(Ken POV)
With the first Magicka now done, it's time for the second one to commence.
"Rain Aquarius, William Walters, it's your turn to express your magic."
The two Mages who were called stood up from the stands and made their way to the stage as per instruction by the Headmaster.
Rain Aquarius, from his name itself, this guy is most probably a Water Mage but I could be wrong. I did assume Mikoto to be one earlier but all she displayed are her swordsmanship or Kenjutsu to be precise.
He is a young handsome man with blue hair like Mikoto. But unlike the Akanir, his possessed a lighter shade instead, so one could still see the distinct difference between the two colors.
He is dressed in a blue leather hooded jacket, brown cargo pants, and a pair of black combat boots. Unlike the other Nobles, his outfit is more practical for the fight.
Utilizing my Mana Sense, his Mana pool is above average, so he has that going for him. I don't remember how much his exact Mana from the first exam, but based on my estimation, I believed that it's around 2,000 maybe.
The other Mage, William Walters is as average as you can imagine. I don't sense particularly noteworthy from him, and his appearance is kind of forgettable, like a person disappearing in the crowd on the streets.
He wore a brown blazer, white polo shirt, black pants, and black boots.
Headmaster Gray, like what he did at the last match, asked the combatants if they are ready.
Both of them also nodded in response, signaling their readiness for this battle.
"Alright then... Begin!!"
Without wasting any moment, William conjured a fireball from his right hand and shot it at Rain.
It was not a bad move for him. Unleashing a spell the moment when the match started may catch some enemies off-guard.
Of course, emphasis on the word "some" as it did not include Rain in the list. The blue-haired man appeared to be experienced in battle and simply dodged the burning projectile with ease.
Rain also was no-nonsense and started to prepare his spell. He then chanted the word-
"Brine Fury."
A strong pulse of water was instantly conjured and hurled at an absurd high speed at William.
William had no time to dodge and was ultimately hit by the water attack, effectively knocking him down.
"Gah!! My eyes!!!"
Brine Fury.
When I analyzed and learned the spell, it is a powerful wave of seawater with an enormous amount of salinity. Enemies that are hit by the attack suffer greater damage and discomfort as a result. It appears that the one he used is only a quarter of its full power to maim William instead of killing him.
To think someone possessed such a potent water spell and I fucking took it, just like that.
While William was down to the ground, Rain did not stop and continued his assault by casting another spell.
"Breathless Water."
A blob of water was suddenly conjured right at William's face, denying him the chance to breathe as what the spell's name clearly implied.
"Yield, or perish from the harsh elements of water."
Wow, this Rain fellow sure is a brutal bastard. Maybe I should thank the Seven Gods that I'm fighting the Dragon lady instead of him.
That "Breathless Water" spell sure is a valuable addition to my growing arsenal of spells.
From what I comprehend, "Breathless Water" is an A-rank spell that summons a blob of water right at the enemy's face, surprising them as a result. It's quite difficult to pull it off successfully as it requires perfect manipulation of the moisture from the air to shape the water and maintain its stability so it won't fall and fail.
Hehe, it seems that I have two new spells from this Magicka.
Oh, and a freaking Fireball as well.
What is there to explain, apart from the fact that it's a freaking ball of fire.
William Walters struggled to maintain his breath as he tried to get the water out, but his efforts are all for naught.
We all cringed at the agonizing scene. But for me, I'm just thankful that I'm not at the receiving end of that troublesome spell.
"Resistance is futile. One should know their limits hence they pay ultimately with their lives."
Well, Rain does have a good point. If you don't know your limits, then there are going to be dire consequences.
As we all expected in the end, William finally gave in when he tapped the ground hastily.
Rain dispelled the spell and the blob of water vaporized. He then crossed his arms with a stoic look.
"So, you yield then?"
It took around a minute for William to catch his breath and gave his answer.
"I... Yield. Victory is yours, Water Mage."
Huh, that's fucking anti-climatic. If I were to describe this battle, then it's rather uneventful compared to the last match.
Oh, and the usual speech from the Headmaster coming right up.
"Victory goes to Rain Aquarius. While Mr. Walters' first move was brash and quick, it was not incorrect. Although such a method only works for Mages with little to no experience in the field of battle. I commend him though for learning when to give up. Since this is simply a Magicka, there's not much point in throwing your precious life. It does not matter how many times you are defeated, but you possessed only one life, so you must learn to value it."
Thus concluded the Magicka between Rain Aquarius and William Walters.
Rain also approached William and offered him a hand to stand. The latter sighed and smiled as he gratefully accepted.
Ah, one of the joys of youth. Sportsmanship at its finest.
For some reason, the girl with short brown hair and eyeglasses who was sitting beside me blushed furiously and was grinning maniacally at the scene.
Okay, if she and I ended up being accepted, I better tread lightly around her for being a weirdo.
Anyways, now came the inevitable dilemma that I've been waiting for: the Magicka between the Dragon Lady and I.
"Ah, now this match is what I'm looking forward to, a Magicka between two prodigies. Anastasia Dragonheart, Ken Bruce, kindly step to the stage."
Heh, me, a prodigy? I can't help but beam mentally at the praise.
When the two of us arrived at the stage, Anastasia looked at me challengingly.
"I sincerely hope that you won't be burned alive by the power of my Dragonfire. I expect at least a struggle from you, no matter how worthless it is going to be."
Huh, is it too late to back down now?
Welp, I don't have any definite strategy, so I'll try and make this quick, or at the very least, put up a good show.
Oh, I'm not expecting to win here or anything. I can only assume that the Dragon Lady has far more experience than me in combat.
The Headmaster smiled and gestured to us both.
"Without further ado... Begin!!!"
Alright, first spell to potentially end it all!!
"Breathless Water."
The spell instantly took effect, entrapping Anastasia with the same blob of water as Rain performed not so long ago.
(Rain POV)
I marveled shockingly at the scene at what the commoner had cast.
Breathless Water...
How in Arkadia's name was he able to perform such magic, my very own personal spell no less?!
It took two grueling years for me to create and perfect that particular spell. That was one of the reasons why I was hailed as the successor and heir of the Aquarius Noble house.
And to think that I witness a commoner of all people wielding the magic that I have personally made.
This calls for a profound investigation.
Is he an illegitimate child of an Aquarius? No, that can't be right.
Even if such is the case, only I knew the secrets of the spell. Not even did I disclosed that particular information, not even my father who is the head of our house.
And developing that spell is certainly no easy feat.
So the question is... How? How was he able to cast it?
I decided to observe the battle further before determining what I should do with this commoner.
"Ken Bruce, huh."
I also can't help but contain my smirk, finding him to be a subject of my interest.
(Ken POV)
Shit, it truly worked!!
Breathless Water sure is fucking awesome indeed!!
I saw the Dragon Lady trying to break free from the water on her face, and her attempts are proving to be fruitless.
If this goes on, then my victory is going to be assured before the other party even has the chance to retaliate.
I should use this perfect opportunity and finish with another spell once and for all.
"Rahhh!!!!"
That can't be good.
Anastasia was undeniably filled with rage as her pupils turned slit like a reptile. She then opened her mouth and unleashed a powerful flamethrower in my direction. Her action also evaporated the water, freeing herself from the spell.
Luckily, I was able to react quickly and got away from the fire. Thank the Gods for my swift reflexes.
In addition, the flamethrower that she released was no magic spell since I was not able to comprehend it. I can only assume that it's part of her biology as a fire-spewing Dragon and not some form of magic.
Well, that fucking sucks if such is the case. It would be awesome if I can breathe fire like that.
"I was not expecting you to cast the same spell as the Water Mage, mongrel. You sure are full of surprises. But it does not matter, none can withstand the heat of Dragonfire!!"
Well... Shit.
"Dragonfire Ball."
A remarkable fireball was conjured from Anastasia's right hand and it was sent flying right at me.
That did not stop there as the onslaught continued. A barrage of Dragonfire Balls was conjured non-stop, causing me no time to prepare for another spell as I dodge one fireball after another.
Tsk, if it was weren't for my endurance as a farmer constantly basking in the heat of the sun every day doing hard labor ever since I was a kid, then I certainly was going to be Dragon toast.
Hey, this was like playing a game of dodgeball together with my village friends after work. The only difference here is that said dodgeball is a flaming ball of death.
"Why don't you be a good dog and stand still!!!"
Anastasia was no doubt frustrated as her Dragonfire balls weren't even hitting me.
Hah, 4th-time Dodgeball champion of Rivershire here!!
Thankfully, she knew when to stop and withdrew her assault.
"For a commoner, you sure don't know when to submit to your betters."
"Oh, I know how, but I don't see anyone better than me right here."
"You!!!!"
I'm not exactly sure if it was wise to taunt a Dragon like that. Either it was bravery or simply plain stupidity.
But the flustered look on her face is definitely worth seeing, hahaha.
Although now that Breathless Water is out of the equation in this battle, I need to rethink a better spell to cast against her.
Alright, let's try something weaker for now.
"Fireball."
I conjured the fire spell and threw it at Anastasia.
She didn't even bother to get away from the spell and stood confidently on her very spot, much to my utter confusion.
The fireball inevitably hit her, resulting in a huge explosion upon impact.
"Woah, that was easy."
When the smoke cleared, my surprise instantly skyrocketed when Anastasia was completely unharmed.
Heck, even her clothes did not get burnt, much to my disappointment.
God-fucking-damn it. At least let one of them get burned!! I wanted to see more of her sexy legs!!!
But on a serious note, I truly am baffled as to why she was unaffected. Not even a single scratch or burn was present on her body.
"Seriously, mongrel? Launching a fire spell against a Dragon of all people? You do realize that since we are creatures of fire, we are naturally immune to it. Well, except our very own flames that is. But since you are no Dragon, what hope have you got against me?"
Well, that's inconvenient. If they are invulnerable to fire, then Fireball is a big no right here.
Wait, she did mention something about her flames being an exception.
Hoh, if that's the case, then her arrogance will be her downfall here.
I then conjured another fireball, but this time, it was slightly different.
I felt a weird sensation the moment when I cast this spell though. Like something has shifted inside me that I can't really explain.
It's like my confidence level got boosted just by utilizing this magic.
"Oh, another Fireball, I see. Very well, mongrel, I'll indulge in yet another of your pathetic attempts."
Yup, pompous Dragon lady indeed.
I shot the "Fireball" without hesitation and send it flying rapidly.
When the spell hit her, Anastasia's eyes widened with fury at what just happened to her.
She was hurt, burned badly at her left arm, together with the fabric of her sleeve.
Pain was evident as she felt the collision of the spell. Not to mention, the searing agony that was accompanied by it.
"W-what's the meaning of this!!!???? I, a Dragon, got hurt by a feeble fire spell??!! Explain yourself this instant, mongrel!!!"
I simply smirk in triumphant at how I was able to injure her. It seemed that victory is not an impossibility then.
After all, I answered her contempt back with a taste of her own medicine, her very own flames of the Dragon.
The Dragonfire ball.
Yet another spell added to my collection.
But for some reason, I still can't help but shake off this strange feeling of superiority that I felt when using this magic.