Taro returned to the stands amid cheers and applause from his companions. Min was the first to pounce on him, putting his arm around his neck and ssing up his hair. Ren followed with a more restrained but equally sincere congratulation; he was proud of his friend.
What was surprising wasn't just the congratulations from his roommates, but the small reception committee that had ford spontaneously. Roran and his group approached.
"That was incredible!" exclaid Trent, shaking Taro's hand enthusiastically. "We insect tars glimpse a new era with you. Also Kai looked like he was going to explode with rage!"
Han's team had also approached, though Han himself maintained a certain distance, observing from a few ters back with an unfathomable expression. Jun and Sora, however, showed no such reserve.
"Good job," comnted Jun simply, though the gleam of admiration in his eyes said more than his words.
"It's going to be difficult to overco that new defense style," added Sora with a smile.
Jun sighed dramatically, looking at Ren. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter much what we do against it, considering we have to face you tomorrow in the team semifinals." He shook his head with feigned resignation. "It's the end of the line for us, so we just ask for so rcy, oh powerful lord of mushrooms."
"Hey, I'm part of the team too!" Min jumped in, feeling ignored.
The joke drew laughter from the group.
"It will be an interesting combat," Ren responded, with anticipation rather than arrogance.
For an instant, his eyes t Han's. Ren's smile remained, but his eyes contained a different depth when looking at the distant boy.
The mont passed as quickly as it had co, interrupted by the announcent of the next individual combat.
The matches continued at a good pace. Min faced a tar with a fire beast, winning easily thanks to a 'brilliant' combination of invisibility and elental advantage.
Upon returning, he expected the sa praise as Taro, but everyone looked at him with narrowed eyes because his confrontation had been too easy thanks to the elental affinity.
Finally, the turn that many had been waiting for arrived.
"Liora Ashenway against Feng Zhao," announced Yang, his voice resonating throughout the stadium. "Present yourselves in the arena in three minutes."
A murmur of anticipation ran through the stands. Feng, as Klein's close companion and high-level noble, had a considerable reputation. His red cobra, now at Bronze 1 rank, had shown impressive capabilities in previous combats. But facing an Ashenway, especially after the demonstration of power that Liora and Larissa had offered in the team combats, was another level of challenge.
"This is going to be interesting," comnted Taro, still excited from his own victory. "Feng has attacks with a lot of range, but Liora..."
"Has that annoying ability to jump through space," completed Min. "Not to ntion that will-o'-wisp that seems to have a mind of its own and the sa or greater range."
Ren observed attentively as both competitors entered the arena. Liora walked with the natural grace characteristic of the Ashenways, her expression serene but alert. Feng advanced with aggressiveness.
"Feng's cobra is stronger and more resistant now, besides giving better enhancents," observed Ren. "His control over its venom is much more refined as well."
Indeed, when Feng invoked his beast, the difference was imdiately apparent. The red cobra, now almost two ters in length, presented more elaborate markings on its extended hood. Its fangs, visible when it opened its jaws in an intimidating display, dripped a liquid that seed to slightly corrode the ground where it fell.
Liora, for her part, kept her will-o'-wisp partially materialized, small blue flas dancing around her fingers as she studied her opponent.
"Begin," indicated Yang, stepping back to give space to the combatants.
Feng wasted no ti. With a quick gesture, he directed his cobra to attack. The creature launched forward, but instead of attacking directly, it began to expel a cloud of toxic vapor from its mouth.
"He's developed the Poison Miasma ability," murmured Ren. "It's a good way to control the field."
The cloud expanded rapidly, covering a considerable area of the arena. It had a sickly greenish color, and where it touched surfaces, these began to hiss.
"It's a venom with acidic properties," Ren explained to his friends. "Doubly dangerous: it damages both by contact and inhalation."
Liora, however, didn't seem particularly concerned. With an elegant movent, she executed one of her characteristic spatial jumps, disappearing in a blue flash to reappear several ters beyond the reach of the toxic cloud.
"Nice trick," she comnted, her voice resonating with the confidence of soone who had control.
Feng narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed by the ease with which his initial strategy had been avoided. He directed his cobra to expand the cloud more, covering an even larger portion of the arena.
"You can jump all you want," he responded, an arrogant smile forming on his face. "But eventually you'll run out of space or energy."
Liora responded with her own smile, serene and slightly amused. "Or I could simply do this."
With a fluid gesture, she extended both hands toward the toxic cloud. Her will-o'-wisp intensified, the small blue flas growing to form a burning wave that launched directly against the miasma.
The result was spectacular. Upon contact with the will-o'-wisp, the poisonous miasma instantly ignited.
"The will-o'-wisp isn't common fire," explained Ren to no one in particular, though several nearby students listened attentively. "It consus mana. It's, basically, the perfect counter for any thin mana construction that isn't based on the water elent."
Liora decided it was ti to go on the offensive.
"It's been useful to verify the utility of my ability against a higher rank skill," she declared, executing a particularly wide jump that positioned her directly behind Feng. "But I think it's ti to end this."
Before Feng could turn completely, Liora had sent a concentrated wave of will-o'-wisp.
Feng returned and redirected the summon of his cobra to his back, without even turning, just in ti to avoid the direct attack, but...
The blue flas enveloped the creature, not burning it in the traditional sense, but consuming its energy. Liora pushed herself to the maximum to increase the output of her flas, and for a mont they beca darker, but few noticed.
The effect was too effective against the beast despite having a higher level.
The flas began to overco the cobra, which was disintegrating and ceasing to function as a shield.
Feng scread when the blue fire licked his arms and chest, a pain that temporarily paralyzed his mind. He fell to his knees, his concentration broken and his cobra vanishing in a flash of reddish light.
"I... I surrender," he gasped, acknowledging his defeat.
Yang approached to verify his condition before officially declaring: "Victory for Liora Ashenway!"
The applause was imdiate and enthusiastic, especially from the sectors close to Selphira and her supporters from other noble families. Liora accepted the ovation with an elegant nod.
While the dical auxiliaries attended to Feng to neutralize any residual effect of the will-o'-wisp, the next combat was announced.
"Larissa Dravenholm against Astor Blackwood."
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