The arena was silent, the audience holding its collective breath as the youth in suit and Theo prepared to fight.
Meanwhile up in the stands, the High priest was on his feet as he asked the king if he wanted the fight to go on.
Though he wanted the fight to take place, he didn't want to appear to be biased and he wanted the king's go ahead so he wouldn't be blamed after in case things went awry.
There was a system to how the tournament ran and the fight was unorthodox after all.
"Leave them alone. This should be interesting," The king muttered, holding out a hand to stop the High priest.
The High priest beamed in satisfaction as he took his seat once more and prepared to watch the whole thing.
He wasn't the only one anticipating a good match as everyone knew that the upcoming fight wouldn't be as one sided as the others had been.
Down in the arena, the boy in the suit, now standing directly across from Theo, seemed almost like an apparition—his figure slender but undeniably strong.
He had a quiet confidence that contrasted sharply with the nervous energy of the crowd.
He moved with deliberate calm, removing his jacket and draping it over the railing of the arena.
His movements were graceful and almost theatrical. It showed that he considered taking the fight seriously.
Underneath, he wore a fitted waistcoat that accentuated his lean form. He then rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, exposing forearms that were deceptively muscular.
Theo's eyes narrowed as he observed his opponent's preparation, the smile on his lips growing slightly wider.
"Do you consider me that much of a threat for you to do all that?"
He didn't respond to Theo's taunts but flexed his arms and assumed his stance.
The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.
"I've been waiting for something like this," Theo admitted, his voice low but audible in the stillness. He shifted his stance, his muscles coiling like a spring, ready to unleash.
The youth across from him met his gaze with the same icy calm, his eyes still glacial and unreadable.
"Then let's not disappoint each other," he replied, his voice as cool and composed as his expression.
~WHOOSHHHH!!!~
Without warning, Theo launched himself forward, his speed blurring the distance between them in an instant.
This time he was on the offensive which was a contrast to his previous fights where he had just waited out his opponents attacks to smack them.
The crowd barely had time to react before the two collided with a force that sent shockwaves through the arena.
~BOOMMMMMMMM!!!~
The clash of their fists echoed through the space, and for the first time, Theo found himself on the receiving end of a counterattack that matched his own ferocity.
"Not bad," He muttered, impressed besides himself.
After several rounds, he had finally found a worthy opponent and he intended to drag the fight out to savor it better.
Theo grinned, exhilarated. The boy in the suit was not just blocking his attacks—he was matching them, forcing Theo to go beyond the casual strikes that had decimated his previous opponents.
Better still, he wasn't even sensing any magic coming from the boy. It was just pure energy which surprised him.
As a result, he resolved not to use his own ability either and fight him on a neutral ground.
As he prepared for the next attack, he noticed a new phenomenon from his opponent.
~VWUSHHHH!!!~
Several knives appeared out of thin air and danced around him and he manipulated them to point towards Theo's direction.
Without warning, he launched them in his direction and they sped towards him swiftly like a volley of arrows.
Thanks to his heightened sense, Theo managed to dodge all of them as he sidestepped smoothly out of the way.
There were many near injury incidents but he managed quite nicely to evade them.
The arena's tension escalated with every weapon he dodged, the audience sensing that they were witnessing something extraordinary.
Theo's attention was concentrated on evading the weapons so he couldn't see his opponent's movement until it was too late.
With a sudden burst of energy, the suited youth landed a blow square on Theo's chest, sending him skidding backward across the arena.
"Oof. Damn."
Theo managed to keep his footing, but he winced, feeling the impact resonate through his body.
He had to admit that the boy was strong—stronger than any opponent he had faced.
"Not bad," Theo murmured, his voice tinged with admiration.
His opponent simply nodded, his expression unchanging, as though the battle was merely an exercise.
But Theo was done holding back.
"Let's see how you handle this."
With a deep breath, he tapped into the power he had kept restrained until now.
The air around him began to shimmer with heat, and the arena grew noticeably warmer.
Flames licked at his skin, dancing along his limbs as his body began to glow with an intense, fiery aura.
The audience gasped as Theo's fire magic ignited, his clothes beginning to singe and burn away.
The flames didn't seem to harm him, though—on the contrary, they enhanced his presence, making him look like a creature born of fire itself.
With a roar, Theo charged forward, flames swirling around him as he launched into a new assault.
~WHOOSHHHHH~
He reached new heights of speed and his opponent was forced to be on the defensive as he couldn't stand the heat he emitted.
It was clear that Theo was no longer holding back. He was pushing himself to the limit, his flames growing hotter and more intense with each passing second.
And then, as the last remnants of his clothing burned away, the band around his head disintegrated, revealing a glowing mark on his forehead.
His hair, now unrestrained, floated upward, moving with the heat of his magic.
The mark on his forehead was unmistakable.
The crowd reacted with a mixture of shock and awe as everyone's attention was drawn to the mark.
"Impossible," The King and the High Priest echoed at once as they stood up from their seats in shock.