[Now, we'll be starting the next match! Before we introduce the contestants, we'll be changing the stage once more!]
The holographic screen switched to the Landscaper selector. It had the symbol of a mountain.
[Time to spin!]
Ravi shouted as the selector spun until it landed on a star symbol.
[Ooh...]
Ravi gasped.
['We were told by the staff that this stage was rare. Is it not lucky that we see it today?']
Sakai asked.
[Yes, indeed it is! We get to see the Astral Plain!]
On the edge of the Colosseum's exterior, metal plates expanded outward, closing the stadium entirely like a dome. Once the Colosseum was cloaked in darkness, the audience began to question things. All until the Colosseum's ceiling became a starry sky. It looked like night had appeared inside the stadium. Along with the starry sky came asteroids. They were floating in the air similar to the boulders of the last stage.
The earthly floor swapped itself for a much smoother and grey floor. It was a little uneven but not as much as the floor before it.
Three, hot, floating balls of heat--like suns--were floating about. Their temperature could toast a Streia but the uniform prevented this.
[Let us welcome our two contestants this time! Raijin and Alix!]
The two exited out of their respective gates and stopped closer to each other compared to Anastasia and Daiyu.
Alix had a dagger on her thigh, in a sheath, meanwhile, Raijin was unarmed.
[Without further ado, let's get the party started! With me now!]
["3!"]
["2!"]
["1!"]
There was a loud beep and the match started.
As soon as the loud beep was heard, Raijin almost instantly made his move. Raijin had the sole purpose of winning.
Though his strengths were in defence and stamina, there was no need to make the battle a battle of attrition without fully knowing his opponent's capabilities. He dashed forward.
Responding to this, Alix stepped back and cloaked her body with mana. The mana would act as a barrier or shield, though, it could be broken.
Raijin came to a sudden stop in front of Alix, who was ready to tank an attack and leapt backwards.
"Gather the shards to slay my foe; Ice Lance!"
He chanted.
Ice formed in his hand and formed a spear. He gripped it and threw it at her. The spear grazed her hip, creating a rip in her mana barrier but not injuring her in the slightest.
Alix ran forward slightly and repeated Raijin's motions.
"Gather the shards to slay my foe; Ice Lance!"
As an ice spear formed in her hands, Raijin put his arms forward to block, coating them in mana; the spear scrapped his cheek, creating a cut.
[Oh? Will this be some sort of quick cast mirror match?]
Ravi asked the question which was on everyone's mind after seeing that display.
Sakai watched silently.
The girl forged her way forward. She took the dagger out of its sheath. As she reached for Raijin, she swiped at him. He was able to read her moves. Alix continued her relentless slashes.
Ravi seemed to be confused by something.
[Why is it that 1v1s always have close-ranged fighting?]
['I guess you could say that the physical body is the most powerful and useful weapon for a Streia. No, even for a normal human being.']
[I guess you do have a point!]
The boy was able to read Alix's attack pattern. He caught her wrist as she swiped at him. Then raising his free hand at her. However, Alix did the same.
They chanted at the same time.
"Shock mercilessly and profoundly; Shock Voltage!"
Both their hands sparked violently as they cast Shock Voltage. Their spells collided sending both of them backwards. Raijin was able to recover quickly. While being sent backwards, he was being sent in the direction of a fake sun, he luckily managed to recover quick enough and dodge it.
Alix was also able to recover quickly. There was not any serious damage done to either of them since they had cloaked themselves in mana.
Raijin's eyes seemed to widen as he stared at Alix.
"No way... You're..."
Alix gave a pale smile. Her aura of innocence soon faded.
"You finally figured it out."
They continued their mirror match of spells. Meanwhile, Ravi and Sakai were commentating. (Of course, the contestants could not hear a single word.)
[Yeah, I mean, why is the kid so shocked? He probably thought he was some sort of genius since he knew two sub-elements but now he's found out about the real world. Ah, kids these days.]
There were some laughs from the audience.
['No, the fact that she countered the spell with the same spell is not the biggest problem.']
Sakai started.
[Hm? Elaborate, please, Sakai.]
['The problem was the timing.']
[The timing?]
Ravi thought back slightly.
[Well, yeah, now that you mentioned it, they chanted the same spell at the same time. Unless she can read his mind, then...]
Ravi gasped slightly and turned to Sakai.
[Are you saying that she has some sort of mind reading Singularity?!]
Sakai seemed a little conflicted. She did not expect Ravi to be this childish and simple-minded.
['No, well, that is a possibility, but to me...']
Ice crumbled into pieces as Raijin and Alix threw Ice Lances at each other. Raijin then prepared his next spell.
"God of Fire, heed my call and incinerate this sinner; Incinerator!"
They chanted together while their flamethrower-like spells collided.
['It looks like copying.']
She finished.
[Copying?]
['Yes, I mean, earlier, when their Ice Lances collided. Alix let Raijin chant first. She knew an Ice spell was coming. It's common sense that Ice magic can be stopped by both Fire magic and Water magic. Instead, she decided to chant the same spell. Maybe, she can only chant spells that she can copy. A Conditional Singularity, perhaps.']
[Conditional Singularity?]
['Those in the Streia course do not learn this until second-year but... There are different types of Singularities. The one Anastasia used was in the Active group since she had to manually activate it. Alix's one, if her Singularity is what I say it is, then it would be a part of the Passive group since it is not something she can turn off and on. There are, of course, more types of Singularities but those do not matter now.']
Alix dodged Raijin's blow and kicked his abdomen. He was able to tank the blow and he hit her directly with a knee to the face. She stumbled back slightly. Her nose was bleeding a little.
"No mercy to women, huh?"
Alix asked, wiping her nose.
"Don't like it?"
"The opposite, in fact."
They both raised their arms out and chanted.
"Spark with my resolve; Lightning!"
Their spells clashed once more.
['This is a hypothesis which I can prove in a second but... I believe there is a reason as to why Alix is only copying Raijin's spells.']
Sakai muttered.
[What reason exactly?]
The holographic screen, which was only visible to the audience, appeared and showed both Raijin's and Alix's pictures. Underneath was a green bar, Raijin's one was nearly depleted, meanwhile, Alix's one was nearly at half.
['Mana consumption. This whole time, she planned to win by making his mana run out. Seems like copying uses less mana than performing an actual spell.']
Sakai smiled.
['She's a real deal copy.']
She quipped.
Ravi stared at her.
[Was that supposed to be... some sort of joke?]
Sakai ignored him and watched the match come to a close.
Raijin struggled but, eventually, his mana ran out and Lighting was cancelled. He was shocked, as a result, knocking him out.
Alix looked down at Raijin and scooped her hair with her hand, sweating slightly.
[Win via knockout! Alix wins! The score between Japan and China is tied!]