The air inside Arcanis Arena Complex – Sector One crackled with excitement.
After Kael's stunning victory, the energy hadn't faded. It surged. Students buzzed in the stands, chanting names, whispering predictions, updating floating betting boards. The duels weren't just contests—they were battlegrounds of ambition.
And the next name flared across the arena's display rune in bold, flaming script.
Match Thirty-FiveLaziel Quent vs. Mira VennTier: Spark-Platinum
Laziel vs. Mira
Laziel stepped onto the dueling platform, boots clicking with deliberate precision. His hoverboard hovered silently a meter behind him—sleek, matte black, glowing faintly at the edges. He hadn't mounted it. Not yet.
Across from him, Mira Venn waited.
Tall. Composed. Her jet-black hair had silver streaks at the temples—a trait of her lineage. Her uniform bore House Venn's emblem, a rising outer noble house.
She didn't posture. She didn't pace.
But the dense ripple at her feet spoke volumes. Gravity mana curled like a black mist, distorting the air in pulses. Laziel immediately noted the anchor runes etched at her heels—she was rooted, and ready to shift the battlefield.
The announcer's voice rang out.
"Match Thirty-Five. Laziel Quent versus Mira Venn. Tier: Spark-Platinum. Begin on signal."
The signal rune blinked—
DING.
Laziel moved.
A streak of wind and static trailing him, he darted forward—no flash, no flourish, just clean acceleration. But Mira reacted instantly.
Gravity Bind.
The space around Laziel compressed. His limbs slowed, muscles dragged, momentum choked.
Almost halted. Almost.
Wind Surge.
A compact burst erupted from his back—his escape vector. It jolted him forward, low to the ground. He slid under the collapsing spike of pressure that followed, rolled, and popped up on Mira's flank.
"Clever," she muttered.
But he was already airborne.
Not flying. Gliding. Wind jets flared from his palms and soles as he twisted mid-air. A spiraling cyclone spike condensed between his hands and slammed down.
BOOM.
Dust burst outward. Mira had shielded in time, but her uniform was scorched, a thin cut visible on her cheek.
Still, her face was calm.
Her hands moved faster now—
Collapse Shell.
A dense gravity dome formed around her—pulling air and mana inward, crushing the space.
Laziel's eyes narrowed.
This would drag if he let it. He had no intention of letting that happen.
"Twin Arc Blades."
Wind compressed into sharp crescent blades around his forearms. He sprinted in, slashes trailing like ghost-lights.
CRACK.
The first blow collapsed the outer shell.
The second shattered the rest.
Mira's stance dropped. She was breathing harder now. Sweat lined her temple. But her focus hadn't broken.
She stomped down—and the arena floor fractured.
"Gravity Sink."
The entire disc warped. Cracks formed across the edges. Laziel's hoverboard, still docked, blared red warnings at the sideline as the pressure climbed.
From the viewing platform, Reks cupped his hands to his mouth.
"Laz, wrap it up!"
Laziel said nothing.
He raised one hand.
A quiet hum filled the air.
"Vortex Step."
Not blink. Not teleportation.
Wind propulsion, so refined it looked like vanishing. He blurred—and reappeared right in front of her.
One strike.
A focused burst of wind compressed to a single point—aimed squarely at her sternum.
FWOOM.
She flew backward, skidding across the stone. Her gravity spiraled wildly around her like black petals—then fizzled.
The signal rune blinked.
DING.
"Winner: Laziel Quent."
The arena roared.
But Laziel didn't smile. He exhaled quietly, walked over, and offered Mira a hand.
She hesitated… then took it.
No words exchanged. Just silent, mutual respect.
Reks vs. Garran
Match Thirty-SixReks Valorin vs. Garran ThorneTier: Spark-Platinum
This one was different.
There was no subtle tension. No slow rhythm. Just weight—as soon as Reks walked onto the platform, the crowd leaned forward.
He radiated readiness. Fury dressed in discipline.
Across from him stood Garran Thorne, a wiry, older Zephyrian with white hair tied in twin braids, and a manic gleam in his eyes. His signature? Sonic and wind mana, wild and unstable.
He cracked his neck and grinned.
"Finally. Someone I don't have to hold back against."
Reks cracked his knuckles. "Then don't."
DING.
They exploded into motion.
Garran's hands snapped forward—mana vibrating into high-frequency blades of sound. They screamed through the air toward Reks—
—who ducked one, caught the second, and punched through it.
BOOM.
He closed the distance instantly. One strike.
Garran parried—but Reks pressed, fists flaring with raw energy.
Strike.
Strike.
Elbow.
Knee.
Each blow backed with layered kinetic force. Not finesse. Just brutal, perfect timing.
Garran retaliated, unleashing a wide sonic burst—
Reks walked through it, shielding his core with a mana guard that flickered white-gold.
"Too soft."
He slammed his foot down—Earth Fracture—and drove a shockwave through the platform. Garran lost balance.
Reks moved in—
A savage right hook—mana-fueled—crashed into Garran's ribs.
CRACK.
The Zephyrian gasped, mana unraveling.
One final flurry—and Reks pivoted low, ducked under a wild strike, and unleashed an uppercut laced with his full Spark-tier resonance.
THOOM.
Garran lifted off the ground and hit the platform hard, unmoving.
DING.
"Winner: Reks Valorin."
This time, the cheers were louder.
Reks turned to the crowd, pumped a fist once—then walked off like he had just finished warm-ups.
Viewing Platform – Moments Later
The trio regrouped just off the main tier—Kael, Laziel, and Reks, each in different states of calm.
Reks wiped sweat from his brow. "Well, that was fun."
Kael glanced at both of them. "Solid wins."
Laziel nodded. "We're through Round One."
Reks cracked his neck again. "Let's see who's the next target."