Next up is Flora vs Elara. Ah, now this should be an interesting match. I don't know much about Elara, so this is a good opportunity to see where she stands. Both of them walk up to the platform, smiles on their faces. It seems like they already know each other.
Elara waves at Flora. "Hey Flora~ I missed you~ Hehe, let's have a fun time!" The last time I talked to her she was so busy. If only we had time to chat.
Flora smiles back. "Hey Elara. How about we get lunch after class? I know someone who can cook quite well~" V has been cooking for the other girls. He wouldn't mind if we join him, right?
"Enough chit-chat," Professor Ayla interrupts.
Elara pushes her vibrant blue hair back, and her striking purple eyes glow. "Hehehe~ Don't blame me for making the first move, Flora."
She starts spreading what seems like mist throughout the platform. Wait, hold on. Does she have a high water affinity?
"Mist? Is this an attack?" Flora seems puzzled. What's the point of wasting mana just to create mist? What is she up to? I don't think she's messing around, so I better be careful.
Elara grins. Hehe~ I can only do this because of my artifact. You better be careful~ It's taxing. It consumes lots of mana, and I need a high concentration to do this. But since Nyssa asked me to show off, I guess I'll do this.
In the next instant, the mist sharpens into thousands of needle-like spikes of water, shooting at Flora at breakneck speed. Interestingly, she seems to be intentionally ignoring Flora's weak points. Is she toying with her?
Flora reacts quickly, scattering seeds onto the ground. Within moments, they grow into thick vines, shielding her from Elara's water needles. Oh my God, that was so cool! Does she have other attacks like that? That was amazing. However, I can't let them down. You guys want me to win right? Flora pats her vines.
Elara grins and takes out a potion containing a bright light. Is that a fire potion? Hmm, so this means that although her water affinity is high, her fire affinity must be near zero.
Elara tosses the potion at the vines, and the fire spreads instantly. "Hehehe, let's see how you like my fire~" I always carry fire with me; don't take this personally, Flora.
Flora notices the fire consuming her protective vines and exclaims, "EeHHH!?" Ah, no! Fire! How could she? No no no no! It hurts, why does it hurt so much? I'm so sorry, please, stop crying.
"Elara! You cheat! This isn't fair! Ah, it's in pain!" She makes the vines shake violently, only making the situation worse. She turns toward Elara, her expression a mix of anger and disappointment. From her bag, she grabs a handful of seeds. "Fire hurts them more than anything else!"
Flora scatters the seeds across the platform, and almost immediately, dozens of new plants sprout up. The arena is transformed into a small forest.
"Flora, calm down. This is supposed to be a friendly duel," Elara stammers. Oh no, I messed up. I knew people with plant affinities can feel what plants feel, but I didn't know it was to this extent. "I'm sorry, Flora. I won't do it again."
Professor Ayla sighs deeply. Her abilities are extremely similar to Flora's, and she can feel the plants' suffering as well. Striding up to the platform, she forcefully takes control of the plants away from Flora, and then knocks her out with a wave of a hand. Sigh, since V told her to train under me, I have no choice but to teach her. Her connection to the plants has deepened after her recent breakthrough; she needs time to adjust. Honestly, I'd rather be sipping some wine back in my office right now. Tsk, those bastards, what the hell is the vice-principal up to now? What is he trying to drag me into?
Professor Ayla carries the unconscious Flora off the stage. "Next match, Arin vs Ariadne."
Ah, so it's them now. I don't think Arin will win this one; he's a healer. Unless he's been training in hand-to-hand combat, he won't last a minute. Ariadne, on the other hand, is a mage. Although her abilities primarily fall under the category of support, she can execute basic attacks.
Arin hesitates for a moment before speaking up. "Uhm, excuse me, Professor, could I possibly forfeit?" There's no way I can beat Ariadne, and I'd rather not waste everyone's time.
Professor Calix smiles kindly. "Of course! There's no need to feel bad. You're a healer, so we understand your situation. That being said, this is a loss for Class A."
Arin walks back to his seat, feeling a bit relieved but also embarrassed. Did the professor really have to emphasize that it's a loss for the class? Ariadne seems relieved as well, which is a bit surprising. Maybe she didn't want to harm me in the first place.
"Alright, let's start the next match right away," Professor Calix announces. "Isadora and Gareth, please step onto the platform."
Ah, this is going to be one heck of a showdown. Isadora, considered the strongest in the grade, steps on the platform. Gareth, with a physique that testifies to his muscular abilities, follows suit, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hahaha! This is going to be a blast!" Gareth exclaims. That cat-like bitch stopped the progress in the tournament so I couldn't fight the strongest, this is one hell of a blessing. "I've been waiting for the day I get to beat the strongest." Everyone has told me that no matter what I do, I will never beat her. I don't necessarily disagree, but a man's got to dream!
As Isadora assesses Gareth, who stands there empty-handed, she suddenly sheathes her sword and begins stretching her limbs. Wait, what's happening? Is she not planning to use her sword against him?
Interesting...Isadora wants to be an expert in every weapon. It seems like she's considering hand-to-hand combat as another form of weaponry. Very interesting. Well, I guess it's necessary if she wants to improve in general. She never managed to reach the level of weapons master since it requires dozens of years to master a single weapon. Since I'm here, I might as well help her achieve her dream.
In the brief moment that hung between them, Gareth's aura flared brilliantly around him, his muscles bulging out even more than before. With a burst of speed that belied his muscular build, he charged at Isadora. "I heard so much about you! They call you a monster, so please don't let me down!" Is she looking down on me? Why is she fighting barehanded when everyone knows she's a sword master? Tsk, don't underestimate me!
Gareth faked a punch, aiming to land a swift kick instead. To his surprise, Isadora effortlessly blocked it, and she barely budged an inch from her spot.
Isadora simply blinks a few times and for some damn reason is looking my way. Sigh... weak... coconut...I want one.
Using Gareth's momentum against him, she deftly twisted his arm, turning his own body weight into a liability before launching him back with a powerful kick.
Rubbing his shoulder, Gareth grinned, "I see, despite your structure, you're still a goddamn monster. I guess I can't win like this." Gritting his teeth, he proceeded to do something awesome. His muscles seemed to compress, making him appear slimmer and smaller. A jet of steam hissed out from his body as he underwent the transformation. "Hahaha! Although this hurts like hell, it makes quite a difference."
With a surge of unimaginable speed, Gareth was suddenly in front of Isadora, his fist aimed at her face. Isadora's eyes widened just a fraction, a slight surprise flashing across her normally emotionless visage. She bent backward almost 90 degrees to evade the punch. Gareth, however, had expected this and followed up with a kick.
Isadora blocked the kick, but the force sent her hurtling through the air at a high speed. She blinked a few times in mid-air. Based on her expression, she seemed more surprised than hurt. As she neared the edge of the platform, her fingers dug into the reinforced ground, shattering it.
"How did she—?" Gareth was shocked but didn't let that stop him. With another burst of speed, he was right beside her. "I won't let you win!"
Isadora, standing upright now, looked at Gareth, her face unreadable. Gareth was now left to ponder, how did she do that? That punch should have sent her flying out of the gym!
Before Gareth can even contemplate his next move, Isadora bridges the gap between them in a blur. His eyes widen, adrenaline coursing through him. "I won't let you win!" he groans, attempting a counterattack.
But to his and everyone else's surprise, Isadora doesn't just deceive him with one or two feints. She pulls off a series of fake moves, one after another, a total of five times, leaving Gareth utterly bewildered. As she gracefully dances around his flustered form, she suddenly lashes out, sending a kick that propels him with enough force to plaster him against the wall. The impact reverberates through the gym, leaving everyone stunned.
Class B's students glance at Gareth, now sprawled on the floor, a mix of disbelief and annoyance on their faces. They then turn their attention away, confident that he'll eventually come to.
Isadora, looking unruffled, casually strolls down from the platform, her eyes fixed on me. There's a peculiar intensity in her gaze. As she approaches, she pauses, blinks a few times, and then extends her hand expectantly towards me.
Honestly, what does she expect me to do? Before the question can linger any longer in my mind, it dawns on me. Of course...Ugh, seriously.
I hastily rummage through my bag, retrieving a fresh coconut and handing it to her. Without saying a word, she takes it and makes her way to the back of the class, probably seeking a quiet corner to enjoy her peculiar victory treat.
I feel a light tremor next to me. Glancing sideways, I see Lysandra, her fingers quivering, her eyes fixated on Isadora's retreating figure. The intensity of her gaze is almost palpable. "I want to fight her," she whispers, her voice trembling.
I sigh deeply. "That would be something, wouldn't it?" I say more to myself than to her. A duel between Lysandra and Isadora would undoubtedly be the highlight of any match. If they were to clash, wouldn't Isadora earn the title of a dragon slayer? But I ain't going to let that happen any time soon.
Professor Calix's voice reverberates through the gym, "What a fun fight, right? Now next up will be Rai vs Luna."
As Rai and Luna make their way up to the stage, I lean in to whisper to Lysandra, who's still absorbed in her own world of potential duels. "Look, your opponent is just as good as Isadora. When it's your turn, make sure to only cover yourself slightly in mana, pretending you have a layer of protection."
On the platform, Rai mumbles, "H-hello, l-let's have a good match." Goddamn, she's gorgeous! I don't know if I can fight her. Is she seriously in class B? She's my type for sure, hehehe~ Since I'm handsome she'll definitely go on a date with me.
Luna looks at him with a raised eyebrow and sighs. "Let's get this over with," she says, her voice dripping with annoyance. I know that look. She's sizing him up, mentally dissecting his abilities and potential weaknesses.
Both fighters get into their stances. Luna readies her bow, and it catches my attention immediately. Is that an artifact? I can see the intricate carvings on the bow's body and sense a unique aura emanating from it. Weird, I don't recall her ever having any artifact.
Rai draws his sword, which also looks far from ordinary, but Luna doesn't seem impressed. In fact, she looks downright annoyed. Is he a simp? Seriously? This can't be real right? Why did I have to get stuck with a dumbass like him?
With a swift motion, Luna looses her arrows. They sail through the air, shimmering with constantly changing elements—fire, water, earth, and even lightning. Rai covers himself in his lightning affinity and dodges with finesse. He's grinning like a fool. Wow, her arrows are awesome! Does she have lightning arrows as well?!
Noticing that her elemental surprise hasn't thrown him off, Luna adjusts her aim, targeting specific points around Rai, trying to corner him. Just as it seems she's succeeded, Rai bursts forward, stopping just inches away from her.
"Hehe, don't you like my speed?" Rai says, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Reacting swiftly, Luna changes her tactics. She swings her bow like a melee weapon and strikes him in the gut. Shit... don't care me like that. Tsk, I can keep up with his speed but in order to do that I have to let go of this bow.