Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 55: Marissa is mine

Of course, Marissa hadn’t deliberately kept this ability hidden. During her training, when Luke had fed the mandala flower with flames, the energy had overwhelmed it, leading to an accidental explosion before they could observe the full effects.

"This trick is ingenious. If the opponent doesn’t anticipate it, they’ll suffer immensely," Luke remarked with genuine admiration.

In battles between mages, there was always a brief vacuum after casting a spell. The faster one could connect their stars and cast subsequent spells, the smaller this gap. Neo Vadis, however, had completely let his guard down after releasing his Fierce Fist, assuming the match was already won.

His complacency was his undoing.

"This is bad! The explosion range is too wide—I can’t shield him completely!" the referee exclaimed, his voice strained with urgency.

The referee had never seen such an unconventional attack. When the first Dark Mandala Flower exploded, he realized the danger but could only manage to cast a Light Blessing, a mid-tier defensive spell. However, there were far too many mandala flowers scattered across the battlefield, their spread completely overwhelming his protective barrier.

"Marissa Jones, stop this at once!" Morgan Jones shouted, his tone sharp and panicked. He was livid. The explosions around Neo Vadis were far beyond what he had anticipated, and if Neo were seriously injured—or worse—relations between the two families would undoubtedly deteriorate.

The series of explosions erupted around Neo like a relentless storm. The flames from his own Fierce Fist had ignited his clothes, leaving his once-pristine appearance in tatters.

Marissa, however, held back just enough to ensure the attack wasn’t lethal. Had the Dark Mandala Flowers detonated directly on Neo, his broken corpse would have been the only thing left.

Even so, his injuries were severe. Blood soaked his clothes as he collapsed onto the ground, unable to stand. The toll of his arrogance and underestimation of Marissa’s abilities had become glaringly obvious.

Gasps echoed in the air as the onlookers went through what they were watching unfold before them.

"I can’t believe it-Neo Vadis has been defeated!" someone whispered incredulously.

"That Dark Mandala is terrifying. She completely destroyed him!" said another with a voice of fear and admiration.

"I knew it," Tina Baine said smugly, her arms crossed. "The lady happens to be good, and she is extremely intelligent. Neo stands no chance."

The murmurs grew so loud that some raised the question of how genuine Neo is. "What kind of an idiot can be one of the best?" another scoffed.

Just as the last few explosions sent debris into the air, Neo’s older brother, Drake Vadis, intervened. A sharp, swirling gust of wind erupted around him, creating a vortex that swept the remaining mandala petals high into the sky. The fragments exploded harmlessly, forming a display of brilliant fireworks.

In response, Drake unleashed another Fierce Fist, this time straight at Marissa. But before the punch struck, it was deflected, another flame—a spirit-seed Flame Fist—blasted by Luke.

Drake turned, his look a mixture of surprise and frustration. His sharp eyes stared at Luke, and he finally noticed the distinct aura of a spirit seed.

"You..." Drake started, disbelief saturating his voice. "You have a spirit seed?"

Luke smiled mischievously, standing smugly by Marissa. "What, surprised? I thought someone like you would be accustomed to dealing with real talent."

Drake darted his gaze back and forth, fixating between Luke and Marissa, before finally focusing his gaze back on his unconscious brother. With a sharp intake of breath, he muttered, "Marissa, don’t you think this is overboard?"

Marissa shrugged apathetically. "That was my first time using that technique; I didn’t know it wouldn’t be easy to control."

"Hmph! If anything happens to my brother, the Vadis family will find you responsible!" Drake remonstrated in a tone that warned them of the consequences. For all Drake cared, he did not get along with his brother. However, he knew the Vadis would demand an explanation for anything that could go down in dishonor.

Luke stepped forward, scowling. "A loss is a loss; stop making excuses. Neo Vadis uses two elements against Marissa’s one element and still loses. If he ain’t a lemon, then what is he?"

Drake’s face turned very red with rage. "How dare you insult the Vadis family?" he snarled.

Luke maintained his cool calmness. "Do not forget Marissa is the one who was holding back; she could have finished this fight much worse and not think twice about it."

Drake gazed at his unconscious brother, and for a moment, his eyes blazed with something between shame and wonderment. Try as he might; Neo Vadis had failed, and that was an undeniable fact.

"I’ll be reporting this to the elders," Drake declared coldly. His gaze shifted to Morgan Jones. "Uncle Jones, I expect a proper explanation for this debacle."

Morgan’s expression remained composed as he replied, "Of course, Drake . We will discuss this further once Neo Vadis is treated."

Once Drake and his unconscious brother were escorted away, Morgan turned his ire toward Marissa. "Marissa Jones, tomorrow you will visit the Vadis family and formally apologize. This marriage contract must continue."

Marissa’s countenance became dark. "Father," she said, "I have won this fight. You said our marriage would be null and void if I succeeded, yet you are going back on your word."

The expression on Morgan’s face became cold. "That was not a meliorating arrangement, my dear. The Vadis family is vital for our sustenance."

Luke stepped forward as his patience burst. Taking hold of Marissa’s hand, he announced, "That is enough."

"Marissa is mine," Luke roared, his voice echoing all around the arena. "Not a soul, not even a bunch of losers, is sanctioned to interfere."

Silence enveloped the arena. Even Morgan, who took pride in his composure, was momentarily taken aback.

Luke met with Morgan’s shocked glance directly. "Let me intoduce myself again. I am not only a freshman at Pearl Academy. I am the personal disciple of Professor Xavier."

The crowd erupted into whispers. "Dean Xavier’s personal disciple? That’s impossible!" someone gasped in awe.

"He hasn’t taken an apprentice for decades!" another person added.

Even Drake’s confidence faltered for a moment. "You expect me to believe that?" he finally scoffed.

Luke smiled. "Believe it or don’t-I care less! But one thing I know is Marissa is with me, and whoever wants it this way can answer to the Dean himself!"