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• You know that's not allowed right, HOOT? •

• Not once did they say it's illegal. •

Replied Naell to the chattering owl that went silent. He smiled seeing how Owly wanted to rebut, yet what he just said truly was a loophole.

• And besides- •

• What, HOOT? •

• Their challengers will have nothing to lose, and will even have a chance to talk to Rinca and Namiku. •

• Scammer, HOOT. •

Naell's triumphant smile was cut short. He truly regretted every second of Owly learning his vocabulary.

Also, he couldn't really focus on their banter as his opponent was already standing infront of him.

He could only gulp and think all the energy he would waste that day was worth it- oh how he wished.

''A sibling fight?" Jested some students to which Note agreed.

Yet when they saw how her eyes lit up for a second, and how her hair became messier as she readied her wand, one by one they kept their mouths shut.

"Thank you for accepting my challenge, young master." Said April Cadar with her signature uninterested eyes.

If one would talk about Naell's demeanor, one would definitely bring her up as his female clone.

What's more, Naell and April both topped their year without even attending the lectures often. That was why it was quite ironic to see they would face each other that day.

"Ha... of course, thank you for your challenge.'' Naell politely replied.

Truth be told, he didn't actually know who he had picked. Many letters were sent to him requesting for a duel.

Instead of reviewing their names, Naell immediately picked three and responded to the date he was available to.

Owly berated him for that saying he might have picked opponents that were far weaker than him, which was clearly against the festival's regulations.

In response Naell just laughed and told him how that regulation was flawed in the first place. Afterall, who even had the right to say that they were below a person after challenging them.

Recalling that scenario caused some heavy reflection in his mind. Yet he knew it wasn't the right time to think about it.

"Mages, begin!"

'I believe her elements are... fire and...?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden cracks under his feet.

'Right... Earth.'

The patch of ground underneath him began shaping like hands to grab him.

In response, Naell quickly levitated backwards, just barely dodging the spell.

Without a second to waste he motioned with his staff and casted [ snowballs ] firing off to April.

She then dodged and casted few spells that caused patches of heat on the ground to appear.

Sensing the danger, a gust of wind and icy vapor erupted from the soles of Naell's feet. It then coated his legs, making his movement even lighter than before.

All the patches on the ground that should have erupted below him without fail, had already cooled down.

April's eyebrows raised for a moment as she expressed her genuine interest.

"That's impressive, young master." She said as her face returned to her look of disinterest.

Unlike levitation, that spell managed to not only make Naell float, but also managed to stop the rocks from exploding into usable bullets.

"I'd say the same for that spell." He retorted back, knowing fully well that creating projectiles wasn't the only reason for that spell.

She then uttered quietly as her left hand gracefully waved.

Naell watched her and didn't fail to notice how she had suddenly switched her wand to her right hand.

" [ Alchemy's Blaze ] " Sparks then erupted around her fingertips as several small flames flew in front of her.

She then once more waved her wand, to which powder-like substances flew and rose from the concaves across the ground.

" [ After Fire ] "

Only then did he realize that the first spells she used were only a set up for this magic.

Barrages of small flames began bombarding him from the sky and the ground.

Not only was it fast, the amount she released was also enough to make anyone sweat.

Images of its speed lit up the field. No matter where he went, only flames followed.

Naell was impressed. Even though April's elemental magic of fire was weak, she managed it well by summoning huge quantities and scattering them through the powder-like substance; both of which were feats that could only be done with solid mana control.

As he dodged and dodged, some viewers began watching him skeptically. They felt themselves question his passive movement. As far as they could see, the magic would not overpower him in the least.

Especially when they saw how Naell would sometimes summon snow balls to fire off against the seemingly weak flames.

It seemed comedic for some as both spells looked so simple and unimpressive. Yet all that changed as they saw how mistaken they were.

As some of the flames and snowballs that they threw at one another were dodged, it quickly landed across the field to the arena's barrier. Both spells then managed to show how wrong those people were; with the first layer of protective magic set up by the school, obliterated.

Underneath those flames, sharp earth magic were concealed and could very well shatter Naell's mana shield.

On the other hand, the snow ball was like a bomb filled with pressurized mana that upon impact would harshly explode.

Not only did that indicate how powerful those two spells were, it also showed the ability of the two mages which were able to fool not only the common folk, but the other martial artists and mages.

That was why those who knew of the trickery behind April's spells were left in awe of her ingenuity and Naell's detection early in the match.

What's more, under the fierce battle, the field was constantly changing on April's whim. She was very much like what Naell had seen in the physical education test they had taken, calculative.

It was apparent that under those barrages of spells, it was Naell who was being cornered as both the sky and ground was her territory.

Sighing in regret, Naell, instead of firing more snow balls, immediately struck the ground with his staff.

Ice and glistening air spread out from the staff's tip to the ground As it froze that spot of sand, April found her bending magic being cancelled.

Naell then casted [ waterfall ] in all directions wherein upon impact of the approaching spells, the flames disappeared.

Even so the hidden earth bullets were not slowing in the water. Because of that, Naell made the waterfalls shoot into the air, carrying the earth's bullets.

After a while, instead of water, it rained snow onto the field. Naell then began channeling his mana onto his staff; pure white light then shone throughout the field.

The earth spikes, and even the traps laid onto the arena were all dispelled, icy smoke began filling the air as all of April's flames had ceased to exist.

Sensing the looming danger, April began levitating, encircling Naell, and firing off her blaze. Yet all of it was like a dust of smoke, puffing up upon its approach.

Not only that, the radius of his magic entrapped her in a field. All the while he just stood waiting for her to be trapped, as she exhausted herself from using her mana.

"Snow fortress?"

"No, that's a snow palace!"

What the audience was screaming made Naell cringe. It was true that what he made was a snow fortress, yet instead of using it as a wall for defense, he casted the spell to entrap his opponent.

The magical structure of snow he visualized was reminiscent of a palace made atop the sand. It was unintentional, but it proved to be a better setting for traps and making the opponent feel more oppressed.

She truly did feel tired from just levitating and trying to find a way to counter-attack. Not to mention, the coldness made her breathing ragged as she struggled against the fading heat.

April knew she could still win as she was preparing her trap. Yet she was hesitating as that spell was taxing to cast.

Not to mention, if by chance he countered it, April would have no choice but to surrender.

'I have no choice then.'

Upon her thoughts, and with all her might, April put all her mana onto her wand. Soon, the ground began tearing once more.

"I didn't expect any of this, but I won't go down that easily!"

Naell could sense what she was conjuring in its full form; flames and earth combined, magnitudes that could shake even his snow palace.

" [ Magmatude ] "

As more of the powdered substance rose to the air, separate from the small flames, April quickly joined her hands together, forcing her magic to follow and do the same.

The flames erupted as the powder entangled with the heat. Mixed with the rocks and other minerals, it was certainly not your usual fire magic.

"Magma magic!" Most exclaimed.

A known rare type of complex magic that could quake one's surroundings and destroy all in its path.

The snow palace trembled and melted with the might of her magic. April thought Naell would concede, as if he didn't, he would either fall to the ground and burn, or attempt to fly and come ablaze.

Yet with all the expectations, hues of clear blue magic erupted around her magmatude.

"ICE PALACE!" Once more they exclaimed.

As the quake stopped, the field including the barrier had turned into ice. Not only that, April was trapped, unable to escape the ice prison that formed around her.

Entrapping her like a bird, April then uttered with a disappointed smile,

"I surrender."

That was the first and only match Naell had taken, as all his opponents soon afterwards surrendered.