As the announcent echoed through the coliseum, the crowd close to Kaelen's platform instantly shifted their focus to the platform whereas Kaelen and Morris now stood opposite each other.
"Don't take it to heart when I defeat you bro" Morris suddenly said with a very intense fighting spirit brimming in his eyes.
"Right back at you" But Kaelen was strangely calm as he replied with a light smile on his face. Although Morris beca stunned montarily due to Kaelen's reaction, he later cald down as he thought in pleasure.
'Seems like he has grown over the days he was with the pillars of the academy'
And so, Morris gripped his scepter tightly, a determined gleam in his eyes. His mana swirled visibly around him, dense and charged with potential. He unleashed a barrage of elental spells—fireballs and streams of lightning that crackled across the platform. The air humd with magical energy as the ground beneath them trembled from the sheer force of his attacks.
Quick steps!!
Kaelen, however, remained eerily calm, his movents fluid and asured. He danced around Morris's spells with precision, effortlessly dodging each one. His Blade of Eternity glead as he deflected stray bolts of magic with minimal effort, his face betraying no sign of strain.
With a swift, almost effortless motion, Kaelen shifted his stance and darted forward, his sword flashing in a series of controlled strikes. He didn't need to unleash his full power—just enough to keep Morris on the defensive. A single calculated sweep of his blade disrupted Morris's casting, and with a well-placed strike, Kaelen disard him.
The force behind the blow sent Morris tumbling backward, his mana dispersing into the air like dissipating mist.
Morris hit the ground, slightly wounded but not severely injured. Kaelen stood over him, offering a hand with a smile. "Good fight," he said.
Morris grinned as he accepted the hand, pulling himself up. "You didn't even break a sweat," he muttered, a bit in awe.
Kaelen chuckled softly, sheathing his Blade of Eternity. "Not today," he replied, leaving the crowd to wonder just how much of his true strength he had kept hidden.
As Kaelen helped Morris to his feet, the crowd's cheers echoed around them, but in the shadows of the platform, a pair of sharp eyes watched the match with quiet intensity. Eldric, seated cross-legged near the edge of the platform, had been ditating, seemingly uninterested in the upcoming battles that were going to occur.
But now, his eyes were open, and his gaze was fixed on Kaelen. The way Kaelen moved, the precise control over his sword, and the effortless grace with which he defeated Morris—all of it caught Eldric's attention. He stood up slowly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"That boy...he's hiding sothing," Eldric murmured to himself, intrigued by Kaelen's restraint. "I'll have to see for myself just how deep his mastery of that blade goes."
With his interest piqued, Eldric's focus shifted completely to the clueless Kaelen, his thoughts already spinning with possibilities of a future confrontation.
....
In the spectator stands, Morris' elder brother, a tall and proud figure with an air of superiority, leaned casually against the railing. His eyes followed the action on the platform where Morris had just been defeated by Kaelen. A sneer curled on his lips as he spoke to the young man beside him, a fellow Pacesetter who exuded a distinct military aura.
"I always told him, having large magic reserves alone wouldn't get him far," Morris' brother scoffed under his breath. "And look at him now, defeated in front of all these people. Embarrassing. Maybe he'll learn that he's not as talented as he thinks after this."
The young military prodigy beside him, however, wasn't paying attention to the condescending words. His brow furrowed in thought as his eyes scanned the remaining participants. Unlike Morris' brother, his focus wasn't on belittling others but on assessing the competition.
"Do you even see what's happening down there?" he interrupted, his tone distracted. "That Kaelen kid...Guinevere too. It seems like I didn't pay much attention to so students at first, but now...they're hiding sothing. There's a talent erging in this tournant that wasn't obvious in the beginning."
Morris' brother huffed, unconcerned. "You're worrying over nothing. That kid might have so tricks up his sleeve, but mark my words, These people won't even hold a candle to Julian."
The military prodigy didn't respond, his eyes still locked on Kaelen. There was sothing different about this tournant now, sothing he hadn't anticipated. His instincts told him that it wasn't going to be just about the usual favorites, but about these rising talents that were beginning to outshine everyone's expectations.
Right at this mont, he suddenly darted his gaze towards the platform Julian is assigned to. Currently, he was about to face a dual sword wielder who is a girl.
The girl stepped onto the platform with an air of fierce determination. She was lean and athletic, her movents graceful yet sharp like a coiled viper ready to strike. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, emphasizing the intensity of her steely gaze.
Clad in light armor that allowed for quick mobility, she wielded two intricately designed swords, each gleaming with a faint magical aura. The hilts of her swords were adorned with silver and obsidian, and her grip on them was firm, signaling her expertise in dual-wielding.
As the duel comnced, she moved with deadly precision, her twin blades dancing through the air in a flurry of strikes aid at Julian. However, despite her skill and aggressive tactics, Julian remained calm and collected, effortlessly dodging and parrying her every attack. His movents were minimal, almost lazy, as if he were playing with her rather than engaging in a true fight.
With one swift and precise counter, Julian disard her effortlessly, sending her swords clattering to the ground. Before she could react, he delivered a clean, decisive blow that ended the match. She stood there, stunned, panting from the effort she had put into the fight, while Julian remained composed, his victory secured without breaking a sweat.
'Yeah, it seems like I was worried for nothing' After witnessing Julian dominance in that match, The military prodigy quickly thought as he had a relieved look on his face.
Back at Kaelen's platform, right after helping Morris to step out of the center of the platform, Kaelen suddenly said with a wry smile on his face as he scratched the back of his head.
"Hope you got no hard feelings concerning the match we just went through?"
"Huh? What the heck are you talking about? Am totally fine" Morris quickly replied with a strange look on his face. When Kaelen saw this expression, he finally eased up as he replied.
"Ok then"
As for Guinevere, she is currently ditating at another corner of the platform a fair distance away from where Eldric is sitting.
But just then, the energy of the platform suddenly humd beneath their feet, Morris then felt a sudden surge of revitalization wash over him. His fatigue and exhaustion from the previous duel with Kaelen lted away, and his mana reserves were fully replenished. He stood straighter, feeling the rejuvenating power coursing through his body, his breath steadying as strength returned to his limbs.
"Huh? What is going on here?" Kaelen quickly asked with a surprised look on his face.
"It seems like the platform is restoring to my peak condition" Morris replied with a relieved look on his face.
Around him, the platform shimred briefly with a soft, glowing light, signaling the completion of the rejuvenation process. Morris clenched his fists and cracked his neck, preparing himself ntally for whatever ca next. Above him, the large screen hovering above the platform flickered for a mont before displaying the nas of the next duel.
**Morris vs. Eldric**
A hushed murmur spread through the crowd as the new match was revealed. The spectators close to that particular screen quickly turned their attention to the platform, their eyes widening with anticipation. Morris' eyes flickered up to the screen before shifting toward Eldric, who had been quietly ditating on the platform until now.
Eldric stood up slowly, opening his eyes and stretching his arms before locking gazes with Morris.
"Good luck" Kaelen suddenly said with a solemn expression on his face. While giving Kaelen a nod, Morris replied solemnly.
"Thanks, I need it"
There was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. Eldric, who had just recently defeated Guinevere, rose to his feet with an air of calm yet dangerous composure. His eyes, a deep, piercing blue, now had a glint of curiosity and challenge as he faced Morris, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders back as he slowly stepped toward the center of the platform.
Morris exhaled deeply, his fingers tightening around his scepter. He knew this was going to be no ordinary fight. Eldric had already proven his prowess, but Morris had felt the fire of competition reignite within him after his duel with Kaelen. The tension between them crackled in the air, the crowd anticipating the clash of powerful magic and technique between two talented contestants.
Without speaking, both stepped toward the middle of the platform, ready for the duel that would surely be one of the most challenging and thrilling of the tournant thus far.
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