Each Their Own Battle

The edge of the examination room.

Elder let out a long yawn, and a few tears even welled up in the corners of his eyes from exhaustion.

He looked to be around twenty years old, with long hair like unpolished obsidian fragments, a few strands hanging listlessly over his forehead. His skin was a dark grayish-blue, similar to slate, smooth and cold, with extremely fine, seemingly naturally formed cracks and textures.

He leaned casually against a bare rock pillar, his dusty gray robe spotless, the hem even slightly blending into the ground beneath his feet, creating ripples like water—as if the garment itself had extended from his body. The iconic Demons horns on his head were dark as basalt, rough in shape, with natural layered textures.

"So," he said lazily, drawing out his words, "Do we really have to fight?"

Before he could finish speaking, the ground beneath his feet suddenly rose up.

The solid earth and rocks arched upwards as if they were alive, instantly forming three intersecting, sharp rock spikes that pierced towards Methode not far away at an astonishing speed!

Methode remained unmoved and lightly swished her staff.

A semi-transparent, shimmering defensive barrier instantly unfolded in front of her.

"Boom!"

The rock spikes struck the defensive wall with a dull thud, sending debris flying, but the defensive wall remained unmoved.

"Quick reaction," Elder exclaimed, though his tone lacked sincerity.

His fingers twitched slightly.

The ground surged again, this time not with a thrust, but with waves, attempting to disrupt Methode's footing. At the same time, countless tiny pebbles shot up, hurtling towards her from all directions.

Methode gracefully took a half-step back, landing steadily half a foot in the air, avoiding the ripples on the ground. Facing the incoming rain of stones, she lightly tapped her staff repeatedly.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

Each Ordinary Attack Magic precisely shattered a stone projectile; the movements were fluid and elegant, as if playing some kind of silent instrument.

"Earth manipulation, earth spikes, flying rocks..." Methode calmly analyzed while deflecting the attacks, "As expected, Demons will spend their entire lives mastering one type of magic. You're skilled in 'earth' or 'rock,' aren't you? Very strong."

Elder yawned again, rubbing his eyes. "Ah, more or less, thanks for the compliment. But being praised like that by a beautiful older sister is a bit stressful. So could you stop yawning? I'm actually quite lazy, I just want to live an honest life and occasionally do some good deeds."

"No," Methode looked at him. "Now that we've met, and it seems you've already gained something, we can't let you go."

She moved her staff forward a little more.

Several solid beams of magic shot out instantly, their trajectories unpredictable, sealing off all of Elder's escape routes.

Elder sighed.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly softened, and he sank into the ground as if submerged in water, leaving only a shallow crater. The magic beam struck the ground, blasting open several small pits.

The next second, Elder slowly "floated" up from another spot on the ground not far away, like emerging from water, with very little mud on his body.

"Earth Release: Heart-Slaying Decapitation Technique." He patted his sleeves, spouting nonsense with a straight face. "How about that, pretty cool, right? I overheard that guy mention that term. If I grab your feet like this and sink you into the ground, you've already lost. So, are you surrendering?"

Methode's eyebrows were slightly raised.

She stopped speaking, simply flying into the sky to avoid the ground, and with a wave of her staff, unleashed another Ordinary Attack Magic.

Elder curled his lip and sank back into the ground.

The battle reached a strange stalemate. Elder, with his uncanny ability to move freely through the earth, appeared and disappeared unpredictably, constantly harassing Eld with various thrusts, quicksand, and rock barriers. Methode, on the other hand, fought steadily, with an impenetrable defense and precise, sharp counterattacks, constantly compressing Elder's movement space.

"So..." Elder popped his head up from the ground again in the distance, this time some distance from Methode, a hint of helplessness on his face, "Why do we have to fight and kill? Humans are so strange."

He shook a small Birdcage in his hand, inside which three dark gray shadows could be vaguely seen.

"I already said I have three Stille, so giving you one is fine too. Wouldn't it be better if we all shared them peacefully and passed the exam together? Right? I want to sleep now."

Methode shook her head slightly, and the tip of her staff lit up again.

"As for the Demons, although the Continental Magic Academies recognize them, they're still not entirely trustworthy." Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "After all, since you already have three... then it's not impossible that you want to acquire all the Stille and have no competitors in the later exams, is it?"

Elder scratched his head. "Wow, I'm being suspected. How sad."

He said this, but his movements were not slow at all; he merged back into the earth.

Not far away, another battle was also unfolding.

Ton was slightly out of breath, his staff pointing forward.

He had neat short gray hair and a handsome face, but with an innate arrogance. His green mage robe was well-tailored, with delicate magical patterns embroidered along the edges, clearly indicating its high value.

His opponent was an elf.

Adonis.

He stood in a messy clearing, his figure tall and slender, dressed in a simple yet exquisitely made white robe, his long golden hair flowing like sunlight, casually draped over his shoulders. His features were exquisitely perfect, and his emerald green eyes were calm and still, as if containing the tranquility of a forest.

At this moment, countless huge and ferocious vines and thorns grew on the ground around him, like a living cage, slowly but steadily closing in on Ton. The vines were covered with brightly colored flowers, and the pollen filled the air with a faint fragrance.

"Give up." Adonis's voice was melodious, but devoid of warmth. "Your flames cannot burn away my forest, especially not in the rain."

Ton gritted his teeth.

He was skilled in fire magic, but his flames seemed powerless against the seemingly endless plants controlled by this elf. Besides... he didn't know any "unquenchable flames."

Every time he managed to condense a flame and burn away a patch, even more vines would immediately sprout from the ground. The pollen emitted by those flowers seemed to have an effect of inhibiting magical activity, making his spellcasting increasingly sluggish.

"Who's going to give up, you bastard?" Ton hissed, waving his staff. A blazing ring of fire Swirl outwards from him, temporarily repelling the nearest vines.

But more vines sprouted from the sides and from underground.

"Your persistence is meaningless." Adonis approached slowly, and flowers spontaneously Bloom at his feet, only to wither quickly in a cycle, as if enacting the rise and fall of life. "Before the power of nature, individual persistence is as insignificant as dust."

"Shut up." Ton unleashed another fiery shockwave, burning the oncoming vines to ashes, but beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.

Adonis gently raised his hand.

Suddenly, several exceptionally thick, thorny vines shot out from the ground, coiling towards them like giant pythons at incredible speed!

Ton's pupils contracted, and he retreated rapidly, simultaneously unleashing several explosive fireballs.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The fireball exploded, snapping the vines, but a viscous sap sprayed from the broken vines, possessing a strong numbing effect. Despite his best efforts to dodge, Ton still managed to get a little on his sleeve, and his entire arm immediately went numb.

"Tsk." He decisively used the flame to burn off that piece of fabric, and the numbness in his arm eased slightly, but his movements were already a beat too slow.

Adonis did not press his advantage and launched a fierce attack, but simply watched him quietly.

"Your skill is good," he commented, "But you rely too much on a single element. Fire can indeed bring destruction, but life is far more resilient and better at waiting than fire."

More fine thorns sprouted from Ton's feet, attempting to entangle his ankles.

Ton leaped into the air, unleashing flames to propel himself forward and narrowly evade the attack.

But he knew that if this continued, he would eventually run out of magic or be caught by these annoying plants.

We must find a way to break this deadlock.

His gaze swept over Adonis's ever-calm face, his mind racing.

At the same time, in a dry cave not far from these two battlefields.

The light was dim, with only a little bit of sunlight filtering through the cave entrance.

Länge and Falsh sat facing each other, with a flat stone spread out between them, on which were some cards.

Länge was a girl with long pink hair. At this moment, she was holding a hand of cards, her brows furrowed, and her little face scrunched up.

Falsh sat upright, his androgynous hairstyle meticulously styled, and the round-framed glasses on his nose reflected the faint light filtering in from outside the cave.

He adjusted his glasses, his tone calm and even.

"My turn."

He drew a card from his hand and placed it on the rock.

"Activate the Privilege of First-Class Mage," he said. "The effect of this spell card is: Select a monster in your hand, increase its Level by three stars, and double its Attack and Defense, but it cannot attack the player directly."

He revealed another card in his hand.

"My choice is, 'First-Class Mage Falsh' (Original Star Rating: 7, Attack: 2500, Defense: 2500)."

He paused for a moment, then continued operating.

"Then, activate the effect of 'First-Class Mage Falsh' to remove three Quick-Play Spell Cards from the Graveyard as the cost of a Special Summon."

He pushed the cards next to him aside.

"Special Summon in Defense Position: 'First-Class Mage Falsh'."

He placed the card on the field.

The card depicts a portrait that bears a striking resemblance to him, only with a more serious expression and surrounded by immense magical power.

"Due to the effect of 'Privilege of First-Class Mage,' this card's ATK and DEF are doubled."

Falsh calmly announced the numbers.

Attack power 5000, Defense power 5000.

Länge's mouth opened slightly. "Five thousand...?"

Falsh did not pause.

"The second effect of 'First-Class Mage Falsh'," he continued, "Is that if this card does not attack at the end of the turn, its ATK decreases by 1000 points, and it deals damage to the opponent equal to the decrease."

He raised his eyes and looked at Länge.

My turn is over.

"Based on the effect, ' First-Class Mage Falsh's attack power decreases by 1000 to 4000. Simultaneously, it deals 1000 damage to you."

"Hmm..." Länge looked at her remaining 1800 HP, then at the monster on the field with a defense of 5000, and puffed out her cheeks.

She drew a card, looked at it, and then put it back, appearing hesitant.

"My turn... I activate the 'Magic Harmonization' spell card, discard 'Archaeologist Faruzan' from my hand, and draw two cards from my deck."

She drew two bills, glanced at them, and her eyes lit up slightly.

"Next, I activate the Field Spell 'Library of Oysast'! As long as this card is on the field, I can discard one card each turn, and then draw one Spellcaster monster!"

She discarded one card and then drew another.

"Then, Special Summon 'Apprentice Spellbook User' (ATK 1000)! Activate its effect: This card can be Special Summoned if you control no monsters. When it is Special Summoned, you can add one 'Spellbook' Spell Card from your Deck to your hand."

Länge drew a card from the pile next to her and added it to her hand.

"Activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Miracle of the Spellbook' that was just added to my hand! Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Spellcaster monster discarded by a card effect from my Graveyard! Come back, 'Archaeologist Faruzan' (ATK 1800)!"

A flash of light appeared on the card, and a chibi version of Faruzan appeared.

"'Archaeologist Faruzan's' effect activated! When this card is Special Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck. I Summon 'Apprentice Mage Girl' in Defense Position!" She placed down a card with an image of a pink-haired girl crouching down with her head in defense; its DEF was a pitiful 500.

"'Apprentice Mage Girl' effect activated! When this card is Special Summoned by a monster effect, it restores 800 Life Points and increases its DEF by 800. This card can not be destroyed by battle once per turn."

"It's not over yet!" Länge's storytelling flowed more and more smoothly, "Tribute 'Apprentice Spellbook User' and 'Archaeologist Faruzan' on the field! Special Summon ' Great Mage 'Flamme (ATK 2500)!"

"The effect of 'Archaeologist Faruzan' is activated! When a Spellcaster-Type monster is Tribute Summoned, this card can be used as two Tributes."

The light shone even brighter, and a card depicting Flamme appeared.

"Activate the effect of 'Great Mage Flamme'! When this card is Tributed to three Spellcaster monsters, and you successfully Tribute Summon it, you can add any one Spell Card and any one Trap Card from your Deck to your hand!"

She drew two more cards, and the deck was almost empty.

"Activate 'Grace of the Magical City'! If there are no monsters other than Spellcaster-Type monsters on your field or in your Graveyard, banish all monsters you control, and increase the ATK and DEF of all monsters you control by 1000, but you cannot attack for three turns."

Finally, set one card face down to end the round!

Länge let out a long breath, wiped non-existent sweat from her forehead, and looked at Falsh with a hint of smugness in her eyes.

"Now I have 'Great Mage' with 3500 Flamme on my field, along with 'Apprentice Mage Girl' with 2300 DEF that can't be destroyed by battle once per turn, and a face-down card! Although I can't attack for three turns... I'm not completely without a chance to fight back!"

Falsh his glasses; the lenses reflected the light from the hole, obscuring his eyes.

"A decent start," he said calmly, "But the three-round inability to attack is still too much of a negative effect. Next, I'll..."

He was just about to announce his turn.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the rock wall on one side of the cave, and Elder's upper body "emerged" from the earth and rocks, his face showing a hint of envy.

Länge was startled when she saw the head that suddenly appeared on the ground, and almost threw the cards away.

"Hey, so relaxed?" He looked at the two people playing cards, especially Falsh. "Hey you over there with glasses, you seem pretty free. How about we switch? That woman is really tough... She looks so gentle, but she's ruthless. And she doesn't trust me just because I'm Demons. That's racial discrimination, I'm going to complain..."

Falsh turned his head, glanced at Elder, and adjusted his glasses.

"I'm the examiner filling in," he said in a flat tone. "I don't need to take the exam myself. So, in this situation, it's essentially a one-for-one exchange with someone from the opposing team. Therefore, I shouldn't switch places with you. Besides, there's no rule about complaints in the exam."

"Tsk, boring." Elder curled his lip.

Just then, a beam of magic grazed the edge of the cave and shot in, blasting a small crater in the rock wall next to Elder's head with a "bang." Elder immediately shrank back into the ground.

Methode appeared not far from the cave entrance, her staff pointing in this direction.

"You're quite the talker," she said with a slight smile, her voice still gentle. "You've been the one dominating me so far, haven't you? And even Mental Magic isn't working."

Elder popped his head up again. "But you insisted on fighting me."

Inside the cave, Länge blinked at the unexpected turn of events and whispered to Falsh, "Um, shall we continue?"

Falsh withdrew his gaze and looked at the cards on the stone.

"Continue." He drew a card. "My turn."

Outside the cave, the faint sounds of vines rubbing together and flames crackling could be heard, indicating that the battle between Ton and Adonis was still ongoing.

Inside the cave, the sound of cards gently falling onto the stones was crisp and peaceful.