The third fight of the first round was imminent. In the previous round, Nimbus Academy secured victory in their second match against Mana Crest Academy, resulting in Mana Crest's disqualification after losing two out of three bouts. Stellaris suffered a defeat against Aetherium, leading to a crucial third match for them. Meanwhile, Wyvernwood continued their winning streak with a triumph in their second fight. As a result, the upcoming matches for the third round were set: Stellaris versus Aetherium and Arcane Citadel against Mana Pearl.
Edric stepped forward as usual to announce the upcoming participants. "Everyone, we've reached the final duel of this round. Two of our eight Academies have advanced to the semi-finals, while their opponents have been disqualified, leaving us with four Academies," he proclaimed, pausing as the crowd erupted in cheers. "Our first match will feature Stellaris against Aetherium," Edric declared loudly. The two Academies sent out their representatives: from Stellaris, Alvan, a tall blonde boy with red hair; from Aetherium, Braydon, a stern-faced boy with blonde hair.
Alvan's eyes gleamed with determination as he raised his hands, flames dancing around his fingertips in a mesmerizing display of elemental control. Across from him, Braydon stood firm, his expression unreadable but his stance reflecting a deep connection to the earth beneath him.
"Alvan vs Braydon!!!" Edric's voice thundered across the arena, heralding the start of the much-anticipated duel. With a surge of energy, Alvan unleashed a torrent of searing flames, directing them towards Braydon with precision and speed. The flames crackled and roared, their intense heat filling the arena as they surged forward.
Braydon reacted swiftly, his earth-bending skills coming to life in response to Alvan's fiery assault. Braydon invoked the earth's strength with a resolute slam of his palms onto the ground. The arena floor trembled, and a solid wall of rock and compacted soil rose up, intercepting Alvan's flames with unwavering solidity.
The clash of elements reverberated through the arena, a spectacle of fire and earth colliding in a dazzling display of power and skill. Alvan persisted, manipulating the flames to dance and twist around Braydon's defensive barrier. Braydon remained steadfast, and his control over the earth's elements was evident in his strategic maneuvers to deflect Alvan's relentless attacks.
As the duel intensified, Alvan drew upon his inner fire, gathering the flames into a concentrated sphere of blazing energy. With a fierce shout, he unleashed his ultimate technique, a swirling vortex of flames that surged toward Braydon with ferocious intensity.
Braydon's composure did not waver. With unwavering focus, he channeled the earth's energy into a solid defense, an upheaval of stone and earth that rose up to meet Alvan's fiery attack. Massive boulders and rugged cliffs converged, forming a towering fortress of solid rock that stood resolute against the blaze.
The arena shook with the force of their elemental clash, the ground quaking beneath their feet. The audience watched in awe as Alvan and Braydon engaged in a mesmerizing battle of wills and mastery over their respective elements.
Finally, as the vortex of flames collided with Braydon's impenetrable fortress, the arena was engulfed in a blinding spectacle of light and heat. The air crackled with magic as the elements surged and clashed, each mage pushing themselves to their limits in pursuit of victory.
When the dust settled and the echoes of their magic faded, silence fell over the arena, a moment pregnant with anticipation. Slowly, the smoke and haze cleared, revealing Alvan and Braydon standing at opposite ends of the battleground, their breaths labored but their spirits undaunted.
"You aren't going to do much by playing defense" Alvan taunted.
"I don't plan on doing that," Braydon said as he stomped his feet on the ground. Two massive boulders rose from the floor as they floated beside him. He pushed his arms forward and the boulders also rushed forward at Alvan. The boulders moved at an intense speed, giving Alvan almost no time to react. He quickly engulfed his arms in a blazing red energy. He punched forward at the first boulder which caused it to shatter and then rolled sideways to evade the second boulder.
The crowd gasped at what Alvan had just done. The students watching couldn't understand what he had just done but the experienced mages and instructors knew what he had done. He just boosted his physical strength with mana. Something impossible except if one was an archmage. Miss Lyra made a subtle smirk as she thought "Just wait and see how Roshan's gonna do" She had high hopes for Roshan.
Braydon smiled shortly and then his face turned cold. "Well...this is getting interesting," He thought to himself as suddenly, his whole body started glowing with a grey energy.
"What...?!!!" Almost all the Magic instructors present gasped in surprise. They had not recovered from the shock of Alvan being able to apply mana on his fists and now, Braydon just enveloped his whole body with mana.
Suddenly, Braydon lunged forward, his right leg swinging out in a swift front kick aimed at Alvan's midsection. Alvan reacted with lightning reflexes, stepping back to evade the attack before countering with a series of rapid punches aimed at Braydon's torso and face.
Braydon blocked and deflected Alvan's strikes with precise movements of his arms and legs, his defense impenetrable as he maintained his balance and composure. Sensing an opening, he launched a spinning backkick, aiming for Alvan's side. Alvan twisted gracefully out of the way, his evasion was seamless as he countered with a sweeping low kick aimed at Braydon's ankles.
Even with Braydon's mana-enhance body, Alvan could still keep up with his attacks for some reasons he couldn't explain. The exchange continued a flurry of strikes and evasions that blurred the lines between offense and defense. Alvan and Braydon moved with grace and fluidity, demonstrating their technique and timing mastery.
"They seem to be very good at martial arts," Lukas thought as he studied the contestants. Their movements were fluid and precise. Alvan suddenly threw a backflip while evading Braydon's punch. Before Alvan could land on the floor, Braydon suddenly smashed his legs on the floor and twisted it sideways. The ground rumbled and immediately Alvan's legs touched the floor, the earth suddenly wrapped around his legs, pinning him to the floor.
"Worthless" Braydon yelled as he rushed at the restrained Alvan and released a mana-infused punch at him. The punch sent Alvan flying away as blood spewed out from his mouth. He couldn't stand up from the floor anymore.
"I...I give up" Alvan conceded as he gasped for breath and collapsed on the floor. The medics quickly rushed in to take care of him.
"And the winner is Braydon" Edric stepped forward to announce the winner. The audience was still in awe at the amazing duel they just witnessed. This was the shortest and yet, the most intense duel ever. The two participants were able to use raw mana, a feat that seemed impossible even to rank A mages.