Chapter 16: The Inferno Unleashed

Elias barely had time to react before Seraphina moved.

One second, she stood across the ring, wreathed in flames. The next, she was a blur of motion, the fire surrounding her shaping into two massive wings that propelled her forward at blinding speed.

Elias barely managed to brace himself before the first strike connected.

BOOM.

Her flaming fist collided with his gauntlet, sending a shockwave of heat through the air. The force behind it was immense, nearly making him buckle. The energy sensors in his gauntlet screamed with overload warnings, but he twisted his wrist, redirecting the impact backward, using it to push himself into a spin.

Instead of absorbing the attack fully, he used it as momentum—ducking under her second strike and launching himself sideways.

The crowd gasped as Elias skidded across the stone floor, using the stored energy from her attack to launch a rapid counterattack.

He fired a kinetic pulse, aiming for her midsection.

Seraphina twisted effortlessly, her wings folding inward to absorb the impact, the flames dispersing the energy like it was nothing.

Elias swore under his breath.

Her fire wasn't just magic—it was alive. It moved with her, reacted with her, shaping itself to her will. She was beyond anything he had faced before.

Seraphina's smirk widened. "Good reaction speed."

Elias exhaled, adjusting his stance. "Yeah? Try missing next time."

Seraphina chuckled. "I'll pass."

She snapped her fingers, and the flames around her coiled tighter, the heat around the ring spiking dangerously. The stone beneath them began to glow, tiny cracks forming along the surface.

Lira, watching from the sidelines, swore. "Elias! She's ramping up—MOVE!"

Elias already knew.

He could feel the shift in power.

Seraphina spread her arms, and the flames surged outward, forming a ring of fire around them, sealing them inside a battlefield of pure heat.

Elias's gauntlet buzzed with warnings. His thermal regulators were straining under the rising temperature. If this kept up, his systems would fail before he even got the chance to land a real hit.

He had to end this quickly.

Seraphina shot forward again, this time faster, sharper—her wings folding inward, turning her into a streak of blue fire.

Elias did the only thing he could.

He charged forward too.

Their attacks collided head-on—

BOOM.

The impact shattered the air, a pulse of heat and force erupting outward. The crowd shielded their eyes as the explosion engulfed the entire ring in fire and smoke.

For a few seconds, nothing was visible.

Then, as the smoke cleared—

Both combatants stood at opposite ends of the arena, panting, staring each other down.

Seraphina wiped a small trickle of blood from her lip, her wings flickering unsteadily. Her gaze was burning with exhilaration.

Elias could barely stand. His gauntlet was overheating, warning runes flashing all across its surface.

But he grinned anyway.

Seraphina exhaled. "You're still standing."

Elias smirked. "Not bad for a 'toy,' huh?"

She let out a low chuckle. "Not bad at all."

Then, to everyone's shock—

She lowered her stance.

"…I yield."

Silence crashed over the arena.

The noble spectators murmured in disbelief.

The instructor overseeing the match hesitated for a second before stepping forward.

"Match over! Elias Graham wins!"

For a moment, Elias just stood there, stunned.

Then, as the reality of it hit—

He grinned through the exhaustion.

Lira shouted from the sidelines, throwing her arms up. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE."

Elias laughed breathlessly, barely keeping himself upright. "Me neither."

Seraphina, now standing relaxed, approached him. "That was the most fun I've had in a duel in years."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Fun? Pretty sure you were trying to roast me alive."

She smirked. "And yet, you survived."

She extended a hand.

Elias hesitated, then shook it.

For the second time that day, a noble had acknowledged him.

Arven, still seated in the stands, watched with interest. His expression unreadable.

Elias could already tell—this wasn't over.

No, this was just the beginning.