Elias barely had time to breathe before Darian launched another attack. The noble's hands flickered with golden light, conjuring three high-speed arcane bolts that cut through the air like guided missiles.
Elias activated his barrier pulse, redirecting the first bolt harmlessly into the ground. But the second and third were already closing in—too fast to fully deflect.
He twisted his wrist, engaging the gauntlet's partial absorption mode. One bolt vanished into the device, its energy pulsing through the circuits, but the last struck his shoulder, sending him staggering.
Pain burned through his arm, but Elias gritted his teeth and stayed on his feet. He couldn't afford to get knocked down again.
Darian smirked, lowering his hand. "You're surviving longer than I expected."
Elias exhaled. "Yeah, well, I'm stubborn like that."
He flexed his fingers inside the gauntlet. The stored energy from Darian's last attack crackled at his fingertips. If Darian wanted to fight with speed, Elias needed to force him into a different rhythm.
So, instead of firing the energy back, he did something unexpected—
He channeled it into his legs.
The gauntlet's secondary kinetic booster activated, sending a jolt of mana through his lower limbs. The world blurred for a split second as he surged forward.
Darian's eyes widened. "What the—"
Elias closed the gap instantly, twisting mid-stride to deliver a reinforced punch to Darian's gut. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, knocking Darian off balance for the first time in the fight.
The crowd erupted into shocked whispers.
Lira whistled. "Okay, that was new."
Darian coughed, his stance faltering as he slid back. He steadied himself, wiping his mouth. His silver eyes locked onto Elias, and for the first time, his smirk disappeared.
"…I see," he muttered.
Elias exhaled, shaking out his hand. The reinforced strike had worked—but it had drained his gauntlet's reserves faster than expected. He needed to be careful with how much power he burned at once.
Darian took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders. "I was only testing you before. But now?" A glowing crest appeared beneath his feet, the air around him rippling with mana. "Let's take this more seriously."
Elias barely had time to react before Darian vanished.
A split second later, he was behind Elias.
Elias instinctively ducked, just as a shockwave of concussive force blasted over his head, shattering the stone where he had stood.
Darian wasn't just faster—he was using a speed-enhancement spell.
Elias twisted, bringing up his gauntlet just in time to absorb a second strike, but the force still sent him skidding across the dueling platform.
Lira winced. "Yeah, that looked painful."
Elias pushed himself up, his muscles screaming in protest. He had speed boosts of his own, but Darian was on another level.
Which meant Elias had to think differently.
Darian blurred forward again, aiming to land a decisive blow—
But this time, Elias didn't dodge.
Instead, he planted his feet and activated his gauntlet's refraction system.
The moment Darian's next attack connected, the impact split into three different angles, the energy rebounding unpredictably. The distortion caught Darian off guard, sending him stumbling sideways.
Elias took the opening.
He fired a controlled energy pulse, angled perfectly so that when Darian tried to recover—
It hit him square in the chest.
The noble crashed backward, his breath knocked out of him.
The crowd gasped.
Darian's hands dug into the ground, stopping his momentum just before he would've left the dueling ring. He sat there for a second, stunned, then let out a slow chuckle.
"…Interesting," he muttered. He pushed himself up, rolling his neck. "I didn't expect you to adapt this fast."
Elias smirked, trying not to show how much his body was aching. "Gotta keep things exciting."
Darian studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "I could keep fighting, but I already see where this is going." He dusted off his robes and raised a hand.
"I yield."
The instructor stepped forward immediately. "Match over! Elias Graham wins."
For a few seconds, silence filled the training ground.
Then, the whispers started.
Lira blinked. "Wait. You… won?"
Elias exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Huh. Guess I did."
Darian stepped forward, his expression unreadable. Then, to Elias's surprise—
He offered his hand.
Elias frowned. "…What's this?"
Darian smirked. "I acknowledge strength when I see it. And you, Graham? You're not just some lucky Summoned One. You're a threat."
Elias hesitated for half a second, then shook Darian's hand.
The duel was over.
But the real battle was only just beginning.