Corallia(5)

The air in the training ground crackled with tension as the two combatants, Lucian Whiteclark and Lev Corallia, stood ten meters across from each other, both ready to start their duel.

 Lev held a wooden spear in his hands and a blue energy surrounded his body, he was poised to strike. On his opposite, Lucian held no weapon in his hands but a thick green hue moved around his body like a gust of wind.

"Are you sure you don't want to use any weapons?" Lev asked, his tone tinged with concern as he eyed the young man before him. He had no desire to injure him badly, his sister would certainly scold him if things went too far.

"No, I'm fine," Lucian replied calmly, the wind picking up around him, causing his auburn hair to lift gently in the breeze.

Both of them glanced toward the judge, waiting for his signal to begin the duel. "This duel will be fought under the standard rules," the judge began, casting a measured glance between Lev and Lucian.

"No fatal strikes. Both combatants are permitted to use magic, but excessive force will result in disqualification. The duel ends when one fighter yields, is incapacitated, or if I deem the fight too dangerous to continue. Understood?"

Lev gave a firm nod, gripping his spear tightly. Lucian, standing across from him with his auburn hair still fluttering from the wind magic, remained calm and collected, his eyes focused. 

"Let the duel commence!" the judge declared, raising his arm high before sweeping it downward in a sharp motion, signaling the start of the battle.

Without waiting, Lev leaped towards Lucian, his spear aiming for his torso. He closed the distance between them in seconds and thrust his spear. The spear cut through the air with a sharp swish sound heading for Lucian's left shoulder.

But before the spear could meet its mark, a whirl of wind surrounded its tip deflecting the trajectory.

"What?" Lev was caught off guard but before he could regain his footing.

[Wind Blade] Lucian muttered.

An arching green blade of wind blew Lev away from Lucian, creating distance between them. Lev skidded across the training ground blowing the dust around the area, he embedded his spear in the ground to stop himself from losing further distance.

'What did he just do? How did he deflect my spear?' He thought. The [wind blade] spell was common, it was mostly used by the aero mages as an attack spell but what he was more concerned about was that instead of blocking his strike with a [wind shield], he deflected his spear mid-strike, it was something that required precise control.

[Wind Blade]x3 

But before Lev could ponder further, he saw that three green arching blades of wind were headed for him. He stood up and muttered under his breath.

[Water shield]

Lev raised his hand, and water surged up from the ground, forming a shimmering shield around him. The liquid twisted and swirled, creating a smooth, transparent barrier that rippled gently as it moved. The surface glowed faintly in the sunlight, the constant flow of water shifting like a river's current, protecting Lev from all sides.

The wind blades that were out to get him were stopped. Their attempts were thwarted by the water shield around Lev. 'I need to get closer' Lev knew that Lucian had no close-quarter combat experience, so if he could close the distance between them then he could land a proper strike on him.

Lev glanced at Lucian, whose auburn hair still fluttered in the breeze, his emerald eyes now glowing with a fierce light. But Lev could sense the strain, Lucian's face was tight with discomfort, a clear sign he was running low on mana.

He knew this was the right time to make his move. With low mana, Lucian won't be able to counterattack. 

[Water Lance] Lev shouted, as a swirl of water formed behind him creating a gleaming blue spear above his head. Lev gestured his hands towards Lucian and the spear flew toward him, spiraling with high speed.

[Wind Shield] Lucian muttered as a green cove of wind formed around him covering him from all sides, the blue spear collided with the green cove with a thundering sound. Breaking the cove and heading straight for Lucian. 

-Swiissh 

Lucian barely dodged, the spear missing him by a hair's breadth. But before he could fully recover, Lev was in front of him, his spear held tightly in his hands and ready to strike downwards. Lev knew he had won the duel, it was the end. Lucian had no way of counter-attacking, the victor had been decided.

Or so he thought, Lucian was not caught off guard instead a faint smirk tugged at his lips as he whispered a few words under his breath, barely audible.

[Wind Burst]

"Wha-"

Before Lev could form any shields or strike down his spear, an explosion of green mana occurred before him. The blast sent him hurling backward across the training ground blowing dust around everywhere. His grip on his spear faltered.

He collided with the hard walls surrounding the training ground, his body felt heavy and he could feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He was not able to move, his eyelids felt heavy and before he could utter any words, the world darkened around him.

***

"Hah... hah"

I stood there trying to catch my breath, I had used up all my mana on that spell. Sweat trickled down my body showing the clear signs of mana exhaustion. Even though my plan had worked it still took so much mana out of me that I might pass out here.

[Aiden, your mana is completely depleted] Elara pointed out the obvious.

'I know' I raised my arm and wiped off the sweat forming on my forehead. I knew using this spell was risky but with the current mana capacity, it should not do much damage because this spell was incomplete.

I took a glance at Lev who was lying with his back against the wall, he was out cold. A crater had formed on the wall behind him, showing the amount of force with which he hurled backward.

'I hope I did not kill him'

[Don't worry he was wearing protective gear] Elara assured me.

Nodding my head, I glanced at the judge who was out of it. His eyes widened and he was looking at Lev. He was completely shocked at the display of my magical prowess.

[Are you sure? It looks like he never expected you to win, but here you are... victorious.] Elara scoffed, her tone tinged with ridicule.

"Judge," I called out to him ignoring Elara's teasing remarks. "Ahm," He flinched upon hearing my call and cleared his throat.

"The winner of the Duel is Lord Lucian Whiteclark" the judge declared my victory over Lev Corallia, his voice still shaky from the shock.

A smile formed on my lips but before I could celebrate my victory, I lost my footing and descended towards the ground. I was completely exhausted and I knew that I would lose consciousness. The mana exhaustion took its toll on my body.

Before I could fully fall, a hand gently grabbed me by the shoulder. Tilting my head slightly back, I glanced above my shoulder. The figure that stopped me from falling was none other than my father, Arin Whiteclark. 

His expressions showed no change, as stoic as ever but I could tell there was a certain glimmer in his eyes. It was pride, pride that his son had won his first-ever battle. It was all over now I could finally go back and continue my training.

Smiling slightly I closed my eyes, letting my consciousness fade to black.

***

"He passed out," Arin muttered under his breath while holding his son by the shoulders preventing him from falling. He picked Lucian up, held him in a princess carry, and observed his body for any signs of injuries.

'To think he would use an expert-level spell' Arin thought, Wind Burst, was an expert-level spell requiring a high concentration of mana. But a few moments ago, his son had used it even though it was at a lower scale than the original one.

"You've changed quite a bit" Arin muttered, a smile crept onto his lips.

"Your Excellency," A voice called out from behind Arin.

He turned around to find a knight trainee standing before him with his back straight. "If you don't mind, I would like to take the young lord to the infirmary for the checkup"

Arin understood his intentions and handed Lucian off to the knight trainee, who held him over his shoulder and walked away towards the other knight trainees who were holding a stretcher. He placed Lucian onto the stretcher and gestured for the other trainees to take him.

Arin's eyes shifted to where Lev lay, unconscious, as a group of knight trainees lifted him onto a stretcher. Duke Edgar stood nearby, accompanied by his daughters, Vivianne and Pearl, all watching with concern as Lev was carried toward the infirmary.

"Edgar," Arin called, stepping forward.

Duke Edgar turned at the sound of his name and offered a polite smile. "Congratulations, your son won"

"Thank you," Arin replied, his voice steady but with an undertone that suggested something else was on his mind. "But we need to discuss the matter I mentioned earlier."

Duke Edgar's smile faded slightly as he glanced at his daughters. "Vivianne, Pearl, why don't you both go check on Lucian and Lev in the infirmary?"

With a shared nod, the two girls quietly made their way toward the infirmary, leaving the two Dukes alone.

"Shall we take this discussion to the chamber?" Duke Edgar suggested, his tone growing more serious.

"That would be more appropriate," Arin agreed, his gaze unwavering.