The next day.
The sun shone brightly yet gently, perfect weather for the Grand Martial Assembly. The arena swarmed with even larger crowds than before, anticipation crackling in the air after the previous day's thrilling matches. All eyes now fixated on Zone 1.
In contrast, Dylan's Zone 4 and Ethan's Zone 2 saw fewer spectators. This wasn't due to waning popularity—on the contrary, the crowd held unwavering confidence in these two powerhouses. Their victories seemed foregone conclusions; only in the quarterfinals might they face real challenges.
Predictable outcomes bored the masses. Most spectators instead flocked to other matches, particularly the clash between Kael and Korgoth—the day's most hotly anticipated duel.
Though Kael's fame had surged after defeating Jack and the brute Fillet, Dylan's overwhelming seventh-tier prowess had temporarily overshadowed him. As for Korgoth, his reclusive nature belied formidable strength. A dark horse among the Magic Academy's elite, he commanded quiet respect.
After several preliminary bouts in Zone 1, the arena finally erupted as the two rivals took the stage.
"The moment we've all awaited!" Vesper flailed theatrically atop the platform, rousing the crowd. "A showdown between two Magic Academy titans! Kael—who crushed Jack in a single strike—versus the enigmatic dark mage Korgoth! Who will prevail?!"
"Kael! Kael!"
"Korgoth! Korgoth!"
Roars engulfed the arena, far eclipsing the fervor of Kael's first match. This was no ordinary contest—it was a collision of rising stars.
Kael stepped forward, Sacred Flame Scepter in hand. His gaze remained steady as the cacophony of cheers washed over him, unshaken.
Korgoth emerged opposite, angular features stark under his hooded black robe. His aura radiated icy detachment, justifying whispers of his solitary nature.
"Korgoth, third year of Azure Cloud Tower," the dark mage stated coldly.
Kael, slightly surprised by the formal introduction, reciprocated: "Kael, first year of Azure Cloud Tower."
After exchanging names, the air thickened with tension the moment Vesper bellowed, "Begin!"
"Dark Thorns!" Korgoth raised his staff first, chanting rapidly. A dozen obsidian elemental spears materialized midair, each stretching five to six meters, their tips glinting lethally as dark energy surged forward.
Kael stayed vigilant. Almost simultaneously, he began his own incantation. Against a sixth-tier high-stage dark mage like Korgoth, holding back was impossible. Rare light and dark elemental affinities granted their wielders inherent advantages in combat.
"Flame Demon's Hand!"
A silver sigil flared on Kael's Sacred Flame Scepter. The spell—originally fifth-tier but mutated to sixth-tier through Kael's unique magic—unleashed terrifying power.
Korgoth's pupils contracted, startled by Kael's casting speed.
Cobalt flames erupted behind Kael, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"Blue fire? What sorcery is this?!"
"The magical resonance… It's overwhelming! What spell is that?!"
Vesper seized the moment: "By the heavens! While Korgoth masters darkness, Kael wields a mutated fire spell!"
Magic mutation!
The term ignited pandemonium. Such phenomena occurred in perhaps one in ten thousand mages—yet here stood a freshman wielding its staggering power.
The Flame Demon's Hand roared forward, colliding with the Dark Thorns in a cataclysmic explosion.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward. Both spells annihilated each other, leaving scorched air in their wake.
In this first exchange, neither gained ground—yet Kael's unyielding presence hinted at a subtle upper hand.
Korgoth's expression darkened. This "freshman" defied all expectations.
Korgoth snorted, darting across the stage with wind-like swiftness. His movements flowed ethereally as he maintained distance from Kael while priming another spell.
"Arcane Silence—" Kael narrowed his eyes, seizing the opening. His Starstep technique blurred him toward Korgoth, the Sacred Flame Scepter igniting with a silver hexagram sigil.
Through relentless practice, Kael had elevated Arcane Silence to Silver Star Sigil-tier casting speed!
"You—?!" Korgoth's throat constricted as if clogged by an invisible force. The spell's sudden activation stunned him—not its nature, but its blistering execution.
"Such speed! Kael's already mastered Silver Star Sigils! Truly the freshman prodigy!" Vesper feigned astonishment in his commentary. Most spectators blinked in confusion at "Silver Star Sigil," while seasoned mages paled, understanding the implications.
"Two spells at Silver Star level?" Korgoth's mind raced. Silver Star, Crimson Moon, Eclipse—the three divine sigils representing escalating casting tiers accessible only to geniuses. He'd achieved this rank with just one incantation, yet his opponent wielded two.
Retreating beyond Arcane Silence's range, Korgoth reassessed. Though Kael remained a mid-sixth-tier mage, his combat prowess rivaled Korgoth's own.
"Corrosion Orb!"
Abandoning caution, Korgoth surged forward like a seabird skimming waves. His staff flared with Silver Star Sigils as a black sphere veined with violet patterns materialized midair—its malignant energy thickening the atmosphere.
"Another Silver Star Sigil! Korgoth has also mastered this tier! Truly, this is the most advanced magical duel we've witnessed!" Vesper's commentary rang out.
Kael snorted. The moment Korgoth's staff lit with silver sigils, he'd already begun his own incantation—this time, preparing Vacuum Flame Sea.
"Vacuum Flame Sea!" Kael retreated, tapping his Sacred Flame Scepter. Empowered by its ninth-tier fire crystal core, cobalt flames erupted from the ground as swiftly as Korgoth's Corrosion Orb took form. Above, roiling black clouds coalesced, their underbellies seething with icy fire. Within moments, the entire arena—save a one-meter radius around Kael—transformed into a converging inferno from sky and earth.
"A spell of devastating scale! These flames… this power…!" Vesper exclaimed breathlessly.
Though less visually spectacular, the Corrosion Orb's lethality proved unmatched. The dark projectile streaked toward Kael like a necrotic bullet, its corrosive energies tearing through the flames in a scorching arc—a testament to dark magic's penetrating ruthlessness.