Lukas stood facing Cedric in the combat arena, the heat of the sun bearing down on him. He took in the sight of his opponent, a rank C shadow mage. Cedric's aura was formidable, his presence an echo of the ancient shadow mages whose magic was legendary. These mages wielded power so versatile and potent that many considered them nearly invincible. High-ranking shadow mages could use a spell that rendered them impervious to both physical and magical attacks. While most could only evade such power, Lukas knew the counters, after all, he had studied shadow magic extensively.
"It's going to be a long fight," Lukas thought, assessing Cedric's strength. He could sense that Cedric was at least a top-rank C mage. To everyone else, Lukas appeared to be a mid-rank D mage, a significant discrepancy that would raise suspicions if he won too easily. The gap between a rank D and a rank C was vast, and while it wasn't unheard of for lower ranks to win against slightly higher ranks, the difference between C and D was too pronounced.
"Begin!" Miss Lyra's voice echoed through the arena, signaling the start of the duel.
Cedric wasted no time. He extended his hand, and shadows around him coalesced into dark tendrils that shot toward Lukas with incredible speed. Lukas sidestepped the first wave, feeling the air crackle with energy as the shadows passed by him.
"You're not bad, Cedric," Lukas said, a smirk playing on his lips. "But you'll have to do better than that."
Cedric's eyes narrowed. "We'll see how cocky you are in a few minutes."
Lukas decided to test just how versatile Cedric was at utilizing his shadow magic. He summoned a spear made of ice and shot it toward Cedric. Cedric tried deflecting the attack by summoning a spear made of shadow but paused abruptly after noticing several ice spears approaching him at a terrifying speed.
Cedric gasped. "When did he...?" He was shocked because he had only seen Lukas cast one spear, but now he could see about ten.
Fwoosh
Darkness suddenly enveloped Cedric's entire body, wrapping him in an armor of darkness. The incoming ice spears just passed through his body as if he wasn't even there. "Not bad for a D rank, but that's still far from being able to harm me." Cedric smiled like a maniac. A ball made out of darkness suddenly started growing from the tip of his fingers. The ball kept getting bigger and bigger until it was about 50 cm.
Lukas stood there looking unfazed. He tried his best to look worried, but his expressionless face was dormant. "I'll admit it, he's good at utilizing his magic, but it's still nothing compared to the power of shadow mages back then," Lukas thought.
"Die!!!" Cedric yelled as he shot the shadow ball towards Lukas.
"Iceball!" Lukas also released a ball of similar size and threw it towards the incoming shadow ball. There was a loud explosion, and it seemed that neither of the balls could overcome each other. Cedric gritted his teeth in anger as he rushed toward Lukas, attempting to go hand-to-hand combat with him.
"I'll crush you!!!" Cedric yelled as he swung his fist toward Lukas.
"Your doom," Lukas thought, gracefully dodging the punch by shifting his body sideways and throwing his fist at Cedric's torso.
"Arrrk!!!" Cedric spat out a mouthful of blood as the impact of the punch sent him flying backward. "You fool, I'll make you pay!" Cedric screamed like a lunatic as he suddenly stretched his hands towards his own shadow. "Come forth," Cedric said as ten humanoid figures cloaked in darkness came out of Cedric's shadow.
"Wow!!! This is amazing," the crowd gasped excitedly at the shadows Cedric had summoned. Lukas also gasped in shock, although it was only an act. He just had to put on an expression of shock so he would not arouse any suspicion. "He's pretty good," Lukas thought.
"Yes, cower in fear," Cedric said as he noticed the frightened expression on Lukas's face.
Lukas prepared himself, sensing that Cedric's summons were not to be taken lightly. The ten shadowy figures moved with eerie coordination, their forms shifting and blending into one another. Cedric's grin widened as he sent his summons to attack.
The first shadow charged at Lukas, its form morphing into a spear aimed at his chest. Lukas dodged, but another shadow slashed at his side, and he barely had time to raise an ice barrier to block it. He felt the impact reverberate through the barrier, cracking it but holding it steady.
"Not so fast," Lukas muttered, launching an ice shard at the nearest shadow. The shard struck true, but the shadow reformed instantly, barely slowed.
The shadows attacked in unison, each strike more coordinated than the last. Lukas ducked and weaved, deflecting blows with ice shields and retaliating with icy blasts. Despite his efforts, a shadow's claw raked across his arm, tearing through his sleeve and drawing blood. He could easily avoid the attack, but he just tried to keep on acting like he was under intense pressure.
Lukas gritted his teeth against the pain, summoning a burst of ice to freeze the wound temporarily. "Impressive, Cedric, but you'll need more than shadows to defeat me."
Cedric's laugh echoed through the arena. "We'll see about that."
The shadows intensified their assault, two of them merging into a larger, more formidable form. This new entity wielded a massive dark blade, swinging it with alarming speed. Lukas barely managed to parry the blade with an ice sword, the force of the impact sending him stumbling backward.
Another shadow took advantage of his momentary unbalance, delivering a powerful kick to his midsection. Lukas gasped as the air was knocked out of him, the blow sending him skidding across the arena floor.
Struggling to his feet, Lukas felt exhaustion creeping in. His ice magic was potent but draining, and Cedric's relentless attacks were wearing him down. He needed a new strategy. "Man....What a drag," Lukas said. Of course, this was a lie.
"Time to change tactics," Lukas thought, eyeing the shadows warily. He summoned a dense fog of ice, enveloping himself and the shadows in a cold, obscuring mist. The temperature in the arena dropped sharply, frost forming on the ground.
The shadows hesitated, their movements sluggish in the intense cold. Lukas used this moment to his advantage, darting through the fog and striking with pinpoint accuracy. He shattered two shadows with powerful ice blasts, their forms disintegrating in the freezing mist.
Cedric growled in frustration. "You can't hide forever, Lukas!"
"Who's hiding?" Lukas retorted, emerging from the fog with a flurry of ice shards. The shards pierced through another shadow, dispersing it into wisps of darkness.
Despite his successes, Lukas felt his strength waning. The constant use of his ice magic was taking its toll, and Cedric's remaining shadows were closing in. One shadow managed to land a heavy blow to his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
Lukas coughed, tasting blood. He pushed himself up, but his limbs felt leaden. "I won't let you win, Cedric," he panted, summoning the last of his strength. "It's not like you're going to win," he thought to himself with a subtle smirk.
Cedric's eyes gleamed with triumph. "It's over, Lukas. Admit defeat."
But Lukas wasn't ready to give up. With a determined roar, he unleashed a final, desperate attack. He channeled all his remaining energy into a massive ice storm, the swirling blizzard engulfing the shadows and Cedric.