As Bel swung her sword with both hands, another dark blue Great Serpent emerged from it. It was almost identical to the one Arke had conjured, except for the color—his serpent represented poison, while hers was the Great Water Serpent!
Two roars echoed throughout the venue, so powerful that the One-Layer Inscription Array Barrier surrounding the stage began to vibrate.
The attacks collided, summoning chaotic winds and a dust cloud that obscured the view for much of the audience. But the battle wasn't over yet. Sparks flew within the cloud, dispersing the dust and revealing Bel and Arke locked in combat, the projections of the serpents behind them intensifying the standoff.
The two combatants moved so swiftly across the football-field-sized platform that it seemed too small for them, each covering the distance in just a few steps. The barrier continued to shudder every time Bel's wooden sword collided with Arke's smoke-covered fist.