The Martial Arena, still somewhat noisy a moment before, fell silent in an instant.
Every gaze turned toward the contestants' waiting area.
There, two girls rose almost simultaneously.
One had gray hair and gray eyes, an upright bearing, and a gaze as sharp as a blade.
The other had hair like fire and breathtaking beauty, her face lit by a dazzling smile as confident as the blazing sun.
Victoria Cecil.
Lilith Kahn.
From the very first day they stepped through the gates of Glory Kael Magic Academy, those two names had become the hottest-and most controversial-topic among the new students.
As the second princess of the Kahn Kingdom, Lilith Kahn was already renowned throughout the kingdom for her talent.
At just ten years old, she had reached the threshold of the highest-tier fire spell, Flame Explosion, and mastered its rudimentary form, stunning the entire council of royal magic advisers.
Over the following years, she had advanced rapidly in fire magic, mastering not only most beginner fire spells but also a considerable number of intermediate spells that shaped flames.
Without question, she was fire's favored child, a walking firestorm, a peerless genius who stood at the pinnacle of her generation.
Victoria Cecil, on the other hand, was her opposite.
Born a commoner on the frontier, she had neither an illustrious family nor preferential access to resources, yet her own hard work and astonishing talent had made her an instant sensation in the entrance examination.
What amazed people most was her exceptionally balanced and powerful affinity for all four basic elements-earth, water, fire, and wind. She could sense and wield them all!
That meant she was virtually unrestricted by elemental disadvantages, with a vast range of tactical options and outstanding adaptability.
What some senior students enjoyed discussing even more was her clash at the start of term with Greg Sass, who had still been a duke's son at the time.
Supposedly, during the magic device testing, her overwhelmingly precise control and magical output had publicly humiliated Greg despite his tampering, leaving him utterly disgraced.
Though the incident had not spread widely among the freshmen, it had given her a mysterious reputation as someone not to be trifled with among the senior students and certain well-informed instructors.
A commoner genius who had risen against the odds, and a royal princess of flame.
Their styles were utterly different, yet both commanded equal attention.
Now, these two figures who had caused such a stir immediately upon enrolling were about to face each other in an all-out battle on the Martial Arena's platform!
Anticipation, excitement, curiosity, scrutiny... all those emotions flowed silently through the hushed Martial Arena, almost palpable.
The two girls stepped onto the platform.
Victoria's gray eyes rested calmly on Lilith opposite her, and she spoke first. "I don't know why you spoke up for me earlier, but I won't hold back because of it."
Her tone was direct, without any polite pleasantries, and she showed neither restraint nor humility because of the other girl's royal status.
To her, anyone standing across from her on this platform was simply an opponent. Nothing more.
At those words, Lilith narrowed her ruby-red eyes slightly and raised her chin, her pride plain to see.
"Hmph, who was speaking up for you? I was only saying what I honestly felt, and I don't need you to hold back!"
Neither gave an inch in their verbal exchange. From the moment their eyes met, invisible sparks seemed to crackle through the air.
It was not mere hostility, but the fierce desire that came from meeting a worthy rival-to utterly overpower the other and prove herself.
They seemed like natural-born rivals, destined to strike the fiercest sparks whenever they clashed.
Standing at the edge of the platform, Professor Grace Quinn adjusted the rimless glasses on her nose, her light brown eyes slowly passing over the two girls.
A staunch believer in strength above all else, she focused solely on magical mastery, combat intelligence, and strength of will.
This duel was undoubtedly the battle she most looked forward to in this assessment.
Between a common-born genius and a royal-born genius, who would prove stronger?
Would balanced, versatile adaptability prevail, or would the destructive power of absolute specialization gain the upper hand?
With a hint of anticipation on her face, she announced the start.
As soon as the battle began, Victoria made the first move.
Knowing her opponent excelled at flame attribute magic, she naturally would not meet her head-on with spells of the same attribute. Instead, she chose water attribute magic, which held an advantage against fire, for a probing attack.
"Rapid-Fire Water Arrows!"
Victoria called out sharply, her mana surging.
Moisture rapidly gathered in the air, condensing into five transparent, deep-blue water arrows. Arranged in a fan, they shot toward Lilith at incredible speed, whistling through the air!
Facing the incoming blue arrows, Lilith showed not a trace of panic. Instead, her smile widened.
"Child's play!"
She gave a soft snort, and the little flame dancing at her fingertips abruptly transformed into a crimson chain formed of pure fire!
With a flick of her wrist, the Flame Chain lashed out with a roar as though alive!
Rather than precisely striking each water arrow, it traced a scorching arc through the air!
Hiss-!
The Flame Chain collided violently with the volley of water arrows!
Intense heat clashed fiercely with the cold water element, unleashing great clouds of scalding white steam with a piercing hiss.
The Flame Chain swept through all five arrows almost simultaneously. Their tips rapidly vaporized, their shafts broke apart, and they dissolved into harmless bursts of mist.
In the instant the spreading mist slightly obscured their vision, Victoria's excellent combat instincts and footwork carried her several steps sideways, just beyond the range of the Flame Chain's lingering sweep.
The end of the chain skimmed past the hem of her clothes, stirring a wave of scorching air.
"Not bad reflexes," Lilith praised.
Just as Victoria thought Lilith's current attack was over and prepared to shift her balance for a counterattack-
Lilith's free left hand had already risen unnoticed, its five fingers spread and aimed at Victoria before she could fully regain her footing!
"Flame Arrow Scatter!"
Crimson magical light blossomed in her palm!
In an instant, more than twenty crimson arrows formed entirely of compressed flames appeared out of thin air, every tip locked onto Victoria!
There was no incantation, no lengthy preparation, and not even a magic device!
The next moment, the twenty-odd flaming arrows swarmed toward Victoria like a disturbed hive of bees, blanketing her in scorching gusts and piercing shrieks!
The attack covered an enormous area, cutting off almost every avenue of escape!
A flicker of genuine surprise passed through Victoria's gray eyes at the attack.
She had thought the young masters and ladies living in the royal capital could only fling spells around haphazardly. Now, at least, she could be certain that this princess was far more troublesome than she had anticipated.
Confronted with the unavoidable rain of flaming arrows, Victoria made her decision in an instant.
She planted both feet firmly, stopped retreating, and slammed both hands toward the ground!
"Earth-Flow Wall!"
Rumble!
A dull boom came from the platform's solid floor. A gray-brown earthen wall, as tall as Victoria and wide enough to shelter her completely, rose before her like a shield thrust up by the earth!
The dense rain of flaming arrows slammed into the wall!
Explosions rang out one after another, crimson flames mingling with flying fragments of earth and stone. Scorching waves of air spread in every direction, making even the spectators near the platform feel heat against their faces.
Several seconds later, the rain of arrows ceased.
The earthen wall was battered and covered in scorch marks and craters, but it still stood.
Victoria slowly emerged from behind it, a little dust clinging to her gray hair. Her breathing was slightly quickened, but her eyes remained calm and sharp.
With a wave of her hand, she withdrew her mana. The battered wall dissolved into pure earth element and returned to the ground.
Across the platform, Lilith lowered her hand as well, her ruby-red eyes fixed on Victoria. Her smile remained brilliant, but deep in her eyes was a seriousness and gravity that had never been there before.
She was beginning to believe what Greg had told her. If she grew too careless, she might really lose to this girl.
So she decided to be a little more cautious this time.
Not only because she wanted to win, but also because she did not want that annoying fellow in the Dungeon to laugh at her!
Before you continue