The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 77: Sovereign Spell - Black Declaration (Dragon-Lily)

During lunch, both had been confirmed as top candidates, but this was their first time observing each other up close from a frontal perspective.

Spencer's deep blue eyes, nestled within his hair, gazed at the girl called 'Hedra,' recalling the various news and rumors he'd heard over the past afternoon. The unprovokable Black Griffin, "The Girl Who Manipulates Death Threads," and "The Cruel Dark Young Lady Who Brutalized Beastmen"—these nicknames had all reached his ears, letting him learn plenty about Hedra's exploits. These included defeating multiple beastmen at First Tier just months after enrollment, easily overwhelming fellow students in sparring without a single loss, and showcasing her strength at Rorik College's Silver Bell Festival—defeating college students as a Second Tier to claim the reward, among other things.

All in all, her talent seemed focused on combat, and she had also trained in the "Breathing Technique," making her movements nimble and light, as elusive to catch as a bird. But if overlooked, she would strike with overwhelming force, as unstoppable as a griffin. The Black Griffin of the Asra District...

He memorized these impressions and numerous epithets, preparing for battle. Though he had already witnessed many of the girl's abilities, he still believed that with his strength, victory was not out of reach. He, too, had been called a genius since childhood, undefeated, and he still had a few trump cards he'd never shown his peers.

"Begin the match!"

After the professor announced it, neither moved immediately, as if both were waiting for the other to strike first—a certain luxury and habit of the strong.

Ten seconds passed. Seeing Spencer make no move, Sylutia stopped waiting. She lightly spread her hands, and invisible threads swirled around her, weaving together to form a white bird with wings spread wide.

Its wingspan stretched about three meters, much larger than the birds Sylutia had summoned before.

[Sharp-Feathered Bird] · Bird · Wings · Sharp Feathers · Charge · Speed · Sharpness

Multiple compound runes stacked together formed a more powerful spell. Without the threads, this bird focused entirely on its own strength, its spread feathers like sharp blades gleaming under moonlight.This wasn't the first time Sylutia had used this spell. In fact, at the Silver Bell Festival at the end of last year, she had used it to defeat a Third-Tier mage and claim her prize ranking. Compared to a year ago, her 'Sharp-Feathered Bird' was now stronger and more agile. Spreading its wings, it quickly soared into the sky. Reaching high altitude, it faced the sun, casting flashes of light, then dove down, accelerating like a falcon's afterimage.

Was she testing his defenses? Spencer looked up, seeing that Sylutia hadn't used her most powerful spell, 'Mithril Radiance,' but instead attacked with the bird. He found it a bit underwhelming.

Then he raised his arm, and an invisible door and wall materialized.

[Spell: Rodri's Gate] (Secret Word)

The projection of the sturdy door appeared once more. By then, the diving bird had transformed into a silver meteor, carrying a piercing howl.

A second later, the diving bird struck the door like a cannonball. Its silver feathers tore a massive gaping hole, shattering the gate, while the bird itself disintegrated from the impact.

With the opening revealed, Sylutia didn't hesitate. A broad blade materialized before her once more, silver patterns spreading like vines from the hilt upward, covering the entire blade.

Finally going all out, Spencer thought. He raised his hand to cast a curse spell: "The Bitter Words of the Dragon-Lily."

An invisible dragon-lily phantom surged toward Sylutia, about to imprint itself on her with a curse mark. But the girl spun around, and an afterimage identical to her split off, catching the incoming curse before shattering and dissipating.

Meanwhile, she herself dashed backward. The narrow silver blade spun through the air along with her dress and hair, tracing a perfect arc. That frozen moment held an indescribable beauty.

At that point, Hedra finally played her trump card—an ability she had never shown before. Her entire form dissolved into scattered white crows, flying in all directions, dodging the stunning silver sword arc. Then the crows twisted and converged, reforming into her body.

[Phantom Spell - White Crow Phantasmal Shift] (Nightmare)

After reappearing, Hedra's face turned pale. Though she had avoided the attack, that sudden transformation felt like every muscle in her body had been torn apart and reassembled—not a pleasant sensation. Moreover, as a Fourth-Tier spell, she could only use it thanks to a family-given treasure, usable just once a week.

Having escaped the attack range, she didn't hesitate. She unveiled another trump card. A small vial filled with black liquid slipped from her sleeve. The black water flowed out, swirling in the air before forming into a translucent, watery dragon-lily.

[Sovereign Spell - Black Declaration (Dragon-Lily)] (Secret Word)

"The ancient sovereign decree states: When 'Heaven's Justice,' 'Evidence,' 'Majesty,' 'Will,' and 'Identity' each surpass the opponent's, the caster gains a boost in power."

The dragon-lily family crest formed by the black watery trace expanded in the air. Then, Spencer's pupils blazed with brilliant black-violet light as he stared down his opponent.

The line of sight, the water trace, and the distant figure aligned in a straight line. At that moment, Spencer intoned the declaration:

"In the name of the Pander family, inscribed with the dragon-lily, I command you to submit!"

In that instant, his mental power surged like a tidal wave, crashing toward the girl who had just turned around. If her mental will weren't strong enough, under this immense psychic shock, she would be shaken, gripped by fear, and instinctively follow his command.

The special effect of the spell activated. However, among the five items, 'Heaven's Justice,' 'Evidence,' and 'Majesty' were irrelevant to this duel. In the end, only 'Will' and 'Identity' participated in the comparison.

In terms of 'Will,' Sylutia's eyes were clear, her black crystal-like pupils undisturbed. Though she was currently Second Tier, her mental power likely surpassed many Fifth-Tier Transcendents. She had merely suppressed her rank to enroll at a lower level; her soul's essence had never changed.

In terms of 'Identity,' this was where Spencer felt most confident. The Pander family's current prestige rivaled that of royal kingdoms. His status was equivalent to a 'prince.' Unless the other party was also a 'princess' from some kingdom, they would be on equal footing. And in his view, despite Sylutia's strength, she came from commoner origins—how could her status compete with his?

If he overpowered her in status, this spell's power would surge by fifty percent. Even if their wills were equal, it would be enough to daze his opponent, making her flee in fear or admit defeat.

Everything was calculated perfectly—if things had gone as he expected.

Unfortunately, when the mental shock carrying Spencer's words struck, it hit an invisible, endless mountain of darkness. The surging psychic force shattered instantly, and the backlash sent a shock through Spencer's mind, causing him to collapse unconscious.

He almost blankly watched everything in his vision go dark, then Spencer toppled sideways, unconscious.

"Oh..." Sylutia wanted to step forward and see what had happened, but the professor was faster, lifting Spencer and pressing a finger to his brow. After a few seconds of checking, the tense expression on the professor's face eased.

"It's fine. He just suffered a major mental shock and passed out for now." The professor downplayed it slightly, thinking to herself that Spencer would likely need several days to recover from that dazed state.

She glanced at the student in the arena, then announced:

"Hedra wins!"

The arena fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into enthusiastic applause.

In the audience stands, students from the Asra District excitedly said to those around them:

"See that? That's Head Student Hedra—the 'Unprovokable Black Griffin' of our Asra District! A true powerhouse. She took him down with just a look. That Spencer Head Student was way out of his league!"

"Ah, so the legends are real?" Some students who had doubted the rumors began to waver.

"Though the Head Student seems delicate on the outside, her inner will is as terrifying as a griffin's—it makes you afraid to look her in the eye."