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Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Final Exam(4)

Duke after his win went towards the stands and flashed a grin towards his twin sister "Your up next sis"

"Yeah I know"

Selena said as she went towards the arena but she was filled with confidence as if knowing she wouldn't loose.

The grand arena shimmered under the midday sun, it's rune-etched floor gleaming like polished obsidian, it was always automatically fixed when battles ended.

The match would be between Selena von Celestine and Amy Wilson.

At one end stood Selena, her long hair glinting like sunlight in water, her blue eyes calm yet sharp. Sparks danced across her fingertips, tiny arcs of lightning weaving with beads of water that floated weightlessly around her. Her aura radiating storm born grace, fluid yet deadly.

Across her waited a raven haired girl, hair jet black and eyes a deep green on a forest after rain. Dust swirled at her feet, stirred by unseen winds, and the ground beneath her crackled faintly as if trembling in anticipation. Earth and air bent to her will, giving her presence the weight of a mountain and the speed of a gale.

The arena hushed as the announcer said his hand.

"Begin!"

The earth exploded.

Amy moved first stomping her foot as stone spires erupted from the floor, racing towards her opponent.

Selena flicked her wrist a d water surged upward in a liquid shield, sparks of lightning crackled through it turning her barrier into a storm wall. The stone pillars shattered against it, the air filled with steam and sparks.

"Not bad' she said lightly but her voice carrying over the crowd "But your being too predictable."

Amy just smirked. "Then let's see if you can keep it up."

Wind howled as she launched forward, carried on a gale her fist wrapped in stone as she aimed a crushing blow.

Selena twisted, water streams wrapping around her legs, propelling her in a graceful leap. She landed a few meters away, rasing her hands. Lightning arced through the water around her shooting outward in a forked blast.

Amy crossed her arms earth rising into a shield in front of her, the lightning cracked against it chunks of stone exploding outward. She dashed through the debris, wind sharpening around her into invisible blades.

Selena countered, water spiraling around her body into whips. Lightning danced along them transforming then into snapping thunderous lashes. Each crack tore into the air, scattering the razor wind before it would cut her down.

The Duke raged on, earth surged upward forming walls that tried to box Selena in.

She answered with a tidal crash of water, breaking through them in a spray of foam and sparks. Lightning streaked outward forcing Amy to leap high into the air carried by wind.

From above Amy spun, gathering wind into a spiraling drill around her leg. She dove in like a falcon, stine wrapping around her foot for weight. The strike cracked the arena floor in a thunderous explosion.

But Selena was already moving. Water swirled beneath her feet, carrying her like a dancer across the slickened battlefield. She extended her arm lightning surged down her water whip, catching her opponent mid spin.

Sparks flared, stunning her just long enough for Selena to slam her with a crashing wave.

Amy hit the floor hard, sliding back across the ruined tiles. For a moment, it seemed she wouldn't rise.

But slowly she pushed herself up, blood on her lip, her green eyes blazing.

Selena watched, chest heaving water and lightning still swirling around her like a storm halo. Her lips curled into a faint smile.

"You're stubborn," she said.

"And your irritating," Amy shit back, wiping her mouth. But then she grinned. "I like it."

With a final roar, she charged again wind and earth fusing around her. But the blonde met her head on, water exploding upward lightning flashing like a storm breaking over the sea.

Their clash shook the arena, stone and storm colliding one last time until finally, the lightning surged through dropping Amy to her knees.

She panted, trembling the aura around her fading away.

"I guess it's my loss," she said.

Selena walked across the broken arena floor, stopping before Amy. She extended her hand. "You really pushed me hard not bad Amy Wilson."

Amy looked up, a bit surprised but then smirked, gripping her hand tightly. "Don't get cocky. Next time, I'll bury you."

Selena laughed softly, helping her to her feet. "Then make sure you keep up, I need a worthy rival to push myself."

"Rival," Amy echoed, her green eyes glinting with fire and a new spark of respect. "I like the sound of that."

After that it didn't take long for for the next match to be called out as the fighters went towards the arena:

On one side stood a girl, her beauty striking: Silver-white hair flowing line moonlight, pale eyes sharp as shards of ice. Frost spiraled around her fingertips, each breath she exhaled crystalizing faintly in the air. The wind tugged at her cloak, answering her presence as though eager to fight at her side.

Across from her towered the teen, a his frame massive, shoulders broad enough to cast a shadow like a wall..his arms corded with muscle, veins pulsing with the raw energy of the earth. The arena floor already trembled beneath his feet, as water seeped through the cracks in the stone at his command swirling around him in heavy currents.

Eve von Silverwing vs William Sedgwick.

"Begin!"

The ground split instantly.

The hulking big slammed his fist into the earth, jagged stone pillars erupting in a shockwave toward his opponent. Eve twirled gracefully, ivy wind rushing at her call. The air howled, freezing the pillars mid-rise, shattering them into glittering shards before they could reach her.

She thrust her palm forward, and a spear of ice shit across the field like a silver arrow. William snarled, raising a wall of water that solidified into a mud-thick armor. The ice struck with a sharp crack but barely pierced the wet stone plating.

He roared, stomping forward each step shaking the arena. Water surged into his fists, hardening them with earth until they became colossal gauntlets, he swung.

Even moved like a dancer gliding back on a cushion of wind, her silver hair whipping around her. The fist crashed into the arena floor, sending tiles flying but she was already airborne.

Frost gathered around her hands, wings of ice forming briefly at her back. With a cry, she unleashed a storm of razor-thun icicles the wind propelling then at supersonic speed.

William crossed his arms, earth rising into stabs to shield him. The storm rattled against it, some shards piercing through, drawing lines of blood across his shoulders.

William grunted but pushed forward, shrugging off the sting.

"Running won't save you!" He bellowed, voice like rolling thunder.

Even smiled coldy, her pale eyes glinting. "Who said I'm running?"

The temperature plummeted, first spread across the ground, slickening the arena floor in seconds. William's footing faltered, the sheer weight of his form suddenly a liability, before he could regain balance, Eve called upon the wind an invisible gale lifting her high above.

From above she spun, gathering a spiraling vortex of snow and slicing wind. It howled like a living blizzard, descending upon with crushing force.

But William was not finished.

Slamming both hands into the frozen floor, he bellowed drawing water upward in towering waves.

They surged around him, encasing his body in a swirling, mud-armored torren. When her storm struck, it clashed violently with his watery shell—wind and frost against the tide and stone.

The arena shook with the collision, a maelstrom of ice shards, mud and roaring gales.

For a moment, it seemed neither would yield.

* CRACK *

Then came the crack.

Eve's storm's chill sank deep, freezing the water faster than he could replenish it. The mud hardened turning brittle. With one final surge of wind, she shattered the shell blasting him backward across the arena floor.

He skidded, coughing, his mighty fists slamming into the ground to stop himself but his body trembled, frost crawling across his arms.

Eve descended lightly, silver hair falling around her face. Her auara of ice still swirling like a snowstorm contained within her. She pointed her hand at him, a shard of ice poised like a blade.

"Yield." She said calmly and coldly.

"Tch! I yield"

William only laughed through heavy breaths, pounding a fist against the ground in frustration. Then slowly, he pushed himself to his knees, meeting her gaze with a toothy grin.

"You got me this time ice princess," he growled. "But next time, I'll drag you under."

Eve allowed herself the faintest smile. "Then you'd better train harder, stone brute."

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