Mira's match was called up next. She stood opposite a wiry guy with a cocky grin plastered on his face, the kind you get used to ignoring at Purple Lock. Bid, or at least that's what the announcer called him, was just another background character in the academy lineup—a placeholder in a sea of nobodies.
Mira's match began, her golden hair almost shimmering as she activated her light magic. She faced Bid—a fist fighter with a fire magic edge, the kind who made up for skill with brute force. And to Mira, that was about as intimidating as a strong gust of wind.
Bid wasted no time, rushing in with a fist crackling in flames, grinning like he'd already won. Mira barely blinked. With a quick flick of her wrist, she summoned a sphere of radiant light, blinding him mid-swing. Bid staggered, disoriented, and Mira took her time, watching him struggle to find her through the brightness.
When he steadied himself and managed another attempt, Mira raised her hand, casting a shimmering barrier between them. His fiery punch collided with the barrier and fizzled out like a damp match. She tilted her head, unimpressed, then raised her hand again, summoning a concentrated beam of light that shot toward him with precision. The beam struck his defenses, shattering them in seconds and sending him skidding backward across the ground.
Mira stood still, dusting her hands off as if she hadn't even broken a sweat. For her, the match was less about effort and more about watching him try to keep up.
"Mira won the duel."
As she left the arena, a ripple of chatter spread through the crowd. Whispers and hushed laughs floated around as they sized up the match—some mocking Bid's overconfidence, others in awe of Mira's effortless display of power.
As Mira stepped out of the ring, the crowd's murmur took on a sharper edge, whispers buzzing like restless flies.
"Two commoners just beat nobles in a row," someone muttered, a note of disbelief lingering in their voice.
Heads turned, students exchanging glances that ranged from surprise to quiet admiration to…well, annoyance. In a place where lineage mattered as much as skill, seeing nobles outclassed by two "nobodies" in quick succession wasn't something that happened often. It unsettled the hierarchy they clung to.
"First Kael, now Mira," another voice added.
"Are you good?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched her settle in.
"Yeah," Mira replied casually, brushing a strand of golden hair over her shoulder. "The match wasn't any difficult for me."
Around them, the whispers continued, but Mira and Kael seemed in their own world, two commoners who'd just left quite an impression on the academy's noble crowd.
As the crowd settled, anticipation hung thick in the air. The announcer's voice cut through the chatter, booming with the kind of authority that demanded attention.
"Next, we have the duels between the Four Noble houses! Two will emerge to compete in the finals!"
"The first match is between Ashen R. Volaris, the Heir of the Reverent Clan, and Selene A. Lysander, the Heir of the Aether Clan!"
Ashen R. Volaris stepped forward, his hair a vibrant shade of fiery red, flickering like embers in the arena lights. His eyes burned with a molten orange hue, radiating the intensity of his fire element. He looked every bit the noble heir.
Opposite him, Selene A. Lysander stood poised, her hair a striking icy blue, cascading down her back like a waterfall frozen in time. Her eyes glimmered with a frosty white sheen, a reflection of her mastery over ice magic.
Without a second glance at the weapon stand, Ashen and Selene strode onto the stage, drawing startled gasps from the crowd. Whispers rippled through the audience as they registered the shocking sight—neither had taken a weapon.
Everyone knew the prestige of the Top 4 Noble clans, each famed not only for their elemental power but also for the rare, formidable weapons they wielded. Yet here were Ashen and Selene, entering the duel empty-handed. That is the reason why they are shocked to see they are not taking weapons.
Ashen's fiery gaze locked onto Selene's cool, unwavering eyes.
"I'll defeat you in a minute, Selene," Ashen said, a smirk tugging at his mouth. His confidence was fierce, almost reckless, the same boldness he'd always worn since they were kids.
Selene met his stare, unfazed, her voice as steady as the chill of her element. "I've already beaten you once before. Do you really think you can win against me now?"
Just like how Lyra and Levi had crossed paths at a party, meeting each other with blades drawn and testing their strengths, Ashen and Selene had once done the same. They'd met at an event, an encounter that quickly escalated into a duel. That time, Selene had emerged victorious, a fact she wasn't letting Ashen forget.
Their rivalry felt as inevitable as the clash between North and South, East and West. Opposites by nature, destined to meet in conflict, pushing each other to new limits. Ashen was fire—bold and unyielding—while Selene was ice, calm and unbreakable.
The thing is, the Top 4 Noble clans each have a specific magic element tied to them. The Reverent clan's main element is fire magic, the Aether clan specializes in both ice and water magic, the Darkfall clan masters lightning, and the Sphinx clan commands earth magic.
In the last row, Levi sat, his usually composed expression betraying a rare flicker of surprise as he watched the two heirs face off.
"Oh, my god. What the fu*k is going on?" Levi muttered, his shock shifting into a bemused frustration. "What was the author thinking when writing this book? How many main characters are there? I haven't seen even one side character till now."
To understand the confusion swirling around him, Levi's mind drifted back to the start of Kael's match. He remembered that Kael was the main character and that he had the number 1 beside his title.
Then, when he saw Mira, who was a friend of Kael's, he was shocked—not after her match, but before, when he checked her status.
Then there was Ashen R. Volaris, who wielded fire as his main element. Levi noticed the title beside Ashen's name, and that was the one thing that truly shocked him.