Chapter 8: Before the Storm
The arena transformed into an unreal world. The sky became a night canvas glittering with stars, though it had been afternoon just moments before. The stone arena floor vanished, replaced by a water surface that reflected moonlight from an unknown source. The arena walls became blurred, as if the entire place was floating in a different dimension.
All ten Aeris moved across the water surface with steps that didn't create even the slightest ripple. They surrounded Vivian who stood in the center with her plant roots now appearing to float in the air.
"Welcome to my world," all ten Aeris said simultaneously, their voices echoing in that limitless space.
Vivian spun around in panic, trying to find something real to hold onto. But in Aeris's illusory world, the concept of 'real' became relative. Even her own plant roots began to look transparent, as if they too were affected by the distorted reality magic.
"I surrender!" Vivian finally shouted, her voice echoing in the endless void.
Instantly, the illusory world collapsed like a bursting soap bubble. The arena returned to normal, the sky resumed its afternoon color, and the stone floor became solid beneath their feet again. Only one Aeris stood several meters from Vivian, with a tired but satisfied smile.
"Winner of the fifth match, Aeris!" August announced with a tone still slightly surprised.
Aeris walked toward Vivian who was still gasping and sitting on the arena floor. The girl looked pale and slightly sweaty, an effect from being trapped in the intense illusion.
"Are you alright?" Aeris asked while extending his hand.
Vivian stared at the hand with momentary doubt, then accepted it. "I... I don't know anymore what's real and what's not."
"Side effect of my illusion," Aeris explained while helping Vivian stand. "It'll fade in a few hours. But you'd better go to the medical room to be sure."
Vivian nodded weakly. The academy's medical team immediately approached to check her condition, but Aeris shook his head. "Let me escort her. I'm the one who caused her condition."
Slowly, Aeris helped Vivian down from the arena and toward the medical room. The spectators followed their departure with gazes still mesmerized by the performance they had just witnessed.
In the spectator seats, Sirius stroked his white fox's fur, which still looked slightly confused. "Very interesting," he murmured while watching Aeris disappear from view.
"Sixth match!" August's voice echoed again. "Fiora versus Gleen!"
This fight proceeded faster and was less remarkable compared to the previous battles. Fiora, a girl with wind magic, managed to defeat Gleen who used earth magic with a combination of quick aerial attacks and agile maneuvers. Even so, this fight was still exciting with intense exchanges of attacks, but nothing as spectacularly extraordinary as the previous battles.
After Fiora was declared the winner, the arena atmosphere began to change. The spectators started getting restless, whispering in more enthusiastic tones. They all knew who would fight next.
"Seventh match!" August raised his staff with a more dramatic gesture. His voice echoed louder than before. "Kael versus Sirius!"
A momentary silence enveloped the arena. Then noisy sounds began emerging from various directions - some cheering, some betting, some whispering full of anticipation. This was the fight that had been eagerly awaited from the beginning.
From the upper spectator seats, a young man with a very striking physique rose with confident movements. Kael stood with confidence.
His dark brown hair was cut short in a neat style, and his dark brown eyes radiated arrogant self-confidence. His steps down toward the arena were slow but heavy in tempo, each step sounding like small thuds that emphasized his strength.
In his hands, he carried a large hammer. The hammer head was square-shaped with sharp edges, and when Kael lifted it with one hand, it was clearly visible that the object was very heavy.
"Finally," Kael said in a loud, deep voice that could be heard throughout the arena. "I'm tired of waiting for my turn to fight someone who's 'supposedly' strong."
He stared toward Sirius with a dismissive sneer. "A skinny kid with a toy fox. This is sure to be very entertaining."
On the other side, Sirius rose from his seat with very contrasting movements. He moved casually, almost seeming lazy, as if what he was about to do was just an ordinary evening walk. The white fox in his lap jumped to his shoulder and perched there comfortably.
Sirius's physique was indeed not striking at all compared to Kael's. He was medium height, with a slim but not overly muscular body. The most striking thing about him was his white hair mixed with blue in some parts, and ice-blue eyes as sharp as crystal.
His clothing was simple - a casual black shirt with rolled-up sleeves, well-fitted black pants, and leather shoes that looked comfortable for movement. But what caught the most attention was the rectangular box he carried in his right hand.
The sword sheath was made of metal with strange carvings that couldn't be identified. Its size wasn't too large, about the length of an arm, but there was something in the way Sirius spun it in his hand that made the object look dangerous. He rotated the sheath with light and rhythmic movements, as if playing with a toy.
"Kael, right?" Sirius said while descending to the arena with casual steps. His voice was calm, but there was a subtle mocking tone in it. "I was hoping earlier to get a stronger opponent than you."
Kael clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms tensing. "I'll crush you here, in front of all these people."
Some people who had already seen the previous fights knew that Sirius wasn't an ordinary person, but those who hadn't seen him fight still considered his comments as empty arrogance.
Kael raised his giant hammer with both hands, his body muscles bulging to withstand the tremendous weight. "You'll regret underestimating me, kid. I'll show you the difference between real strength and big talk."
"Big talk?" Sirius raised an eyebrow with a feigned surprised expression. "I haven't even started talking seriously yet. But if you want, I can give some more... sharp comments."
He spun the box in his hand with faster movements, creating a subtle humming sound. "For instance, about how people who rely on physical strength are usually less creative in thinking. Or about how that big hammer might be very impractical in fights requiring speed and precision."
Kael began moving forward with heavy steps. Each of his steps made the arena floor vibrate slightly. "Keep talking, kid. Your words won't save you from being crushed."
"Crushed?" Sirius laughed lightly. "You know, I've faced people who threatened to 'crush' me before. On average, they ended up in not-so-good condition."
The white fox on his shoulder made a small sound that sounded like laughter, as if it understood and agreed with Sirius's comment.
"Even your fox is mocking me," Kael said with an increasingly rising tone. "After I'm done with you, I'll make that fox into a new coat."
The smile on Sirius's face vanished in an instant. His ice-blue eyes became colder, and for the first time since the fight began, a dangerous aura started emanating from him.
"Oh," Sirius said with a voice that suddenly became very calm, too calm. "You just said the wrong thing."
The box in his hand stopped spinning. The spectators sitting in the front rows could feel the sudden change in atmosphere - the air around the arena felt colder, more tense, as if a great storm was gathering strength.
August, standing at the arena's edge, observed both participants with sharp eyes. He could sense the aura emanating from both - Kael radiated extraordinary physical strength, while Sirius... there was something different about Sirius. Something that made him feel the need to be more vigilant.
"Are you both ready?" August asked, though he knew the answer.
Kael raised his hammer high. "Been ready for a long time!"
Sirius stared at Kael with cold eyes while gently stroking his white fox. "Yes. I'm very ready."
The spectators held their breath. The tension in the arena could be felt by everyone. This wasn't just a fight between two prospective students - this was a battle between two very large egos, two different philosophies of strength.
In the spectator seats, Astrid, who had been quiet since her own fight, observed the interaction between Sirius and Kael with sharp eyes. Meanwhile, Mikhail, sitting not far from her, smiled thinly as if he had just witnessed a very entertaining show.
"Interesting," Mikhail murmured while playing with a silver ring on his finger. "It seems this year's entrance test will be much more exciting than I thought."
Astrid glanced toward him. "Who do you think will win?"
"Sirius," Mikhail answered without hesitation. "Kael is strong, but he's too emotional. Sirius... he's the type of person who's dangerous when angry. And it seems he's angry enough."
In another seat, Aeris, who had just returned from the medical room, observed the situation with gleaming golden eyes. "Looks like I missed something interesting," he murmured while sitting in his chair.
"Go to Aeris," he whispered to his fox. "I'm going to beat the hell out of this bastard."