Elian and Arthur entered the arena, choosing a spot on one of the less crowded benches to sit. As they took their seats, the summoners in the arena began to summon their elementals. Elian watched in fascination as a dance of radiant white lights swirled around the two summoners. These ethereal lights gracefully converged, shaping themselves into mysterious symbols, intricately forming a circle. However, as quickly as they had appeared, the symbols dissipated into nothingness, leaving Elian intrigued by the mystifying display of elemental summoning.
Elian turned to Arthur, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Who do you think will come out on top in this match?"
A wide grin spread across Arthur's face. "I can't say for sure, but it's going to be one hell of a battle. Wanna make a bet? I've got you covered on this one."
Elian chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, I'll pass. Let's just enjoy the show." They both settled in to watch the exciting showdown unfolding before them.
On the giant screen, both elementals charged straight at each other, creating an exciting show. But then, out of nowhere, the Chromalight Speedstalker made a fast move, slipping behind the Stonehoof Boarmark. The Stonehoof, being much bigger, had trouble turning quickly, and by the time it faced its foe, the Chromalight had disappeared.
There was a moment of suspense, with both creatures seeming to wait. Then, without surprise, a glimmer of light aimed at one of the Stonehoof's back legs. But the Stonehoof reacted fast, shielding its leg with earth, causing the ground to spike in an attempt to hit the hidden Chromalight. The Chromalight reacted swiftly, going invisible again to avoid the attack.
In retaliation, the Stonehoof made the ground shake, revealing a distortion in the air as it charged towards the Chromalight with incredible speed. The audience watched eagerly as the battle continued in this thrilling exchange.
The hosts continued their commentary, analyzing the ongoing battle. "We've witnessed a spectacular move here, folks. As we can see, the Chromalight's control over light still needs improvement when dealing with fast-moving objects. That glint we observed during its attack reveals this weakness. Lynn and her Stonehoof are doing an excellent job capitalizing on this vulnerability. Now, the question is, how will the Chromalight react?"
Meanwhile, in the arena, the Stonehoof continued its charge towards the Chromalight. Liam seemed to have made a decision to confront the Stonehoof head-on. The Chromalight dispelled its invisibility and concentrated light in its mouth, forming a powerful focal point.
One of the hosts couldn't help but comment on Liam's decision, saying, "Whoa, Liam has chosen to confront the Stonehoof's charge! Is this a wise decision, or will it lead to their downfall?"
His co-host chimed in, "Well, I can see where Liam is coming from. Dragging this match out might put them at a disadvantage. Concentrating all their energy into a solid confrontation could be their best strategy."
As the Stonehoof continued its charge, a layer of earth gathered around its head, seemingly for protection and possibly to enhance its attack against the Chromalight.
As the Stonehoof neared the Chromalight, the Chromalight unleashed a powerful beam of light at close range. The collision was so intense that the ground shook, causing dust to fill the air and obscure the view of the outcome.
While the dust settled, the hosts attempted to add some suspense to the situation. "That collision was absolutely intense, wouldn't you agree, partner?" one host inquired.
"Indeed, I'm inclined to believe that the Chromalight's light beam has the power to breach the Stonehoof's defenses," the other host responded. "But at such close range, it's also possible that the Stonehoof's momentum could push through. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out." The tension in the arena was palpable as everyone eagerly awaited the result.
When the dust finally cleared, the Chromalight was seen lying a considerable distance away from the Stonehoof, unconscious and bearing numerous wounds and fractures. Its once-majestic form looked pitiful and battered. In stark contrast, the Stonehoof exuded vitality and triumph, roaring triumphantly and shaking the arena with its jubilant stomps.
The audience, roused from their collective stupor, erupted into cheers. Some cheered because they had bet on the Stonehoof, while others were left disappointed. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and emotion.
The hosts then officially declared the Stonehoof as the winner and continued with their commentary. On the sidelines, Arthur and Elian shared a knowing glance. They both agree with the commentators' assessment that the Chromalight possessed enough firepower to injure the Stonehoof, but they had underestimated the Stonehoof's formidable defense.
Following that match, there were three more matches to came. After the thrilling elemental battles and even participating in a bet during the last match, Elian came out a bit wealthier while Arthur faced a minor loss. They hadn't wagered significant amounts, considering their limited knowledge of elementals. Since Arthur had lent the money to Elian for the bet, Elian decided to treat Arthur to a meal as a gesture of gratitude.
As they exited the arena, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the world into the soothing embrace of evening. The city around them was gradually lighting up, and the two friends ventured out into the dusky streets, ready to savor a well-deserved meal.
. . .
While eating, Elian's enthusiasm over the elemental battles sparked a conversation with Arthur about the summoning process. Elian mentioned seeing white lights and symbols when summoners conjured their elementals, but Arthur seemed perplexed by his description.
"Symbols? White lights? What are you saying?" Arthur asked, his confusion evident.
Elian, thinking that Arthur might be pulling his leg, reiterated, "Yeah, before the elementals appear, the summoner would conjure some with light and form it into symbols that'll make the elementals appear."
Arthur shook his head, appearing quite perplexed. "Nah, man, I didn't see any light. Are you pulling my leg here? I've never even heard from the summoners I know that there are white lights and symbols. They've always said it's as natural as breathing. They just think about feeling the aetheric essence, chant the spell, and their elemental pops up."
Elian raised an eyebrow, now equally perplexed. It seemed that there was more to the art of summoning than met the eye, and he was eager to learn more about it.
After the meal, Elian and Arthur parted ways. As Elian made his way back to his quarters lost in his thoughts, he inadvertently tuned into a conversation between two individuals. Their discussion revolved around the recent assessment results, particularly the astounding achievements of two candidates: a girl with an A grade talent and a young nobleman.
The shorter man burst out, "Hey, did you hear the news? There's someone who got an A talent score during the assessment, and in the combat exam, she aced it by taking down the beast they used."
His taller companion chimed in, "Someone? I heard there are two of them, actually. I have a relative who's part of the assessment committee, and he mentioned that the girl not only aced her talent and combat tests but also scored around 96% in the written exam."
"The other one is a guy, a noble's son," she added. "While he didn't do as well as the girl in combat, he still outscored most in the written test. I think he got around 98 percent."
The man was surprised and asked, "Hold on, are you saying that girl isn't from a noble family?"
The woman nodded. "That's right. Apparently, she's not even from our village. Rumors are circulating that she hails from one of those settlements beyond our village."
The man expressed his concerns, saying, "Aren't those places teeming with criminals? That's why they're not welcome here, and some are even exiles. Maybe that's how the girl excelled in the combat exam."
The woman expressed her relief, "Well, it's good that we now have two A-grade talents when we normally don't even have B-grade talents. It's just... I'm a bit worried that this girl might have some peculiar tendencies."
"Yeah, having two A grade talents is quite the rarity, considering we don't usually see even B grades," the man agreed. He shared the woman's concern, adding, "I hope that girl doesn't bring any strange trouble with her talents."
"Yeah... I also don't want to associate myself with some weird psychopath," Elian thought, musing on the overheard conversation as he continued towards his quarters.
When Elian reached his quarters, he noticed that the lights in his room were on, sending a shiver down his spine. "Could it be that I just jinxed myself? Nah, that only happens in those cliché anime. They wouldn't make a man and a woman share a room." he reassured himself, though his mind still couldn't help but wander to some peculiar thoughts.
Fortunately, when he entered the room, he found an old man dressed in a pristine white magician's robe. As Elian stepped in, the man rose to his feet and gestured for him to sit, displaying an air of ownership.
"Good evening, Elian. I am Principal Levi of this school, and I wanted to inform you that the investigations into your assessment results haven't yielded any clear answers. We're still trying to figure it out. So, I'm here to offer you a scholarship to study at the school, granting you privileges similar to those of a noble. Normally, this treatment is reserved for B and A grade talents, but your case is quite unique, so we thought it might be fitting," the principal explained.
"Uh, good evening, Principal Levi. You could've probably had someone else inform me since it doesn't seem that important," Elian replied, puzzled as to why the principal had personally come to meet him and waited in his room.
"Hahaha! Well, truth be told, I've been wanting to meet you for some time now. Your situation is rather peculiar, you see. I wanted to meet the troublemaker who has left even the most outstanding summoners in this village scratching their heads," the principal chuckled heartily.
Elian gazed at the unassuming old principal, who resembled a friendly neighbor more than a school authority figure. He didn't know what to say and began to scratch his cheek, contemplating whether to ask the principal about the strange white lights he had witnessed during a summoning. But before he could speak, the principal exclaimed, "So, I thought, why not put two troublemakers together? Hahaha!" With that, he exited the room, still laughing, and left Elian utterly bewildered.