In the shadows, away from the crowds, Dorian smirked as he lazily swirled a glass of red wine in his hand. He sat on a voluptuous and seductive woman, his head deeply buried in her round breasts as he spoke with a trace of glee. "Hey, Lucian Draven," he called out, his voice dripping with amusement, "is this the guy who's challenging you for Lira? He doesn't look like the pathetic nobody the rumors painted him to be. He's got poise. If you don't take him seriously, you might end up regretting it."
Meanwhile, on the field, the duel master, a tall man with a stern expression, raised his gaze to meet Alexander. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate. "You... are Alexander?"
"I am the duel master for this competition," Before Alexander could speak, he began, his voice loud enough to carry across the entire arena. "This duel is intended to resolve the conflict between the two of you. Remember: stop at the right time, and do not take a life. This is not a battle to the death."
"Are both duelists ready?" the duel master stepped forward between them. He looked from Alexander to Roderick, his sharp eyes narrowing as he addressed them both.
Neither Alexander nor Roderick responded. Their eyes remained locked, neither willing to break the intense stare. The air between them crackled with tension, the silence before the storm.
The duel master hesitated, glancing between the two before nodding solemnly. "Let the duel begin!"
....
Alexander and Roderick, neither saying a word, retreated simultaneously, their eyes locked in unwavering determination. There was no hesitation, no preliminary testing of each other's strength. Both knew this was no time for games. The air seemed to hum with magic as both duelists chanted spells under their breath, their voices growing louder and more powerful with every word.
Without warning, two towering Burning Men materialized before them, each an elemental giant composed of roaring flames. Their bodies radiated intense heat, their molten forms crackling with energy as they stood ready for battle. The ground beneath them, once solid bluestone, cracked and sizzled, leaving a scorched trail in their wake.
The two fiery creatures charged toward each other like enraged beasts, dragging long streaks of fire behind them. Their collision sent a shockwave across the arena, a thunderous explosion that rippled outward, making flags in the stands snap violently and causing the audience to shield their eyes from the blinding light.
"Burning Man? Isn't that a lost spell?" someone in the crowd gasped, disbelief etched on their face.
"I can't believe it. They've both mastered this level of high magic," another whispered, admiration and awe mixing with fear.
As the flames burst outwards, both Alexander and Roderick were thrown back by the force of the explosion. Using the rebound from the blast, Alexander slid back gracefully, distancing himself from Roderick. But Roderick was quick to react, his combat experience showing. Born into nobility, he had been trained rigorously in both magic and combat. His command over fire magic was impeccable, and it was clear why he had earned Lucian Draven's favor.
A series of howls echoed across the arena, and from the flames emerged a pack of wolves made entirely of fire. They snarled and snapped as they charged forward in a triangular formation, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger, and their bodies left streaks of embers in their wake.
The audience gasped as the fiery wolves darted across the stone ground, closing in on Alexander from all sides, their speed terrifying, their presence otherworldly.
"Fire wolves!" someone exclaimed. "Roderick is too fast."
In response, Alexander quickly raised his hands and summoned a towering wall of fire in front of him, blocking the wolves' initial attack. The wolves, however, were relentless. They circled Alexander's wall, snapping at the edges of his fire wall, attacking from every angle, their burning forms leaping against the blazing barrier in an attempt to break through.
Roderick stood at a distance, his face twisted in a sneer as he commanded the wolves with a flick of his hand. "What's the matter, Alexander?" he called mockingly. "Where's that arrogance you showed earlier? Trash is trash, no matter how hard you try!"
His taunts echoed across the arena, drawing snickers from some of the spectators, but Alexander remained silent, his focus solely on the battle, though his eyes—narrowed in concentration—gleamed with a sudden, fierce intensity.
A red light flashed briefly across his irises as he increased the output of his magic, funneling more energy into the fire wall. The flames roared to life, growing taller, brighter, and more intense, bathing the entire arena in a fiery red glow and making it difficult for the wolves to close in. The heat became oppressive, radiating outward in waves that made even the audience shift uncomfortably in their seats.
In the stands, the same nobleman who had earlier ridiculed Alexander muttered to himself in disbelief, "This… this can't be. He can't be this strong!"
Dorian, seated off to the side with his usual casual demeanor, had now straightened up. The wine glass in his hand was forgotten, and his attention was fully locked onto the duel. His expression, once amused, had turned serious. "Send a message to Elara," he glanced at the servant beside him. "I need to speak with him. He isn't just some ordinary man."
On the battlefield, the fire wolves were faltering. Alexander's wall of fire had transformed into a sea of flames, burning hotter with each passing second. The fire wolves, once formidable and fearsome, were now being consumed by the inferno, their forms gradually dissolving as they were swallowed by the blaze. The sea of fire continued to expand, rushing forward with unstoppable force, heading directly for Roderick.
"Nice trick," he sneered, "but not good enough." Looking at the sea of flames getting closer and closer, summoning all his strength, Roderick called forth a giant flaming python, its massive body coiling in front of him. The python was no ordinary conjuration-this was his most powerful magic, and he had planned to use it to end the battle as quickly as possible.
It was solid, its scales detailed and shimmering as if made from molten rock. Its eyes burned with an intense, predatory fire, and when it opened its colossal jaws, it seemed to inhale the flames around it.
With a thunderous roar, the python began to devour the sea of fire in front of it, swallowing the flames in a whirlwind of energy. As more and more fire was absorbed into the python's body, it grew larger, towering higher into the sky. Its body glowed brighter, and the air around it crackled with raw, unstable energy. A clearing began to form in the firestorm, as the flames were funneled directly into the serpent's massive form.