Achieved! Bixide beheld the bewildered Niya before him and felt a secret joy welling within.
Surely, Niya was now in a state of disarray due to her inability to speak. The forthcoming battle was to be Bixide's personal performance! What use was a mage who couldn't unleash magic? Let Bixide offer a demonstration of magecraft, with Niya as the unfortunate subject.
Just as Bixide prepared to unleash his magic upon Niya, she suddenly raised her wand, her gaze resolute upon Bixide.
A foreboding arose within Bixide's heart.
"Gale." Niya uttered the word.
Gale? Bixide hesitated. Gale was the upgraded version of Wind, a fourth-tier spell, though not formidable in single-target attacks, it held distinct advantages in group battles.
Moreover, the weakness in single-target combat was relative to spells of the same tier. For a first-tier mage, Gale was akin to a tempest. No magic could surpass it.
Could Niya cast Gale? Especially when she had just been silenced by the Silence spell?
Was it possible?
But soon, the surge of magic emanating from Niya's wand dispelled any doubts for Bixide!
What a formidable magical surge it was! Before it, Bixide found himself powerless to resist. Though he attempted to gather magic for defense, the surrounding magical elements were disrupted by the wand—casting a spell required interference with the magical elements in the surrounding space, and if the interference was insufficient, casting a spell was impossible.
"It's Gale!" The referee, who had been resting his eyes, suddenly opened them wide, his gaze piercing the arena.
The recent Silence spell had already been prearranged with him, so the referee simply pretended not to have seen it. After all, the release of Silence was imperceptible to the outside world, and as long as it wasn't too obvious, who would know if Bixide was cheating?
But Niya's impending release of Gale was different. This fourth-tier magic's power couldn't be concealed. With Gale, the bricks on this arena might well be overturned!
"Hold!" The referee swiftly moved onto the field, attempting to halt Niya's release of Gale.
But it was too late. As Gale was cast via a wand, there was no need for chanting time. Just as the referee arrived, Gale struck!
A visible vortex of wind suddenly appeared in front of Niya, then, in less than half a second, the wind intensified, swiftly flying towards Bixide and the referee!
If these two were not stopped and collided with Gale, they would likely turn into minced meat!
Niya had not anticipated such powerful magic hidden within her wand, her surprise evident. She intended to teach her opponent a lesson, but not to the extent of mortal danger!
"Ripple Shield!" The referee shouted, extending his hand, and immediately, a shield made of magical elements appeared before him.
The shield was about two meters high and wide, more than enough to protect Bixide and the referee. When Gale struck the Ripple Shield, it exploded and scattered, the wind dissipating. Without any trace of power, the scattered wind resembled a gentle breeze.
The Ripple Shield effortlessly intercepted this fourth-tier magic. Indeed, the referee proved worthy of his fifth-tier mage status!
Seeing the Ripple Shield withstand the attack, Niya breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared she might have caused a fatal accident! However, Niya soon felt a pang of guilt. Hadn't she just cheated?
Sure enough, after the dissipation of the Gale's effect, the referee, with a stern expression, looked at Niya. "Miss Niya, I hope you can provide me with an explanation."
The silence's effect had already passed. Although silence was a nemesis for mages, it had a major drawback—it had a short duration and couldn't permanently seal someone's mouth unless the opponent's strength reached a certain level.
"I, I, I..." Niya stammered. She had indeed cheated just now. If the referee pursued the matter, she might be expelled for her cheating!
Sacred Heart Academy had strict regulations against cheating.
"No matter what you explain, Miss Niya, I personally believe you should come with me to the office of academic affairs. I really want to know how a first-tier mage released 'Gale'." The referee intended to overlook Bixide's previous cheating and not give Niya a chance to explain!
If Niya were expelled, there would be no need for Clark to plot against her further; it would be the end of it. If Niya were expelled, the referee would also receive significant rewards from Clark for this matter.
"Wait, wait a moment, it was the other side who cheated first by using silence," Niya explained, though in doing so, she essentially admitted to her own cheating.
"Miss Niya, please refrain from making baseless accusations," Bixide interjected.
It seemed he intended to take the initiative and falsely accuse her first.
"Clearly, you yourself cheated by using dangerous advanced magic. Why would you falsely accuse me first? Villains often play the victim, don't they?" Bixide exchanged a glance with the referee, indicating their mutual understanding.
"I..." Niya felt she had fallen into a trap.
The referee and Bixide were clearly in cahoots. No matter how she explained, it would be futile. They wouldn't grant her the right to explain or freedom!
"Miss Niya, there's no need for explanations. Come with me to the office of academic affairs. We must delve into this matter. You should know that the academy treats cheating very seriously. Moreover, I suspect that your previous victories may have been achieved through cheating!" The referee deliberately spoke loudly so that those watching the competition on the platform could hear.
Sure enough, the referee's words caught the attention of the spectators on the platform. Initially, not many paid attention to Niya's arena, but with the apparent mishap, many were drawn to it.
When they heard the referee claim that Niya's previous victories were achieved through cheating, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.
"I knew it! How could the bottom-ranked Niya suddenly become so powerful? She must have cheated!"
"Humph, resorting to cheating when unable to rely on one's own strength. Don't they know that the academy is strict on cheating? This Niya seems to have had enough of Sacred Heart Academy!"
The referee revealed a sinister smile. "Miss Niya, it seems your cheating has incited public outrage."