Ch 49 : Thyra's Victory

The fighting stage was occupied by two Tier 1 magi, a male magus and a female magus, Thyra. Auron and his friends cheered for Thyra, admiring her bravery for challenging one of the top Tier 1 magi.

"A kid? Go back home and play with your dolls. This isn't your place," sneered the male magus arrogantly.

Thyra frowned. She had hoped for a fun, competitive duel, but this magus was clearly belittling her.

"Beat him up, Thyra! Show him what you've got!"

"Make him eat his words!"

Auron and his friends taunted the magus, their encouragement bringing a smile to Thyra's face as she readied her spell.

"Fight!"

"Tempest Arrow!" A few invisible wind arrows shot toward the magus.

"Earthen Shield!" A stone shield rose from the ground, effortlessly blocking the arrows.

"Is that all you've got? You need a lot more training," mocked the magus.

"Stone Shard!" Small shards of rock shot out from his hand.

Thyra dodged them with ease. Even though she wasn't an Augmenter, her agility and skill were more than enough to avoid such a basic spell.

Outside the stage, Auron and his friends were interrupted by a voice.

"Do you really think a commoner could defeat a noble? Dream on! She doesn't stand a chance against my brother," sneered their classmate, Cedric Stoneforge.

"I can't guarantee she'll win, but I know for sure she could beat you. So why don't you shut your mouth, brat?" Alice shot back, always quick to bicker with Cedric.

"Wait, so he's Edmund Stoneforge?" Eliot asked. "I've heard of him—he's from the main family."

Cedric's smirk widened. "Now you see who she's up against. If you beg, I might just ask my brother to go easy on her."

"Nah, your brother's not good enough for that," Eliot said casually.

"Hmph, we'll see. Don't come crying when you regret it," Cedric scoffed.

Back on the stage, Thyra gracefully evaded all of Edmund's stone shards, using Wind Step to enhance her speed. Suddenly, her foot was trapped by the earth.

"Hahaha, where are you running now? Just admit defeat, or I'll send these shards right at you. You wouldn't want to get hurt, would you?" Edmund threatened, casting another Stone Shard spell.

But Thyra remained calm. She used Wind Cutter to slice through the Earth Bind and swiftly freed herself.

"Zephyr Bolt!" she shouted, sending a bolt of wind toward Edmund's legs, hitting him square in the left leg.

"Argh! That hurt!" Edmund shouted, furious. In his rage, he unleashed a barrage of stone shards at her.

Thyra, unfazed, used Wind Step to dodge and Wind Shield to deflect the incoming shards.

After the onslaught, Edmund's mana was nearly drained. He was clearly exhausted, yet he refused to surrender and pulled out a mana recovery pill.

"Wait, isn't using a mana recovery pill during a match against the rules?" Alice complained to the referee.

The referee said nothing, allowing the match to continue.

Cedric jeered from the sidelines, "Of course, it's part of his strength! If you had one, you could use it too."

"What can you do now?" Edmund sneered, almost relieved that the pill had saved him from defeat.

Thyra, surprisingly calm, replied, "I don't need such cheap tricks to win. It's a disgrace that someone at the top of Tier 1 would even think about using a pill to beat a mid-Tier 1 magus. If you lose now, it'll be an embarrassment not just for you, but for your entire family."

Edmund's face darkened at her words. "I'll crush you—and your friends too!" He pointed at Auron and his group, seething with anger.

"Rock Bolt!" Edmund chanted, but his casting was slow, a sign that he wasn't fully proficient with the spell.

Sensing an opening, Thyra fired several Tempest Arrows, interrupting his casting. His spell fizzled out, leaving him vulnerable.

"Whispering Blades!" Thyra whispered silently, casting her unique spell. An invisible wind shard formed and, with a soft swoosh, shot forward, gliding through the air. The shard hit Edmund square in the chest, leaving a small cross-shaped wound that began to bleed.

"Thyra wins the match!"

Auron and his friends rushed over to congratulate her. Though her face was pale, drained from the mana required to cast her unique spell, she wore a triumphant smile.

Alice quickly supported Thyra, helping her walk off the stage as the others followed.

Cedric had vanished, disappearing into the crowd. The audience remained in stunned silence for a moment before erupting into cheers. After all, a mid-Tier 1 magus defeating a top-Tier 1 magus was nothing short of remarkable.

A crowd began to gather around Auron and his friends, eager to introduce themselves to Thyra. Walter and Auron quickly stepped in to give her some space.

"I think we should leave. That match drew way too much attention," Alice suggested. "Plus, Thyra needs some rest."

Seeing her weary state, the group agreed and made their way to the cafeteria—after all, they hadn't even had dinner yet.

At the cafeteria, the group ate their dinner as usual—except for Thyra, who piled her plate high with meat and vegetables, devouring everything in sight.

"Are you okay, Thyra? You're eating more than usual today," Eliot remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Let her be," Auron cut in with a grin. "After that fight, she must be starving. Especially after using that unique spell of hers."

Auron's tone shifted as he turned to Thyra, his expression growing more serious. "I've told you before not to use your unique spell unless you've mastered it. I'm glad you're okay, but you could've really hurt yourself. And honestly, you were this close to seriously injuring Edmund with that final attack."

His sharp gaze lingered on Thyra, causing her to lower her fork slightly.

Before she could respond, Alice stepped in, shielding Thyra from the scolding. "Don't be so harsh, Auron. She did her best, and she won, didn't she?"

Auron broke into a chuckle. "I'm just messing with her, relax. Hahaha!"

His grin widened as he added, "You did a great job, Thyra. Really. Your strategy was solid—you drained his mana while conserving your own. That was some smart thinking."

Thyra smiled shyly, returning to her meal while the others finished theirs.

After dinner, the group returned to their rooms. Auron stood by the window, gazing up at the moon. The silver light bathed the academy grounds in a peaceful glow, but his mind was restless.

"I'll be going home soon," Auron murmured to himself. "I miss my parents... it's been too long."

His thoughts shifted, a sudden itch for action tugging at him. "I really should've fought today... maybe I could sneak out now. There's still time before curfew."

He lingered on the thought for a moment, debating whether to slip out for a quick duel. But after a long sigh, he shook his head, exhaustion winning over.

"Forget it. Another time," Auron muttered as he lay down, letting sleep overtake him.