The coliseum overflowed with spectators—many had camped overnight, their fervor for the Martial-Magic Tournament bordering on obsession. Even more rabid than Earth's soccer fanatics, Kael mused as he entered.
The moment he stepped onto the arena floor, the scorching weight of countless eyes and deafening cheers struck him. Across the field, Dylan stood poised in his arcane robes, staff gleaming like crystallized starlight. Both mages' striking looks under the morning sun ignited screams from female fans.
"Damn it! Dylan's popularity I get—he's a three-year legend. But since when did Kael become a heartthrob?!" Finn gaped at the sea of girls chanting Kael's name.
Amelia chuckled. "Kael earned this. Where Dylan represents tradition, he's the rule-breaker. People crave miracles—and he delivers."
Finn groaned, lamenting his own obscurity.
Kael met Dylan's gaze. The older mage nodded with a mentor's calm smile.
"Semifinal Match One: Kael versus Dylan!" Vesper's roar detonated the crowd.
As the rivals ascended their platforms, the coliseum split into thunderous chants—"Kael! Dylan! Kael! Dylan!"
"It's been decades since we've seen such fervor," Headmaster Austin chuckled, stroking his beard. This clash eclipsed even past finals in spectacle. He knew of Kael's Southkar Academy conquests—Ethan's protégé was exceeding all expectations.
The VIP gallery buzzed with admiration for both mages—rare talents even among the Four Great Academies.
Kael studied Dylan up close for the first time. The older student's refined features and scholarly composure radiated calm authority.
"Dylan, third-year Mage Academy," he introduced needlessly.
"Kael, first-year Mage Academy." Kael tightened his grip on the Sacred Flame Scepter.
A prodigious freshman versus the academy's reigning genius. Their gazes locked, unspoken challenges hanging between them.
Vesper's "Begin!" triggered simultaneous staff raises. Silverstar Runes blazed as arcane syllables cascaded from both mages—precision-tooled incantations delivered at blistering speed.
"Flamefiend's Grasp!" Kael unleashed his signature spell. Frostfire roared to life, its mutated blue-white tendrils lashing outward.
"Pillar of Sanctum!" Dylan countered. The ground beneath Kael erupted—a colossal stone monolith burst forth, fracturing the arena floor.
Both mages backpedaled mid-cast, evasion instinctual.
Earth magic's defensive reputation belied its offensive brutality in Dylan's hands. Yet Kael's frostfire—anomalous and unpredictable—forced Dylan's first flicker of tension.
So this is the rumored mutation…
But Dylan hadn't claimed his title through meekness. To him, Kael remained merely an overachieving junior—one he intended to humble.
Dylan's body blurred as he executed a swallow-swift retreat, gliding five meters leftward in a single fluid motion. Kael's Flamefiend's Grasp cratered the spot he'd vacated, frostfire tendrils licking at the air mere inches from his boots. The coliseum shuddered, flames roiling as Dylan's supporters exhaled in collective relief.
Kael, too, faced annihilation. Dylan's Pillar of Sanctum—a notorious earth spell for slaughtering pack beasts—erupted beneath him. Its brutal efficiency spoke volumes: this was no theory-bound mage, but a battle-hardened killer.
Starstep carried Kael backward just as the monolith speared upward. Both mages had cast, dodged, and recalibrated in perfect sync.
The crowd held its breath. Even this opening exchange—a masterclass in precision and instinct—left them awestruck.
"These youngsters grow more monstrous by the day," muttered an elderly mage, rubbing his neck. "Even my old bones feel the chill of their potential."
After their opening salvos, both mages raised their staves again.
"Earth Guardian!"
"Flame Aegis!"
Simultaneous defensive casts—a rare spectacle. Amber earth energy coalesced around Dylan in dense, swirling layers, while crimson flames rippled across Kael's barriers.
Kael maintained rapid Starstep maneuvers, acutely aware of Dylan's superior defensive density. Security proved fleeting—Dylan pressed his advantage, staff gleaming.
"Earthbind!"
A seventh-tier containment spell erupted. Jagged stone tendrils surged toward Kael's feet—a death sentence if landed.
"Arcane Nullification!"
Silverstar Runes flared on the Sacred Flame Scepter. The crowd gasped—Kael's signature silencing spell could reverse any battle.
"Spell Abeyance!"
Dylan's counter was surgical. Mid-cast, he dissolved Earthbind's formation, phasing backward like a wraith to evade the silencing field's radius.
Precision cancellation?! Kael's eyes narrowed. Dylan's spell control bordered on perfection.
"Mana Tempest!"
Seizing Dylan's retreat, Kael flash-stepped into melee range. Chaotic energy rippled outward—a gambit to destabilize his opponent's casting.