The arena was unusually still, its vast expanse cloaked in the kind of silence that only accompanies high stakes and impending conflict. The banners of House Brightwater and House Everwinter fluttered lazily in the slight breeze, but all attention was focused on the central stage. The crowd, a mix of nobles, commoners, and soldiers, packed the grandstands, eager to witness the next match. The tension was almost palpable, as two of the most formidable teams in the kingdom of Arenthia prepared to face off. On one side stood Kaelith, the nature-attuned Green magician, and Torrack, a seemingly ordinary warrior whose powers went far beyond what most suspected. Opposite them were Elion, a seasoned water magician, and Elgard, a dark magician known for his cunning and ruthlessness.
Torrack closed his eyes briefly, shutting out the noise of the crowd and focusing on the sensations beneath his feet. The earth hummed faintly, whispering to him in a language he was only beginning to understand. He had always been a master of brute strength, of quick reflexes and keen instincts, but now... now, he had to dig deeper. With the powers he had recently absorbed, the very earth seemed to respond to his will. It wasn't just magic. It was something primal, something ancient.
He opened his eyes as the signal to begin was given.
Elion wasted no time. A torrent of water shot from his outstretched hand, cascading toward Elgard with the speed of a flash flood. It split into twin streams midair, one aiming directly at Elgard, the other sweeping toward Torrack. Torrack barely had a second to react. Instinctively, he stomped the ground, and the earth rose in response, forming a crude but effective wall of dirt that split the stream of water in half, sending it harmlessly to either side.
Kaelith, standing next to him, cast him a quick glance. Surprise flickered across her features. She knew Torrack had no earth-based abilities, not traditionally, at least. But here he was, commanding the ground as though he had been born with brown magic. Her curiosity was momentarily interrupted by the sight of one of the light-brown magicians closing in on her.
The two light-brown magicians—hired fighters with considerable skill—flanked Torrack and Kaelith. They were moving quickly, faster than their bulkier forms suggested. One of them swung a massive warhammer at Torrack, while the other advanced on Kaelith with a short sword gleaming with earth-infused energy.
Torrack didn't flinch. The warhammer descended toward him like a comet, but just before it struck, Torrack raised his hand. The earth answered his silent command, rising in a dense column to meet the hammer. The impact was thunderous, a shockwave rippling outward as the hammer collided with the solid stone. The wall cracked, but Torrack was already moving, ducking low as the debris scattered.
With a swift punch to the ground, Torrack sent a ripple through the arena floor, causing the light-brown magician to stumble. The ground buckled beneath the man's feet, sending him tumbling backward. Torrack took a step forward, creating another tremor that knocked his opponent off balance entirely. The magician crashed to the ground, struggling to regain his footing, only to be ensnared by Kaelith's vines.
"I've got him!" Kaelith called, her voice filled with satisfaction as her vines wrapped around the magician's limbs, immobilizing him.
The second light-brown magician darted toward Kaelith, his sword raised high. Torrack saw the attack coming and reacted instinctively. He raised a hand, and the ground between Kaelith and her attacker erupted in a spire of rock, the blade clanging uselessly against it. Torrack grinned, satisfied. He had always been strong, but this... this power was something else.
The second light-brown magician attempted to recover from his failed strike, only for Kaelith's vines to snap toward him, wrapping around his ankle and pulling him off his feet. He fell with a grunt, and Torrack wasted no time. He slammed his foot into the ground, causing a pillar of earth to shoot up beneath the fallen magician, flinging him into the air. The man crashed down several feet away, groaning in pain.
Torrack was about to turn his attention back to Elion and Elgard when something caught his eye. Across the arena, Elion was locked in a fierce duel with Elgard, his water magic crashing against Elgard's dark summons. But something had changed. A new player had entered the fray—an undead entity, its form wreathed in a faint blue aura.
The creature moved with slow, deliberate steps, its eyes glowing faintly with an unnatural light. Water dripped from its body, pooling beneath it as it advanced on Elion. Elion hurled torrents of water at the creature, but the attacks were proving useless. The undead's resistance to water magic was unnaturally high. Every wave Elion sent its way was absorbed into the creature's form, weakening it but never enough to halt its advance.
Elion was growing desperate. His face was pale with exhaustion, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He was losing this fight, and fast. The undead slashed at him with a sword it carried, each strike forcing Elion to retreat further. Then, with a final, brutal swing, the creature's blade cut through Elion's defenses, knocking him to the ground. Elion's body hit the dirt with a sickening thud, and he didn't move.
Torrack's eyes widened in alarm. He saw the undead raising its sword, preparing to deliver the final blow. There was no time to think—only time to act.
In a blur of motion, Torrack surged forward, moving faster than anyone in the arena could track. He flew past the undead, his arms scooping up Elion's unconscious body just as the sword came down. The blade struck empty air, missing its mark by mere inches.
Torrack carried Elion across the battlefield, depositing him near Kaelith. His expression was hard, his voice unyielding as he addressed her. "Look after him. I'll heal him once I'm done here."
Kaelith nodded, her eyes filled with concern as she knelt beside Elion, checking his wounds. Torrack turned back to the battlefield, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto the undead creature still standing where he had left it. The blue aura around it flickered slightly, as if it was aware of what Torrack had done and was waiting for his next move.
Torrack wasn't about to waste any time. He raised his hand, and the ground beneath the undead shifted. The creature tried to move, but Torrack's control over the earth was absolute. The soil turned to thick mud, sucking at the creature's legs, dragging it down. The undead thrashed, trying to pull itself free, but Torrack's focus was unwavering. With a final motion, he solidified the mud, turning it into solid stone. The undead was trapped, its body half-encased in the ground.
Torrack approached it, his gaze steady. He raised his fist, channeling every ounce of his strength into it. With a single punch, he shattered the creature's skull, the blue aura dissipating into the air like smoke.
As the remains of the undead crumbled into dust, Torrack turned his gaze to Elgard, who stood watching from the opposite end of the arena. The dark magician's face was calm, though a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
"Were you really going to kill Elion?" Torrack's voice was low, but the threat in it was unmistakable.
Elgard's smile widened slightly. "I fight to win ."
Torrack clenched his fists, the earth beneath him rumbling in response to his rising anger. "Then fight me now."
The air between them crackled with tension. The crowd had gone silent, all eyes on the two figures standing at the heart of the battlefield. Torrack's power thrummed through the ground, the earth responding to his will. Elgard's dark magic swirled around him like a shadow, ready to strike.