"For this next battle, we will have Stephen Markholdz once more representing Class 1F as will Iris Fleurette Lumeria for Class 1C. If the two of you are ready, we can begin."
Once the call for the start of the next battle was given the two of them moved into position, using every moment offered to them, with Stephen moving first as he was once again reaching for the ground.
Iris was quick to meet this act, summoning the chromatic light that shone through the growing crevasses opened by the writhing earth. This time the roots from below reached out towards him, forcing him back from where he knelt, growing thicker and more persistent as they tried to rush him.
Though the chase wouldn't stop, while she remained bathed in the glow, the ground tore open wherever he stood. The pursuit forced him around the Arena with little opportunity to conduct his ritual.
Realizing that her gaze had not shaken while the roots continued to chase him down, he rushed towards her, wanting to push the limits of her awareness.
He picked up a stone on his pursuit, hurling it as fast as possible, though his attempt was easily dismissed with the roots coming to her defense–
That is until he tried to strike the wall of roots protecting her, taking notice of his futile attempt, the roots tangled around him.
Ensnared in their grasp, Stephen's struggle was in vain, however instead of crushing her opponent, the roots were commanded to send him flying away, before withering away and forming the bloom of her Prismatic Bouquet.
"Hmph." She smirked while watching him get back up and the petals began swirling around her.
"Suicidal attempts, even though I saw that coming, I never expected you to go through with it. Keeping you as far away as possible will serve me well in this fight."
The petals were bleached as they rose above her, gathering and increasing in numbers. The white veil took on the appearance of the descending clouds.
Gripping the dirt below, Stephen wiped away the grim staining him before getting back up. As the sight of the clouds above made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up...he reached back to the earth in a swift motion, ducking as a jet of water blasted out from the pit.
The rising torrent of water clashed against the sudden bolt of lightning that erupted from the cloud's grasp. "Ira del Caelum." Iris' command merely stripped away at the water wall, surprising her by suddenly he rallied his defense.
"So now you're throwing lightning?" Stephen commented while he got back onto his feet, embraced in the surrounding steam birthed by the clash, he commanded the flow from spring, conducting the stream as it snaked around him.
Swirling a growing fierceness while granting him the sight of the figure the clouds took on, bearing a deific look, the avatar of divine judgment readied another bolt, charging the clouds around him, with the rage arcing about and illuminating its figure, the bolt was let loose.
To meet the assault, Stephen reached out towards the thunderbolt rushing towards him, the snaking stream of water wrapped around his arm…growing in power before the pressurized blast was launched.
Just as the blast jetted out, Stephen barely noticed what he was seeing, as he blinked, a mere moment granted him the sight of additional bolts accompanying the first.
'Dammit!'
Watching on as the storm deity rained down the assault of thunder and golden destruction, Iris' eyes widened as she realized what was coming next, trying to command the thunderous force to ready a final assault but the clash of Stephen's blast exploded in a cloud of steam that grew electrified with the rest of the lightning bolts showering him and booming in a storm of golden arcs, obscuring her view as it did.
Quaking the walls of the Arena with the shock being felt by the onlookers...
However, while they looked on with confidence in Iris' attack, she rushed to keep up the fight–only for the same jet of water to tear through the golden storm ripping through the cloud formation and cutting deep into the storm deity.
Showering her in the shredded pale petals, she worked to replace their numbers from the garden bloom while the mist lightly touched the Arena, while unknown to her, the spring had been filling the grounds in an unstemmed flood.
Quickly reaching up to their boots and partially submerging her bloom, it was only when she noticed the rising flood that the glowing light from her bloom cleared the rising water around her while she looked on at the source.
As the water level rose, there was the appearance of intense currents borne from the flood. Only when powerful currents drew away the mist was he revealed to her. With Stephen standing in the remnants of his uniform, with a hand against his side, concealing his scorched side while using the strength of each weighted breath to raise the water level around them.
The speed of the swirling mass was picking up and drawing in everything around him.
As the whirlpool grew fiercer, eroding the soil beneath them both, their footing was starting to give way, with Stephen guiding the water around him...Iris fought off the overbearing currents with her Tempestas Chartreusia, repelling the surge that was overcoming her.
Soon the Arena was submerged in the summoned ocean, while deep within its bowels Stephen kept pushing the limits of his magic, to the point that the walls were beginning to weaken, forcing Ms. Yuria to reinforce the Ward by casting an additional barrier to safeguard everyone.
'Why wasn't the barrier properly reinforced? Was what he did to that other student not cause for concern?'
Watching Iris as she was slowly pulled into the whirlpool, Stephen noticed the emerald vortex disappear.
The light that accompanied the petals had suddenly disappeared leaving a darkened pocket drifting towards the center of the storm surge. Though he chose not to relent as he could still sense her magic and worse yet, finding it to be flaring.
Stephen propelled himself towards her, knowing that she would be vulnerable without her petals when as he was about to touch the darkened pocket around her, his magic rippled through water around him, spinning him about with enough power to launch him out of the grasp the watery depths–
The sensation of being violently ripped off the ocean disorientated him.
Through his blurry gaze, Stephen could see the drowned Arena growing a more intense current as he flew through the air. Coming down, his vision would clear up allowing them to see where those currents were headed.
Rushing into the center of the Arena, beyond his control, and ignoring the authority the ocean had previously submitted to him. By the time he entered the watery depths, he could feel the pull of the storm surge against him, now pulling him into the darkened pocket.
The eyes of the spectators remained affixed on the Arena as it seemed to be draining away as the water level quickly dropped.
Inch by agonizing inch, more and more of the Arena was revealed until the once barren dirt now moistened was left with Stephen using the last of the water he could command to shield him in the torrential dome as the darkened pocket sucked in the rest of it.
When the storm surge had ceased, the size of the void began to wax and wane growing and shrinking erratically while pulling in the dirt around and drawing in Stephen would strain what little magic he had left to anchor himself.
The rushing water around him eroded the ground beneath them and obscured any sight of him behind the violent rush of water.
Until the shadowy pocket expanded to its greatest size and exploded. The blast being great enough to strip away his defense, throwing him through the walls, the crashing force ripped open his slowly healing wound.
With ringing eardrums, weary knees and a gaping wound, many would have forgiven him for giving up if it meant the battle would end, but–
Stephen had demonstrated more than enough times that he was quite stubborn, gripping his wound and gritting his teeth, he propped himself against the crumbling walls, pulling out a pile of bricks as he did.
From the crater in the center, Iris was left, smoking from the explosion. She now stood, barely having the strength to command her SoulArm with the petals withering away and the blossom blowing away with the cold and forceful shower raining alongside the debris.
They stared each other down, both knowing they could do very little with the magic they had.
Despite this, they stumbled onwards...taking one grueling step after the other.
Stephen took in a deep breath before charging as fast as he was able, entering the crater and hoping to end this by pinning her down, as Iris moved out of his way, stepping just out of reach with each strike that drew him closer to her.
Still, despite knowing of her awareness, he remained persistent.
Forcing her to react faster and faster as each strike got closer...it was only when she saw his next move that she saw her chance, aiming to strike him down where he was most vulnerable. Stephen rushed in, only to grab hold of her when she took charge, thrusting her fist towards him.
With her unable to escape, the two of them took to forcing their final attack with the last of their might, exchanging a single blow that sounded throughout the Arena, calling the attention of the spectators that were gripped within silence as they awaited the victory from the two seemingly frozen fighters.
"Medic!" Ms. Yuria leapt from the stands into the crater, rushing down as a fluttering blur and landed near the crown of the impact. Looking within the pit, her eyes eventually fall on them.
Witnessing their final clash, she finally called the end of the battle.
"The battle is over, the victor is Stephen Markholdz of Class 1F. The victory over the Class vs Class Battle goes to Class 1F." Raising her hand and signalling the victor to the crowd above.
Stephen had been keeled over and panting with Iris' fist in his grasp. With neither of them having any strength left, Stephen moved against her, lying slumped against him before falling back, exhausted but still awake.
The shadows of the Medical officers moving about the crater fluttered in and out of his view, while Ms. Yuria mumbled congratulations filtered in his still ringing ears.
I doubt I'm going to hear the last of this from Ketsu or even the Princess. Hmph, I'm sure everyone is doing fine. This much should be enough.'