As Blaze swiftly evaded Aurora's assault, he dove to the side and rolled back onto his feet, displaying his agility once again. The onslaught of icy projectiles came hurtling towards him, and while most narrowly missed their mark, a few managed to find their target. Thankfully, his uniform acted as a shield, saving him from the full impact of the piercing icicles.
Meanwhile, Cherry's attack followed suit, striking the very spot Blaze had previously occupied. The force of her strike shattered the ground, leaving behind a shallow crater, while a powerful shockwave grazed his face. A sudden stillness descended upon the chaotic scene. Everybody turned to the battle.
Students were engaged in an intense battle, each striving to hone their elemental abilities. Despite the ferocity of their clashes, they weren't performing a die-hard battle, aiming only to refine their skills and improve their mastery over their respective elements.
However, Aurora and Cherry stood apart from the rest, their focus fixed solely on Blaze without holding back. They regarded him as a force to be reckoned with, believing that his nearly filled liquid core bestowed upon him immense power. Consequently, they unleashed their full might against him, determined to test his mettle and ascertain the true extent of his capabilities.
"Hey, I think there's a misunderstanding somewhere," Blaze broke the eerily silent atmosphere.
As Cherry's body ignited in flames, responding to Blaze's words, a surge of fiery energy enveloped her. Simultaneously, Aurora manifested a narrow sword crafted from ice, gripping it tightly in her hand.
Without hesitation, Cherry lunged towards Blaze, her fist ablaze with searing heat. Reacting with lightning reflexes, Blaze swiftly evaded her attack by shifting to the side. However, amid his evasion, a crystal sword materialized, slashing dangerously close to his neck. To avoid the icy blade's deadly trajectory, Blaze executed a graceful backward flip, narrowly escaping the perilous strike.
Upon landing, a distinct scent of singed hair wafted into Blaze's nostrils, prompting him to instinctively reach up and touch his hair. He discovered a small section that had been sung from the residual heat of Cherry's fiery assault.
In a breathtaking display of agility, Cherry lunged at Blaze with the grace of a swift panther, her legs ablaze like fiery cutters. Blaze, acutely aware of the consequences of a mere slight misstep, leaped far to the side, evading danger and the potential loss of his hair. Yet, Cherry was relentless, swiftly following up with a lightning-quick strike that aimed at Blaze's face.
Responding with lightning reflexes, Blaze arched his body in a mesmerizing display of flexibility, causing Cherry's attack to pass over him without making contact, a testament to his sheer determination and skill. However, as Blaze regained his footing, his eyes widened in sheer astonishment as another leg, moving with the precision of a slashed knife, materialized before him. Alas, evading its trajectory was now an impossibility.
With the devastating force of a thrown hammer, Aurora's leg crashed into Blaze's chest, delivering a bone-shattering impact that sent him hurtling backward through the air. The sheer intensity of the collision forced Blaze to expel a mouthful of blood upon landing, the taste of iron mingling with the air.
Sensing the need for a tactical pause, both Cherry and Aurora momentarily ceased their assault, allowing Blaze to unsteadily rise to his feet.
'Their fitness and speed are the same, only the elements' intensity has changed. Casting those fancy and colossal spells cost them much mana for their level. All the nobles are staring at me like a tiger observing its prey. If I'm too weak, they will attack me in the future.' Although Blaze had been overwhelmed during the fight, he picked subtle details an inexperienced fighter would have missed.
As Blaze regained his footing, a determined expression crossed his face. Closing his eyes, he focused his energy, causing moisture to swirl and gather before him. Gradually, a plain, short sword sculpted from water levitated in front of him. With a deliberate motion, Blaze opened his eyes, causing the water sword to gradually transform into solid ice. Another ice sword materialized alongside it.
The edges of the swords were blunt, a result of Blaze's less-than-proficient mana manipulation. He had chosen to create short swords rather than a katana or a longer blade, recognizing that in the heat of battle, such fragile weapons would likely break. Pragmatism guided his choices.
Without hesitation, Blaze firmly grasped the handles of the two ice swords hovering before him. However, he maintained the connection of mana, mindful that severing it would risk his hands becoming encased in frost.
However, the creation of the weapons had already depleted a significant portion of his mana, halving its reserves. Fancy spells were beyond his current capabilities. Blaze understood that if he attempted to freeze water or perform intricate magic, Aurora and Cherry would swiftly overwhelm him in their combined assault.
"You want to play? Let's play!" Blaze roared with determination, his movements mirroring the grace and ferocity of a prowling tiger as he swiftly dashed toward both Cherry and Aurora.
Having attained the liquid core, Blaze's physical prowess now matched his previous fitness on Earth. The synchronization between his mind and body allowed him to perform intricate footwork effortlessly, no longer an impossible feat.
However, before Blaze could even reach Cherry and Aurora, both of them swiftly bolted towards him, matching his speed and intensity.
Cherry, her body engulfed in flames, resembled a raging phoenix, embodying the untamed fury of fire. Her presence exuded an intensity and ferocity that threatened to consume everything in her path.
Aurora, with her sword in hand and her white hair flowing like a cascade of snow, emanated a regal aura, resembling a goddess of winter warfare. The combination of her icy blade and ethereal appearance painted her as a formidable figure, capable of freezing her opponents in their tracks.
But to Blaze, they were the targets and he's going to smite them. It has been ages since he went into full battle mode. All this while, his brain did the full work, and his body just performed a little job.
With lightning-like swiftness, Cherry surged forward, her speed surpassing even that of Aurora. Like a panther in full flight, she lunged towards Blaze, her feet leaving the ground as she hurled a punch with the force of a loose cannon. Yet, Blaze stood ready, his senses honed and his reflexes primed.
As Cherry's attack neared, time seemed to slow down for Blaze. He calculated the trajectory, analyzing the minutest details, and in an instant, he made his move.
With remarkable agility, Blaze executed a swift roll beneath Cherry's airborne assault, evading her with seamless grace. As he completed his maneuver, his eyes widened at the sight of Aurora's boots, mere a meter away from colliding with his face.
Maintaining his composure, Blaze reacted swiftly. In a fluid motion, he slashed one of his swords at Aurora's feet, creating a barrier that forced her to adjust her trajectory. Simultaneously, he raised his other sword to parry her attack descending from above.
Seizing the opportunity, Blaze capitalized on Aurora's mid-air vulnerability. In an unexpected move, he abruptly raised his hand that held the sword that had been intended for her legs. It has now transformed into a powerful punch aimed directly at her exposed stomach. The impact was precise and forceful, propelling Aurora upward as the blow connected with devastating accuracy.
Aurora, caught off guard while in mid-air by Blaze's swift counterattack, was sent soaring through the air, her momentum disrupted and her position compromised.
As Blaze prepared to launch himself into the air, poised to continue his onslaught, a sudden surge of scorching heat emanated from his back, causing him to swiftly reconsider his course of action.
In a swift and calculated move, Cherry swiftly returned, delivering a powerful fist to Blaze's back. Having learned from their previous encounters, Cherry opted for a change in tactics, realizing that if she moved too swiftly, Blaze would effortlessly evade and manipulate her like a marionette on strings.
Reacting with lightning-fast reflexes, Blaze pivoted sharply, swiftly crossing his swords in front of his chest as a defensive shield.
Boom!
A resounding boom reverberated through the air, accompanied by a spiraling shockwave that emanated from the point of impact. The sheer force of Cherry's punch propelled Blaze backward, causing him to skid approximately five meters, leaving behind two distinct stretch marks on the floor, evidence of the immense power behind the strike.
As steams ominously billowed from the point of impact where Cherry's punch collided with Blaze's sword, a series of spiderweb-like cracks splintered outwards, spreading across the surface of both weapons. Blaze could sense his creations crumbling, the melting of his swords becoming an undeniable reality.
Just as he prepared to infuse mana into the swords to mend the damage, Aurora descended upon him with a fiery determination, her eyes ablaze with intensity. She unleashed a slashing attack, aimed directly at Blaze.
With no time to spare for repairs, Blaze abandoned the maintenance and swiftly raised the two damaged swords in a desperate attempt to parry Aurora's assault. The combination of gravity and the force behind Aurora's slash intensified the impact, propelling the attack forward like a falling meteor.
The impact shattered Blaze's swords, scattering tiny ice shards into the air, and leaving him defenseless. Aurora's sword still can't continue on its path toward Blaze.
Adding to the onslaught, Cherry, like a missile in flight, rushed towards Blaze, intensifying the imminent danger he faced.