Vin's rank had risen with him defeating Daemon Cadmus, he was now in the twelveth rank, just below someone named Pyrop Ignis.
He was ranked 11th and had proven that he was very strong for the stage and deserved to be in that rank.
When Vin had stepped down from the stage, he couldn't help but take a glance at a certain place beside the VIP pedestal where the sect elders sat and there seated in raised platforms were ten people who looked down at everyone below them like kings.
These were the Mortal lords, the strongest people in the outer court of the Flaming sun sect, these people weren't there because they had to, but because they meant to.
It was a testament to their strength and all the opponents they had to defeat to get there. Even their disposition was different from the others, they exuded a certain confidence that made it seem like the others were below them.
And it truly did seem that way from their sitting point, high above in the pedestal.
The rules of the top ten Mortal lords were very much different than the other sections of the competition.
The top ten were not allowed to fight in the other battles because the only way to fight them was to challenge them, and the only people who had that privilege were those in the top twenty.
But even they were only allowed one chance to challenge one person, If they won then they would take their post for themselves, while the person who lost and those below his would be pushed down one rank.
If you were already in the lower position among the Mortal lords and were unwittingly pushed out of your rank, you would have to challenge someone else among the Mortal lords to retake their position.
But the same rules didn't apply to those Mortal lords, anyone of them could challenge the other, but that was only if they were above you, you can't challenge anyone below you in rank.
Although those in the top twenty, were given one chance to challenge any of the Mortal lords, there were only a few who used that privilege, and one such person was the 11th ranked Pyrope Ignis, who had decided to challenge the 10th ranked Miren Frostbite for his position.
The both of them had always been rivals with Miren only being a little bit stronger than Pyrope, and the first challenge today was going to be between them.
***
The air was electric with anticipation as Pyrope Ignis, the 17-year-old pyromancer and flame alchemist, stepped into the arena to challenge Miren Frostbite, the 20-year-old cryromancer and Yin flame wielder, for the 10th position in the Mortal Lords Rankings. The crowd was abuzz with excitement, knowing that this battle would be a clash of opposing elements and ideologies.
Miren, known for his ruthless and sinister tactics, sneered at Pyrope, confident in his own abilities. Pyrope, however, remained unfazed, his eyes burning with determination. He had spent years honing his skills, preparing for this moment.
The battle began, and Miren unleashed a wave of icy cold air, seeking to freeze Pyrope in his tracks. Pyrope, anticipating this, countered with a blast of flames that danced and weaved around the icy tendrils, neutralizing their effect. Miren retaliated with a flurry of Yin-infused ice shards, but Pyrope's agility allowed him to dodge and weave between the attacks.
Pyrope seized the opportunity to strike back, unleashing a torrent of flames that threatened to engulf Miren. The cryromancer, however, summoned a massive ice shield, absorbing the flames and sending Pyrope stumbling back. Miren counterattacked with a devastating blast of frozen energy, but Pyrope's flame alchemy allowed him to transmute the attack into a harmless burst of steam.
The battle raged on, each combatant exchanging blows and neither gaining the upper hand. Pyrope's flames danced across the arena, seeking to scorch Miren, while the cryromancer's ice shards sought to freeze Pyrope solid. The crowd watched in awe as the two geniuses clashed, their elements locked in a struggle for supremacy.
In a sudden burst of speed, Pyrope closed the distance between them, his flames burning brighter as he unleashed a precise strike at Miren's exposed shoulder. Miren, caught off guard, stumbled backward as Pyrope's flames bit deep into his flesh.
Sensing victory within his grasp, Pyrope pressed his advantage, unleashing a maelstrom of flames that threatened to consume Miren whole. The cryromancer, his eyes blazing with fury, summoned a massive ice storm, seeking to extinguish the flames and freeze Pyrope in his tracks.
The two elements clashed, flames and ice locked in a struggle that shook the very foundations of the arena. In the end, it was Pyrope's flames that emerged victorious, burning brighter and hotter than Miren's ice could withstand. The cryromancer stumbled back, defeated, as Pyrope stood triumphant, his position as the new 10th Mortal Lord secure.
As the crowd erupted in cheers, Pyrope turned to Miren, a nod of respect on his face. "You are a formidable opponent," he said. "But I'm no longer as I was before. Miren."
Miren, his eyes narrowed, smiled coldly. "It seems you've gotten stronger but, I will not forget this defeat," he promised. The stage was set for a future rematch, as the two geniuses parted ways, their rivalry far from over.
After that battle, they crowd were already anticipating who was going to challenge the Mortal lords next for their rank but something shocking happened.
One of the Mortal Lords had decided to go for the next battle as she challenged the person who ranked directly above her.
The stage was set for a thrilling battle as Aethera Luna, the 18-year-old lunar flame wielder and the 9th Mortal Lord, challenged Zephyrine Wildfire, the 20-year-old fire whisperer, for the 8th position in the Mortal Lords Rankings.
The crowd was electric with anticipation, knowing that this clash of fire-based abilities would be a spectacle to behold.
Zephyrine, confident in her own powers, sneered at Aethera, underestimating the younger Mortal Lord. Aethera, however, remained focused, her eyes shining with determination. She had spent years honing her unique lunar flame abilities, and she was ready to prove herself.
The battle began, and Zephyrine unleashed a torrent of wild flames, seeking to overwhelm Aethera with sheer force. Aethera, anticipating this, countered with a gentle, soothing melody that seemed to calm the flames, rendering them harmless. Zephyrine snarled, frustrated, and summoned a maelstrom of fire tendrils to ensnare Aethera.
Aethera, however, was prepared. She summoned a brilliant lunar shield, deflecting the flames and sending Zephyrine stumbling back. The lunar flame wielder seized the opportunity to strike back, unleashing a precise blast of silver flames that bit deep into Zephyrine's defenses.
Zephyrine retaliated with a devastating firestorm, but Aethera's lunar flames danced and weaved, avoiding the attacks with ease. The battle raged on, each combatant exchanging blows, their flames clashing in a spectacular display of fire and light.
As the fight wore on, it became clear that the two Mortal Lords were evenly matched, their strengths and weaknesses canceling each other out. Zephyrine's wild flames were matched by Aethera's precise lunar flames, and neither could gain the upper hand.
In a stunning display of skill, Aethera summoned a massive lunar wave, crashing it down upon Zephyrine like a tidal wave. Zephyrine, caught off guard, stumbled backward, her defenses breached. Aethera seized the opportunity, unleashing a final, decisive blast of silver flames that sent Zephyrine crashing to the ground.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Aethera stood victorious, her position as the new 8th Mortal Lord secure. Zephyrine, her eyes narrowed, smiled wryly. "You won this time," she said, "but I'll be back, and next time, you won't be so lucky."
Aethera smiled, her eyes shining with respect. "I'm looking forward to it," she replied. The stage was set for a future rematch, as the two fire-based Mortal Lords parted ways, their rivalry far from over.
In the end, Aethera's victory was by the narrowest of margins, a testament to the closeness of their battle. Her unique lunar flame abilities had proven to be the deciding factor, but Zephyrine's wild flames had pushed her to her limits. The crowd knew that they had witnessed something special - a battle for the ages.
While everyone was still reeling in the excitement of their battle, there were some others who had decided to try their luck and challenged the other Mortal lords, while some just wanted to test their limits.
But no matter what, they all failed miserably and lost, they had only just realized that it was no easy feet to defeat a Mortal Lord, not everyone could be like the new Mortal Lord, Pyrope Ignis, who had challenged and defeated a Mortal Lord and taken his position.
But even then, he had only challenged the weakest of them, even the others who had decided to try their luck only challenged those below the top five as no one was daring enough to challenge anyone higher than that.
Well almost no one as there was an exception to that, there was actually someone who dared to challenge someone in top five and that person was no other than...
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