'I can't lose…' he thought as power surged through his body, enveloping every vein and every muscle in his body. His mind suddenly gained the clarity it needed, and a comforting sensation spread across his chest.
He felt powerful. He felt in control.
He couldn't afford to lose that control.
In reality, Aiden stood on a thin rope.
Lightning crackled across his arms as he clenched his fists, relishing the surge of power as he flexed all parts of his body. The sword in his hand sparkled with a light-blue hue, one that drew the attention of many onlookers.
It was quite peculiar. Although many students could use Arcana and Aurora, they couldn't make use of an element, let alone imbuing their weapon with said element.
Such use of Arcana and Aurora was advanced.
Even Davis Pate raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the proficiency at which Aiden wielded the energy. The latter smiled at the former's reaction. He needed this sort of recognition. He needed acknowledgment.
He trained to surprise.
He trained to force others to acknowledge him.
He trained not to be ignored ever again.
With a composed state of mind and an unwavering gaze, as he stared at Ryan, Aiden shot forward before unleashing a barrage of attacks. With each strike, his speed grew and so did his lead.
'I'll win this. I'll win this so dominantly that he'll be forced to admit defeat. He'll be forced to acknowledge me. I'll win it so he'll never look at me with that disgusting expression ever again… so that he'll forever show me respect.'
'For me to be pushed to this state… he probably thinks he's a bigshot.'
Gritting his teeth, Aiden continued swinging repeatedly, his footwork swift and his movements smooth. It felt as if Ryan were facing a force of nature and fighting a losing battle against a natural disaster.
The lightning continued to spread in various directions like the roots of a tree.
Burn marks began forming on Ryan's arms as the lightning slithered across his skin, taxing his concentration and fatiguing him to levels he couldn't recover from amidst such a brutal battle. Aiden's plan was quite clear.
Despite that, Ryan couldn't easily counter it.
Ryan could only redirect or dodge Aiden's barrage, unable to make even a single unnecessary movement. At that point, one mistake could signify the former's end and the latter's immediate victory.
However, no matter how much Aiden pushed, Ryan didn't let go.
Despite the former's desperate attempts, it felt as if Ryan still held the key to the battle. With an indifferent expression that displayed no crinkles or nervousness, he continued responding to Aiden's attacks.
He didn't even try to attack.
'What is he doing?' Aiden wondered, becoming increasingly frustrated as his fruitless efforts continued.
"I wonder…"
Suddenly, Ryan spoke. His words broke Aiden out of his daze, shattering his rhythm.
"You were there, weren't you?" Ryan continued, his voice reverberating across the silent battleground. Only the crackling of lightning and the thuds of footsteps were audible amongst the seemingly mute crowd.
"What?" Aiden couldn't help but ask.
"When I destroyed the boulder yesterday. You heard it, didn't you? You saw the explosion."
Aiden froze. 'That… that was him?'
Ryan's smile only widened as he saw Aiden's hesitation. The latter suddenly stepped aside, wrapping his foot around Aiden's in order to disturb his footwork, which clearly seemed to work as the teen struggled to maintain his balance.
"You saw it, yet you insist on continuing his fruitless battle," Ryan spoke in a voice dripping with arrogance, one laced with intimidation.
At that moment, Arcana ignited from within Ryan.
His eyes glittered an even brighter, azure glow while a mysterious aura enveloped his body, providing him with a somewhat divine appearance to Aiden.
Aiden's eyes widened at the scene, his pupils dilating. His body struggled to keep up with his racing thoughts. His heart pounded, a rare type of emotion invading his subconscious, encroaching upon his shattered composure.
It was fear.
The fear of losing.
The fear of embarrassment.
The fear that his efforts all these years would go to waste.
"You must remember what Ferhill said yesterday," said Ryan, his figure becoming larger and larger in Aiden's eyes. "He said that talent will beat hard work any day. But I don't believe that. If you look at me, and then yourself…"
Silence.
"Who's shitting their pants and who isn't?"
Ryan's lips contorted, revealing an insidious smile that seemed nigh demonic. With great agility and grace, he turned the tide of the battle, destroying Aiden's attacks with the littlest force required.
The immense force borrowed from Roland's Legend fueled his actions, paving a path toward his victory.
Aiden–at that point–knew the situation he was in.
Despite the lightning crackling around his body, he felt dwarfed by the power that revolved around Ryan. It wasn't even the potency of the energy itself, but the power of the wielder and the story within it.
Although Aiden couldn't sense Roland's power, he could somewhat judge that it did not belong to Ryan.
Ryan was only fueling it.
He was only fanning the flames.
What he felt petrified by was the face within those flames and the reason for which the embers had evolved into a voracious fire.
It was absolutely terrifying.
Paired with Ryan's nigh-perfect use of the sword, there was nothing Aiden could do. He was merely a sitting duck.
"I admit defeat."
A resolute voice resounded across the battleground as one of the contenders bent their knee, kneeling before their foe. Silence descended upon the area, only the sounds of heavy breathing distinguishable.
No one could believe it had come to such an end.
The pride he'd displayed…
How could Aiden have scrapped such pride?
The bystanders couldn't believe it. How could Aiden just admit defeat? They felt wronged… as if they'd been cheated out of a spectacle!
How was something like this allowed?
But Davis Pate had other ideas.
"Ryan Ashford is the winner."