Just in the moment that Ocean looked at Carlos with his Mana Eyes activated, Carlos turned his gaze on Ocean and Ocean’s eyes widened and jaw clenched as he saw the pulsing black miasma within Carlos’s body. His Mana Eyes showed Carlos’s eyes to be pitch black instead of red and there was a clear sign of his soul starting to grow corrupted.

A corner of Carlos’s lips curled up in a small smirk as if he knew Ocean had seen it.

Ocean had to do everything within his power to keep himself from lunging at the Queen right away. The woman was so greedy that she didn’t even know what she had done. She had gotten her own son possessed and the fact that Ocean didn’t sense him was enough to tell that whatever was possessing him wasn’t a low leveled demon, it was a smarter demon who was capable of hiding its presence from the Dragon’s senses.

Katherine had no idea that she had just signed up her son for hell snatching away his only chance at redemption.

"Master, how could this..." Kai gasped and everyone in the amphitheatre was shocked.

Carlos smirked at Eric as he turned.

"You..." Eric spoke and Carlos’s eyes narrowed a little making his expression look even more demonic.

He didn’t say anything but just beckoned him with his finger and Eric gritted his teeth before he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and moved with his usual speed.

Ocean watched as the two swords clashed, both blades blazing scarlet.

Their duel began with an intensity that no one in the amphitheatre had expected. Eric and Carlos seemed like they were on the same par, it was a wild possibility till now but they were fearing that Eric might just have a hard time during this duel.

Both the Princes moved with the speed that was hard for the normal eyes to follow but Ocean could see their movements clearly and he could also see that Carlos was moving faster, he was growing stronger. It was almost as if he was playing around in this duel while Eric was starting to push his body.

"Master, what’s happening? Since when was that brat so strong?" Roan asked.

"How did he grow so skilled so quickly?" Kai wondered, frowning.

"It’s unlikely to be so strong and hide it so well." Lyall muttered.

"Lyall," Ocean spoke and Lyall turned to Ocean.

"Yes, Master."

"Go to Carlos’s holding chamber and check if there is something suspicious there. If you find it, don’t directly touch it but bring it with you at Shadowcliff." Ocean commanded and Lyall bowed before he left.

Miri watched with concealed anxiety as the duel progressed. Eric and Carlos were toe to toe, she could see Katherine smile proudly from the corner of her eye. She wanted to rip that woman’s head off for trying something sneaky against her man but she had to force herself to stay composed.

She could only pray that Eric would win.

Rune was bewildered as he almost leaned down from the railing of their balcony watching the duel.

"How is this possible?" He grimaced, "Carlos isn’t skilled or strong enough to keep up with Eric. How on earth is he doing this?"

Celestia and Arthur were also shocked.

"It must be her. She must have done something." Rune sneered and Arthur placed his hand over Rune’s shoulder.

"Calm down, Rune."

Rune gnashed his teeth as he glared at the royal family box where even Roger seemed to be taken aback along with Colette who was mildly irritated. She knew her mother was upto something but she could make her brother stronger then that meant she had more than what she showed. Colette glanced at her mother who smiled as if she was already seeing her son’s victory.

[You have received a task from Giver of Gifts.

Prevent Eric’s death.

Penalty: Destruction of the world.]

Ocean watched the task notification flash and then at the arena.

The duel was starting to grow more bloody below as Eric and Carlos were actively slashing at each other. It seemed like it wasn’t a duel to see who the victory would be, but the duel to see who would be alive in the end.

Eric was bleeding from his right arm and had a cut on his cheek along with a long gash on his left thigh while Carlos had a long cut on his left arm and a cut over his forehead with the smirk still intact.

Carlos beckoned him again and Eric let his mana surge through his body into his sword setting it ablaze before he charged at Carlos. Carlos, in that moment, created a huge fireball and threw it at Eric, Eric narrowly dodged it but he couldn’t dodge the straight jab that Carlos followed with. Carlos’s blazing blade stabbed through Eric’s shoulder.

Eric gnashed his teeth to keep himself from screaming and Carlos yanked his sword out making Eric’s blood fall on the ground and some of its droplets to splash over his face and mouth. Eric watched as Carlos’s tongue slithered out and he licked the blood, in that moment, Eric somehow knew that this wasn’t Carlos. Whoever it was, it wasn’t human. The Golden Serpent had played her hand and now, he had to do all he could to win this.

Celestia watched Rune grow more and more agitated and she watched Prince Eric already injured and bleeding profusely while his contender was not that bad.

Miri too was starting to grow a lot more anxious and she glanced at Ocean who stood rigidly at the edge of his balcony, eyes fixed on Eric and Carlos.

Celestia stepped back turning around and clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

"Oh, Lord Dragon, please, please, please, listen to my prayer..." She whispered.

Miri pursed her lips and closed her eyes, "Oh, great Dragons, please..."

Ocean’s eyebrows twitched as he felt not one but two voices praying to him.

"Oh, Great Dragon, please make Prince Eric the victor!"

"Please protect my Eric!"

Ocean glanced at Miri and then at Aurelius family’s box where he couldn’t see Celestia before he sighed.

He had decided not to interfere but if the enemy was going to use a demon then how could a Dragon let his choosen warrior become a scapegoat.

Ocean couldn’t directly do anything but he could do one thing that would help, Eric and hinder the demon possessing Carlos.

Ocean brought his hand up to his side and snapped his fingers making Kai and others to look at him.

"Father, what-" Kai almost asked but then he felt the chill in the air.

He looked up at the sky which started darkening as the clouds began converging and he looked at Ocean.

Ocean looked up at the sky and his eyes glowed blue for a moment before the thunder cracked overhead making almost everyone to look up as the stormy clouds suddenly gathered.

Within a few seconds, the rain started pouring and Ocean expanded his mana into the rain.

There were already preparations made for the future rainy days so, everyone were under the roof except for the contenders.

Eric gritted his teeth while Carlos grimaced, his smirk disappeared in an instant as he turned his eyes and glared at Ocean who simply tilted his head back holding his chin a little high as if saying what he would do about it.

The rain drenched the two contenders and their blood dripped onto the ground, Eric felt the sensation of the pain slowly lessening while Carlos seemed to have a different reaction to it.

Carlos blinked as he staggered and Eric frowned while the others were uneasy. Carlos’s body shuddered a little and he gripped his sword tighter before he gritted his teeth and lunged at Eric. But his attack wasn’t as smooth as before as he stumbled and Eric easily dodged it and watched as Carlos growled and turned glaring at him.

"That sly bastard." He heard Carlos growl and Eric couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.

Carlos gripped his head and Eric heard another grunt before he watched Carlos staggering and whimpering.

The rain was unexpected but Carlos’s sudden change seemed even more unsettling. Whatever it was, Eric wasn’t holding back anymore.

He moved ahead, his sword ready to impale Carlos, when Carlos lifted his head. It was only for a split second but Carlos’s eyes blinked black once before they returned to their original hue and they were filled with fear when he saw Eric’s blade approaching. Eric watched Carlos’s body go still and nothing but terror in his eyes.

Eric’s blade stopped only an inch from Carlos’s heart and Carlos stood there heaving before he looked down at Eric’s sword before he looked at Eric and then his eyes rolled back in his head before he fell back, unconscious.

Eric was confused, he had no idea what just happened.

The whole amphitheatre was dead silent except for the sound of the rain.

Ocean snapped his fingers again and the rain slowed to a drizzle.

Ocean placed one hand on the stone railing, testing his balance for just a moment. Then, with a smooth lift of his legs, he swung over the edge in a controlled arc, body turning with practiced ease. His coat followed the movement quietly, trailing behind him without a flutter out of place. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He landed lightly on the ground below — steady, upright — as though he had simply stepped down a stair rather than descended from a height. Ocean brushed a stray drop of rain from his sleeve and continued forward, calm and composed.

He walked up to Eric who watched Carlos and the people leaned ahead watching in absolute silence.

Ocean reached before Carlos and crouched, checking his vitals, making sure he was unconscious.

"Prince Carlos has fallen," Ocean announced and stood back up his eyes falling straight on Katherine whose cheeks were flushed and jaw clenched with a grimace.

"The victor of the second Trial is Prince Eric." Ocean announced staring right at her.

The amphitheatre erupted into sound at once, everyone called Eric’s name and threw flowers at him. Celestia and Miri beamed happily having their prayers answered while Eric hobbled closer to Ocean.

"Master," he whispered and Ocean glanced at him.

"I’ll explain later," Ocean murmured before he glanced back at Katherine.

Rune also noticed that something was wrong, he just didn’t know what and how it happened. But knowing Ocean/Reina, he knew that whatever happened, Ocean had stepped in for this Trial to make sure Eric won.

Ocean faced the crowd with a smile holding Eric’s arm up making them cheer for him louder.

[Congratulations! You have completed the task.]