The arena fell silent as Sera stepped into the circular platform, her boots landing softly against the rune-etched stone. Wind spiraled around her instinctively, caressing her skin like a protective veil. Across from her, Xander stood still — a blade of light at his side, casting no shadow.
"Begin!" came the amplified voice of the referee mage.
A burst of wind erupted from Sera the moment the words left the air. She launched forward like a blur, riding a current she conjured, and unleashed a slicing arc of compressed air at her opponent.
Xander moved — not with haste, but precision. His blade rose with divine clarity and cleaved the wind in half like paper.
He didn't counter. Not yet. He was studying her.
Sera gritted her teeth and spun midair, flipping backward and launching wind lances toward him in a fan-like pattern. One after another, they crashed down—each more focused than the last.
One moment he was standing, the next he was at her flank, light exploding in an arc. Sera barely raised her arms in time, creating a barrier of dense air that shattered upon impact. The force hurled her across the arena.
She flipped, landed on her feet, skidding backward.
The crowd gasped. Even the other competitors leaned forward.
"He's not just strong," Zane thought. "He's refined."
Sera growled and stomped down, the arena beneath her crackling as a cyclone gathered. The wind screamed around her as she rose into the air, channeling a storm in her palms.
A condensed spear of wind formed at her fingertips. She hurled it with all her strength. The air fractured from the sheer force.
Instead, he pointed his blade forward and whispered something.
A radiant wall of light erupted, catching the wind spear mid-flight.
The impact caused a blinding explosion — light and wind clashing violently, forming a tornado of golden mist that consumed the arena.
When the light faded, Sera stood in the center, panting.
But then her eyes widened.
Xander was behind her.
His blade glowed white-hot.
A clean, precise blow — not fatal, but punishing. Sera was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing against the barrier at the edge of the arena. The shield shimmered from the impact.
Zane stood up instantly. "Sera!"
The wind around the battlefield died. Sera coughed violently, blood on her lips. She tried to rise — her leg gave out.
"Match over," said the referee, his voice low. "Victory: Xander Dawnblade."
Gasps. Applause. Conflicted murmurs.
But Zane didn't hear any of it. He was already at her side.
Sera looked up, barely conscious. "Zane... I'm sorry. I couldn't..."
"Don't talk," he said, gently lifting her.
Xander stood across the arena, his expression calm. Unapologetic. Almost... distant.
Then he turned to the instructors' platform and spoke without hesitation.
"I want to fight him, He must pay."