Chapter 28: DC vs SC-(I)

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:As the teams finalized their preparations, the air buzzed with anticipation. The students on the sidelines chattered excitedly, eager to witness the clash between the Disciplinary Committee (DC) and the Student Council (SC).Professor Glory, now back on her Flare Hawk, raised her hand to signal the start of the battle. "Alright, students! Remember, this is not just a fight, but a test of your teamwork, strategy, and skills. Treat this as a real battle, but with respect for your opponents." "LET THE MATCH COMMENCE!"The moment her hand dropped, signaling the start, both teams sprang into action.I, the designated "King," positioned myself slightly behind Curtis, Claire, and Gawain, who formed a protective formation around him. Curtis, mounted on his bond, wielded his dual swords with the ease of a trained swordsman, while Claire infused her body with wind and lightning mana, her rapier shimmering in the light. Gawain hefted his broadsword, ready to intercept any threat.I unsheathed Dawn's Ballad, its blade catching the light. Claire whistled in appreciation. "That's a beautiful sword you have there, Arthur," she remarked, her eyes on the weapon.Taking this as a moment of distraction, Tessia shot a wind spell toward us, but Claire quickly spun intercepting it, and advanced towards Tessia. Clive also separated from the group and shot a long-ranged wind spell, trying to lure me, but Curtis went after him blocking the attack. Gawain didn't wait and went directly after Elijah, and finally, I was left with Lucas.I saw Lucas calmly waiting for me, his face twisted into a haughty sneer that seemed to say 'I don't need to get ready for you.' Whether it was at the Dire Tombs or even now, Lucas' arrogance had no limit. I still remember when he betrayed us by using us as live bait so he could escape. Even then, he had the same sneer he had now.Soaring up ahead, I felt Professor Glory's keen eyes studying me as I closed the gap between us. I took a deep breath and blocked out everything else. As far as I was concerned, this was a fight between Lucas and me. Narrowing my eyes in utmost concentration, I used [Zephyr Step], a spell I had learned from watching Jasmine's training with Mistral, and closed the distance between us. Once Lucas was within the radius of my sword, I released a small amount of killing intent on him, seemingly paralyzing him, as his eyes widened in horror. Immediately, he released [Inferno Cloak], a spell designed to protect the caster, and a very popular spell among the fire conjurers, but since he cast this spell in a short amount of time, this would result in a large consumption of his mana. Perfect! This is exactly what I had intended, exhausting him of his mana slowly and destroying his arrogance in front of all these students would be more humiliating than instantly defeating him. [Stone Fist] [Oxygen Redirect]As I closed the distance between us, I infused earth mana into my hand, forming a solid layer of rock. Then, I wrapped it with wind mana to create an oxygen-less barrier, designed to shield my hand from the intense heat of Lucas's [Inferno Cloak].With my preparations complete, I struck Lucas's torso with my enhanced fist. The impact was powerful, the rock layer absorbing the brunt of the flames while the oxygen-less barrier ensured that my attack would bypass his fiery defense. Lucas's eyes widened in shock as my fist collided with his midsection, the force propelling him backward and sending him crashing into the ground about five meters away.Lucas's vision was obscured by his own spell's flames, and he hadn't anticipated that my attack would penetrate his [Inferno Cloak]. He lay on the ground, momentarily stunned and disoriented.As Lucas rose up to his feet confused, I lifted Dawn's ballad to my shoulder yawning, and said, "Is this all you've got, Lucas?", mocking him.Lucas snarled angrily before releasing another spell, [Inferno Cage]. The spell reminded me of the Ember Wisp spell that both Lucas and Ex-Professor Geist had used, but it was a lot bigger. The orbs scattered and floated in place around the both of us, creating a dome made of fire.Dozens of orbs glowed before targeting the lock on me and launching bullets of fire. Certainly, the speed of bullets was insane for a student to produce, but I had trained my body and fighting techniques during my time as an adventurer. I used [Zephyr Step] again to dodge the bullets. One thing that was special about [Zephyr Step] was, how less the amount of mana it uses. This spell creates an area of high pressure at the initial position while creating a low-pressure area at the designated place, with this, I can create a chain-like flow to multiple places until the pressure becomes extremely low, after that I need to make a higher pressure area again and keep going. With this spell, I have been able to move at a speed 100 times that of sound (Mach 100), but I know the speed can be increased much more if the pressure difference is increased.I moved like a ghost, appearing and disappearing from Lucas's eyes, as I kept dodging the bullets as they passed by harmlessly. As I continued to dodge the fire bullets with ease, the frustration on Lucas's face became more and more evident. His once confident sneer had twisted into a grimace of anger, and his breaths were growing ragged."Is that all you can do, bastard?" Lucas spat, his voice laced with venom. "Just run away like a coward? Pathetic! You're not even worth my time if all you can do is dodge!"I ignored his taunts, staying focused on the rhythm of my movements. [Zephyr Step] was a spell that demanded absolute concentration, and I wasn't about to let Lucas's insults break that focus. The high-pressure and low-pressure areas I created were like a dance—a dance that kept me several steps ahead of Lucas's attacks."Fight me, you coward!" Lucas screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. His eyes were wild, and his composure shattered. "Stop running and face me like a real mage!""You're just a scared little boy hiding behind your tricks!" Lucas yelled once again, his hands trembling as he tried to summon more mana. "I bet you're terrified of facing me head-on because you know you'll lose!"His words were dripping with scorn, but I didn't let them affect me. I had learned long ago that battles weren't just about physical strength—they were about strategy, patience, and knowing when to strike.Suddenly, I felt a shift in Lucas's mana. He was gathering more power, pushing himself to cast an even stronger spell. But I could see the cracks forming; he was pushing himself beyond his limits, and it was only a matter of time before he faltered."Fine, if you don't come to me, I'll bring the fight to you!" Lucas shouted, raising his staff high. He started chanting, the air around us growing thick with heat. The orbs of fire intensified, their flames burning brighter and hotter.But as Lucas poured everything into this final attack, I saw my opening. His desperation was making him sloppy, his control over the spell weakening with every second."Now," I muttered to myself.In an instant, I surged forward with [Zephyr Step], the high-pressure burst propelling me faster than Lucas could react. His eyes widened in shock as I closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye, appearing right in front of him.He tried using another spell to block my attack but his mana was already exhausted, I swung Dawn's Ballad with precision, aiming for his staff. I didn't imbue mana into my blade and only used the blut side to strike, and with a loud clash, Lucas's staff fell from his hand, the magic within it dissipating instantly.Lucas staggered back, disbelief etched on his face. The fire orbs flickered out, the dome of flames collapsing as his concentration shattered."How...?" Lucas stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "How did you...?"I didn't give him a chance to finish. With a swift motion, I raised Dawn's Ballad and pointed the tip at his throat, just close enough to make him freeze in place."You talk too much," I said calmly, my voice steady and firm. "And that's your downfall."Lucas's eyes were wide with shock, his body trembling with a mix of fear, and exhaustion, but most prominently one was denial.I withdrew my sword and sheathed it, turning away from him as I looked at Professor Glory, who had her eyes widened and mouth agape in surprise. ~~A/N: Tell me how the chapter is, especially the fight part, This is how I will be writing the fights in the future. And, I did as much explanation about the spell as possible, but if you feel like I missed something tell me, and I will make a small note to explain how they work.