As the last class of the day ended, students rushed toward the designated training grounds, eager to witness the spectacle that had been the talk of the academy since morning. By the time I arrived, the crowd had already gathered—first-years, second-years, even some third-years who had caught wind of the duel.
But no professors, i wonder why.
Dueling wasn't strictly forbidden at Vermillion Academy, but it wasn't exactly encouraged either, at least, not outside of supervised combat training. Yet, as long as no one took things too far, the academy turned a blind eye to these 'unofficial matches.'
Well yeah there some kind of spell in the arena that able to heal any injuries when students leave the arena, but probably there is another reason, but well whatever.
And because of this, everyone wanted to see this one.
Damien was already standing in the center of the training grounds, arms crossed, his expression carefully neutral. He was good at that, at looking unbothered, composed. But I knew him too well. Beneath that exterior, he was seething. I could see it in the way his fingers twitched ever so slightly, in the way his stance was just a little too stiff.
He wanted this more than anything.
So did I, probably it's the right time to shut him up, it's not like i care but it's really annoying.
I stepped into the ring, facing him after choosing my weapon, training sword. The noise around us dulled as the crowd held its breath, waiting. The air felt heavy, thick with anticipation.
"Glad you showed up"
Damien said, his voice smooth but laced with underlying tension.
"I was half-expecting you to run."
I scoffed.
"And miss the chance to shut you up? Not a chance."
A ripple of amusement ran through the spectators, but Damien's expression didn't change. If anything, his smirk deepened.
One of the older students, likely acting as an unofficial referee, stepped forward.
"Alright, you both know the rules. No lethal magic, and the duel ends when one of you is incapacitated or yields."
We both nodded.
"Good."
The student raised a hand, looking between us.
"Begin."
I barely had time to move before Damien struck.
A flicker of movement—then a surge of heat. Fire erupted from his palm, roaring toward me in a spiraling arc. Fast. Controlled. But not unexpected.
I sidestepped, raising a barrier just in time to deflect the worst of the flames. The heat licked at my skin, but I ignored it, already moving. Damien didn't let up, following with another spell, a sharp, concentrated burst of force aimed at my center.
This one I dodged completely, rolling to the side before retaliating with a blast of my own. A sharp, twisting vortex of wind lashed out, cutting through the dust and ash still lingering in the air. Damien met it with his own counter a wall of fire, turning my attack into harmless dispersing embers.
The crowd murmured in approval. We weren't holding back.
"Still standing?"
Damien taunted, his smirk returning.
"I expected more."
I didn't rise to the bait. Words wouldn't win this fight.
Instead, I surged forward.
A burst of mana propelled me, closing the gap between us in an instant. Damien's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by my sudden speed, but he reacted fast bringing up a shield of crackling energy just as my fist, wreathed in reinforced mana, crashed against it.
The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, forcing the closer spectators to step back. The barrier held of course, but barely. Cracks webbed through it, and I didn't let up. A second strike, then a third, each one hammering against his defenses.
Then, just as I saw the moment of weakness, I shifted tactics.
I feinted another punch then pivoted, sweeping low. My leg caught Damien's ankle, breaking his stance. He stumbled, just for a fraction of a second but it was enough.
I struck.
A concentrated burst of kinetic force slammed into his chest, sending him skidding backward across the ground. He caught himself before he could fall completely, flipping into a crouch and landing with practiced ease, but his expression was no longer quite so composed.
I saw the flash of frustration in his eyes.
Good.
"Not bad,"
Damien admitted, dusting himself off.
"But let's see how long you can keep up."
Then he raised his hand.
A pulse of power radiated from his palm, different from before. Darker. More refined. The ground beneath us trembled slightly as a sigil, faint but unmistakable, flickered beneath his feet.
My stomach twisted.
That magic—
I didn't have time to think. Damien moved, faster than before, his next spell laced with an energy that sent warning bells screaming in my mind. I barely managed to dodge, but even as I did, I felt it, the weight of something unnatural pressing down on the battlefield.
The spectators murmured, some shifting uncomfortably.
They could feel it too.
Whatever Damien had done, whatever power he had tapped into, it wasn't normal.
I clenched my fists on my sword hilt, steadying myself.
Fine. If this was how he wanted to play it-
Then I'd show him exactly what he was up against.
The duel wasn't over yet.
Not even close.
The air in the arena crackled with tension as I faced Damien. All around us, students watched in anticipation, their whispers barely audible over the pounding in my chest. This was it the long-awaited duel between the Althrhone brothers.
Damien stood tall, his expression composed yet laced with disdain. His golden eyes gleamed with confidence as he raised his hand, magic already swirling at his fingertips. He had no need for a weapon his strength lay entirely in his mastery of magic.
I, on the other hand, tightened my grip on my sword. My stance was relaxed, but my eyes never wavered from him. Unlike Damien, I fought with both sword and magic, blending the two seamlessly.
The moment the duel began, Damien wasted no time unleashing a barrage of high-tier spells. Arcane sigils flared to life in the air, sending waves of fire and lightning toward me. I moved swiftly, dodging with calculated steps, my sword glowing with infused mana as I deflected his attacks.
Rather than trying to match his magic with my own, I closed the distance. Weaving through the onslaught, I sliced through the lingering embers of his spells. In a flash, I lunged forward, aiming my blade at his side.
But Damien was prepared. With a flick of his wrist, a barrier of shimmering energy erupted between us, halting my strike just inches away. I clicked my tongue in irritation but quickly adjusted, shifting my grip and redirecting my momentum into a spinning slash at his exposed flank.
Damien retaliated with a sudden burst of force, shoving me back before summoning a hailstorm of ice shards. The frozen projectiles rained down, forcing me to evade while countering with my own magic. Dark tendrils of void energy slashed through the ice, neutralizing his attack as I surged forward once more.
The fight blurred into a storm of steel and sorcery. My unorthodox combination of swordplay and magic kept Damien on edge, preventing him from overwhelming me with sheer magical prowess. Yet, something felt off.
His magic while undeniably powerful, was too precise, too controlled. There was no hesitation, no strain, as if his spells required little to no effort. It was subtle, but I noticed it. And I wasn't the only one. The murmurs among the audience confirmed my suspicions—something about Damien's magic was... different.
My eyes narrowed. This duel was more than just a fight between brothers, it was a battle to uncover the truth.
The clash of magic and steel sent shockwaves through the arena, the polished floor now cracked and scorched. My blade cut through the air in a blur of silver, weaving between Damien's relentless spells. Fireballs exploded around me, lightning cracked through the sky, but I never stopped moving.
Damien's frustration was evident as his attacks failed to land a decisive blow. He raised his hand, chanting rapidly. The air thickened with mana, and in an instant, magic circles formed above him. "Incinerate!" he roared, unleashing a storm of fire that consumed the battlefield in an inferno.
I reacted instantly, slamming my sword into the ground and channeling raw mana into the blade. A pulse of void energy erupted, swallowing the flames before they could reach me. With a single step, I propelled myself forward, my sword igniting with dark energy as I closed the distance.
Damien barely had time to conjure a barrier before my blade crashed against it, cracks spiderwebbing through the translucent shield. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a surge of arcane force. I was blasted back, my boots skidding across the ground, but I flipped midair, landing gracefully.
"I didn't expect you to rely so much on a sword,"
Damien sneered, wiping blood from his lip.
"And I didn't expect you to be this slow,"
I shot back, dashing forward. I twisted mid-strike, feinting an overhead slash before redirecting the blade toward his side. Damien barely reinforced his defenses before the impact sent him staggering backward.
The audience held their breath. This was no longer just a battle of magic, it was a test of strategy, endurance, and sheer force of will.
Damien's expression darkened. He spread his arms, mana surging as he prepared his most powerful spell yet. The ground trembled beneath him, and dark tendrils of energy coiled around his hands.
"Let's see you handle this,"
He growled, voice laced with power.
I exhaled, gripping my sword tightly. The real battle was just beginning.
The air crackled as I closed the gap, my sword singing through the air. Damien, refusing to be outmatched, conjured another shimmering barrier just in time to deflect my strike. The impact sent ripples through the arena.
"You're faster than I expected,"
He admitted, his eyes narrowing.
"But let's see how well you handle this."
The temperature plummeted as shards of ice burst from the ground, forming a deadly barrage. I twisted mid-air, slashing through the ice while launching a counterattack—a wave of black flames erupted from my sword, surging toward him.
Damien countered with a whirlwind of water, dousing the flames before they could reach him. The sheer force nearly knocked me off balance, but I recovered with a somersault, landing gracefully.
"Tch. Persistent as always,"
I muttered before lunging again. This time, my sword crackled with raw lightning, dancing along its edge as I swung at him.
He barely managed to conjure a crystalline shield, the impact sending tremors through his arms. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a blast of arcane energy, forcing me to leap back.
The battlefield was in ruins. Shattered stone, scorched earth, and lingering sparks of magic surrounded us. Damien clenched his fists, frustration evident in his narrowed eyes.
"You're still standing?"
He spat, raising his hands as another wave of energy surged.
"Then let's finish this."
I tightened my grip. My body screamed at me to stop, but I couldn't back down. Damien unleashed another barrage, a tempest of fire and lightning converging upon me. Gritting my teeth, I dashed forward, weaving between the attacks. My sword, crackling with dark energy, deflected a bolt of lightning, the force shaking my arms.
Damien raised his hands, summoning his final, devastating spell. A massive arcane circle formed in the air, glowing ominously. "Let's see you survive this!" he roared as a colossal pillar of energy descended upon me.
For a split second, the audience believed I had been engulfed entirely. But as the dust settled, a shadow darted through the blinding light. I emerged from the chaos, my blade slicing clean through Damien's defenses.
A sharp clang rang through the arena as my sword pressed against his throat. Silence hung between us before Damien's knees buckled slightly, his pride wounded more than his body.
I smirked, barely standing.
"Looks like... I win."