Had Kael not mastered Blink, defeat would have been inevitable. Dylan's brilliance—his tactical mind and peerless magical mastery—justified his title as the academy's top mage. Yet Kael refused to yield.
The steel in his gaze and the decisive arc of his scepter broadcast unshakable resolve.
Fight. Never retreat.
At this precipice, surrender was unthinkable. Dylan's seventh-tier prowess, his refined skill and experience—none of it daunted Kael.
The Equilibrium Gem and fire crystal blazed in tandem as Kael's mind flooded with incantatory syllables. His voice rang clear, each resonant note accelerating the spell's formation.
CRACK!
A mental barrier shattered. The Silverstar Sigils on his scepter flared, compressing a high-tier spell's casting time to an instant.
"Meteor Shower!"
As the fiery invocation concluded, another Silverstar Sigil ignited.
"Tornado!"
A fire-wind dual-element fusion spell—true synergistic magic.
"Fusion casting!" Gasps rippled across the stands. Even veteran mages on the judges' platform rose in shock.
Flawless elemental fusion.
"Damn brat actually pulled it off?!" Ethan shot to his feet, torn between pride and exasperation. He'd hinted at fusion principles mere days prior—yet Kael had mastered them without further guidance, robbing him of a triumphant teaching moment.
Kael's first true fusion spell had been against Jessica and Simon, a secret known only to the observant Austin, who now chuckled quietly.
"At this stage, fusion magic's power rivals seventh-tier spells. Dylan is in danger now," Austin observed.
Dylan, sensing the threat, regained composure the moment Kael's Silverstar Sigils ignited. His earlier shock dissolved into icy resolve.
"Earthbrand!" Dylan chanted again, his voice steady. No matter Kael's current strength, evading this spell twice was impossible.
Thus, Dylan too staked everything on Earthbrand—a clash of titans.
The arena quaked, earth fracturing under seventh-tier geomancy. Above, a fusion storm raged: howling winds entwined with glacial flames.
"Fusion Spell: Inferno Tempest!"
"Earthbrand!"
Cataclysm collided.
Deafening thunderclaps split the air as elemental fury devoured the battlefield. Spectators fled the collapsing stands; only the reckless clung to railings, spellbound by the apocalyptic spectacle.
This is magic—raw, transcendent power!
The ground disintegrated. Skyward, a glacial-blue inferno clashed with surging earth. A mushroom cloud of dust and energy bloomed, obscuring all.
When the haze thinned, two figures emerged from the wreckage.
Both Kael and Dylan stood—barely. Their robes hung in tatters, bodies charred and battered by mutual devastation.
Who remained standing?
Dylan twitched. His staff clattered to the rubble. Then, like a marionette with severed strings, he crumpled.
Kael stood.
Kael had won.
"Hah! Knew the kid had it in him!" Finn punched the air, tension dissolving into exhilaration.
The crowd froze—then erupted. Cheers for Kael and Dylan mingled in thunderous waves, their duel having transcended rivalry into legend. Gradually, the chant unified: "Kael! Kael! KAEL!" Tens of thousands roared until the stadium trembled.
Yet Kael heard none of it. Consumed by agony, he remained upright only through sheer will.
The moment Vesper declared his victory, Amelia rushed onto the battlefield, catching Kael as he collapsed. She half-carried him from the ruins, his charred robes flaking ash.
Nearby, medics swarmed Dylan. The once-untouchable prodigy lay unconscious, body scorched with severe burns. Only Earth Guardian's residual protection had spared him fatal immolation.
Kael fared little better—his robes disintegrated, flesh lacerated by earthshock shrapnel. Even unconscious, his brow furrowed in pain. Never had he endured such wounds.
The frenzy persisted. Kael—sixth-tier—had toppled Dylan, the academy's seventh-tier crown jewel! Defeating the Golden Lion could be called luck, but this? This was revelation.
Ethan studied the comatose victor. Monster. He reshapes expectations with every battle.
From the judges' podium, Zorath the Silent allowed himself a rare smile. Kael had exceeded his mandate—not merely securing a top-three finish, but redefining the possible. The boy's ascent, achieved in mere months of training, demanded the Sacred Council's utmost attention.
"Nicely done!" Ethan grinned, launching into a spirited rant about his disciple's prowess.
"Finn, help me hold him," Amelia instructed.
Finn hurried to obey, steadying Kael's limp form. Amelia retrieved a crimson vial from her storage ring—a healing potion Kael had entrusted her with before the match. She tipped it into his mouth.
Minutes later, Kael's eyes fluttered open.
"Hsss—" He hissed, every nerve screaming.
"Don't speak. Heal first," Amelia murmured, her starry eyes softened with concern.
"Did I… win?" he rasped, unaware of the duel's climax.
"Yes." She nodded, a gentle smile breaking through.
Kael exhaled. Dylan had pushed him to the brink.
"Kael," Finn said, uncharacteristically solemn, "a first-year defeating a third-year… a sixth-tier toppling a seventh-tier. You're crafting legends here."
Kael winced through a pained grin. "Amelia's match is this afternoon. Quit fussing—I'll live. I'm watching from here."
He didn't respond to Finn's praise. Forging legends demanded more than a single victory. Yet Kael's path stretched far beyond this arena—his sights locked on the tournament's ultimate crown.