Eileen didn't answer the yellow-robed Mage's question. She was just as curious about Kay—this mysterious apprentice with ties to the Grade Director. She'd never forgotten that Kay had once been favored by Midiqi, the Peak Tier 2 Mage of the Dawn Holy Spire, who'd nearly taken him as a disciple. What made Kay so special?
The battle in the arena moved at a blistering pace. Mark's Fire Hand was powerful, but not strong enough to shatter Kay's earth elemental shield. By the time Mark sensed something was wrong and hurried to chant his next spell, Kay's killing move had already begun.
At the center of the elemental ring before Kay, fire and light elements converged as the Solar Eye spell finished forming. A searing golden beam erupted from the ring, streaking straight toward Mark on the other side of the arena. Outside, the yellow-robed Mage tensed, channeling elemental energy to separate the two apprentices at a moment's notice. Eileen, however, seemed unfazed by her young relative's fate—her gaze was fixed on the Solar Eye's elemental ring. She'd never seen this powerful High-Tier Magic in the Spire, nor heard of any Formal Mage mastering it. It must have been something Kay learned before joining the Azure Source Holy Spire—but which Formal Mage had taught it?
The Solar Eye's beam pierced Mark's fire wall, leaving a smoldering hole in the flames. But Mark didn't fall as easily as expected. A water-aspected arm shield materialized in his hand, wisps of steam curling from its surface. Thanks to his quick reflexes and the fire wall's cover, he managed to block the attack—though his shield was no match for Kay's earth shield. Kay's magical items were high-quality treasures crafted by his mentor Moses to protect his disciples; Mark's duchy, while powerful, had no exceptional alchemists to forge comparable gear.
A small hole punched through Mark's arm shield, leaving him shocked and furious. Had the shield been permanently damaged? It was a stark reminder of the Solar Eye's terrifying single-target power.
Mark activated his Skystrider Boots, soaring into the arena's air. Apprentice battles often ended quickly—those few minutes of flight would let him evade Kay's Solar Eye and finish the fight. His chanting resumed, faster and more urgent this time.
On the ground, with the Fire Hand dissipated, Kay reappeared before the onlookers. His pale yellow earth shield still held, though fine cracks spiderwebbed across its surface—proof it hadn't exceeded High-Tier Magic limits. Kay's survival alone stunned the crowd. Lower-tier apprentices gaped at his shield and the Solar Eye's ring; Advanced Apprentices and the two Formal Mages, however, focused on the unique mana patterns within the ring.
"Hmm? It didn't dissipate," the yellow-robed Mage said to Eileen. "Is this a sustained-release High-Tier Magic?" He wasn't a fire elementalist, so his understanding of fire magic paled compared to Eileen's.
Eileen shook her head. "It's a modified High-Tier Magic, but not fully perfected. Normally, that rune array would dissipate after one attack—you'd have to chant again to reuse it. This version can be cast twice. And since it uses light element magic too, I can't fully parse its nature at a glance."
Neither Formal Mage guessed that Kay—an Advanced Apprentice—had modified the Solar Eye himself over the past two years. It was the fruit of his tireless study of magic and Moses' notes. This unassuming apprentice had never shown his true power or wisdom to others; he would have stayed 低,quietly absorbing knowledge, if Mark hadn't goaded him into battle.
With a surge of Kay's mana, the remaining Solar Eye array unleashed a second golden beam. The ring flickered, threatening to collapse—had its power weakened? But Kay didn't stop chanting. What other tricks did he have in store for Mark's next attack?
Mark finished his chant first. Looking down at Kay, trapped behind his "turtle shell" of an earth shield, he sneered. "Let your shield burn with you! You'll never block this!"
"Group Detonation!" he roared. Dense fire elemental particles swarmed before him; the flutter of wings filled the air as dozens of crimson firebirds materialized. Mark's firebirds were less detailed than Eileen's—proof his mental control and elemental precision were far inferior. Even so, as a destructive area-of-effect High-Tier Magic, Group Detonation stood among the best of its tier.
The firebirds surged toward Kay's shield. The pale yellow barrier shattered with a crispcrack, and the remaining birds pressed on, unimpeded. Mark didn't let his guard down—he knew Kay would counterattack in desperation.
Sure enough, a flash of gold cut through the flames. Mark darted sideways, his Skystrider Boots saving him from another Solar Eye strike—but not quite. A searing pain burned his arm, leaving a blistering wound. He grinned through the pain. Kay was done for. Group Detonation would leave him grievously injured—if the yellow-robed Mage didn't act fast, Kay might even die.
The arena's Formal Mages weren't babysitters. They protected apprentices within reason, but surviving a battle like this unscathed was impossible.Let him die, Mark thought.If not, a lifetime of scars will teach him to respect me.
But his triumph vanished in an instant. A sapphire-blue Fire Blade appeared from his left, slashing toward him.
"No!" Mark's scream echoed through the arena.
A sharpclangrang out. The Group Detonation's flames obscured the view for most low- and mid-tier onlookers, but a handful of Advanced Apprentices watched in awe. Battles of this caliber were rare—and they knew they couldn't easily block either the Group Detonation or the Solar Eye. Even Mark's Fire Hand had been impressive.
As the fire cleared, the arena's truth emerged. The yellow-robed Mage—an earth elementalist—stood before Kay, a earthen barrier blocking the Fire Blade. But something was off: Kay wasn't where the Group Detonation had struck. He stood, unharmed, behind Mark's left shoulder. No wonder Mark had panicked at the sudden Fire Blade—Kay's reappearance had been impossible to predict.
"The winner is Kay," the yellow-robed Mage declared. He turned to Kay, his eyes filled with approval. "Extraordinary! Facing Mark's Group Detonation, you charged straight into it. Weren't you afraid of dying? Even I might not have saved you in time."
Kay remained humble. "After my shield broke, Group Detonation would have blind spots. The remaining firebirds needed a split second to adjust their path—that was my chance. I gambled I'd survive the blast, and charging forward was the least costly option."
Mark, standing nearby, paled. He'd lost—not just to Kay's magic, but to his strategy and courage.
The yellow-robed Mage laughed, slamming a fist into his palm. "Well said! You seize opportunities without fear—even daring to risk your life. Impressive! Do you have a mentor yet? I'll be watching you in the Regional Holy Spire Academy War in eight years!"
His praise, paired with Kay's calm explanation, sealed the victory. Kay would take Mark's 17th spot on the Combat List, gain fame in the Spire, and earn an extra reward at the end of the month. His trip to the arena had been well worth it.
Mark, standing behind Eileen, looked like a defeated dog. Under her gaze and the crowd's stares, his pride crumbled. He couldn't meet anyone's eyes.
"Still think you're better than your siblings?" Eileen teased. "Imagine if I sent this footage back to the duchy…"
"No, Grandmother!" Mark yelped, begging. He loved bragging to his younger siblings, relishing their admiration. If word of his defeat reached home, he'd never live it down. His siblings—especially the ones too young to join the Spire—saw him as the Azure Source Holy Spire's strongest apprentice. To them, he was a hero.
Their conversation wasn't private; Kay and the yellow-robed Mage heard every word. Kay sighed, not surprised. He'd suspected a connection when Eileen appeared to watch the fight—and when Mark used Group Detonation. Still, it was hard to believe the youthful Eileen was a grandmother.
In truth, Mark was Eileen's grandnephew, not her grandson—but they shared the same ducal blood. At 76, Eileen was one of the youngest Formal Mages in the Spire; she'd only advanced sixteen years ago. Formal Mages used their powerful life force and magic to stay young—Moses, Kay's mentor, had lived over 800 years and still looked middle-aged.
The battle ended. Both apprentices needed treatment: Mark's arm still bled from the Solar Eye, and Kay's robe was charred, revealing burns beneath.
Kay didn't leave immediately. He approached Eileen, bowing respectfully. "Thank you for intervening, Master Eileen."
Eileen smiled. "With your courage and quick thinking, you would have survived even without me. Rest up—and do you need help with those burns?"
"No, thank you. I have potions and healing items," Kay replied. Eileen nodded—she remembered his Holy Light Badge. A few burns would be trivial for it to heal.
After saying goodbye, Kay left the arena. Mark glared at his retreating back, muttering, "You only won because Grandmother saved you! If she hadn't interfered, I'd have left you crippled!"
Eileen's patience snapped. "Silence!" she snapped. "If you think two firebird splashes could cripple an Advanced Apprentice, go back to basic magic classes. Haven't you realized you danced with death twice today?" She glared at her foolish grandnephew, disappointment clear in her eyes.