Elias barely had time to react before Seraphina Arden launched her first attack.
A wave of blue fire erupted from her palm, surging forward like a living beast, heat distorting the air around it. It wasn't just a simple fire spell—it was controlled, its movements sharp and precise, as if it had a mind of its own.
Elias raised his gauntlet, engaging the absorption function. The flames collided with the metal surface, energy dispersing into the regulator, but—
Too much. Too fast.
The fire didn't just dissipate—it coiled around the gauntlet, the excess heat licking dangerously close to his exposed skin. Elias hissed, stepping back, his arm stinging.
Seraphina tilted her head. "Hmph. You actually survived that."
Elias gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well. I'm full of surprises."
But internally?
Holy hell, that hurt.
His gauntlet was built to absorb mana-based attacks, but elemental magic was trickier. Fire wasn't just raw energy—it carried heat, motion, and destruction. His device wasn't optimized for it.
Which meant he needed to adapt. Fast.
Seraphina didn't wait. She was already moving, closing the distance between them in three rapid strides.
She swung her arm—her fist wreathed in fire, but not casting a spell. A physical attack.
Elias barely dodged, twisting to the side, but she pivoted sharply—and her knee slammed into his ribs.
Pain exploded through his side as he stumbled back, gasping.
Lira, watching from the sidelines, groaned. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Elias—MOVE."
Elias exhaled sharply, refocusing. He was used to fighting mages who stood at a distance, casting spells. Seraphina was different. She wasn't just a mage—she was a duelist. A hybrid fighter.
Which meant his normal strategy wouldn't work.
Seraphina flicked her wrist, summoning three small, hovering fire orbs that circled her like miniature suns. Her gaze remained calm, calculating.
"You don't belong here," she said simply. "A toy cannot stand against magic."
Elias rolled his shoulders, shaking out the lingering burn in his arm.
"Oh yeah?" he said, flexing his fingers inside the gauntlet. "Let's find out."
He adjusted his stance, shifting into counterplay mode.
Seraphina made the next move. The fire orbs shot forward, moving unpredictably—one aimed for his face, another at his chest, and the last toward his legs.
Elias sidestepped the first, activated a deflection pulse for the second—
And tanked the third.
The moment it hit his lower leg, he absorbed the impact, using the stored kinetic force to propel himself forward.
His speed doubled in an instant.
Seraphina's eyes flickered with surprise.
Elias was already in front of her.
Before she could react, he fired a precision shock pulse from his gauntlet, aiming directly at her center of mass.
The bolt slammed into her, sending her skidding backward several feet.
The nobles watching from the arena seats murmured in disbelief.
Lira let out a breath. "Finally."
Seraphina dug her heels into the stone floor, stopping herself. She didn't fall.
Instead, she wiped a small streak of soot from her sleeve.
Then—
She smiled.
"Interesting," she said. "You can fight."
Elias exhaled, shaking out his gauntlet. "That's the idea."
Seraphina stepped forward again, slower this time. "Then let's see how much further you can push that thing before it breaks."
Elias smirked. "You first."
The second round had begun.