Road to the throne

Charles was used to coming out on top in situations. He was a commoner but had a great magical talent. His magic allowed him to become invisible, and he could also make other objects invisible. He used this ability to his advantage in various everyday situations. The pinnacle of his life was when he entered the magic academy. Being in the same room as a prince was incredible for him. He sensed in Nasus the charisma and strength to become the emperor, and with that, Charles believed his future would be secured. At least, that's how he thought.

"Come on, coward, stop running and let's fight!" Sophie created bursts of fire that destroyed a large part of the forest, devastating the trees and vegetation.

Charles shivered at that voice. It was the girl who seemed gentle, but as soon as the fight began, she became strangely cruel, and it was impossible to get close to her.

Charles had confidence in his magic, but against someone like Sophie, who didn't stop using large-scale attacks, his abilities were useless. That's why he was now invisible, hidden and watching Sophie, searching for an opportunity.

"Easy, Sophie, I found him," Jhon shouted with his hand on the ground. He had located Charles using his magic to sense the forest to a certain extent.

Jhon looks to where Charles is at that moment, and Charles is startled, throwing a knife at Jhon. The knife becomes invisible as soon as it leaves Charles' hands. At that moment, Sophie steps in front of Jhon, and the knife melts before hitting her. The invisibility fades, and the molten iron falls to the ground. Flames swirl around her at absurd temperatures as she looks at Charles with a cruel smile. "Found you," she says.

At the end of the competition, the magically-created forest vanished, and the arena returned to its original form. The medics swiftly attended to any injuries, with Nasus, Leo, and Charles being taken on stretchers for more intensive treatment due to their injuries, particularly Charles, who had an arm pulverized and his entire body burned.

Julia and Emily from Nasus's team were physically unharmed, but they were completely terrified. Both of them were trembling uncontrollably, their eyes filled with an unmistakable sense of desperation and fear. It was as if their minds had been through a terrible shock. The medics quickly ushered them away to address their condition.

Arthur and Nicolas received treatment on the spot from the medics, who used basic healing magic. Nicolas wasn't very injured, and Arthur only had some dagger wounds on his back, fortunately nothing serious. Since Sophie and Jhon were uninjured, they sat beside Nicolas and Arthur.

"We won!" Sophie exclaimed with a smile.

"You did a great job, Sophie. That Mia was a complete mess," Nicolas replied, smiling.

Sophie blinked in surprise. "Did you just talk to me?"

"Who else would I be talking to?"

Sophie smiled even more. "And you did, and that guy, I think his name was Leo, you gave him a good beating, didn't you?"

John whispered to Arthur, "It seems like Nicolas has changed a bit."

Soon, John joined Sophie and Nicolas' conversation, turning what was an exchange of compliments into a competition of who did better.

Afterward, they returned to the classroom. Arthur stretched his back; there was no pain, and it didn't even feel like it had been wounded by knives. The healing magic of the academy's doctors was as impressive as described in the books he had read.

Upon arriving in the classroom, Arthur noticed someone was missing. "Where's Selene?" he asked.

Arthur's question caused Sophie and John to react as if they had forgotten about her.

"Those two traumatized people, Emily and Julia, must have faced Selene. Judging by Selene's demeanor, she probably defeated them and returned to the classroom," Nicolas spoke as if it were obvious.

Upon entering the classroom, as expected, Selene was sitting at her desk with her head resting on it, fast asleep.

Arthur gazed at Selene intently, his eyes analyzing her. From the beginning, she had always been the most mysterious and reserved one in the class. After this incident, he was certain she would be his most valuable asset in becoming the emperor. He knew he had to try to get closer to her.

Sophie sat in her chair, eagerly wondering when the next battle would be.

Jhon and Nicolas took their seats and began reading a book.

Meanwhile, Arthur sat next to Selene. It was time to set the plan in motion to acquire the mysterious asset he needed to become emperor.

In the emperor's chamber, lying on the bed, he chuckled as he listened to the reports from the servant who remained kneeling beside the bed. Everything had unfolded as expected. Among his offspring, the winners were the first princess, the second prince, and the third prince.

Now the real battle begins," the emperor declared as he rose from his bed, his voice firm. "Let my offspring fight, bleed, kill each other—all to secure my position. Only the most ruthless shall claim the throne."

The emperor quickly calms down and asks if anyone suspects that he is well. The servant replies, "So far, no one seems to suspect, although some have asked to see you, my lord. I told them it was too dangerous as we didn't know if your condition was contagious."

The emperor nods, then questions, "If I'm not mistaken, the first princess had killed the four students from her own classroom who were supposed to be part of her team, right? How was her battle against the fourth prince's team?"

The scenario transformed into a desert, and they surrounded and attacked her, all at once. But shortly after, they were all lying dead on the ground. The emperor frowned; his eldest progeny was not at all amusing.

He would need more planning in the battles; the way things were going, it was too predictable that the first princess would kill the second and third princes, becoming the empress. That would be very dull and not very entertaining. He wanted all his progeny to suffer and feel despair on their path to the throne.

In the magic academy, in the second prince's room, he wore a fierce smile on his face. His heart beat rapidly, filled with anticipation for the upcoming battles. The four students beside him exuded the same aura of anticipation and eagerness to fight. Ever since the day the second prince defeated them all, they had trained ferociously, fueled by the desire to become like him. Now, they carried his will to fight.

In the first princess's room, she sat alone in her chair, holding several pencils as she tried to build some sort of tower with them. She seemed completely oblivious to the upcoming competitions and the emperor's plans.