at Alex with a starry gaze, like a damsel in distress once again saved by her hero.
That single clap was like a spark that ignited a flame, soon spreading across the Colosseum.
The second to clap was none other than Charles, who looked at Alex with a proud smile on his face.
Lavinia, Latifa, Fran, and Nessia also started to clap.
Soon, everyone else was also clapping until it became a thunderous roar filled with cheers.
Alex smirked and waved at everyone, enjoying the applause given to him.
Suddenly, something jumped up high and landed perfectly on top of Alex’s head.
Dim Dim also smiled happily and waved at everyone, making the girls cheer louder for the little bun.
And that was how the first duel between Alex and Prince Garen ended... but it wouldn’t be their last.