Chapter 29: DC vs SC-(II)
GAWAIN ARIOSTO'S POV:The moment the signal was given, Elijah acted fast, summoning a wall of earth between us. Typical caster move, using the environment as a shield. But I wasn't about to let him dictate the flow of this battle. I raised my sword and infused it with earth mana, feeling the weapon become an extension of myself. With a grunt, I swung the blade down, sending a shockwave through the ground that shattered his wall like it was made of brittle clay.Elijah barely flinched, quickly forming multiple earthen spikes from the shattered remains of his wall. They shot toward me with deadly precision, but I was ready. With a single step forward, I activated my gravity magic, increasing the weight of everything in a small radius around me. The spikes, suddenly burdened with immense weight, dropped harmlessly to the ground before they could reach me.A flicker of surprise crossed Elijah's face, but he recovered quickly. The ground beneath us rumbled as he began manipulating the terrain again, this time creating a series of jagged pillars that surged upward, trying to trap me in a cage of stone. I could feel the power behind his magic, the earth responding eagerly to his commands, but I wasn't about to let him box me in.[Gravity Crush] I channeled my mana into the ground, and the very earth beneath my feet seemed to bow to my will. The pillars that Elijah raised began to crumble under the immense gravitational force I was exerting. With each step I took, the ground quaked, as if unable to bear my presence. The once-solid earth became loose and unstable, making it difficult for Elijah to maintain his control over it.He wasn't giving up, though. I could see the determination in his eyes as he focused his mana, sending a wave of earth surging toward me like a tidal wave. It was an impressive display of power, but raw strength wasn't going to win this fight. I raised my sword again, pouring every ounce of mana I had into it. The air around me grew heavy, the gravity in our immediate area increasing five-folds, ten-folds, until the wave of earth he sent my way collapsed under its own weight.I charged through the collapsing earth, closing the distance between us. Elijah's eyes widened as I broke through his defenses, my greatsword coming down with a force that could split heavy iron gates. He barely had time to reinforce the ground beneath him, raising a thick barrier to intercept my strike.The impact was tremendous, the shockwave from our clash sending dust and debris flying in all directions. But even though he managed to block my attack, I could tell he was struggling. His barrier was crumbling under the sheer pressure I was exerting, and I knew it was only a matter of time before it gave way.[Stone Prison] Elijah used a binding spell, hands of earth rising from the ground, gripping my legs. Small spikes grew around my sword from the barrier, locking it in place.[Earth Spike]A sharp-pointed spike rose from the ground, aiming for my chest. I quickly created a small earthen shield to stop it from moving any closer. We were at a stalemate, both waiting for an opening.Before the fight could continue, a sudden burst of killing intent spread over the entire field, freezing both me and Elijah in place. Immediately, we separated, taking enough distance so the other couldn't attack, and looked toward the source of the intent.It was Arthur. Even though the intent lasted less than a second, I could feel sweat forming on my face. Claire, Curtis, along with Princess Tessia, and Clive, also sensed it, separating themselves from each other to focus on Arthur.Arthur had punched Lucas in the torso with a [Stone Fist], his attack bypassing the [Inferno Cloak] and knocking Lucas off the ground.The crowd was shocked, almost everyone watching was. [Inferno Cloak] was known for its impenetrable defense and was what made fire conjurers difficult to fight in close combat.Arthur taunted Lucas, and in response, Lucas cast [Inferno Cage]. I was worried about Arthur, knowing Lucas's rumored dark yellow stage with an incredibly large mana pool. But my concerns were for nothing, as Arthur suddenly started blitzing inside the cage, dodging the fire bullets at insane speed.Realizing he didn't need help, I turned my attention back to Elijah. He seemed lost in Arthur's battle as if seeing something nostalgic. Raising my sword again, I charged forward and shouted, "Are you going to keep focusing on other's battles?"Elijah, as if pulled out of a trance, looked towards me. He quickly used [Stone Armor], covering his body in a thick layer of rock, and blocked my sword with both arms crossed."Focus, Elijah," I growled, swinging my sword again. "This fight isn't over yet."_________________________________________________________________________________PROFESSOR GLORY'S POV: (When Lucas just cast Inferno cage)Hmmm... Lucas... he's better than I've heard.Inferno's Cage was a pretty tough spell to master, yet he was able to cast it. Seriously, he was barely thirteen and he could already use a domain-type spell. Haa... the world sure was coming to a change, with a half-elf like him using fire attribute magic and even Princess Tess—they were all monsters. I got shivers down my back imagining how strong they'd become by the time they graduated from here.But that brat, Arthur... What the hell was he? Lucas Wykes, since he awakened a few years back thanks to his elf lineage, I could sort of understand the level of control he had with his spells. Tessia Eralith, her being of pure elven lineage from the royal family guaranteed that her skills were a few levels above anyone anywhere near her age. But Arthur?As soon as he flashed through the field to confront Lucas, I felt a cold sweat. The way both the wind and earth naturally gravitated and danced around him—he wasn't controlling the elements to his commands like typical mages did. No, he was in perfect harmony with the mana surrounding him, as if the elements were mere extensions of his limbs.I wanted to see how he'd handle [Inferno Cage]. It was one of Lucas's most powerful spells, a true test of any opponent's strength and speed. As the fire bullets shot out from the orbs, Arthur's reaction was immediate and unbelievable. He didn't just dodge them; he vanished, only to reappear in a different spot, completely untouched."Huh?!" The sound escaped me before I could stop it. How was he moving so fast? I focused mana into my eyes, trying to track his movements. Even then, all I could make out was a blurred streak. It took pouring five times the usual amount of mana into my eyes to finally see what was happening.He wasn't just running. His feet barely touched the ground, as if he was being pulled from one spot to another by some unseen force."No..." A smile began to creep across my face as I watched him. "Don't tell me he's using the difference in air pressure..." I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle the grin that was spreading wider by the second. "That little monster..."Air manipulation was difficult enough, something most mages only learned as their core progressed to the Yellow stage or higher. But managing pressure like this? It wasn't just about sensitivity to mana. It required a level of mental precision that was almost unfathomable. Arthur wasn't just skilled; he was operating on a different level altogether.I shifted my focus to the other side of the field, where Tessia Eralith and Claire Bladeheart were locked in combat. Tessia was impressive, no doubt about it. Her affinity for wind and water, combined with her rare plant deviation, made her a formidable opponent. But Claire had the advantage of experience. As a sixth-year student with a strong affinity for fire and a lightning deviation, Claire had honed her skills to a razor's edge.Tessia's training under Former King Virion Eralith and a year with Director Goodsky had clearly refined her wind control. She moved with a grace that spoke of years of disciplined practice. However, while her wind manipulation was top-notch, her use of water magic showed a lack of experience and creativity. It was clear she hadn't had the same level of guidance in those areas.And then there was Claire. As a fire augmentor, she was a natural counter to Tessia's plant magic. The fire affinity allowed her to neutralize any attempts Tessia made to use plants to her advantage. The clash between fire and wind was spectacular, with Claire's firestorms meeting Tessia's powerful gales. The added element of Claire's lightning deviation gave her attacks a speed and unpredictability that kept Tessia on the defensive.Despite her considerable talent, Tessia was at a disadvantage. Her mana core was strong, but Claire's was stronger, allowing her to maintain pressure with more intense and sustained attacks. Tessia's wind spells were fast and precise, but Claire's lightning made it difficult for her to find a rhythm.The battle between Gawain and Elijah unfolded with a fierce intensity. The clash of two earth mages, each wielding their power in vastly different ways, was a sight to behold. Gawain, a towering figure with his heavy greatsword, represented the raw, unyielding force of the earth. His strikes were powerful enough to split boulders, and with his mastery of gravity magic, he seemed almost unstoppable.Elijah, on the other hand, was a caster who relied on precision and strategy. He swiftly adapted to Gawain's relentless assault, encasing himself in a thick layer of earth armor that absorbed the shock of the powerful sword strikes. Each time Gawain's sword collided with Elijah's defenses, the ground trembled, and sparks of mana energy lit up the battlefield. Elijah initially held his ground, using earth armor and spikes to fend off Gawain's relentless assault. However, as the battle wore on, Gawain's gravity magic began to take its toll on Elijah, making it increasingly difficult for him to maintain his defenses and attack. Eventually, under immense pressure, Elijah's earth armor cracked, and he collapsed to one knee, exhausted.The last battle between Curtis Glayder and Clive Graves was lacking in comparison to others, not due to a significant disparity in skill, but because Curtis had a slight edge thanks to his bond with Grawder, the World Lion. Both Curtis and Clive were formidable opponents in their own right—Curtis wielded his fire affinity and dual swords with impressive agility, while Clive excelled with his wind magic and long-range attacks. However, Grawder's presence subtly tipped the scales in Curtis's favor, providing him with a slight advantage that proved pivotal.Clive, utilizing his wind magic to create distance and unleash precise attacks, managed to hold his own against Curtis for a time. His agility and strategic use of long-range spells kept Curtis on his toes. Yet, despite Clive's best efforts to outmaneuver his opponent, the additional support and intimidating presence of Grawder made it difficult for Clive to gain a decisive upper hand.While the duel had its moments of intensity, it felt somewhat diminished in the shadow of the extraordinary talent displayed by the other six combatants. The impressive feats demonstrated by Arthur, Claire, Tessia, Gawain, Lucas, and Elijah set a high bar, making Curtis and Clive's battle seem less remarkable in comparison. The slight advantage provided by Grawder, though significant, wasn't enough to make this final match as captivating as the others had been.Soon the battle battle came to an end with Disciplinary Committee members winning the battle. ~~A/N: I know other's fights weren't that impressive, but what was I supposed to even describe, I wrote the whole fighting scene but when I read it, It felt boring and repetitive, so I summarised it in Professor Glory's Pov. Tell me whether you like this. Also, I didn't add Demitrius, Ignatius, and Sylvie because that would be overkill, and well you probably know they are small mana beasts in other's eyes.Also, I have decided that I need some time to prepare for upcoming chapters that is why I will be taking a short break. While the accurate time of when I will restart publishing the chapters in this series again is unknown, I do hope that from next week I have things prepared. You can read Tbate: Caera which I will be publishing in the meantime. I will leave the link in the comments or you can check my profile King__Grey, and you will find the story. You can also follow me to get the latest updates on the stories I am publishing.Wait! Wait! Wait! Before you go read that story, I have one favor. I think I have released enough chapters for you to get an idea of my writing skill, so comment on one good thing and one bad thing about the story according to you (pls don't mention about copy-paste because even I know how annoying it can be).