"Okay, fine," I said, clearing my throat and leaning back with a confident smirk.
If they were going to attempt to "kill" me, I wasn't doing it for free. If I was putting my life on the line, the payoff had to be worth the risk. I looked down the line of beautiful, blushing disciples.
"I'm going to add a little spice to this show," I announced. "Since my life is the stakes here, let's set the prize. If your summons lose to Zeraphis... you have to show me your tits. Deal?"
The courtyard went silent for a heartbeat before a wave of crimson flushed across the girls' faces. Elara bit her lip, while the twins shared a wide-eyed look of shock.
"What a splendid idea, my Lord," Deborah chirped, her eyes dancing with mischief. "A little extra motivation never hurt a student. The girls will be more than pleased to show you their breasts as a tribute to your victory. Isn't that right, girls?"
"Yes, Lady Deborah," they chimed in unison, their voices small but their eyes fixed on me with a sudden, competitive heat.
Seline and Mina watched from the side, looking a bit relieved—and maybe a little disappointed—that they weren't part of the wager yet. My mind was already racing. I looked at Lyra and Kaelie. Being identical twins, I wondered if their breasts were carbon copies of each other, or if there were subtle, delicious differences. My imagination was already moving south, wondering if the "Mirror Realm" synchronization extended to what was under their robes.
I looked back at Zeraphis. She was standing like a statue of dark malice, her hand still resting on the hilt of that massive, soul-drinking blade.
"What is it, Lord Pervert? Why are you staring at me like I'm the next course on your menu?" she snapped.
"Can you fight without that sword?" I asked.
Zeraphis let out a dry, metallic huff. "I am a weapon, Lord Karl. Every inch of this armor, every strike of my fist, is designed for slaughter. You underestimate the darkness I carry."
I turned back to the girls, my grin turning predatory. "Let's double down. If I command Zeraphis to fight without using her sword at all—and she still wins—what else are you offering?"
Deborah looked genuinely surprised, her eyebrows shooting up. The girls huddled for a frantic second, whispering and giggling, before Elara stepped forward as the spokesperson.
"My Lord, if your summon can beat us with her bare hands..." Lyra began.
"...then you will join us this evening in the royal hot-spring baths," Kaelie finished, her voice a sultry challenge.
A bath with the elite disciples of the Sisterhood. Steam, wet silk, and five beautiful mages in waist-deep water. It wasn't the immediate "yes" to sex I was hoping for, but I knew my way around a bathhouse. There would be plenty of opportunities for "accidental" touching.
"Pathetic," Zeraphis hissed. "You are truly a slave to your loins."
I just laughed. "Call it 'resource management.' We have a deal."
"Now then, since the terms of the contract are signed in lust," Deborah said, raising her hand, "shall we begin?"
I nodded to Zeraphis. With a look of utter disdain for her opponents, she unbuckled her massive greatsword. She threw it aside, and the sheer weight of the black steel made the entire courtyard shudder as it slammed into the flagstones, burying itself inches deep.
The doubt on the disciples' faces was instant. Without that sword, she looked less like a knight and more like a brawler—but a brawler made of enchanted steel.
"BEGIN!" Deborah commanded.
The Cinder-Drake roared, a gout of flame erupting from its mouth, while the Sylph's wings began to spin like a deadly turbine.
The air in the courtyard turned into a chaotic vortex of elemental fury. Elara and the twins didn't hold back; they were fighting for their pride—and perhaps for the chance to avoid the "exhibition" I'd demanded.
The Silver-Winged Sylph blurred into motion first. Its wings vibrated with a deafening, metallic hum before it launched a barrage of razor-sharp glass feathers. Each shard whistled through the air like a sniper's bullet, aimed squarely at Zeraphis's joints.
Simultaneously, the Cinder-Drake slammed its tail into the stone, using the momentum to spin and unleash a continuous stream of molten fire.
Zeraphis stood her ground, a silhouette of black iron amidst a storm of glass and flame.
The glass shards pinged off her armor like pebbles against a mountain, sparks flying where the "feathers" failed to penetrate her Void-hardened plate. She didn't even raise her arms to guard. When the Drake's fire reached her, she simply stepped through the inferno, the heat distorting the air around her but failing to leave a single scorch mark on her jagged pauldrons.
"Is this the 'terrifying force' of the Sisterhood?" Zeraphis mocked, her voice a low, vibrating growl. "I've felt warmer breezes in the abyss."
With a sudden, explosive burst of speed, she closed the distance. She didn't use a weapon, but her fists were just as lethal. She caught the Sylph mid-air, her gauntleted hand snatching the creature by its misty throat. With a grunt of effort, she slammed the spirit into the ground, the impact sent a tremor through the courtyard that nearly knocked the twins off their feet.
While Zeraphis was "occupied" with the Sylph, Elara saw her opening. She pointed a trembling finger at me. "Burn him!"
The Cinder-Drake didn't hesitate. It abandoned the fight with the Dark Knight, its glowing orange eyes locking onto my chest. It lunged with a speed that defied its weight, a living comet of soot and magma aimed right at my heart.
My eyes widened. I couldn't move; the pressure of its killing intent rooted me to the spot. But just as the heat began to singe my eyebrows, a shadow eclipsed the sun.
Zeraphis appeared beside me in a flicker of violet mist. She didn't block the Drake. Instead, she grabbed the front of my robes. "Up you go, Lord Pervert!"
With a violent, bone-jarring heave, she tossed me skyward.
"Whoooooa!!!!! What the Fuuuuuckkk!!!" I screamed as I broke the sound barrier.
The world fell away in a dizzying rush. At fifty meters, the screams of the disciples became distant chirps. At a hundred meters, the wind became a freezing, howling gale that whipped the breath right out of my lungs. I hung there for a split second at the apex of the arc—a speck of blue and black against the infinite sky.
From this height, the Citadel was a sprawling masterpiece of white marble and gold, nestled like a jewel in the rugged mountains of Vandera. I could see the shimmering veins of the mana-rivers flowing toward the city and the vast, dark expanse of the woods. It was beautiful, terrifying, and utterly silent.
Looking straight down between my boots, I saw the Cinder-Drake's massive fire-breath erupt. A pillar of flame engulfed the spot where I had stood. But Zeraphis was still there. She stood in the heart of the explosion, her palm outstretched. As the fire touched her hand, it didn't burn; it was sucked into a swirling miniature black hole, vanishing into the Void until the air was clear once more.
Then, the gravity of the world reclaimed me.
"Zeraphis! Catch me! CATCH ME!" I yelled, flailing my arms as I plummeted back toward the stone floor like a fallen star.