At the same time Olivia's overwhelming victory in the arena created a wave of commotion throughout the stadium. Students shouted in disbelief while teachers from different academies discussed her strange combat style amongst themselves.
Unfortunately for Elizabeth Troth and Piper Liek, the distraction reached their arena as well.
Elizabeth instinctively glanced toward the distant cheers while Piper briefly frowned at the noise coming from the neighboring battlefield.
That tiny moment of distraction was enough.
Their opponents from the kingdom's second-ranked academy immediately moved.
Elizabeth's instincts screamed at her.
A sharp gust of wind exploded beside her head.
She barely managed to twist away before a compressed spear of wind tore past her cheek. The attack scraped against the side of her metal helmet and left behind a screeching metallic sound.
Another attack followed instantly.
A fireball slammed into Piper's raised shield, forcing her heavy body backward several steps.
Elizabeth immediately realized the enemy had changed tactics.
Before, the two boys had been fighting cautiously, trying to preserve mana while probing for weaknesses in the girls' defense. But now their attacks had suddenly become far more aggressive.
"They noticed."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
The enemy had realized their attention had slipped.
Piper slammed her foot into the ground.
Metal walls burst upward around them with a loud grinding noise, shielding the two girls from another barrage of fire and wind spells.
Inside the metal enclosure, Elizabeth exhaled slowly.
Her heartbeat remained calm despite the sudden danger.
Years of training had made her accustomed to pressure. Panicking inside battle only got people killed.
Still, she couldn't help feeling annoyed.
"Olivia really had to cause this much chaos..."
Piper removed her dented helmet and frowned.
"They're stronger than I expected."
Elizabeth nodded.
The pair they were fighting had excellent teamwork. The fire mage continuously pressured their armor while the wind mage created openings with fast attacks and mobility.
Most importantly, they had already identified the biggest weakness in Piper's armor.
Heat.
Piper's metal armor was excellent against physical attacks and normal spells, but once the metal became overheated it turned into a prison.
Elizabeth flexed her fingers slightly.
The armor covering her body was heavy. Every movement required effort, but the weight also gave her a sense of safety.
Ever since entering Formosa Academy, Elizabeth had always disliked fragile fighting styles. Watching mages leap around the battlefield while relying entirely on barriers made her uncomfortable.
A single mistake.
That was all it took.
But heavy armor felt reliable.
Solid.
Even if attacks landed, she could keep moving.
That mindset matched perfectly with Piper's magic.
"We continue pushing forward," Elizabeth said.
Piper smirked slightly.
"Obviously."
The metal walls around them lowered.
The enemy pair immediately launched another barrage.
Flames roared across the arena while blades of compressed wind sliced through the air.
Elizabeth raised both arms.
Stone pillars erupted from the ground and intercepted the attacks head-on. Explosions shook the battlefield repeatedly while dust spread through the arena.
Then Elizabeth suddenly moved through the smoke.
The enemy wind mage widened his eyes.
"She's charging?"
Elizabeth ignored the fire exploding around her armor and continued advancing relentlessly.
The heavy footsteps of her metal armor echoed loudly across the arena floor.
Every step felt like a moving fortress approaching.
The opposing wind mage instinctively retreated backward while firing rapid wind blades toward her.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The attacks struck her armor but failed to stop her momentum.
Elizabeth's eyes locked onto him.
"Corner him."
Piper immediately understood.
Metal barriers erupted around the edges of the arena, cutting off escape routes while forcing the enemy wind mage toward one side.
The boy's calm expression finally cracked slightly.
Elizabeth internally smiled.
"So you do know fear."
She slammed her hands together.
Large rocks floated into the air behind her before rapidly breaking apart into dozens upon dozens of smaller fragments.
The atmosphere around the arena suddenly became heavy.
Even spectators in the audience subconsciously leaned backward.
"Rock rain."
The fragments shot downward like arrows.
The enemy wind mage instantly raised several rotating barriers around himself while desperately trying to escape.
But Piper's metal walls blocked every direction.
The stone barrage crashed against the barriers repeatedly.
Cracks spread rapidly.
The boy gritted his teeth while reinforcing his defenses.
Elizabeth stepped closer.
Just one more attack.
She could already tell his mana was dropping quickly.
Then suddenly—
"Elizabeth!"
Piper shouted.
Elizabeth's instincts screamed.
She turned too late.
A concentrated stream of white-hot flames crashed directly onto her back.
The temperature instantly spiked.
Elizabeth gasped.
Pain exploded across her body.
The metal armor rapidly heated up, turning unbearably hot within seconds.
Her movements slowed immediately.
The enemy fire mage grinned viciously as he poured even more mana into the flames.
Elizabeth tried to move away but the heavy armor betrayed her.
Her breathing quickened.
The heat pressed against her skin from every direction like burning hands wrapping around her body.
For the first time during the match, genuine panic surfaced inside her chest.
"I can't take this off fast enough."
The armor suddenly felt suffocating.
Every second the temperature increased further.
Elizabeth clenched her teeth hard enough that blood filled her mouth.
She forced herself to calm down.
Panicking would only make her slower.
Think.
Think.
Then her eyes sharpened.
If she couldn't remove the armor normally...
She would destroy it.
Earth spikes instantly erupted around her body.
Several spikes pierced directly into the glowing metal armor.
Cracks spread across the overheated plates before entire sections shattered apart violently.
Fresh air finally reached her skin.
Elizabeth stumbled forward and ripped away the remaining damaged pieces.
Pain still burned across her back.
She could already tell the skin had been badly burned.
But she ignored it.
The enemy wind mage tried using the distraction to escape Piper's walls.
Unfortunately for him, one of Elizabeth's shattered armor pieces crashed directly onto his head.
The heavy metal plate slammed him into the ground.
Elizabeth stared blankly for half a second.
"…That works too."
Piper burst out laughing despite the battle.
The remaining fire mage cursed loudly and attempted to rush toward his teammate.
Piper immediately slammed both hands downward.
A field of metal spikes erupted around the fire mage like a cage.
Elizabeth's expression turned cold again.
This time she didn't hesitate.
Dozens of stones launched toward the unconscious wind mage.
The attacks bypassed his weakened barriers completely and knocked him fully unconscious.
The referee quickly confirmed his condition.
"One eliminated!"
The audience erupted into cheers.
But the battle wasn't over yet.
The fire mage suddenly blasted flames beneath himself and launched into the air, escaping Piper's spike field.
Elizabeth clicked her tongue.
"A flying type. Annoying."
Piper calmly raised one hand.
Massive metal columns erupted upward from the arena floor, chasing the airborne student across the battlefield.
The boy moved surprisingly quickly through the air while launching fireballs downward continuously.
Explosions erupted across the arena.
Elizabeth watched silently for several seconds.
At first the attacks looked random.
But slowly she noticed something strange.
Piper's columns always missed by nearly the same distance.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"She's controlling his movement."
Piper wasn't trying to hit him yet.
She was herding him.
Understanding immediately, Elizabeth slammed her palms onto the ground.
Metal spikes erupted across one side of the arena floor.
The airborne student froze briefly after noticing the trap beneath him.
That single hesitation almost cost him.
A metal pillar nearly clipped his leg.
Cold sweat dripped down the boy's face.
His flying became more frantic.
Elizabeth could practically see the fear growing inside him.
"His mana's running low," she thought.
Flying continuously while dodging attacks consumed enormous energy.
Piper patiently continued controlling the battlefield.
Then suddenly her fingers curled.
One of the metal columns violently bent sideways midair.
The unexpected direction change caught the fire mage completely off guard.
The pillar smashed directly into his back.
A loud crack echoed across the arena.
The boy coughed blood before losing control and plummeting downward toward Elizabeth's spikes.
The audience gasped.
Right before impact, the referee appeared instantly and caught the falling student.
"Match over! Elizabeth Troth and Piper Liek advance!"
Cheers erupted around the arena.
Elizabeth exhaled slowly.
Now that the adrenaline faded, the burn across her back hurt even worse.
Piper walked beside her while supporting part of her weight.
"You alright?"
"I'll live."
Elizabeth glanced toward the audience.
Part of her felt relieved.
Another part felt frustrated.
Their match had been far messier than expected.
"We need better answers against fire mages," Elizabeth thought silently.
As the two girls exited the arena, the duo tournament's first phase finally concluded.
The singles tournament resumed shortly afterward while the trio matches were scheduled for tomorrow.
Lily was extremely bored.
She sat lazily in the audience while watching several matches below.
Most of them weren't interesting enough to hold her attention.
Too cautious.
Too slow.
Ever since training under Kane and surviving actual life-threatening situations, normal student fights felt less exciting to her.
Then Kyle stepped into the arena again.
Lily straightened slightly.
Kyle looked noticeably more confident compared to his previous match. His shoulders were more relaxed while his grip on his wand remained steady.
But the moment his opponent entered the battlefield, Lily's eyes narrowed.
The boy looked thin and frail.
Almost sickly.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes while messy hair partially hid his face.
Yet despite his weak appearance…
He smiled.
Not confidently.
Not arrogantly.
The smile felt wrong.
Lily instinctively frowned.
"That guy feels dangerous."
The referee raised his hand.
"Round two! Kyle Toyne versus Saik Sim!"
The barriers activated.
The match began.
Kyle instantly prepared a metal spike spell.
But dark spears suddenly erupted from beneath him before he could even attack.
Kyle reacted quickly and raised a barrier.
The first impact blasted him backward several meters.
His expression changed immediately.
"So strong?!"
More dark spears emerged.
One after another.
From every direction.
The audience slowly became quieter as Kyle was forced entirely onto the defensive.
Saik hadn't moved at all.
He simply stood calmly while shadows spread beneath his feet like living creatures.
Lily narrowed her eyes further.
"That magic…"
Something about it made her uncomfortable.
Kyle desperately blocked another spear before gritting his teeth.
"If I keep defending, I'll lose."
He leapt upward, preparing his strongest attack.
Then the referee suddenly appeared beside him.
Kyle barely processed what happened before being carried outside the arena.
"Match over! Saik Sim wins!"
Kyle immediately looked furious.
"I can still—"
He stopped.
The place where he had been standing exploded into countless black spikes.
The entire arena floor looked like a field of spears.
Kyle's face paled.
Lily quietly stared at Saik.
The sinister smile on his face never disappeared.
For some reason, Lily suddenly remembered the underground laboratory beneath the orphanage.
That same uncomfortable feeling crawled across her skin again.
Saik slowly turned his head slightly toward the audience.
For one brief second, Lily felt like he was looking directly at her.
A strange chill ran down her spine.
Then he simply walked away.
Kyle slowly made his way back toward the audience seats.
The cheers around the stadium sounded distant to him.
His hands still trembled slightly.
He had lost before even managing to properly fight back.
At first he felt frustrated at the referee for interfering, but after seeing the arena covered in dark spikes, that frustration quickly turned into lingering fear.
"If that hit me…"
Kyle swallowed dryly.
He had entered the tournament believing he was fairly talented compared to most students his age. Even after losing previously, he still thought he could at least compete evenly against students from other academies.
But Saik had completely overwhelmed him.
Not through complicated strategy.
Not through teamwork.
Pure power.
Kyle clenched his fists tightly.
Part of him hated that feeling.
Another part of him felt motivated.
"That's the level I need to reach."
As he returned to the seats reserved for Formosa Academy students, several people glanced toward him sympathetically while others looked nervous after witnessing Saik's magic.
Kyle sat down quietly.
He didn't feel embarrassed anymore.
Only irritated at his own weakness.
Meanwhile, Lily still stared toward the exit Saik had disappeared through.
That strange uncomfortable feeling refused to leave her mind.
The darkness in his magic had felt unnatural.
Not evil exactly.
But oppressive.
Like something that consumed everything around it.
Lily unconsciously rubbed her arm.
"Kane would probably know what type of magic that is…"
Her thoughts drifted briefly toward her mentor before she sighed.
The rest of the singles matches continued, but after seeing Saik's battle, everything else felt less impressive.
One student summoned ice wolves.
Another controlled lightning chains.
Normally those fights would have drawn plenty of attention from the audience, but many spectators still discussed Saik in hushed voices.
Even some teachers looked concerned.
Eventually Olivia stretched lazily beside Lily.
"This is boring."
Lily nodded immediately.
"Very."
Olivia tilted her head toward the beach outside the academy island.
"Want to leave?"
Lily didn't even hesitate.
"Yes."
The two girls slipped away from the arena before anyone could stop them.
The moment they reached the beach, Lily felt her mood improve slightly.
The salty ocean breeze felt refreshing while waves continuously crashed against the shore under the afternoon sunlight.
Unlike the noisy stadium, the beach felt peaceful.
Olivia immediately kicked off her shoes and walked into the shallow water.
"You know," Olivia said casually, "if we weren't students, this tournament island would actually make a good vacation spot."
Lily sat down on the sand.
"You'd probably still pick fights with random people."
Olivia grinned proudly.
"Correct."
Lily shook her head.
Sometimes she genuinely wondered how Olivia survived this long without getting beaten to death by someone stronger.
Then again…
Olivia usually was the stronger person.
The thought made Lily smile slightly.
Olivia suddenly pointed her staff toward the ocean.
A water sphere rose into the air before launching toward Lily at high speed.
Lily instantly reacted.
A stone wall erupted from the sand and blocked the attack.
The water exploded everywhere.
Lily glared at her.
"…Really?"
Olivia spun her staff innocently.
"I was bored."
"You just said this place was peaceful."
"It was."
Another water spear suddenly shot toward Lily.
This time Lily sidestepped while launching several earth spikes in retaliation.
Olivia laughed loudly and jumped backward as the spikes narrowly missed her feet.
Soon the quiet beach turned into another battlefield.
Water crashed against stone repeatedly while explosions of sand filled the air.
Neither girl used their strongest spells, but both clearly enjoyed themselves far more than watching the tournament.
Lily especially felt relaxed.
Fighting Olivia never carried real killing intent behind it.
Even during intense sparring, Lily subconsciously trusted her.
That realization surprised her slightly.
Trust.
Before entering Formosa Academy, Lily rarely trusted anyone besides Kane.
But over time, she had slowly grown closer to her classmates.
Even if she didn't openly admit it.
Olivia blocked another earth spear before grinning.
"You're spacing out."
A wave suddenly rose behind Lily.
Lily barely reacted in time before the water crashed over her entirely.
Olivia burst into laughter.
Lily stood there silently, completely soaked.
Water dripped from her hair while her clothes clung uncomfortably to her body.
For a few seconds she simply stared at Olivia.
Then slowly smiled.
Olivia's grin faltered slightly.
"…Why are you smiling like that?"
Lily raised one hand.
The wet sand beneath Olivia suddenly collapsed.
Olivia yelped as both legs sank knee-deep into the ground.
"WAIT—"
A massive wave of seawater rose behind Lily.
Olivia's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
The water crashed directly into her.
A loud splash echoed across the beach.
For several seconds there was only silence.
Then both girls burst out laughing.
Farther away, Isaac quietly watched the chaos while sitting beneath the shade of a tree.
Leon stood beside him dramatically.
"Observe," Leon whispered while placing a hand over his chest, "the rare natural habitat of two violent idiots."
Isaac snorted quietly.
Leon immediately looked offended.
"You laughed?"
"I didn't."
"You literally did."
Issac averted his gaze.
Leon stared at him suspiciously.
Then his eyes suddenly lit up mischievously.
"The lonely protagonist sat by the sea, burdened by the sorrowful weight of friendship and trauma—"
A rock flew directly toward his face.
Leon screamed and ducked.
Lily stood in the distance with another stone floating beside her.
"Can you stop narrating everything?!"
Leon pointed accusingly at Isaac.
"See? She's suppressing artistic expression!"
Isaac ignored him.
Leon looked betrayed.
"Not you too."
Lily began walking toward them with dangerous intent in her eyes.
Leon immediately panicked.
"Retreat!"
He turned and ran across the beach.
Lily chased after him while launching spells continuously.
Earth spikes erupted from the sand behind Leon while water projectiles exploded around him from Olivia joining the attack.
"THIS IS ATTEMPTED MURDER!" Leon shouted.
"You deserve it!" Lily yelled back.
Isaac watched silently as chaos unfolded across the beach.
He leaned back slightly against the tree.
The corner of his mouth curled upward almost invisibly.