"Activate Air Step!" Gray activated a spell.
[Air Step(B-rank): Grant the user to have footing on air for 5 minutes.]
He is running on the air, trying to escape from the area, but Eva immediately chanted her spell.
"Oh no you don't! Activate Skate Master, Activate Lightweight!"
[Skate Master(B-rank): Grant the ability to skate on any surface like ice, sand, ground, snow, or water for 5 minutes.]
[Lightweight(C-rank): Lightened the caster body for nimbler movement for two minutes.]
Eva's body emitting dim orange colour and she is visibly getting faster, skating on the slippery ice surface after she performs her spells. She targeted Gray with her arrows and every single of it did not miss the target, but Gray just fend them off with his sword.
While on the other side, Raphe looks like try to have a close counter battle with Helena. She just uses a simple ice magic which she conjures from her wand.
"Wand skill: Ice crystals!"
As the name sounds, it indicates the shape of the crystallite ice magic. Every single of it directed to Raphe but he was able to dodge it because of the low momentum. Perhaps the magical energy in the core embed in the SACRED device is almost at its limit. A SACRED device has its own magical energy stored inside it, and every student have the same type of core for the SACRED device. If the magic conjured is strong, the more magical energy it will use, as simple as that. However, a SACRED device can charge the magical energy as every core has that function. A complex and powerful spell need more magical energy simultaneously need a considerable amount of time to charge compared to simple and amateur level spell. Same goes to a magical weapon.
Since Helena had released her ultimate power, her wand magical energy must have lost all its magical energy, so now it's recovering, and she is using her SACRED device to protect herself.
"You can't run forever!" Raphe said to Helena while sprinting to her.
He tried to strike her with his war axe while Helena just barely able to defend herself with the ice magic. Ace is still trapped in the barrier, knowing he is unable to do anything, his face shows a little bit of frustration.
"I bet Ace is frustrated that he can't do nothing…" I stated my thoughts.
"Of course, he is. He has prepared more than ever for this tournament, but to think there is some team that able to get their hands on powerful magic with that first-rate combination technique… Generally, no one would ever think of that because synchronising two different magic is hard," Elea replied.
"I've heard that synchronising two different magic can be disadvantages since the magics can collide and cancelled each other. The composition of magical energy particles must be compatible to each other," Quinn added.
"By composition you mean—" I tried to ask but was cut in by Elea.
"The structure of the magical energy itself. In Magic Analysis Program, they learned about the structure of magical energy in a magic. A powerful magic has more complex and robust composition of magical energy particles compared to weaker magic. Thus, to combine magics mean to have multiple magic works as one potent, formidable attack with all the effects in action or producing a whole new effect. Let's say, a fire element magic and a water element magic were to combine, usually a succeeded synchronisation attempt will produce as the vapour element, but a failed attempt will cause one of the elements to be nullified because of the other one. If the water element magical energy has denser composition than the fire element, the result will appear to be poor," Elea explained.
"I see. But how do we want to know whether the magics composition are compatible or not?" I asked again.
"By the rank of the magic, an A-rank magic usually have similar complex composition with other A-rank magic. But depends on the amount of magical energy output, if one of them is unbalanced, the synchronisation won't work," Quinn answered.
"I see…"
I just realised how clueless I am compared to Quinn and Elea. Wait, Quinn? Oh yes, I forgot he is like that main character with everything.
"Eh, but Elea, how do you know so much about the structure of the magical energy?"
"Well, I am a Magic Analysis Program student after all," Elea answered.
"Oh… that's why…" That cleared my curiosity.
"We did learn about it a little in class Evans…" Quinn reminded.
"Ah yes! I kind of… um… forgot…"
"You are sleeping that's why…" expression is written all over Quinn face while looking at me.
"It's okay, I think for now we should just see what Ace will do to counter that, the wisest thing is to weaken the one of the casters. Either he destroys any of the magic, he can release himself form the magic and engaged in the fight," Elea stated her thought.
"Ace is so strong yet to be captured by that… That magic must be an A-rank to S-rank, right?" I assumed.
"Not really. Frankly, it may as between A-rank and B-rank magic. It is not as powerful, but it is just too effective to the target. If it was a B-class ogre chieftain or other monster with the same level, they could break the magic with pure strength," Elea clarified.
Helena looks exhausted from dodging all the strike from Raphe. Not all actually, Raphe succeed to bleed her on several part of her body. I guess that what makes a close-range fighter is more beneficial than a long range. They have more energy from the training.
As for Eva, the fight is still lit. They are having their fights inside the Ice Cage, giving their best, attracting the attentions from the whole arena. Her moves are swift and keep firing on Gray with her arrows. Gray try to run at first but since Eva has been punching him with arrows, he needs to confront Eva and end the game.
"THE FIGHT IS ON FIRE!! GRAY IS BEING PUSHED BACK BY ANGELA'S ARROW!"
Carl's voice has somehow irritated me. No offense.
"WOW LOOK AT THAT! WHAT A SWIFT MOVEMENT! ANGELA SKATING ON THE ICE AS IF SHE ALREADY CONQUERED THE AREA! GRAY HAVE NO PLACE TO RUN OR HIDE! TO CATCH HER IS MOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM EVEN WITH THE SPELL 'SPEEDSTER' THAT HE ACTIVATED!" Hana continued.
"Come on Gray, come get me!" Eva provoking her opponent.
"Curse you!!"
After his attempt to get away from the Ice Cage failed, he tried to catch Eva on the slippery surface while swinging his sword against Eva arrows, defending himself. In my opinion, Gray has quite the good eyesight to block the arrows because usually, it's extremely hard to see the arrow which went directly to someone's face, catching or blocking with sword is almost impossible. The feat shown by Gray show that he has trained so much to fend off those arrows.
"Finally! Fully charged!" Gray declared.
Gray stand in a position as early in the battle where he unleashed his ultimate attack to Helena and Eva.
"Activate Power Factor!"
[Power Factor(B-rank): Create a factor to increase the magic output of a magic attack two times stronger.]
"It's your lost now Arrow Queen!!!"
The sudden wind force from the pre-activation of Gray's ultimate pushed Eva to the back reaching the wall of the ice cage. Gray coming closer to her perhaps to ensure she won't be able to dodge the skill. From the look at it, she won't have enough time to get away if the large crescent-like slash technique is to be unleashed from that position. Jumping won't be a wise position since Gray has that air-step spell to move while stepping on the air. What will she do? Will she just accept it? As the range is become much closer, Gray releases his skill.
"Aria Ultimate: Mountain Breaker!!"
The ultimate he just released look two times more powerful and deadly than before. If this is a real battle, I think that skill would eventually kill multiple C-class monster or even a B-class monster.
"I won't lose!!" Eva yells.
Eva takes out one of her magical arrows which she hasn't use since the beginning of the battle, the unknown arrow.
"Take this, my ultimate arrow!"
She fired her arrow directly to Gray ultimate technique.
"What the hell is that arrow!! I haven't seen an arrow that can do that!" I surprised by the power showed by the arrow.
"Is that arrow absorbing the ultimate attack from Gray?" Quinn questioned.
"Yeah… the arrow goes and absorbing the magical energy from the slash technique…" I answered still in state of surprise.
I watched Elea reaction and catch her expression with her mouth gapes a little bit, expressing her amazement to the action performed by Eva. Perhaps she hasn't seen the effect like that either. Even I was amazed with the capability of the arrow. I haven't seen any arrow in my life, capable of absorbing other magic attack. The arena screen showed it clearly, the moment the arrow collides with the slash, the slash's magical energy composition was break and sucked into the arrow as the arrow keep moving to Gray, striking him in the stomach, thus send him flying to the back reaching the ice cage's wall.
"Argh!!" Gray groaned out of pain from the impact.
Eva was a little bit gasping from the after effect of the attack. She goes to Gray, picking up her magic arrow just now. Gray is not moving an inch from his spot. Perhaps he's collapsed.
"It's my victor…"
Before Eva finished her sentences, Gray swing his sword against her, successfully grazed her belly a little.
"Argh!!"
Eva shouted from the pain and fall to the stage. That is dangerous, the wound can get serious if she gets cut deeper! Gray try to stand up but using his sword to lift himself. He also received quite a serious damage from Eva's arrow.
"I've got you know, Arrow Queen!" Gray said while breathing heavily.
Eva who currently holding herself from the pain, she forced a smile as if she had another plan in mind.
"You already injured. You think you can fight me!?" Gray asked.
"Activate Smoke Screen!!" Eva casted a spell.
[Smoke Screen(E-rank): Conjure white smokes to cover the area.]
A cloud of white smoke emerged from Eva's spots, spreading hence covering the area them both. The whole crowds can't see what happened between those two. While everyone is focus on Eva and Gray battle, a voice from the stage is heard on the speaker as he is activating his skill. Apparently, it was…
"Sword skill: Whirlwind!"
Ace unleashed his sword skill, producing a massive cyclone, moving towards the ice cage, destroying it with the violent wind force producing an extremely loud shattering sound echoing in the whole arena. The moment I turned my eyes to Ace, Raphe already lying down to the ground being unconscious with Helena standing behind him.
I see, that is why Ace is able to get out from the barrier. Helena got Raphe knocked out.
"Activate Speedster."
He uses the same spell as Gray, running towards Eva after the smokes have vanished from the wind force.
"Are you okay, Eva?" He asked to Eva right after he arrived.
"I-I'm, okay… and I'm Angela right now…" Eva replied looking tired and still holding her wounds.
Ace carry her in his hands, quickly bring her to Helena at the back.
"Please Helena," Ace requesting something to her.
If the wound was extreme, the fight might be stopped, and the medic team will enter the stage to bring the wounded to treatment room.
"Leave it to me, you just need to finish that guy," Helena replied.
"Consider it done," Ace replied and raced back to Gray location.
"Activate Healing."
[Healing(B-rank): Heal any wounds or damage that is not fatal.]
Helena performs a healing spell on Eva. Eva's body emits dim green light and in a second, and her wounds was completely healed in several second.
As Ace almost reached to Gray—
"Activate Magic Wall!"
[Magic Wall(D-rank): Conjure a magic wall as a barrier once.]
Marcy chanted a spell. She has awakened and immediately tried to help Gray with her ability.
"Are you okay Gray?" She asked to Gray looking terribly worried.
"I am. Looks like Plan A failed. Let's do plan B," Gray replied.
"But that is…" Marcy responded as if tried to oppose the plan.
"It's okay, don't worry," Gray insisted on his decision.
"Alright, I understand!" Marcy agreed and nodded.
A second later, Ace destroyed the magical barrier with just a swing of his sword. He can just slash the barrier and keep moving to Gray, but why did he stop… perhaps, he want to give him time to recover. He must have been patiently waiting to enjoy the fight.
"Activate Healing! Activate Magical Energy Surge! Activate Grand Power!"
[Grand Power(A-rank): Greatly increased the target overall strength with improved magical output for 10 minutes.]
Gray body completely healed, and his magical energy increased from the Magical Energy Surge spell.
"Grand Power is a high level even among A-rank spells!!" Quinn shocked to know Marcy has that kind of spell.
"Yeah, it's not even common among students, on top of that, the spell is expensive. It's increased the target overall combat sense and greatly improve strength. It makes the user overall ability and magical energy as good as a professional monster slayer," Elea replied.
A professional monster slayer is the individual that can actually kill a group of gargoyles or ogres alone which needs their combat senses, strength, and every attribute across the board to be top-notch. If Gray has that much power, he may give a good fight to Ace, for now.
"Activate Speedster."
Gray body started to emit intense magical energy. That is probably the effect from the Magical Energy Surge from Marcy. Now this fight will be interesting.
"Ace, let me cover—"
"It's okay Angela, let me handle this," Ace refused Eva's help.
Eva nodded without any argument.
Gray walks towards Ace, wielding his sword, ready to strike anytime. Same goes for Ace.
"You think you may don't need support, but I could even be stronger than you are right now you know?" Gray warned.
"It's okay, I will face you with my own power," Ace replied as paying no heed to the warning.
"Heh, DON'T BE SO ARROGANT!!" Gray shouted with rage.
"Come. Activate fortify body."
Ace perform his spell which is the same as one that I have in my SACRED device. Right when their blade clashes, a loud clanging sound produced. They keep traded slashes with powerful force, producing wind force from each wild clashing. The fight is intense. Their other teammates just watch they are going on the middle of the stage, with the crowds cheering them on with reverberating screams throughout the whole arena.