Victoria took off the robe she was wearing and stretched her body, Evelyn was in front of her.
Both of them were back in the academy inside one of the private training grounds meant for just the two of them. The walls were reinforced with a magical barrier, and a barrier was currently surrounding the room.
The room was bigger than average and the ceiling was very high up, just so both of them could duel.
Standing just outside the barrier were their second-in-commands, one of each of the heads. Victoria protested when she was assigned a second-in-command, but Evelyn persuaded her, and she had grown to not dislike her second-in-command.
They said nothing, their eyes fixed on the battlefield, knowing they were about to witness a clash between monsters in human form. This wasn't the first, and it wasn't going to be the last.
Victoria smirked, stretching her fingers.
"No time limit. No holding back. Fight until one of us concedes. Just the way I like it."
Evelyn smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't get angry when you lose."
Victoria raised her hand, and the battlefield darkened as shadows twisted around her.
Evelyn didn't wait. With a snap of her fingers, the ground beneath her exploded in flames, sending a blazing inferno toward Victoria.
The battle had begun just like that.
Victoria raised her hand, and the darkness around her swirled, swallowing the fire like a hungry beast. She retaliated instantly, sending spears carved out of darkness streaking toward Evelyn. They cut through the air like jagged lightning.
Evelyn dodged, vanishing in a burst of wind and reappearing high up.
She stretched out her arms, and a massive tornado formed around her, roaring like a living beast. With a single motion, she sent the storm toward Victoria, who smirked at the incoming spell.
Victoria didn't move. Instead, she held out her palm like she was charging up a spell and boom.
Darkness surged forward. It expanded, consuming the tornado whole until not a single trace remained.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent the same wind back at Evelyn, but this time, completely changed to pure darkness.
Evelyn crossed her arms as she chuckled, flames spiraling around her to form a protective shield.
"Same old" She spoke.
The darkened wind clashed against the flames, sending shockwaves through the air. The barrier around the battlefield trembled from the sheer force.
Their second-in-commands took a step back, feeling the vibrations in the ground; the barrier was strong but not strong enough to receive high-level spells one after the other.
Evelyn wasted no time. She raised both hands and from the sky, dozens of flaming meteors appeared, raining down toward Victoria. Each one burned hotter than the last, turning the battlefield into a sea of destruction.
Victoria sighed. "You're being reckless again."
Darkness erupted from beneath her feet, stretching outward like ink spreading through water.
Then dark spikes lashed out shooting towards the meteors, smashing them midair before they could reach her.
Then she raised her hands, and the shadows thickened, forming a dark monstrous claw that surged toward Evelyn.
Evelyn's eyes flashed, and the air around her vibrated. In an instant, she vanished, appearing behind Victoria with a fiery blade in hand. She swung without hesitation.
But Victoria had already moved.
A wall of darkness rose between them, blocking the sword for some seconds before it slashed through.
Evelyn clicked her tongue and jumped back, but Victoria was already on the attack. The shadows twisted into chains, wrapping around Evelyn's legs and arms.
"You're not getting away," Victoria whispered.
Evelyn gritted her teeth, and in a flash, her body ignited. The flames roared, burning through the chains, and she broke free.
Without missing a beat, she slammed her hands together, and a massive wave of fire and wind exploded outward, threatening to consume Victoria whole.
Victoria narrowed her eyes. She lifted both arms, and the darkness around her solidified into a dome. The fire and wind crashed against it, but it held strong. When the attack ended, Victoria emerged, completely unharmed.
Evelyn exhaled. "Still standing?"
Victoria smiled. "Of course, do you think that was enough to bring me down"
Evelyn didn't respond. Instead, she raised her hand high above her head. The wind gathered, growing stronger and sharper. The air itself vibrated as it spiraled around her.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "That's new."
Evelyn didn't give her a chance to react. With a downward swing, she unleashed a hurricane infused with flames.
It tore through the battlefield, the sheer force of it shaking the ground beneath them. The barrier flickered, struggling to contain the destructive energy.
Victoria's smile faded. For the first time, she looked serious. The shadows around her condensed, forming a thick, black armor around her body.
"Haaa..." Then she lifted her hands, and the darkness surged forward, swallowing the flames and wind completely.
But Evelyn wasn't done. She was already moving, appearing right in front of Victoria, a spear of fire in her grasp.
She thrust it forward, aiming for Victoria's chest.
Victoria tilted her head slightly, and the darkness responded. It wrapped around the spear, extinguishing it instantly. Before Evelyn could react, the shadows burst outward, slamming into her with bone-crushing force.
Evelyn gasped, flying backward and crashing into the ground.
The impact sent cracks through the battlefield. She groaned, pushing herself up immediately, but Victoria was already above her, hand outstretched and a blade formed from darkness was at Evelyn's neck.
"It's over."
The shadows wrapped around Evelyn's body, pinning her down. She struggled, but the darkness was relentless, seeping into her skin and draining her energy.
Evelyn clenched her teeth. She wanted to keep fighting. But her body wouldn't listen. She took a deep breath, then let out a sigh.
"I concede."
The moment she spoke, the darkness unraveled, releasing her. Victoria took a step back, crossing her arms.
"That makes it 259 to 258," Victoria said with a smirk. "I'm catching up."
Evelyn laughed weakly. "You're still one behind."
Evelyn stood up, brushing dust off her robes. "Next time, I won't hold back."
Victoria chuckled. "Neither will I."
"The best part of this duel is, this is not their peak; the reason they became heads of the academy at a young age is because of their battle prowess," Evelyn, second in command, spoke.
"True," Victoria, second in command, replied.