Lynna stood at the sidelines, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. As much as she tried to maintain her composure after her own victory, she found herself even more anxious for Malay's fight than she had been for her own. The Academy's battle system, which was based on skill rather than grade, had pitted Malay against a third-year student, even though he had shown her his lack of self confidence the day before.
The duel commenced with Malay's opponent immediately launching a barrage of elemental attacks. Fiery arrows, water torrents, and sharp spikes of earth all flew towards Malay in rapid succession. To the onlookers, it might have seemed as if Malay was on the defensive, skillfully dodging and deflecting attacks with his own air and earth spells. His opponent's frustrations were evident, with each subsequent attack more forceful and wild than the last.
However, Lynna knew better. Each dodge, each step backward, every seemingly simple gust of wind Malay summoned was part of a bigger plan. She had trained with him, witnessed the development of his strategies, and understood the depth of his tactics. Even as the duel seemed to be at a stalemate, Malay was quietly molding the battlefield to his advantage.
Throughout the fight, he subtly created pockets of compressed air around the opponent side of the arena. These pockets were so densely packed that they were almost tangible, resembling invisible walls of stone. Moreover, they varied in shape and forms making them not only invisible but unpredictable. Only someone who truly understood air magic could detect, let alone craft such pockets with such precision.
Malay knew he had to make his opponent move recklessly into his invisible maze. In a theatrical gesture, he summoned a vast flame that covered a wide area but was mostly harmless, a bluff, forcing his adversary to dance around the fiery curtain, thinking he was avoiding an attack.
Caught off guard, the third-year student stepped back, tripping over one of the air pockets Malay had crafted. He quickly regained his balance but, to his misfortune, stumbled right into another dense wall of air. The impact was brutal, throwing him off balance and causing him to hit the ground hard. The sheer suddenness of the unseen force left many spectators puzzled.
A hushed silence enveloped the arena for a brief moment, with many wondering what had transpired. Then, whispers turned to a rising applause, and the victor was announced. Malay's unique and impeccable strategy had won him the duel against a more advanced student.
Lynna approached him, an impressed smile on her face. "Well done," she said, extending her hand for a high five.
Malay grinned, returning the gesture jokingly. "By the might of Alar!" he exclaimed, looking around at the awe-struck audience. Then, with a more serious tone, he added, "We've come a long way since last year, huh?" He chuckled, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. "Bet those bullies won't be talking much after today."