The Golem Mage

Bang!!

The resounding impact of Cassandra’s punches landing on Carmilla was so powerful that the crowd instinctively flinched with each sound.

Without the restraint of the huge Great sword, Cassandra’s movements became a blur as she attacked with incredible speed, accompanied by bright flashes of light.

She swiftly shuffled from one place to another, pushing herself towards the center of the arena where Carmilla stood.

Cassandra continued to accelerate the power behind her punches, relentlessly aiming to land them on Carmilla Sorin.

The intense assault persisted for about a minute before Carmilla finally collapsed onto the ground, exhausted and unable to continue defending against the power punches.

The referee had to intervene, stepping in to stop Cassandra from continuously pummelling Carmilla.

”And the winner is Cassandra Blade, achieving another point for the Holy Grail Academy!” the referee announced, prompting another wave of cheers to sweep through the stadium.

This time, the fans of the Holy Grail Academy were elated, as they now believed they had the highest chance of victory.

As they still had three fighters still in reserve who hadn’t fought yet, and Cassandra appearing to be in good shape despite her recent bout, the Holy Grail Academy had reason to be optimistic.

Meanwhile, the Bloodline Academy had only two fighters remaining who could take the stage.

This news brought a sense of relief to them, as the odds appeared to be in their favour.

”I suppose it has finally come to the point where I need to make an appearance,” Damien remarked as he rose from his seat, making his way toward the battle ring.

He opened his blood flask and swirled it slightly, causing a small pool of blood to emerge from it.

Using his left hand, Damien deftly controlled the blood, directing it to flow beneath Carmilla.

He moved his hands upward, and the blood followed his motions, lifting the unconscious Carmilla with it.

He carefully guided her toward the healing team of the Bloodline Academy, who were rushing forward to provide assistance.

The moment Carmilla was taken into the custody of the medical team, Damien swung his hand back as the blood rushed towards him, transforming into a formidable blood armour that pulsated with each second, resembling a beating heart.

”I assume you will be the one to replace your sister and fight in the next round for the Bloodline Academy, correct?” The referee’s voice pulled Damien out of his thoughts, and he began to ascend the battle ring stairs with his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

”Of course, I will be representing the Bloodline Academy next!” Damien confidently replied as he finally stepped into the battle ring, locking gazes with Cassandra, who stood on the opposite side, she heaved heavily, watching Damien with caution.

The entire crowd was fully focused, eager to see how this match would unfold.

Prior to the start of this fight, they had all believed that the Bloodline Academy would come out victorious with a significant lead as they were the favourites.

This belief stemmed from the fact that the previous year they ranked as the third best academy.

However, the current situation painted a different picture, as the Holy Grail Academy seemed to have turned the tide in the match.

”Begin,” the voice of the referee commanded, plunging the crowd into another hushed silence as they watched Cassandra and Damien dash toward each other.

Bang!

The echoes of punches filled the air as bursts of red and golden light flashed throughout the battle ring.

The light may momentarily be reflected at the ring’s edge, but in the next second, it would return to another location.

This exchange continued for about 20 seconds, as Damien and Cassandra traded blows with incredible speed and precision.

Eventually, they both disengaged, creating distance between themselves.

Damien’s blood armour appeared to have weakened, its once formidable presence now thinning.

”I see, I can’t match your strength, and it appears you also match my speed, in that case, I’ll just have to defeat you in another way,” Damien declared, surprising the spectators who had thought they were evenly matched or that Cassandra was slightly weaker than Damien.

As the crowd watched intently, they noticed a slight trickle of blood at the edge of Damien’s lips.

He used his left thumb to wipe it away, assuming a different stance and finally entering his playful mode, a smile gracing his face as one hand remained tucked in his pocket.

”You better be prepared for what’s about to come,” Damien warned.

As he stretched out his right hand, raising his index and middle fingers, slowly, droplets of blood began to rise from the ground, levitating all around the battle ring.

It was at this moment that the crowd finally realized that, amidst the ongoing intense matches, the stage had been destroyed countless times by explosive attacks from the mages who had previously fought.

However, the arena had miraculously repaired itself while the spectators were engrossed in the battles.

Unbeknownst to them, the blood that had been spilled had been absorbed by the repairs, unnoticed until now.

And Damien intended to utilize this accumulated blood for his advantage.

For someone like Damien, who relied on blood to maximize his moves, entering the battle ring this late proved to be a strategic choice.

Regardless of the outcome, many high-ranking mages would have bled during the earlier fights, providing an ample supply of blood for Damien’s spells.

”Surrender!” Damien commanded, as he now had complete control over the battle ring as there was blood everywhere, even the crowd began to sense the tide of victory tipping in his favour for this round.

Cassandra, however, offered no verbal response to Damien’s demand.

Instead, a halberd materialized in her right hand, and with a defiant gesture, she slammed its shaft into the ground three times.

The act was a clear provocation, and Damien needed no words to understand her resolute answer.

[> Mid Bloodline Skill – Blood Shackles