Oliver's breath came in ragged gasps as the relentless barrage from his opponent, Rosa, left him scrambling. Each swift strike not only pushed him to the limits of his endurance but also robbed him of any precious moment to disentangle the wooden sign that could turn the tide in his favor. His physical strength, though ample for now, threatened to deplete rapidly under the intense onslaught.
In his tactical mind, Oliver toyed with the idea of feigning injury from an attack to create an opening to free the sign. However, Rosa's magical prowess had grown immensely; her attacks, bolstered by the winds of her element, were not just swift but devastatingly powerful. He recalled a distant memory, a testament to her strength, where she had shattered a stone cleanly in two using her raw power without any magical enhancement.
The stakes were high. The impact of Rosa's current power on a human body was unknown, and Oliver was not willing to gamble with his life. Even the most potent healing blessings would be futile if he were reduced to nothing more than a shattered husk.
With a grimace of frustration, "Continuing this exhausting dance will only spell trouble," he muttered under his breath. Shifting his strategy, Oliver sought a fleeting chance, a split second that Rosa might miss, an opportunity to put some distance between them.
The battle raged on in close quarters. Oliver parried and dodged, conserving his energy with every move, planning to switch to his bow when the moment was right. That moment came when he seized her wrists, momentarily disabling her ability to channel her strength. Predictably, she retaliated with a knee strike, leveraging her foot against the ground for momentum.
Seizing the opportunity, Oliver released her wrists and channeled a burst of his own magic into his toes. With an agile leap, he soared backwards, gaining crucial distance and momentarily hanging suspended in midair before touching down gracefully, using his hands to cushion his landing.
Unperturbed, Rosa charged again, her speed phenomenal, as if propelled by the very winds she commanded. Oliver, retreating further, swiftly drew his longbow with his left hand, while his right hand fetched an arrow from his quiver. With practiced ease, he nocked, drew, and aimed in one fluid motion as his feet touched the ground. The arrow whistled through the air, targeting the wooden sign on Rosa's chest.
Yet, in his calculations, Oliver had underestimated one crucial factor, Rosa's ability to amplify her magic. Unlike most who merely fortified their physical prowess with magic, Rosa could manifest an invisible barrier with the wind element, deflecting most ranged assaults. Only magic-infused or close-range attacks stood a chance against her formidable defenses.
As the arrow shot by Oliver cut through the air, the turbulent winds surrounding Rosa effortlessly deflected it, leaving her charge undeterred. Realizing the futility of ordinary arrows against her wind-enveloped form, Oliver pivoted sharply, narrowly evading her thunderous advance.
Breathing heavily, he knew it was time to elevate his strategy. He gathered his dwindling magical reserves and infused a second arrow with an enchantment designed to enhance its penetration. It was a simple spell, yet it taxed his already overextended magical energies. Nonetheless, it was sufficient for what he needed.
Rosa sensed the surge of magic in his next arrow and instinctively accelerated her pace, twisting and turning in a relentless pursuit. But Oliver was prepared; he had already notched the enchanted arrow. Drawing the bowstring taut, he waited for the perfect moment as she bore down on him, faster than before but predictable in her trajectory. With a calm exhale, he released the arrow.
This time, the magical enhancement clashed with her wind barrier. The forces collided and neutralized each other, reducing the arrow to mere wood and punching a hole through her swirling defense. Surprisingly, Rosa did not evade as she had previously.
The arrow struck true, hitting the wooden sign at her waist and pinning it to the wall behind her. A stunned silence fell over the arena as the referee declared, "Match to Oliver!"
Oliver allowed himself a deep, relieved breath, it was over. He felt a momentary lapse in tension, unaware that the conclusion of their clash had not completely unfolded.
Rosa, driven by a vast reservoir of magic that she struggled to control, had been adjusting her output to maintain dominance within her attack radius. When Oliver had initially created distance, she reacted by massively increasing her magic output to close the gap swiftly. This sudden burst of speed, meant to overwhelm, instead left her unable to adjust her momentum.
Even as the first arrow had been defended by her wind element, the second, with its penetrative magic, forced her into a defensive reaction, boosting her magical output even further. But the initial burst of speed carried her forward uncontrollably.
As the arrow breached her wind barrier, the residual force propelled her directly towards Oliver, unable to stop her own hurtling motion. Her rapid approach, unchecked and unintentional, marked a chaotic conclusion to a fiercely fought duel.
With a sharp intake of breath, Oliver twisted his head just in time to see Rosa's face distorted with terror. It was a fleeting image that seared itself into his memory before darkness overtook him.
When consciousness returned, he found himself lying in the familiar confines of the competition student dormitory. Pain coursed through his body, intense and pervasive, yet his skin bore no marks, due to paradoxical nature of healing in this world. While the visible wounds had vanished under the touch of magical healing, the lingering pain gnawed at him relentlessly.
Groggily, he peered out the window. The sun was dipping low, casting a warm, golden glow that belied the discomfort he felt. "So, I've been out for hours, yet the pain is still there?" he murmured to himself, puzzled and struggling to piece together the events that led to his blackout.
As he made a painful attempt to rise, a rustle at the door caught his attention. The door swung open to reveal Rosa, her eyes brimming with tears, her expression fraught with anxiety.
"Brother, I, I'm so, so sorry," she stammered, her voice choked with emotion.
Oliver, his tone gentle yet firm, placed a comforting hand on her head. "Did you do this on purpose?" he asked.
"No," she whispered.
"Am I alright now, any lasting damage?"
"No."
"And was there any other consequence, other than me being out for so long?"
"No."
"Then it's settled, isn't it? No harm done." His smile was encouraging as he tousled her hair lightly.
"But..." she began, the edges of fresh tears glistening in her eyes.
"Listen, it's alright," he reassured her, his voice a soft murmur meant to soothe.
After a prolonged effort to calm her, she finally seemed to accept his reassurances.
"Big brother, you really don't hold this against me?"
"Really," Oliver affirmed with a nod.
Watching her slowly retreat, he exhaled a deep breath of relief. Handling emotional turmoil was not his forte, especially with children, and he felt fortunate that this misunderstanding had not escalated.
Turning his gaze back to the window, he realized night had fallen. Summoning his strength, he staggered to the door, his movements sluggish and painful. A quick check confirmed no further matches scheduled for the next day. With a sigh, he retreated back to the solace of his bed in the dormitory, ready to heal in solitude and silence.