"Blooming Ivy," she muttered, and her aura shifted to a darker shade of red. Gunther's hammer managed to defend against her, striking her leg when she attempted a kick to his head to end the match quickly. Only ten minutes remained.
"Give it up already, woman," Gunther taunted her.
It seemed her aura was healing her joints. "Too late," she replied.
Ivy slid her finger along her saber, imbuing it with her magic. The blade glowed a deep red, and her feet began to glow the same hue, focusing most of her power there.
This time, Gunther conjured a shield of sand, his gaze steady and unyielding. Everyone could sense this wasn't going to end well. He pushed forward with his earth magic, sending rocks flying and breaking the cobblestone ring in an attempt to throw Ivy off balance. But Ivy used his rock projectiles as stepping stones, leaping from one to the next, steadily closing in on him.
Seeing her advance, Gunther summoned a large earth pillar from above to block her, but it was the wrong move. Ivy landed on the pillar, using it to boost herself faster, her red-glowing saber surging with energy as she closed in. Panicking, Gunther hastily created more shields to defend himself. Time was ticking.
"Phantom Slash!" she cried as she descended, delivering a red slash against Gunther's shields.
A surge of magic erupted, causing an explosive sound, and dust filled the arena, obscuring everyone's view. The crowd coughed as the dust settled.
The mages cleared the air, revealing Ivy standing tall, her saber raised high. Beneath her feet lay Gunther, unconscious. She had won. Everyone stood and cheered for her. Abel was left with a sour look.
"There it is—the infamous Phantom Slash. A strike that can shut down every organ, depending on where it's aimed in the body, without leaving a physical mark. What a crazy spell to master. Ivy's definitely messed up in the head," Henry remarked.
"Amazing. I was wise not to mess with her all this time," I said to Henry as I clapped my hands, cheering for my friend.
The healers began to pull out a cart to carry Gunther out of the arena and heal him.
The mages repaired the cobblestone ring and started measuring the magic intensity between the opponents' spells. I watched them, amused by their roles.
One of them looked at me, seemingly wary. I attempted to smile, but she immediately looked away, which surprised me. Had I done something wrong? I turned to Henry. "Is there something wrong with my face?" I asked him, noticing he was busy talking to Flemi Zuri.
"Huh? What? You look the same, idiot," he replied, leaving me skeptical.
The next match-up was announced: Henry Lucere vs. Killian Edgar.
Their specialties were unknown. Henry had never revealed his abilities to us, but I knew he was a shield-wielder. As for Killian, he was known for his aloofness and harsh criticism; he often picked on people with weak mindsets and bullied them into following his every demand.
Everyone knew this was a bad match-up—Killian disliked Henry's bright nature, and Henry found Killian to be a sore sight. I wondered if this match would end in a tie. I had seen Killian spar with others, and he was quite ruthless. Will Henry be okay but that was just my assumption; I'd never seen Henry fight seriously.
"My time to shine," Henry declared proudly, and the crowd cheered for him. Henry was quite popular among the ladies; he was a sweet-talker and great at entertaining people. It wasn't a surprise that people were drawn to his expressive nature.
He took a dagger and shield with him, placing them on the ground of the ring. Henry did a light stretch as his eyes fixed on Killian, who was already prepare, wielding a pair of twin blades.
"Watch me," Henry mouthed to me. I nodded excitedly.
Then Ivy sat next to me, looking fully healed. "Ahhh, Gunther really tried to destroy my leg," she complained as she plopped down beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. "Let me borrow this big shoulder for a while. I'm exhausted—I've never released so much mana in my life," she said.
"Sure, rest up. Let's watch Henry's fight against Killian," I replied.
Bailee began to explain the rules thoroughly, but Killian cut her off. "Shut it. Begin the match," he said harshly.
"Hey, let her do her thing. Stop being a mood killer," Henry interjected with his usual laid-back tone. "This is a practice match, not a tournament." The crowd booed Killian for being rude.
"Tch—No drive makes a man weak, just talkative," Killian retorted with a sneer.
"Hah, you've done it now, Killian. This is what I get for being so nice to a pickle head," Henry taunted back.
Bailee shot Killian a glare. "The match begins," she announced.
As soon as the match started, Henry vanished, turning invisible. The crowd gasped, impressed by his magic skill.
"It's stealth," I whispered to Ivy.
"Damn, he's full of surprises," she replied, equally amazed.
"Come out, you coward!" Killian shouted, taunting Henry.
Cling!
The clash of Henry's dagger against Killian's twin blades echoed across the arena as Henry briefly revealed himself. "Keep up with me, will ya?" Henry taunted, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Forward, Edgar, Spirit of Truth!" Killian activated his spell, and a wave of magic swept through the arena. Suddenly, Henry's footsteps became audible, tracking him even in stealth.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Henry yelled, forced to reveal himself entirely. Their weapons clashed, and though their strengths seemed evenly matched, I sensed Henry was holding back, perhaps for a reason.
"You're making a fool out of me!" Killian growled, frustration building.
Henry's laughter rang out, echoing around the arena. It was as if he was toying with Killian, treating their fight like a game of hide and seek. The crowd couldn't help but laugh, entertained by Henry's antics. For thirty minutes, they dueled, until the match finally ended in a tie.
As soon as it was over, Killian tried to throw a punch, but a senior knight quickly stepped in to stop him. Enraged, Killian stormed out of the arena, kicking and tossing anything in his way.