Ethan, now entirely golden, resembled a fearsome stone statue cast from molten metal – cold, immovable, and radiating menace. His blade-like gaze swept over Kael, triggering every defensive instinct in the mage's body.
The combined magic Flame Storm erupted, its fanatical winds transforming the arena into an inferno. Yet this time, Kael's ultimate weapon proved ineffective. Ethan's berserk-enhanced body darted through the flames with unnatural speed. Even when frostfire licked at his limbs, the golden warrior's empowered physiology resisted the searing cold.
"So this is the Berserk state? It grants resistance to my frostfire?" Kael's brow furrowed as he reassessed tactics.
The Flame Storm intensified, its violent currents threatening to collapse the arena itself. Still Ethan advanced unscathed, his golden form cutting through magical flames like a ship through fog.
"Dragon Elephant Fist!" Ethan surged forward in a burst of motion. Though Kael's layered magic created formidable barriers, they merely slowed the golden juggernaut's advance.
The warrior's battle aura detonated on impact, smashing through Kael's magic shield. The mage had no time to chant his Blink spell.
BOOM!
Kael's body cratered the arena floor as he slammed into stone. A collective gasp erupted from the crowd. Crimson streaked the mage's lips, his eyes glinting with cold fury. Only his hastily reinforced flame shield had prevented critical damage – the crater around him testified to the strike's devastating power.
Kael quickly retreated, putting distance between them, but Ethan remained as relentless as a shadow that clung like a parasite, making it impossible for Kael to shake him off.
"Damnation! This trajectory leads to defeat." The mage's mind raced. Ethan's Berserk state defied logic – enhanced speed and power rendered conventional binding spells useless.
"Aura Burst!" Another concussive blast erupted from Ethan. The golden warrior burned like a miniature sun, his battle frenzy peaking. Kael desperately reinforced his shields, but Ethan's follow-up strike arrived before the defenses fully stabilized.
Boom!
The Aura Burst sent Kael hurtling backward like a severed kite string. He crashed near the arena's edge, now mere meters from disqualification. One more strike from Ethan would send him tumbling off the platform.
Students from the Magic Academy held their breath. After coming this far… would history repeat itself? Kael's prowess was undeniable—it wasn't weakness but Ethan's overwhelming strength that cornered him. Thirteen layers of Aura Burst, Level 7 mastery, Berserk transformation… The golden warrior was a nightmare made flesh.
Ethan lunged again, granting no respite.
As the golden blur closed in, desperation coiled in Kael's chest. Is this defeat? The championship hovered just beyond reach—one step away.
No.
His mental resolve snapped taut. Mana surged through his veins like a dam bursting, elemental currents roaring into every fiber. Scalding waves of energy rippled outward, distorting the air itself. A weight lifted—his power ascended.
Ethan's fist exploded toward him, a tempest of violence.
But this time, it collided with a barrier blazing crimson.
Visible to the naked eye, dense magic particles coalesced into a fortress-like shield—a towering wall of condensed elements that halted Ethan's strike mid-air.
He blocked it.
In the stands, Evelyn shot to her feet, her eyes alight with stunned hope. The Magic Academy's collective gasp died mid-breath, as if silenced by a mute spell.
Even Zorath the Silent stiffened, muttering, "The boy… at this critical juncture…"
Breakthrough.
Kael's mana had transcended—Level 7 Mage.
Now, he stood equal to Ethan. Unlike the Golden Lion's unstable grasp of Level 7 power, Kael's foundation was unshakable. Years of mastering composite magic and refining his understanding allowed him to wield this newfound strength with precision.
Kael's mental power surged alongside his breakthrough. Within his consciousness, The Book of Immortality shed another layer of its seals, flooding his mind with advanced incantations and arcane knowledge.
"Level 7?" Ethan snorted, both wary and exhilarated. Even as Kael's ascension raised the stakes, the berserker's golden form thrummed with anticipation. His enhanced physiology—now surpassing ordinary Level 7 warriors—craved the challenge.
"Webbind!" Kael countered Ethan's assault.
A Level 7 binding spell erupted. Thick white strands shot from all directions, ensnaring Ethan in a net of glowing mana. The berserker snarled, clawing at the enchanted threads, but the Level 7 magic resisted even his monstrous strength.
"Think this will end me?" Ethan growled, straining against the webs.
Kael's voice cut through the chaos. "Hellfire Barrier."
A new Level 7 spell. Frostfire cascaded like a galactic river, its deadly chill forcing Ethan to recoil. Yet Kael wasn't done. Memories flashed—relentless training, sleepless nights refining spells—as his focus sharpened.
No. I won't lose.
His staff rose. "Aquatic Magic: Frostwyrm!"
Water and fire intertwined. A composite spell—flames and ice merged into a roaring Infernal Frostwyrm. Kael's Level 7 control allowed seamless fusion: a Level 7 fire spell bonded with a Level 6 water incantation. The monstrosity dwarfed his earlier Flame Storm, engulfing Ethan in a maelstrom of scalding heat and glacial fury.
"Dragon Elephant Fist!" Ethan retaliated. Berserk-fueled power surged through his fists, each strike channeling mythical beast strength. He met the Frostwyrm head-on, golden knuckles smashing into its icy maw.
BOOM!
The cataclysmic collision of magic and brute force shook the arena. Spectators gasped, eyes locked on the swirling storm of frostfire and golden aura.
Was this the end?
Silence descended—a breathless hush as the crowd leaned forward, half-rising from their seats. History hung in the balance: would Ethan's legend endure, or would Kael forge a new era?
Amidst the settling dust, two figures stood motionless. Kael's expression was calm, Ethan's equally unreadable. Had their titanic clash ended in stalemate?
Then Ethan's knees buckled.
"A Level 7 composite spell…" The berserker's voice rasped, devoid of bitterness. His gaze held only weary acceptance. "Impressive… You've… won." A faint smile flickered before he collapsed.
Kael remained standing.
The audience's reactions crystallized in his vision—jubilant mages gaping, warriors frozen mid-cheer, faces etched with disbelief.
"I won." Kael clenched his fist, the declaration echoing across the silent coliseum.