Under the bright sunlight, Klaen, who was overlooking the battle from above, suddenly recalled how he entered the academy. He was a vagrant in the streets of Tieer, barely getting enough food to survive, until one day a warden spotted him summoning illusory bubbles and shaping their form.
"What are you doing?" the warden said.
"Nothing, I'm only playing," Klaen replied.
"Where are your friends then? Do you have any parents?"
"No, they all died on the way here."
Suddenly, the memories shattered, and Klaen couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Next, the battle of Klaen and Hazen begins."
Klaen then walked down the stairs and approached the arena. It was confined by stone slabs with mysterious patterns and stood in the center of the academy. The instructions were shouted:
"Summoning spirits isn't allowed."
"Whoever is incapacitated and unable to fight loses."
...damn, I am doomed. My entire strategy revolved around using the spirit. Well, I will do my best... Klaen thought.
Then the opponent appeared before him on the right side of the platform—blond hair, eyes piercing through his soul, lips curled in a way that seemed mocking, and an aquiline nose that supported a pair of glasses reflecting his helpless state.
Soon, the fight began.
"I will present myself again. I am Hazen," the blond-haired student said.
"I'm Klaen," Klaen replied.
Hazen manifested flames that shaped into a hazy figure—the figure of a princess of fire. A grade 3 fire spell. Her "tentacles" quickly reached toward Klaen, who dodged them in quick succession.
Klaen leaped back and visualized the figure of the Leviathan, tracing the sigils for calm water.
The arena then buzzed and was surrounded by illusory waves of water. The water expanded, extinguishing the fire in the process.
From afar, there was a figure that seemed to observe everything, analyzing every moment as if searching for flaws in tactical reasoning. It caught Klaen's attention, but he ignored it. He then summoned a grade 3 water spell out of thin air, but the form was unstable—a needle of water with shapeless wings hovered in the air, aiming at the opponent. The needle moved, making a cracking sound.
...I should have perfected my grade 3 spells. Damn it, I will lose. I am doomed... Klaen thought.
The opponent's expression turned stern, though he maintained his smile. He counterattacked by summoning a construct of fire the size of a palm. The construct moved and intercepted the needle , quickly evaporating it.
Just as Klaen prepared another spell, Hazen adjusted his glasses with a mocking smile. Without a word, he released a construct he had secretly summoned at the start of the fight. The construct pinned Klaen down from above. Klaen was surprised and felt regret—he had made an obvious mistake that cost him the victory. He had failed to look above the arena.
"Overlooking your surroundings—predictable, given your difficulty stabilizing a grade 3 spell."
...well, that stung, but I will refine my magic. I will defeat him—eventually... Klaen thought, clenching his fist.
The instructor then shouted:
"The victory is for Hazen!!!"
Hazen dispersed the construct and turned his back while walking down the stairs of the platform. Klaen slowly got up and did the same in the opposite direction, shaking off the dirt from his robe. He turned his head and looked at the spot where the mysterious figure had previously been.
"The figure disappeared... Something's off."
...
...Well, I think that I lost. As for the mysterious figure, I don't know who they are...
Klaen silently watched more battles, analyzing their spells, until it was Irsen's turn.
His opponent stood on the left side of the platform. He wore a long robe and had very deep blue hair, almost indistinguishable from black unless observed carefully. His facial expressions were soft, giving an impression of meekness.
"The battle shall begin!" the instructor shouted.
The opponent lifted his hand. Water formed out of thin air, and he summoned a long, narrow sword of water. He drove it into the ground, causing illusory ripples and shaking the platform. Irsen looked in all directions, yet he couldn't avoid his feet being pulled toward the ground. Soon, his feet was trapped.
...a grade 3 water spell. What is interesting is that the spell shares characteristics with earth-based spells. Such is the strength of the upper classes... Klaen thought.
Irsen immediately clenched his fist and condensed a ball of light in his palm. The light fractured—no, multiplied. Fire ravens burst outward, then condensed around his feet, melting the stone slabs and freeing him. He then directed the fire ravens toward his opponent.
The fire ravens transformed into arrows of light and moved at unavoidable speed. Just as the arrows hit the target, they disintegrated almost immediately—it was as if the opponent was made of water. Irsen, having anticipated this, looked above and saw his opponent in midair, standing on a water platform.
...The counterattack of the opponent was to summon two illusory water clones of himself, confusing Irsen. But the opponent moved so fast i could barely perceive him. Such is the unfathomable strength of the upper classes... Klaen thought, fascinated, though a trace of fear and shock was visible in his eyes.
Irsen then summoned spiraling winds that dispersed the clones and the water platform, quickly engulfing his opponent. The opponent landed on the stone slabs and struggled to block the rampaging winds with a shield of water.
At that moment, Irsen summoned a needle of fire with illusory wings. The construct was far more stable than the one previously created by Klaen.
"You were a great opponent, but it is time to end this," Irsen said in a calm, deep voice.
Irsen stepped forward and launched the fire needle at a speed that caused a sonic boom. In an unavoidable strike, the needle cracked the opponent's water shield and hit his abdomen with great force. The opponent spat white foam and was thrown out of the platform.
"The victory is for Irsen," the instructor declared.
...Well, that was a little too excessive. From the looks of it, his opponent fainted... Klaen thought.
Irsen stepped down the stairs and walked away from the arena.
Far away, among the crowd watching the fight, Klaen saw Irsen meet other students who had been observing him.
...did he send his pawns over to watch me?..