On the martial arts platform, the two contestants had already taken their positions.
On the left stood a young man in his early twenties wearing a deep blue magic robe. On the right was a girl of similar age in a dark green robe. Her brown hair was styled in a neat, short cut, and she held a staff that reached halfway up her height.
The referee briefly explained the rules, stepped back to the edge of the platform, and raised his right hand.
“Begin!”
Before the word had even finished echoing, the blue-robed boy struck first. He pointed his staff forward, the tip glowing with a sudden burst of red light as two fist-sized fireballs shot toward his opponent in a staggered formation—the most basic fire magic, Fireball.
The girl’s reaction was just as quick. She swept her left hand in front of her, and a translucent, pale blue barrier instantly unfolded. The Water Curtain Shield intercepted both fireballs. The moment the flames touched the water, they hissed and sizzled, sending up several plumes of white steam.
The match entered a turn-based rhythm. After blocking the attack, the girl began her counteroffensive, planting her staff firmly on the ground.
“Ice Spikes!”
Several sharp ice cones suddenly surged from the cracks in the stone slabs of the platform, spreading in a straight line toward the boy’s feet. The blue-robed boy hurriedly retreated while swinging his staff horizontally, raising a wall of fire in front of him—Flame Barrier. The ice spikes pierced into the fire wall and melted rapidly in the high temperature, though the rising steam caused the fire wall to dim slightly.
The two traded blows, ice and fire intertwining on the stage in a lively display. The blue-robed boy’s fire magic was more powerful; each Flame Impact forced his opponent back several steps. However, the girl’s ice spells were superior in their versatility. She used Frost Freeze to slow him down and Ice Crystal Scatter to harass him, all while defending with her Water Curtain Shield. Although she appeared slightly passive on the surface, she never gave her opponent a chance to land a finishing blow.
After about three minutes of stalemate, the girl seized an opening in her opponent’s magic flow following a heavy offensive and deliberately feigned a weakness. As expected, the blue-robed boy took the bait, charging up a powerful Flame Burst for a direct hit. This was exactly what she wanted. She sidestepped the attack while condensing a ball of freezing air at the tip of her staff, lunging forward to slam it against her opponent’s chest.
“Flash Freeze!”
A layer of white frost instantly coated the blue-robed boy’s robe, causing his movements to lag significantly. He gritted his teeth, trying to force his magic to shatter the ice, but the girl gave him no such opportunity—a second Ice Spikes had already reached his feet. An ice cone struck his ankle with precision, the impact causing him to lose his balance and fall to one knee.
The referee immediately raised his hand.
“The winner, from the Third-Year Magic Division—Alice!”
A wave of applause broke out in the stands. The blue-robed boy climbed to his feet with a bitter smile, brushed the ice shards off his robe, and nodded to his opponent before turning to leave the platform. The girl also put away her staff and, slightly out of breath, bowed to the audience.
Leaning against the wall, Li Yuan watched the match and shook his head in disappointment.
It wasn't that he didn't find it exciting—from a spectator’s perspective, the duel was indeed worth watching. Fire and water clashed, ice and flames flew everywhere, and the visual effects were top-notch. The surrounding spectators were gaily discussing how beautiful those last few moves were, and a few lower-year students in the front rows were even starting to imitate the girl’s casting gestures.
But in his eyes, there were significant problems with how both of them cast their spells.
In the boy’s Flame Burst, at least eighty percent of the magic power had dissipated during the condensation process. If he could have compressed the magic power for one more round before releasing it, the power would have increased by at least half for the same amount of consumption. As for the girl’s Ice Spikes, the path for conducting magic power from under her feet to the target location was too long, resulting in significant mid-way loss. Regarding that Water Curtain Shield, it was even worse—she had spread her magic power into a large, thin barrier. If she had switched to a more condensed shield, even if the area was smaller, the defensive effect would have been much better.
To put it simply, it was like watching two people having a water fight with leaky buckets.
Of course, these were just passing thoughts. For one, he wasn't from this world and his cultivation system was completely different, so he had no standing to judge others' casting methods. Secondly, he was just a spectator; he only needed to watch the matches quietly.
Still, if he were to make adjustments... never mind.
Li Yuan suppressed the thought and turned his gaze back to the martial arts arena.
The referee walked to the center of the platform and announced loudly, “Second match: Setis Anna of the Second-Year Magic Department Special Class versus Gar Baster of the Fifth-Year Martial Arts Division!”
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the stands became noticeably more heated. Many students craned their necks to look toward the entrance, and whispers broke out everywhere.
“Setis? That Setis from the second year?”
“It’s her! Who else could it be?! The ‘Tyrant’! I heard she even dares to hit upperclassmen!”
“More than that. Last time a fourth-year tried to ask her out, he was blasted right out of the classroom by three Fireball spells—and they were instant-cast, too.”
The speaker emphasized the word “instant-cast,” drawing a chorus of gasps from those nearby.
“Then her opponent is Gar from the fifth year... the Discipline Committee Member of the Student Council? A Rank 3 Earth Warrior shouldn't be taken down in seconds, right?”
“True. This is going to be a good show.”
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Li Yuan shifted his gaze to the entrance on the left.
Setis had already changed out of her blue and white uniform, wearing a set of dark short robes better suited for combat, with a belt at her waist and tightened cuffs. Her long blonde hair was tied high in a ponytail with a ribbon. Holding the staff she usually used, she walked onto the platform with a steady pace.
Her expression was calm, even cold, a far cry from the occasionally temperamental girl she was at the teahouse.
Opposite her, a burly young man strode onto the stage. He wore a set of ochre-colored half-plate armor, revealing two muscular arms, and carried a metal heavy shield nearly half his height on his back.
Gar Baster—Fifth-Year Martial Arts Division, Rank 3 Earth Warrior.
After taking his position, he looked down at Setis, who was nearly a head shorter than him. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent, simply taking the heavy shield from his back and slamming it down in front of him. The bottom of the shield embedded into the cracks of the stone slabs with a heavy thud.
“Both sides, prepare.”
Just as the referee spoke, a booming voice suddenly erupted from the spectator stands.
“Go for it! Setis! Show that kid what you’re made of!”
Li Yuan followed the sound and saw Duke Sebas standing up on the VIP stand at some point, his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting with full vigor. Although the Duchess beside him wasn't as exaggerated as her husband, the fan in her hand was waving fiercely, and the expression on her face was no different from the fanatical cheerleaders in the stands.
The surrounding nobles looked over in surprise, while the old king burst into laughter and reached out to pat Duke Sebas on the shoulder.
Setis’s body visibly stiffened for a moment.
The tips of her ears turned a noticeable shade of red. Her hand gripping the staff tightened slightly, and her lips thinned into a line. She didn't dare look toward the VIP stand—not even once—as she took a deep breath and locked her gaze firmly on Gar opposite her.
“Begin!”
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