Ice and Fire Clash: Two Pearls Shine in the Training Ground

Royal Academy of Magic, Open-Air Training Ground No. 7.

The training ground was built from neatly cut black basalt. Powerful protective and energy-absorbing runes were engraved into the floor, and eight towering pillars carved with elemental totems stood around the perimeter. Huge Magic Crystals were embedded at their tops, ready to activate a shield that would isolate the training ground from energy impacts outside. This was where senior students conducted practical exercises and important duels.

Today, the training ground was exceptionally crowded with students. There were even several figures in instructor's robes or those of high-ranking mages. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two girls facing off in the center: Elisa Von Windsor and Eleanor Soros. A public duel between the Academy's "Twin Pearls" always drew the most attention. The instructor overseeing this educational spar was the Academy's senior Great Mage and elemental-school mentor, Mr. Alderus Ironstaff. His hair and beard were completely white, his expression stern. He held a staff set with a huge sapphire and watched the two girls sharply.

Elisa wore a moon-white mage's robe and stood tall, her silver hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her stunning face was as calm as frozen ice. In her hand she held a staff made entirely of condensed ice crystal, radiating a bitter chill: Whispers of the Frost Speaker, a gift from Countess Margaret when Elisa advanced to intermediate mage. She had only to stand there for the temperature around her to begin quietly dropping. Tiny ice crystals formed in the air and drifted slowly to the ground.

Her opponent, Eleanor, was like a ball of fire. Her red curls were like leaping flames, and her well-fitted flame-colored robe accentuated her slender figure. At the tip of the crimson staff in her hand, Heart of Molten Fire, a pigeon-egg-sized ruby seemed to have magma flowing within it, radiating heat. A confident, almost challenging smile played on her lips, and her emerald eyes blazed with fighting spirit. Waves of heat rolled around her, matching Elisa's icy domain. An invisible boundary of energy formed between them in the center of the grounds, where ice crystals met currents of heat with a faint sizzling sound.

"An educational spar. No going too far," Instructor Alderus announced in a deep voice, his words imbued with magic and carrying clearly across the grounds. "Begin!"

Before the words had left his mouth, Eleanor was already the first to attack! She knew that Elisa's ice magic excelled at control and defense. She couldn't let her calmly set up the battlefield.

"Dance, Fire Sprite! Chain Fireball!"

Eleanor swung her staff, her incantation short and forceful. In an instant, three head-sized, dazzling orange-red fireballs appeared in a triangular formation. With a sharp whistle, they tore through the air and shot toward Elisa from above, the middle, and below! They moved incredibly fast, a display of Eleanor's superb control over fire elements.

A murmur rose from the watching crowd. Eleanor's supporters looked excited. What a fierce attack right from the start!

Facing the incoming fireballs, Elisa's expression didn't change in the slightest. She didn't even move her feet, merely tapping the ice-crystal staff in her hand lightly against the ground.

"Gather, breath of frost, and form a shield. Ice Wall Technique!"

A foot-thick wall of crystal-clear ice rose from the ground in an instant, standing before Elisa. The fireballs slammed into it!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Deafening explosions rang out, scattering firelight and ice shards! Waves of scorching heat and freezing cold spread in all directions, making the students in the front row retreat half a step. The ice wall shook violently, its surface covered in large cracks, but it didn't break. It had successfully blocked the attack.

"It's not over!" Eleanor cried. She clearly hadn't expected a single volley of fireballs to do the job. Her staff darted forward again and again as she resumed her incantation. "Gather, Explosive Power! Flame Impact!"

A more tightly condensed, almost white, cone-shaped blast of fire, like a giant spear, shot viciously toward the already-cracked ice wall!

Yet just as the Flame Impact was about to hit, Elisa's cool voice rang out from behind the wall. "Scatter."

"Bang!" The massive ice wall suddenly shattered on its own—but it didn't simply collapse. It transformed into countless palm-sized ice blades with razor-sharp edges. Like a blizzard whipped up by a gale, they swept toward Eleanor in a vast, swirling wave! The transformation of Ice Wall Transformation into Blades was exquisite, turning defense into a fierce counterattack in an instant!

"A cheap trick!" Though startled, Eleanor didn't panic. Her red hair flew as she traced a complete circle in front of herself with her staff. "Protect me, Ring of Flames! Repelling Fire Ring!"

"Whoom!" A scorching ring of fire abruptly spread outward from her, forming a wall of flame that rotated and burned continuously. Most of the densely packed ice blades vaporized as soon as they struck the fire ring, hissing as they became billowing clouds of white steam. The few that pierced through were weakened by the intense heat and fell harmlessly to the ground.

Steam billowed everywhere, temporarily blocking both girls' view.

"Now's my chance!" A gleam flashed in Eleanor's eyes. Using the steam as cover, she quickly changed position while murmuring an incantation. The ruby at the tip of her staff glowed brightly; she was clearly preparing a more powerful spell.

But Elisa reacted even faster! She seemed to have anticipated Eleanor's move. Almost as soon as the Repelling Fire Ring flared to life, she had silently cast another spell. "Spread, frost mist, and obscure the sight. Breath of Frost!"

She gently blew out a breath. A stream of extremely cold white frost merged with the steam from before and instantly turned a wide area into a freezing fog so dense it was nearly impossible to see through! The mist didn't just block vision; its biting chill could also slow an opponent's movements and spellcasting.

Eleanor's spell faltered mid-cast. She felt as though she were caught in a mire. Her movements slowed, and even the flow of her magic was affected. She cursed silently, forced to abandon the spell she'd been preparing and focus on clearing away the wretched fog. "Scorching wind, drive away the cold! Gale Technique!" (Note: Fire mages sometimes study basic air magic to deal with special situations.)

A hot wind rose around her, barely dispersing the fog nearby. But the moment the mist thinned, she saw that Elisa had already closed in!

Elisa had taken the initiative and moved closer! She knew that fire magic had an edge in power and range in open ground. In close combat, she would have the advantage by using ice magic's control and slowing effects!

"Freeze! Icy Touch!" Elisa thrust out her staff, sending a ray of cold toward Eleanor.

Eleanor dodged in a hurry. The ray skimmed the hem of her robe and left a slick patch of ice on the ground. Her footing faltered, and she nearly fell.

"Damn it!" Eleanor was furious. She stopped holding back and poured her magic into her staff with all her might. "Roar, bird of fire! Fire Phoenix Impact!"

A giant phoenix made entirely of scorching flames appeared out of thin air, its wings spanning more than three meters. It gave a clear cry and swooped at Elisa with the force of something that would burn everything to ashes! It was one of the most powerful intermediate fire spells and demanded exceptional control. The flagstones beneath it turned red-hot as it passed!

Faced with this terrifying attack, Elisa finally looked grave. She retreated rapidly while gripping her staff in both hands. A vast surge of magic welled up. Thick ice rapidly spread across the ground beneath her, and the water elements in the air gathered frantically. "Stand firm, guardian of the deepest cold! Ice Crystal Guardian!"

A huge, solid shield of icy blue materialized before her, carved with mysterious runes and radiating an ancient chill! Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, with light faintly flowing across it.

"Rumble!!!"

The fire phoenix slammed into Ice Crystal Guardian! The impact unleashed several times the energy of the earlier attacks! Red and blue light intertwined wildly, then devoured each other. Waves of scorching heat and freezing cold swept outward like a tsunami. The protective runes around the training ground activated and blazed with dazzling light, containing the blast's residual energy.

Everyone watching held their breath as they stared tensely at the two girls.

The clash between fire and ice lasted several seconds. In the end, the fire phoenix gave a mournful cry and dissipated as its energy ran out. The Ice Crystal Guardian before Elisa was also covered in cracks. With a sharp crack, it shattered into a shower of ice crystals.

A draw!

But at that moment, Eleanor's face turned pale and her body swayed. The strain of pouring out magic at such intensity had left her briefly weakened. Though Elisa's face was also somewhat pale, her eyes remained calm. She seized the fleeting opportunity!

"Restrain!" She struck her staff against the ground again, sending magic through the earth.

"Crack, crack, crack!" Several icy chains burst out of the ground beneath Eleanor's feet. Like living snakes, they quickly wrapped around her ankles! A piercing chill struck at once, freezing her in place.

"You!" Eleanor was shocked and furious. She tried to break free, but the ice chains were unusually strong.

Elisa didn't press her attack. She simply stood where she was, breathing slightly hard. The outcome was clear: at least in this "educational spar," she had the upper hand.

Instructor Alderus raised his staff at just the right moment. A gentle pulse of magic parted the remaining energy on the field, and his booming voice rang out. "The spar is over! Elisa Windsor wins."

The sidelines fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a flurry of discussion. Elisa's supporters relaxed, their faces full of admiration. Eleanor's supporters, meanwhile, looked disappointed and frustrated.

Eleanor shattered the ice chains around her ankles with a fierce effort. Her face was livid, her emerald eyes brimming with anger and resentment as she glared at Elisa, her chest heaving. She hadn't expected that she couldn't overpower Elisa with what she prided herself on most—her explosive power. Instead, her opponent had used more refined control and tactics to catch her off guard.

"Thanks for the match," Elisa said coolly. She put away her staff and turned toward the edge of the training ground. Her back remained as aloof and cool as ever, as if the fierce duel had been nothing more than an ordinary practice session.

Instructor Alderus watched Elisa walk away and gave a slight nod, a trace of approval in his eyes. The girl was not only exceptionally gifted; her composure was astonishing. Her understanding of magic and ability to adapt in the moment far surpassed those of her peers. Eleanor was also highly talented, but she was impatient and too focused on power, making it easy for her opponents to dictate the pace.

He glanced again at Eleanor's defiant expression and secretly shook his head. The girl from the Soros Family still needed more polishing. Still, having such a formidable rival might be a good thing for both of them.

Eleanor gripped her staff tightly, feeling the many eyes turned toward her. The sympathy and mockery she sensed in some of them made her feel utterly humiliated. She watched Elisa's retreating figure, so seemingly indifferent to everything, and felt the flames of jealousy and competitiveness burn even hotter within her.

"Elisa Windsor... Don't get cocky!" she seethed inwardly. "Your Coming-of-Age Ceremony is coming soon! Once you're married to that good-for-nothing, let's see how long you can keep your cool! Then the title of the Academy's top genius will definitely be mine!"

The clash between ice and fire had come to a temporary end, but this duel had made the rivalry between them even fiercer and more complicated. As the watching students dispersed, word of the result quickly spread throughout the Academy, adding a different kind of anticipation to Elisa's upcoming Coming-of-Age Ceremony.