The final duel of the competition, a three-way battle between Kendell, Celia, and Riven, promised to be a spectacular showcase of body enhancement rituals. The atmosphere was charged with an electric tension, as the duelists eyed each other.
Kendell shot Celia a grin and she responded in kind. This would be the first time either of the two had to fight each other, and it appeared that both were looking forward to it.
As the trio stepped onto the stage, their gazes locked in a mix of camaraderie and competition. Each understood the stakes were high: the winner of this duel would not only earn the title of Professor Valex's pupil but also gain significant recognition within the academy.
Professor Valex's voice boomed across the arena, laying out the final rules. "Remember, the first to be rendered unable to continue will be out of the competition. The rest will be my pupils, but the last one standing wins all the glory! Show me your mastery of body enhancement rituals and your combat prowess!"
The duel commenced with a palpable intensity. Kendell, Celia, and Riven circled each other warily, each waiting for an opening.
Kendell activated his Form Demon 1, the golden horns now a symbol of his growing strength. At the same time, Celia's blue and silver Dargonov patterns shimmered alongside her golden horns, enhancing her agility and strength.
Riven activated his tattoo, and his muscles began bulging while a fierce look of determination filled his eyes. He stood ready to unleash his power to the first person foolish enough to come close.
Riven, seizing the initiative, charged at Kendell, his strikes powerful and relentless. He made up for his previous mistakes and didn't think twice about going all out.
Kendell, however, was ready. He deftly dodged Riven's attacks, countering with precision. They went blow for blow, each hit parried by a hit from the other as they began to pick apart each other's weaknesses.
"Give it up Ken! This fight is mine, you only won thanks to you hiding your talents but I know better now!" Riven roared as he began moving at an even faster pace.
Kendell was slowly being moved back by the ferocity of punches and had no room to stage a counter attack.
But the dynamic of a three-way duel added complexity; Celia was not just a bystander. She swooped in, her movements a blur of speed and grace, targeting both Kendell and Riven with swift, calculated strikes while they focused on each other.
She then stepped back and taunted the two, "Are you both going to stand there yapping or are you going to try and fight me too!"
She grinned as she began darting between the two, landing small but critical blows to each.
Kendell found himself struggling to keep up with the dual onslaught. He narrowly dodged a powerful kick from Riven, only to find himself within Celia's striking range.
Her enhanced speed alone was formidable, but coupled with the power up from her family's ritual it made her an insane opponent. Her speed was on a whole other level compared to the two and made their fight look like child's play.
'Shit.' Kendell thought, 'I should've gone after Celia first, with Riven's help I stood a chance but alone between the two of them I can't keep up. If I could use any other rituals I might stand a chance, but it would bring too much attention.'
In a crucial moment, while caught up in his thoughts, Kendell misjudged Celia's speed. She landed a solid hit, sending him staggering backward.
Riven took advantage of this momentary lapse, landing a heavy blow that sent Kendell to the ground. The impact was nearly enough; Kendell could barely continue.
'Before I go down, I need to record that tattoo of hers. I might not get another chance...'
With a sudden burst of energy, Kendell swung to the side and clipped Celia's upper arm. To the rest, it looked like he missed, but some students swore they saw Kendell grin before getting pummeled by the other two fighters.
Coli witnessed this and rolled his eyes, 'Damn masochist, did he want to get hit?'
But at the same time...
[-----------------------------------]
[ Ritual Circle Detected: Would you like to place this tattoo on your body and sync? ]
[-----------------------------------]
'Yes.' Kendell responded mentally.
[-----------------------------------]
[ Where would you like to begin engraving the tattoo? ]
[-----------------------------------]
'Lower back.'
As the tattoo began engraving itself on his back his opponents punches landed sending him sprawling.
[-----------------------------------]
[ Dragonov's Mastery Tattooed. Current Mastery | 1 ]
[-----------------------------------]
With a nod of respect to his competitors, he tapped out, acknowledging his defeat.
Now, it was down to Celia and Riven. The two faced each other, their breaths heavy, yet their determination unyielding. Celia, now fully in control of her dual enhancements, was a whirlwind of motion. Riven, his strength formidable, tried to match her with raw power.
Their duel was a breathtaking display of contrasting styles – Celia's agility and precision against Riven's brute strength. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, gasping and cheering with each exchange.
Riven, in a display of sheer power, launched a series of heavy strikes, each one a testament to his incredible strength. The sound of his punches whistling through the air could be heard from the sides of the arena.
Celia, however, danced around his attacks, her enhanced reflexes allowing her to evade and counter. With each passing moment, she chipped away at Riven's defenses.
In the final, heart-stopping moments of the duel, Celia executed a daring maneuver. She feigned a direct attack, luring Riven into a block, and then, with a swift pivot, she struck from an unexpected angle.
Her strike landed with precision on Riven's lower stomach, taking the wind out of his breath. He doubled over almost instantly from the blow, slow to move again- the barrage of blows he had taken was finally catching up to him.
Riven tried to recover, but Celia pressed her advantage, delivering a barrage of hits that Riven couldn't fend off. Finally, with a well-placed kick, she sent Riven crashing to the ground. The arena erupted in cheers and applause as Celia was declared the victor.
Professor Valex, visibly impressed, announced, "Celia Dargonov, your skill and strategic use of the Dargonov ritual, combined with Form Demon 1, have earned you the title of my top pupil. Your strategy and ritual prowess are remarkable, I am proud to be your teacher and honored to have the class representative as my star pupil."
"Riven, you fought valiantly. You showed incredible use of your Form Demon 1 and I'm very impressed with your mastery of the ritual tattoo you use. Just remember to not get rash and save energy for defensive maneuvers. You are now my second pupil."
"Kendell, your growth in this competition has been remarkable. You showed good strategy and combat prowess, however, it was not enough to compensate for your lack of mastery of Body Enhancement rituals. Should the restriction on Body Enhancement rituals be lifted, I would be interested to see how this would have turned out."
"While none of you were able to figure out my Golden Demon Form, I cannot say I'm shocked. If you had, you would be the first of my students to ever understand it that quickly. Nevertheless, good job to all who participated."
Celia, exhausted but triumphant, beamed with pride. Kendell and Riven, though defeated, shared in the celebration of her victory, recognizing this as a win since they were able to show off their talents to the class.
As the event concluded, the students left the arena buzzing with discussions about the thrilling duel they had just witnessed. Kendell, Celia, and Riven, now more determined than ever, looked forward to a rematch in the upcoming tournaments.