"The stage is set, the tension is high! Welcome to the semi-final, where champions are made and dreams turn reality. Let the battle for the final begin!"
The curtain had been lifted and Lena's fairy dress was revealed, and the whole stadium went wild.
"After days of intense competition and more surprising events, only these four managed to fight their way till this point, the stakes higher than ever, as winners advance to the final championship and losers fight for third place. Get ready for the battle and welcome our four warriors."
The north, south, east, and west gates opened all at the same time. Each of the four players came out of one.
ECLIPSA, DEM, JARVIS, and MIRA stood in the middle of the open arena on the ground. Lana took her mike and started explaining.
"In the semifinals, there is no flying arena nor a barrier on the arena; the only barrier will be protecting the audience. In other words, it's an open fight till the end. Of course, there is the choice to give up, but only before the game starts; if after it becomes valid, so all the players better think carefully cause you're gambling with your life..."
Facing the players in the arena, she asked, "I will ask for the last time before we begin...does any of you want to surrender?"
"...."
"No answer means no surrender; from now on, your life and death are all on you."
Luna used her artificial wings to fly high in the sky, holding four small balls. She stayed still in her place, saying, "The four balls have a number written inside each of them. Next I am going to throw them in the sky, and you need to catch them to determine who your opponent is going to be. Ready?...Go!"
Lana injected her mana in them, making them fly behind each other in a circle, and then scattered them all over the arena.
The contest ran to catch the balls in the sky, while Eclipse stood there waiting for the ball to hit the ground before catching it.
After all the players got their numbers, Lama finally declared the results.
"The battles have been decided; those who drew the number 1 are DEM and ECLIPSA, and those who got number 2 are JARVIS and MIRA..."
Lana sat on a chair designed for her in the crowd, wearing a thick fur coat, and shouted,
"Dem and Eclipsa stay; the others may leave for now. Let the first battle begin!"
The barrier protecting the audience got opened with only Dem and Eclipsa still in the arena; suddenly Dem raised his hand.
"Before we begin, can I have a word with Lady Eclipsa?"
Lana, dumbfounded, said, "I don't care; I already announced the beginning of the fight. You can't go back at this point. If you want to talk, it's all up to her." Lana turned her head to Eclipsa, asking, "You want to talk, lady!?"
Eclipsa calmly said, "The match already started, so make it quick."
"Okay."
They walked toward her, and they started whispering, and the whole crowd was just watching.
"Why does every battle involving that woman have to be strange?" Baial asked.
"I don't see what's strange about it? What about yo—" Sylvia turned to Bella, who was biting her nails like crazy. "W...what's wrong with you?!"
"Don't worry about me."
"Crazy!?"
They didn't understand her reaction, but Belladonna was burning from jealousy. 'Why are they standing so close to each other, huh?...That damn Daniel, just you wait...I'm going to slice you alive along with that vixen.'
At the arena Dem and Eclipsa started talking.
"You are the princess, right?" Dem asked.
Eclipsa crossed her arms, feeling annoyed. "Are you crazy, Daniel? We already have a contract. It's natural you could feel my presence, but don't worry; as your master, I will make sure you never spot me again next time."
"You're so mean. Did you know that?" Daniel scratched his head, confused, asking her, "So...are you going to use the eternal flame?...Just asking to make sure I'm not killing myself here."
With a mocking smile she crossed her arms saying ,"And yet you agreed to the fight?"
"Can't help it; I really want to fight you."
"Whatever..." She rubbed her eye mask, saying, "Answering to you, I won't use your flame; I have my own powers and need to release some steam."
Daniel asked in concern, " doesn't that make you at a disadvantage??"
She smiled mockingly. "If I were you, I would worry about myself...if I were really at a disadvantage like you say, then how come I reached this point?"
Daniel's eyes twitched with anger, but realized she is right. 'Hate to admit it, but it's true...a chain of continuous dominant winning can't be a lucky strike for sure; worst case she would use her weird chanting, and I would absolutely lose, so before she opens her mouth, better take my chance and see what I can do.'
Daniel walked backwards while his eyes were fixed on Eclipsa and stopped only when he reached where he was standing before.
"Let's start this fight then."
He didn't wait a single second after saying that and quickly wrapped his body with fire and lunged with his fists at her.
Eclipsa didn't stand still this time, but she quickly kneeled, touching the ground under her feet, making an ice wall in front of her to absorb the shock from Daniel's attack, but since fire and ice are opposed by nature, the heat weakened, and the ice broke.
The moment the ice broke, Eclipsa launched an attack on him. With both hands wrapped in thick layers of ice, she delivered strong, precise, and painful punches, turning Daniel into a punching bag.
Daniel quickly turned from the offensive side to defense, doing his best to protect himself against fatal hits.
He thought while under her attack, 'With every bunch the ice wall I crashed before turns into needles piercing through my skin...who in the world uses magic like that?..if this drags on this fight will end even before it begins.'
The thought of how her attack worked made his blood boil; he concentrated his fire on his hands to make sure the needles would melt and grabbed Eclipsa's right hand.
"This trick can work with two"
She tried to punch him with her other hand, but he grabbed that hand too. His eyes smiled creepily, thinking he got her.
"You lost."
A golden mixed-red magical circle appeared as he opened his mouth. Eclipsa stopped struggling with her hand, glaring at him, "You wish."
In the few seconds where he was generating mana, she wrapped ice around her feet, kicking his legs, turning them into ice, which made him lose both his balance and concentration, freeing her hand. With a quick backflip, she secured her distance.
"Fuck!?"
With the pain in his legs, he gathered mana in his hands and launched the magical circle on the ground, turning the arena into a sea of grand fire, melting the ice around his leg.
"Let's see how you're going to avoid this..."
Before the fire reached her, she stomped her right leg into the ground, crashing it with ice crystals that started growing from underneath.
Right now half the arena turned into a sea of fire while the other half turned into a pile of ice crystals with Eclipsa standing tall on top of it.
With both of them pointing at each other, fire and ice started colliding with each other, creating a huge explosion.
A "booming crack" that fades into a "deep roar"; they still didn't stop. Both ran behind the waves, each covered with a protecting barrier made of their element.
The waves of mixed heat and cold energy crashed into the audience barrier; they weren't hit, but they couldn't avoid feeling the continuous change between heat and cold.
Lana, who was sitting among the audience with her jaw dropped to the ground,
"That was huge~...the entire arena is covered in smoke, yet they are still fighting. I guess we can't blame them; ice and fire are opposite powers, both eating each other."
Baial, who was in the audience, kept moving right and left, making them feel restless. When Sylvia had enough, she shouted her frustration at Baial.
"Enough moving already, you're making my head spin with you."
Baial chickened on the side, 'If I weren't afraid of having a sword at my neck for the second time in the same day, I would've fought back.'
She said with tears in her eyes, "It's not my fault I am trying to see."
Bella pulled Sylvia away from Baial. "I can see you're pissed, but don't pour all your frustration on the little girl."
Sylvia shook her hand away totally annoyed. "I'm not pissed, but you...you're emitting a disgustingly refreshing aura since this morning. What in the world happened to you?!?"
Bella showed Sylvia a radiant smile full of satisfaction, blinding both of them.
"Am I that obvious?"
"How dare you ask, huh?!" Sylvia covered her face from Bella's light. "Stop with that disgusting aura."
Bella tilted her head, mocking Sylvia. "Not my fault you're a holy princess who doesn't like holy magic, is it?"
Sylvia's eyes shifted cold in an instant. "None of your business; keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you."
Baial gave them her back, pretending to focus on the match, not hearing anything they said, but still she heard something she shouldn't have: 'Fuck, I stumbled upon something I shouldn't again.'
Bella raised both arms in surrender. "Easy there...It's not like it's the end of the world."
Sylvia said coldly as she turned her face away, "Control your words, Belladonna, or my sword might not be able to distinguish."
"I am not the slightest bit afraid," her face curled into a fearless smile. 'The me today is totally different from the me from yesterday. fighting me.....you're no longeer worthy.'
Back to the match, Eclipsa and Dem were still fighting with hands; the effect of fire and ice colliding together resulted in a hot steam from evaporated ice. The fight was evenly balanced, but neither of them was willing to step back.
'This fight has already dragged for long enough,' Eclipsa thought.
She stomped her leg in the ground, filling it with snow crystals, and moved back in a sequence of backflips. Daniel didn't back down and broke everything that came his way.
At this point all the ice and fire disappeared from the arena and were replaced with complete silence, and the smoke finally started to clear.
Lana jumped in the air from excitement and finally started talking.
"Oh my god, the entire arena turned into a pile of rubble. Dem's arms are frozen with ice, while most of Eclipsa's clothes are burned. Half of her long dress and veil have already been burnt into ashes. That's it, a match truly worth the semifinals."
Eclipsa stomped her feet into the ground and teleported into the sky. The sky suddenly turned gloomy. Eclipsa revealed her mana, and two magical circles appeared right under her feet, and the sky started snowing instantly.
Her voice echoed through the entire stadium, emitting huge pressure. "This farce should end here."
Feeling the pressure coming from her, all the audience froze in shock. Lana, who was outside of the barrier, was suddenly hit by the cold, so she entered under the barrier.
Luna turned at the arena. "Call me an idiot, but am I seeing a two-circle magician who actually has such an aura...?!!...If someone had told me something like that, I wouldn't have believed him, but I actually see it with my own eyes."
'Could it be her bloodline purity is high?.....but if yes ,why in the world did she participate in this championship in the first place?...maybe It's the galaxia...i can't find any other reason' lana thought
Daniel on the ground felt the magic from her, knowing she decided to end things; he also made up his mind to go all out.
He knelt on his toes, placing both palms on the ground, revealing his three magical circles on the ground.
Those who reached the third circle and determined their magical attributes have a special ability, and that's to control mana, directing it into forming an armor. Magicians at this stage are called ARMA.
He shouted, "[umbra ignes]" Golden fire started to come from the ground, wrapping around his body, forming golden armor on his body, but before its form was cleared, he wrapped it into a thick layer of purple energy, which changed its appearance completely.
'Using my shadow power felt so unfair against other opponents, but... since the opponent is her, a person capable of using the eternal flames, I don't find using my shadow element shameful.....not to mention she was the one who told me to train it'
He locked his eyes on her just like a hunter who spotted his prey. 'I have spent the entire night thinking about how to use the shadow powers.....after some experiment i found that apart from giving me the ability to change my appearance and hide my identity, it can boost my burning ability… so basically my magic under the shadow state is a hundred times stronger.'
He looked at eclipsa with burning eyes ,"this move i took it from you, be ready because i won't hold back"
He covered the entire ground with fire and jumped into the air toward Eclipsa, and the fire followed him, forming a fire serpent launching at her with an open mouth.'i came up with this move when i saw the giant serpant attacking her ..this is my first time using such move'
"This will be my win for sure," he shouted.
Eclipsa raised her right hand up, and the two grand circles started going up with her hand motion, passing through her body up over her head. She snapped her fingers, and the single twin magical circle over her head multiplied into five.
With the middle covered completely with hard ice crystals, she pointed at Daniel, who was rushing toward her.
"[Glacies hastam]," she whispered in her mind, and a group of icy spears broke through the hard snow, all rushing towards Daniel.
He managed to break through the first spear, then the second, until non of the spears were left intact, closing at her. When their distance was less than two meters, he thought he got her, but fate had other plans.
"Finally, my win...huh?!?!" His eyes widened at the face he saw. 'She's about to lose, but she's actually smiling?'
Eclipsa suddenly disappeared from in front of him to go back and appear right behind him. in her hand, the ice remaining from around her started gathering in an incredible speed, forming a new spear in her hand. She threw it at his back, destroying his armor and passing through it, crashing him into the ground with a loud bang.
-fwosh-
"Keugh… shatter..."
She chanted an illusion spell faintly before he reached the ground [simulacra].
-Boom-
The arena was covered in smoke, and Eclipsa started going down slowly like nothing happened.
Lana was watching attentively as the smoke started clearing, but a horrible surprise was awaiting them.
"Oh my god, the spear actually pierced through his body..." She hurried towards them to see. She touched his neck to feel his pulse. Only then did she dare to breathe. "Phew...he's alive."
Bella stood with wide, terrified eyes staring at the boy in a sea of blood dripping from the big hole in his chest.
'Enough...end this game...he's going to die...my only salvation is going to die...' Her eyes got filled with tears instantly at the thought of losing him, but she could do nothing. "Should I crash the arena?...Maybe there is a chance to save him?!"
Her words were heard by Sylvia, who was sitting beside her. Her eyes narrowed, looking at her, then at the arena. "Don't tell me it's him?...The fuck is he doing down there?!"
Lana stood beside Daniel but turned her head at Eclipsa.
"He's already unconscious, so you're the winner if the match ends here since he can't fight anymore, but of course... if you still want to continue till he's dead, I can't stop you; those are the rules, after all." She raised her hand to Eclipsa. "The choice is yours."
Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for her decision, but Eclipsa shook her head, saying calmly,
"It's a competition, not a battlefield. Why should someone die? Announce the results already so he could get treated."
"Right away" Lana quickly turned to the audience, "the first game is already finished, and it's Eclipsa's win. Congratulations on advancing to the finals. The medical team quickly heads to the stage, please."
The barrier was being lifted slowly, and the team was ready to interfere the moment the barrier was out of their way. At the same time, Bella and Sylvia rushed to the arena at full speed.
Eclipsa moved toward the unconscious Daniel and pulled the icy spear that was passing through his body; she closed her fist on it, and it disappeared on the spot.
Then she knelt down, touching the injury on his back with her right bandaged hand, chanting in a faint voice no one could hear.
[Glacies Ut Bene]
A huge natural green circle shifting toward yellow manifested on his back, and his wound started healing instantly. When she removed her hand, it was as if nothing happened; not a single trace of the injury was left.
"Mmhm." Daniel started moving and got on his knees. "What just happened?!"
Eclipsa's cold voice snapped him back to reality: "You lost."
"Expected "
He wasn't the least bit surprised but suddenly noticed the ring on his finger was missing. Remembering he was under a disguise, he turned back with eyes wide open. "This...this is..."
"Don't worry, the illusion is still on," she said and got up, removing dust from her clothes. "I placed a charm on you, but it won't last for more than five minutes, and three already passed."
He shook her hand sincerely, thanking her. "Thanks a lot."
'That woman can actually chant spells without opening her mouth...that's totally not fair' he thought
The hand he grabbed was one without a glove on it, so she kicked him away on the spot.
"Don't touch me."
-kick-
"My fault..."
Daniel on the ground asked her one last question before leaving.
"Did you use all your strength?"
"Do you deserve it??"
"It's frustrating how i can't say no to that."
Her question got him stunned, but recalling the eternal flame the other day, he couldn't argue. 'She...as someone who could manifest such power by using someone else's power in an attribute totally opposite from hers, she can't possibly be this weak.....she obviously held back but so did i...'
After the barrier was fully lifted, Daniel ran through the medical team since only one minute was left before the illusion around him disappeared, all under the shocked gazes of all the audience.
"Make way.."
"Hey wait...let the healer check you first"
"No need, iam totally fine"
Land stood there stunned as well, feeling lost for words. "What the...that man was actually one breath away from hell a second ago...wow, ~ that's a true example of a quick change."
"Excuse me, Lady Lana..." Eclipsa suddenly said.
Lana landed beside Eclipsa. "What is it?!"
"Is the surrender rule only for today, or does it apply for tomorrow too?"
"Only today...yes, for today only. Tomorrow is the final, but the rules will still be the same." She looked at Eclipsa full of confusion. "Why ask, thought?!"
Eclipsa thought about it for a while before saying, "What will happen if I give up tomorrow's match?"
"You will end up in second place, why ask?! ...Wait." After a moment of processing what Eclipsa said, she shouted at her, "Eeeeh!! ...Don't tell me you actually want to give up participating in the finals!"
The entire stadium exploded under her unrealistic request.
"What!!!"
"It's my first time seeing someone give up the chance to enter the galaxy willingly..." Lana looked at Eclipsa, asking again, "Are you sure you want to give up the first prize?"
Eclipsa nodded ,"I am sure ...it's not useful to me."
Her firm answer stunned everyone present, and she released a big sigh and said, "Tomorrow is the finals. If you still think the same by tomorrow, then that's it ...take the second prize and go. Are you okay with that?"
"Fine by me; I won't change my mind either way."
She turned and left the arena, leaving Lana staring behind her. 'That woman is totally strange...a strange yet interesting woman.'
After Eclipsa left the arena, she chanted "[Avis]" and teleported herself back into her room. After that, she got into the bath, took a shower, and then moved out into her closet.
She picked a little knee-length, off-shoulder, long-sleeved, front-slit black dress. She wore a butterfly top to cover her shoulders,
with silver butterfly symbols on both shoulders and a V-neck, showing a gothic-style black necklace with a small rose in the mouth of a black dragon.
She fixed her silver hair, shaded platinum in a high ponytail, fixed her bangs, and changed her red glasses to rimless ones, adding black stockings and black high heels. As a final touch, a silver ankle bracelet, which made Serenity look more ethereal than ever before.
She removed her hand dressing and wore a single black gloves on her left hand with a silver butterfly engraved on it
She left her room and headed straight to the stadium. Standing at the northern eighth gate, she leaned on the walls, not watching the match but watching a group of people among the crowd.
Daniel came from behind after changing his clothes, asking so suddenly.
"Why are you standing here like this?"
Serenity glanced at him, then moved her gaze away. "It's you...why are you here?"
Daniel crossed his arms. "I came to watch the other game ....if nothing goes wrong then iam going to fight one of them tomorrow "
"Whatever "
Sylvia and Bella walked slowly toward them, waving their hands. Sylvia extended her hand to salute Serenity.
Bella pulled her hands down, leaning on Sylvia's shoulders. "She has a no-touch policy...don't take it to heart; she's like that with everyone."
Bella turned her gaze at Serenity. "I love the new look; it's pretty attractive and quite daring...It suits you better than that dull look from before."
Serenity didn't spare her a single look, but Baial came hiding behind Bella and asked,
"A…are you okay now?...I hope your complexion is better than this morning..."
Serenity glanced at her then away again. "I will be fine as long as no one dares to hand me anything without my permission first."
Bella turned into a wet dog and apologized, "Sorry."
"Whatever...."
Daniel then asked his question again, "So what are you doing?"
Serenity looked away, minding her own business.
"A grand show is about to set off, which I am paying special attention to..."
In the arena before Lana declared the start of the match, a huge earthquake suddenly hit the ground, and everything started shaking.
Amid the chaos, Serenity started running toward the seventh gate in panic.
"They finally started…"