Silence reigned.
Not a ceremonial silence, nor a respectful one. It was the type that usually ca before the storm.
This was the breath before war. The calm before disaster would strike.
The dueling platform glead under the artificial twilight of the floating arena, casting long shadows behind the two figures at its center.
Kaelis Dorne of Thornevale.
Damon Terrace of ElderGlow.
No announcer was needed. No speech. Every student, every spectator, even the Deans stood tense, waiting.
"Who'd you think would win, big brother Ashbourne?" Lady Reyla asked her older brother with a simple smirk. She was the only one present who would dare to address Lord Terrace by his first na.
He sighed and turned to her. "Damon but it'll be a hard battle. Judging by an array of factors if rather not talk about, that girl, Kaelis seems to be very experienced. To be honest, it'll be a close call if Damon manages to win."
"But who do you think will win?" Lady Reyla asked again, seemingly interested in Lord Terrace's answer.
Without looking at her, his eyes fixed on the arena, Lord Terrace replied. "My son, Damon, of course."
The silence that followed after his response was chilling but everyone respected that silence and remained mute.
Two circles lit beneath their feet—standard for official academy duels. The mont both stepped forward, the match would begin.
Kaelis inhaled once, slowly, then exhaled through her nose. Her glaive—mid-length, curved-blade at the end of a long staff—hung loosely in her grip. She hadn't activated any essence yet. But her stance scread readiness.
Damon rolled his shoulders.
No blade in his hand yet.
Just a relaxed stance. His eyes half-lidded, reading Kaelis like a tactical report.
Then both stepped forward.
And the light vanished.
Kaelis moved first.
She swept in a wide arc to the left, boots gliding across the smooth stone like she was ice-skating on combat instinct.
Her glaive arced low—a testing swing, not ant to hit, but to gauge Damon's footwork.
Damon didn't backpedal.
He stepped into the strike.
Clink!
With a motion almost lazy, his wrist flicked, drawing a thin, jagged dagger from his belt, deflecting the glaive's shaft just enough to avoid the blade and redirect her path.
Kaelis flowed with it, flipping the weapon mid-air, striking with the opposite end.
But Damon had already moved.
His dagger slid beneath her grip, skimming the wooden haft of her weapon—and again nudging her angle off course.
It looked like dancing.
But it was anything but gentle.
Kaelis stepped back now, eyes sharper.
"You're reading my rhythm."
Damon didn't answer.
He just waited.
Kaelis released her restraint.
Her wind-affinity essence surged.
A sharp burst of compressed air exploded beneath her boots, launching her straight at Damon with renewed speed.
Woooooshhh~
Her blade whistled through the air—this ti faster, heavier, imbued with force.
Damon ducked under the first swing.
Then blocked the second.
Bang!
The third?
He sidestepped entirely—pivoting on his heel, arm brushing her elbow to knock her slightly off balance.
Then he vanished.
Appeared behind her in a blink.
Kaelis spun and nearly struck his chest—but he caught the haft of her glaive in his hand.
Crack!
Essence clashed.
He forced it down. Just once. Just enough.
Kaelis backflipped away.
Landed on her feet with narrowed eyes.
"You're fast," she muttered.
Damon twirled the dagger once. "You're stronger."
For a mont, neither moved.
The crowd held their breath.
Then Kaelis did sothing no one expected.
She raised her left hand, and her glaive's gem core began to glow red. The very air vibrated.
"She's going to use it," murmured Daveon from ElderGlow's booth. "Her final move. She doesn't want to stress things. She'll run out of magic essence and stamina before Damon does."
"That's a big mistake." Celeste sighed. "Well, it might work if Damon doesn't know what to expect." She ended up shrugging.
A pulse radiated from Kaelis' core—her entire glaive was reacting to it.
Woooooonggg~
The blade shimred with wind affinity, lightning curling around the edge as glowing runes ignited down the shaft.
A spell-form.
A final strike.
Not just a technique.
But a technique with execution delay.
Too powerful to use instantly.
Too volatile to stop mid-way.
Anaya stood in the upper ranks. "Damon...?"
But Damon?
He didn't move.
He watched.
Calm.
Still.
Then Kaelis's voice carried across the arena.
"Try to survive this."
And she dashed forward.
Blade glowing.
Essence screaming.
Wind cracking.
The mont she neared Damon—
He lifted his hand. "Thanks but you're not the only one with a hidden move."
Not to block.
Not to dodge.
He whispered sothing beneath his breath.
The runes on Kaelis' weapon flickered.
Her eyes widened. Celeste's eyes widened.
"What—"
Suddenly—
CRACK!
The glaive jerked in her grip.
The energy rebounded.
Her arm twisted out of position.
And before she could release the attack—
The blade exploded in her hand.
Boooooooom!!
A contained detonation, more forceful than lethal, launched her backwards, her body tumbling across the stone platform like a ragdoll tossed by invisible gods.
Gasps rippled across the entire colosseum.
"What the hell was that?!"
Lord Terrace imdiately rose up from his seat, obviously shocked by what he'd just witnessed. However, he wasn't the only one. The Deans and guests were all stunned.
"What the?"
"The hell was that?"
The dust settled.
Kaelis lay on her back, arms splayed, weaponless.
Burn marks laced her gloves.
Her breathing was shallow.
But conscious.
She blinked—
And stared up at Damon.
Who now approached.
Calm.
Controlled.
A light blue rune glowed faintly on his right hand. Faint. Almost invisible.
Only those attuned to essence could see it.
Lady Reyla, watching from the balcony, stood upright in her chair.
"No way…"
Godsthorn raised a brow. ""Did he just activate her own attack prematurely?"
Reyla narrowed her eyes. "Authority over another's attack. That shouldn't even be usable unless—"
Lord Terrace said nothing.
But a faint smile crept to his lips.
Dean Oryll reappeared above the dueling platform.
His voice was no longer amused.
It was reverent.
"The match is complete."
"Victor: Damon Terrace of ElderGlow."
No applause.
Just stunned silence.
"Wooooooaahhhhh!!"
"Damon! Damon!! Damon!!!"
Then a thunderous roar shook the colosseum as the shock wore off.
Students began shouting. So cheered. So protested.
But none denied the result.
Damon offered a hand to Kaelis.
She stared at it for a long second…
Then took it.
He helped her up.
She muttered, "I was going to win."
"You almost did," he said.
Kaelis smirked. "Then I'll win next ti."
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