209 Challenge Accepted

The demon stopped laughing and looked at Paul, it was still staggeringly huge compared to him, easily large enough to crush Paul with its hand or foot. Resting an elbow on the throne, like it was boring and held out a finger with its other hand and let out a sickly green beam similar to Pauls ability tearing a path through the horde of undead skeletons vapourising them to ash.

For the first time ever Paul moved from his spot flying up into the sky dodging the beam completely. Looking into the same spot he did towards the crowd not even giving the Demon Lord any attention or respect, Paul held out both his hands outstretched together, as an earthshattering shockwave of Arcanum rippled out, this one felt different it, it felt like an overwhelming force of pressure pushing us down.

A huge swirling rainbow cone released from his hands revealing each colour of the spectrum. "What on earth?" I looked in awe.

"That must be some sort of prismatic spell, each coloured beam does a different type of damage," Jay explained looking closer as each colour seemed to annihilate a skeleton in a different way.

"But it's not affecting the Demon Lord at all.." Daisy said pointing at it.

"Maybe he's trying to deal with the small fry first," Grace replied.

We all waited for his next move as the cone slowly got smaller and smaller growing in intensity as the colours merged together. "Is it me or does it look like it's getting stronger?" I questioned noticing the intensity and environmental damage the narrower cone became.

As the final strands of colour converged, a huge devastating singular beam of incandescent white light blasted through the skeletons in an instant impacting the Demon Lord directly. It let out a loud guttural roar as the beam enveloped it completely along with its throne.

"How is that even possible!" Jay uttered in shock as Paul's spell dissipated along with that weird pressure that seemed to push us down. Somehow the Demon Lord was still standing despite everything in its path completely obliterated, even it's throne of skulls was nowhere to be seen. Luckily the Demon Lord did look extremely hurt, bleeding thick oozy black blood with an arm completely missing. It chuckled shouting something at him in a very evil sounding language, in his hand manifested a horrific-looking human spine with a skull attached on the end with a sickly green hue.

Paul quickly reacted by dropping to the floor circling him in an extreme speed as the Demon lord tried to point the wand at him. A golden cube encased the Demon Lord along with a mass of yellow papers with writing on it flew onto the cube and began to glow with power.

Layers upon layers of huge rings appeared in the sky in all different colours of the spectrum as runes began to appear around the outer edge of each rune. "What on earth?" I uttered in awe unable to even imagine what will come next.

That feeling of tense pressure again came flooding is forcing us all to drop to our knees. "What is this?!" Daisy yelled as she dropped to one knee, "I can't even stand...." She said trying with all her might even using her hands on the railing to try pulling herself up.

The largest beam I've ever seen similar to those seen in alien movies blasted down if it wasn't for that intense pressure forcing us to our knees we would have bound to be blinded from the flash alone. For the first time ever it looked like the shielding between us and the Colosseum fighting arena sparked with Arcanum seemingly struggling to hold back all the force Paul was releasing with his spell.

"Is he trying to kill all of us or something?!" Grace yelled over the deafening sound of the blast.

"Has he gone crazy?!" Jay shouted.

"What is wrong with him today?!" Helen yelled.

Luckily the feeling of pressure began to dwindle along with the deafening blast and blinding light. "Is it over?!" Jay yelled opening his eye to look at us.

We all slowly peered over the edge of the viewing area to see if Paul standing there clearly out of breath and no Demon Lord insight. "Did he win?" Daisy asked looking a little worried.

"I think he did," Morgana answered.

"Is that the true power of The Black Dragon Slayer?" Jay questioned a little frightened at what he just spectated.

Paul looked at the same location in the crowd for one last time and began to walk away. Everyone in the school remained silent just like the rest of us, unsure what just happened and how we should feel.

"Defeating a Demon Lord all by himself, mother was right to respect his abilities," Morgana uttered in complete shock.

'Was he releasing all his anger because of what he thought I did?' I instinctively stood up trying to make my way out to explain to him everything that happened but I buckled, barely being able to catch myself on a nearby chair. I looked down to see my legs physically quaking like Scarlet was nearby, 'Why am I so scared when I know he'll never harm me.....'

"You okay Emilia?" Everyone asked as they remained on their knees, their bodies also feeling the same effect we were.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure he's okay," I replied to them.

"Yeah, something seems off, this seems so off character for him," Jay answered.

"Yeah! there's no way he would risk injuring others, there's definitely something wrong!" Daisy agreed.

I clicked my badge quickly realising he's in the school now and can hear me, "Paul!" I yelled for his attention.

"Hey wassup?" He replied sounding a little happy opposite to what I expected.

"Are you okay?" I questioned a little worried.

"Yeah, all is good." He answered.

"Can we talk?" I requested.

"Yeah, of course, where shall I meet you?" He answered like he was completely normal but I could tell it was just an act.

"Wait for me outside the Colosseum," I asked him.

"Sure," He answered, I began forcing myself to walk slowly staggering my way towards him.

Thankfully the fear eventually faded allowing me to run to him, hoping that I'd get to explain to him before the rest of the school see's him. As I arrived at the exit I could see him outside through the glass of the double doors waiting for me and luckily the rest of the school hasn't replied yet.

"Hey Emilia!" Travis' voice called out right beside me causing me to turn in shock.

"What the F are you doing here?!" I shouted at him in complete anger.

"What? I was just making my way out..." He answered like he was completely innocent.

I turned to Paul praying to God he didn't see us together again, but of course, he's staring at us eyes wide open in complete shock. I instinctively pushed Travis back away from me, "I don't want to see or talk to you ever again!" I growled at him in anger and opened to the walking to Paul praying to God he doesn't just disappear again.

"Hey..." He hesitantly greeted me clearly unsure how to feel.

"Paul I know what you're thinking and." I Tired to explain.

"Wait before you say anything, you don't need to explain yourself to me, You're not my girlfriend or anything anymore... whoever you spend your time with or decide to be with is up to you, you shouldn't be worried how I would feel or how I would react." He earnestly explained to me.

"Paul.." I heartfeltly replied to him touched by what he said.

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier, I just want you to be happy." He apologised honestly.

"... You know our lives are so entwined I don't think that's possible." I chuckled trying to cheer up the mood.

"I know but I'll try." He confessed.

"Hey Emila thank's for last night, see you around," Travis yelled out with a grin clearly still trying to antagonise us.

That unbelievable pressure erupted forcing me down to my knees barely being able to hold myself up even my elbows we're on the verge of buckling from the pressure. Paul instantly appeared in front of Travis grabbing him by his collar with a balled fist, "You show her more respect he growled extremely pissed, whatever aura Paul was releasing was suffocating, I began struggling to breathe, "Paul..." I struggled to mutter unable to tell him to stop.

"Whatever." Travis tried to put on a brave face disregarding his threat but even I could see his body quaking in fear and the shakiness of his voice.

"You apologise to her now!" Paul demanded,

"If you beat me in a duel, I'll apologise to her." Travis struggled to counter offer him but even he was feeling the effects of being in close proximity to Paul.

"Fine, you will have your duel in 2 weeks, invite whoever you want to see, tell the world to come and see your humiliating defeat." Paul agreed and threw him aside like throwing away a toy.

He turned to look at me almost dying just in being close proximity to him and in an instant, all that pressure that seemed to suffocate and subdue me vanished in an instant. "I'm so sorry are you okay?!" He questioned worryingly helping me up.

"Yeah..." I answered coughing trying to catch my breath, "Are you okay?" I asked worried about how he must have been feeling.

"I'm great, I just hated how he treated you like those other conquests, the way he looked at you and treated you, it just made me so angry..." He explained.

"Paul nothing happened between us, I swear," I replied to him trying to tell him the truth.

"It's okay, you don't need to explain to me or tell me." He smiled helping me up but my legs still felt weak.

"Really! nothing happened you can even read my mind if you want." I desperately tried to make him believe me.

"I would never use such things like that on you." He smiled but I still felt unconvinced that he believed me.

"What was all that stuff that happened in the Colosseum?" I questioned.

"Ohh....." he began to hesitantly answer, "Just letting off some steam." He answered.

"That was letting off some steam?" I questioned in shock.

"Okay, and a little threat to show Travis how much stronger I am." He confessed with a slight smile.

"If you're that much stronger then him, why have you never put him in his place?" I questioned curiously.

"Because although I would enjoy putting him in his place and knocking him down a few pegs, like putting a bully in their place. I ended up deciding against it and ignore his petty comments and antics because if I put him in his place it, he may not be able to recover." Paul explained.

"What do you mean?" I questioned him.

"Come." He said leading the way to the dorm rooms, "So imagine you're in his shoes, exiled and disgraced from one of the strongest families, for years you're the only goal was to defeat one person. The only way he can validate himself to himself and everyone else is to live up to his family name, but despite all the benefits of being pseudo half Titan, all the training, all the research and preparation to defeat me, he's still nothin but a fly that I can swat effortlessly, I fear I may put him down a hole he may never recover from." Paul explained to me.

"I understand a little now," I answered him.

"Yeah, but now I'm forced to put him down now," Paul answered.

'So that's why he did all this, so he could provoke Paul into accepting a duel.' as I pieced together everything, "I think he did all this on purpose." I admitted to Paul.

"Maybe, maybe I just played into his plan this one time." Paul smiled.

"Paul, why did being near you almost kill me?" I questioned.

"Ohh yeah, sorry about that, sadly it's a side effect when I lose control of my myself," Paul answered.

"I hope you don't lose control often." I joked, "by the way what were those insane spells you were using?" I questioned curiously.

"What you saw just now weren't all spells, they were a mixture of spells and abilities I have," Paul answered.