Violet Vs Claus (1)

After the match between Esdeath and Valeria, Esdeath calmly returned to her seat, while Valeria left the arena in silence. Her face was pale, her expression grim, as though she had just faced something that shook her to her core.

In Valeria's eyes, Esdeath wasn't just an opponent—she was an unbreakable wall. A wall that had suddenly appeared in her life, blocking the path to her dreams and potential. It was suffocating, frustrating, and terrifying all at once.

Her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms as she whispered to herself with trembling determination, "I have to overcome this wall... no matter what!" With those words, she walked away.

---

When Esdeath returned to her seat, she noticed that Maruti wasn't there. She tilted her head slightly, wondering where the girl could have gone.

Moments later, Maruti came running towards her in the most carefree manner imaginable. With both arms raised at a 45° angle like airplane wings, she dashed through the wind, laughing softly to herself.

"Wooo… Fable! Why didn't you tell me all of this happened?" Maruti said excitedly as she plopped down beside Esdeath, her energy as boundless as ever.

Esdeath raised an eyebrow, unsure where this was going. "What are you talking about now?" she asked with a sigh.

Maruti, her eyes wide with wonder, began explaining. "I heard that I went unconscious at the start of my match… and then suddenly went berserk! I fought that cheeky princess and even some teachers, didn't I?" she said, a mix of surprise and pride in her voice.

Esdeath sighed deeply, her hand resting on her forehead as though Maruti's excitement was already tiring her out. "Let me explain…"

She went on to recount the events in detail.

By the end of the explanation, Maruti looked completely satisfied. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she crossed her arms, nodding proudly. "Ultra Instinct, huh? Now that sounds like a proper cheat skill! I'm amazing!"

Esdeath gave her a flat look. "It's a good thing you had that… 'cheat skill,' or else you'd have been defeated before you even got started. We need to be more cautious from now on. People with more power will always try their hardest to stay at the top. They won't hesitate to crush others to win," she warned seriously.

Maruti immediately waved her hand in denial, puffing out her chest proudly. "Hmph! It's not like I won just because of that Ultra Instinct thing! I'm sure I would've gotten back up and given that princess a proper beating!" she declared with a confident snort.

Esdeath's lips curled into a sly smirk. "Really?" she asked, her tone dripping with mockery.

Maruti raised her chin high, closing her eyes like an arrogant child boasting about their accomplishments. "Of course! Did you forget what we always say? 'This foundation always reaches twice!'" she exclaimed, clearly proud of the odd phrase. "I would've beaten her in my second round, no doubt about it!"

Esdeath groaned, rubbing her temples as though hearing the line physically pained her. "Whatever, whatever. Just don't say that weird phrase again! It's so embarrassing. I don't even know why you came up with something like that!"

"The next match is between Violet from Class A and Claus Clandestine from Class A," the female referee announced in a clear, steady voice.

As Violet stood to leave, she exchanged a quick glance with Ethan. His subtle nod conveyed encouragement, and she returned it with a small, determined smile before walking toward the arena. Her heavy sword rested on her shoulder, its weight seeming like nothing to her as she made her way forward.

Claus entered the arena shortly after, her steps graceful but firm. A confident smile played on her lips as she surveyed her opponent. Without hesitation, she drew her long sword, the polished blade gleaming under the sunlight. She didn't dare underestimate Violet—not after what she had seen.

"Earth is weak against Lightning," Claus mused, recalling her easy victory over Emma earlier. "But my lightning element is at a disadvantage against Violet's gravity element. This won't be as simple."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Violet. "Not only that, she placed fourth in the written exams, and I saw her last battle. She's no pushover." Still, Claus's confidence didn't waver. She unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Violet, a proud smirk tugging at her lips. "But even so, a marquise like me can't lose to a lowly baron!" Her words were filled with certainty, as though her victory was already decided.

Violet, on the other hand, was calm and collected. She drew her heavy sword in a single smooth motion, the massive weapon glowing faintly with a dark violet energy that radiated power. She adjusted her battle stance, her grip firm and steady, waiting for the referee to start the match.

The referee raised her hand, her voice sharp and clear. "Begin!" She quickly stepped back to avoid the clash.

*Clang!*

*Clash!*

*Cling!*

The sound of swords colliding filled the arena almost instantly. Sparks flew as Violet and Claus exchanged a series of rapid blows. Violet's heavy sword pulsed with dark violet energy, while Claus's blade crackled with fierce yellow lightning. The energy surrounding their weapons created an intense aura, making the audience watch in awe.

Violet was the first to go on the offensive. She jumped high into the air with surprising agility, her massive sword raised above her head. With a loud cry, she brought it down in a powerful, straight slash aimed directly at Claus.

"20x Gravity," Violet willed, her voice low but steady as the air around her sword seemed to warp under the immense force.

Claus raised her sword just in time to block the attack. CLANG! The impact was so powerful that the ground beneath Claus cracked, spiderweb-like fractures spreading outward. Claus gritted her teeth, her arms shaking slightly as she held her ground. "This sword… it's unbelievably heavy," she thought, deflecting the blow with all her strength.

Instead of countering immediately, Claus stepped back, her instincts urging her to create distance. Without hesitation, she began to run in a wide circle around Violet, her speed increasing rapidly.

"From what I've observed, she can only manipulate gravity in a small area, not the entire arena," Claus analyzed, her mind racing as she darted around. "If I keep moving quickly, she won't have a chance to adjust her gravity field to trap me. I just need to wait for the right moment to strike!"

Claus dashed forward in a rapid arc, her speed blurring her figure, and swiftly closed the distance behind Violet.

Just as she was about to strike, an immense pressure crashed down on her body. Claus's knees buckled under the force, and she fell to the ground, unable to move. Violet turned around slowly, a confident smirk on her face.

"Did you really think you could sneak up on me?" Violet teased.

Claus's hands trembled as she gritted her teeth. "ARRRGHHH!" she roared, summoning every ounce of strength in her legs. With a burst of effort, she stood up against the crushing force of the gravity magic and charged forward like a storm.

Violet's smirk faltered for a moment, her eyes widening. "What?!" she muttered.

Before Violet could react, Claus's blade slashed across her shoulder. Pain seared through Violet, but before she could counterattack, Claus had already created distance between them, retreating with swift, calculated movements.

"You're quick," Violet admitted, clutching her injured shoulder. Her voice carried a taunt as she added, "But all this running around... aren't you tired of playing coward? Fight me head-on!"

Claus smirked, flipping her long sword in her hand as she caught her breath. "I'm not some child who falls for empty words," she replied coldly. "Save your prideful speeches for someone else. Winning is all that matters in the end."

Her words were sharp, but Violet couldn't deny the truth behind them. Claus's strategy wasn't flashy, but it was effective. The crowd murmured, some booing at what they saw as "cowardly" tactics, while others watched with admiration for Claus's intelligence and endurance.

Then, Claus struck again, darting at Violet with blinding speed. This time, Violet was prepared. As Claus closed in, Violet raised her hand and called out, "Zero Gravity!"

Immediately, Claus's momentum stopped, her body suspended in mid-air. She floated helplessly, her sword swinging uselessly in the air. The pressure of gravity was gone, leaving her unable to control her movements.

But Claus's expression remained calm. She had expected something like this. Focusing her energy, she whispered, "Wind-Thunder Steps."

Her body surged with lightning energy as she created invisible platforms beneath her feet. Using these platforms like stepping stones, she began to dash through the air toward Violet.

Violet's confident smirk deepened. Claus noticed the glint in her eyes—"It's a trap! ", Claus gasped.

But it was too late.

"Gravio Inverse!" Violet commanded, flicking her fingers.

In an instant, Claus's world turned upside down. Her body was yanked upward as gravity reversed, pulling her higher instead of down. The sudden shift threw her off balance, and she struggled to reorient herself.

Violet didn't waste a second.

Slash.....

She swung her heavy sword in a calculated arc, slashing Claus's leg. The sharp pain shot through Claus's body as she let out a gasp. Blood stained her leg.

Claus gritted her teeth and drove her sword into the ground, her face twisted in agony. "Thunder Charge!" she growled.

The ground beneath Violet's feet pulsed with waves of crackling lightning. The attack was sudden and violent, forcing Violet to retreat, but the shock still surged through her legs. She stumbled, her muscles screaming in pain from the intense electric jolt.

Beautiful of this, Claus got free from upsde down gravity.

Both fighters were visibly injured now, breathing heavily as they sized each other up. Dust and blood covered their bodies, and the once-pristine arena had turned into a battlefield littered with cracks and scorch marks. The audience held their breath, their eyes darting between the two combatants.

Both fighters were now covered in cuts and bruises, their clothes slightly torn and their hair disheveled. The audience was on the edge of their seats, their cheers echoing through the arena.

"She's incredible!" one student murmured.

"But Violet's got her cornered, right?" another whispered.

"I'm not so sure… Claus doesn't seem like she's giving up," someone else replied.

Claus pushed herself upright, leaning on her sword for support.

Violet steadied herself, her breaths shallow but steady. Her gravity magic had taken a toll on her mana reserves.

But in the battle they both a difference, Claus had a healing essence stone while violet did not.

Right now while standing firm, Claus was actually healing her injuries of her leg, She couldn't use something like Rank C essence stone to rapidly heal her body.

But being lower rank, The healing costed high mana and more time, Very slowly healing.

But after few breaths, They both rushed at each other, They exchanged many strikes.

"Now i don't have enough to Manipulate even a small area's gravity, I can only focus on my sword right now! And my mana is also almost running out", violet thought.

While Claus was in no better, "My healing and other thing costed my so much mana and I was running at rapid speed using the essence stones The whole time, I don't have much mana left ", she thought.

But despite being in tough situation, Not one of them showed a worried expression, So that the other person couldn't become confidence.

Suddenly, both fighters stopped moving. Their swords dropped slightly as a strange realization hit them. Their mana—completely drained. The energy around their weapons flickered and vanished.

Claus felt it first. Her breathing slowed as the realization dawned upon her. "No mana..." she thought, her heart sinking. The warm flow of energy she had been relying on throughout the fight was completely gone. Her healing essence stone had drained what little remained. Now, all she had left was her body—and that wasn't in the best condition.

Across from her, Violet came to the same realization. Her heavy sword, previously light as a feather thanks to her gravity magic, suddenly became unbearable. "No..." she muttered under her breath as the sword slipped from her grasp. It hit the ground with a deafening thud, kicking up dust.

"I can't lift it without my magic," she thought, clenching her fists. She glared at Claus, masking the dread building in her chest. Her opponent still held her longsword, and though Claus was breathing heavily, her advantage was painfully clear.

The audience erupted in murmurs.

"Violet dropped her weapon!" a young man exclaimed, his voice tinged with worry.

"She's completely defenseless now!" another added, leaning closer to the railing.

Nearby, a girl frowned and crossed her arms. "Claus has the upper hand," she said confidently. "She can still use her sword, and Violet doesn't even have the strength to fight barehanded."

But a voice from behind chimed in, "Don't be so quick to decide! Even if Claus has her sword, she's just as exhausted as Violet. Without mana, neither of them is as strong as they look. They're practically normal people now."

The young woman beside him scoffed. "Normal people? No. Awakened without mana are worse than normal people if they don't have any combat training."