A Dire Situation

Corvin smirked as he approached Kael, his eyes filled with malicious glee. "Looks like it's just you and us, Kael. Good luck, you will need it."

Kael steeled himself, preparing for the imminent attack. Corvin, Rafe, and Drystan strategically positioned themselves around Kael, forming a triangle that trapped him within the arena. Their eyes locked on Kael, they simultaneously launched their attacks, effectively sealing off any escape routes.

Rafe concentrated, summoning a swirling mass of water from his palms, which then coalesced into multiple high-speed projectiles. With unerring accuracy, the Aqua Bursts streaked towards Kael's legs, spraying droplets of water as they cut through the air. Kael felt the icy chill of the water as the projectiles slammed into the ground around him, threatening to encase his legs in icy water and hinder his movement.

"Look at the little mouse running away, isn't there anything else you can do beside running?" Rafe taunted, exacting his sweet revenge after losing to Kael on a 1v1 duel before.

Drystan, his face contorted with effort, hurled a barrage of Fireballs at Kael's upper body. Each fireball blazed through the air like miniature suns, leaving trails of smoke in their wake. Kael could feel the intense heat radiating from the fireballs as they narrowly missed him, singing the fabric of his clothes and causing beads of sweat to form on his brow.

Corvin, a wicked grin etched across his face, raised his hands skyward, summoning the raw power of lightning. The air around him crackled with energy as he directed a few Thunderbolts towards Kael. The lightning bolts, jagged and deadly, illuminated the battlefield with their brilliant, electric blue light, striking the ground dangerously close to Kael as he escaped on the last second with the help of Shadow Step, leaving scorched earth in their wake.

Kael's heart raced as he tried to evade the relentless onslaught of attacks from all sides. His senses were overwhelmed by the cacophony of thunder, the hiss of evaporating water, and the roar of fire. His breath came in ragged gasps as he narrowly avoided each incoming attack, his muscles burning from the continuous exertion.

"What happened to our hero, Kael the Great?" Corvin taunted, reveling in his apparent victory. "Is running away all you can do?"

Kael quickly found himself at a disadvantage, struggling to counter their coordinated combination attacks. He managed to deflect the Fireballs with his newly learned skill Shadow Bolt, but the relentless barrage of fireballs and lightning left him with little opportunity to counterattack.

"You're better than I expected, Kael, but… is it enough?" Corvin taunted, as he launched a powerful lightning bolt in Kael's direction. "Let's see how long you can keep this up!"

Kael felt his mana reserves depleting with each evasive maneuver and counterattack. As the minutes ticked by, it became increasingly apparent that he couldn't keep up the fight for much longer.

Despite his best efforts, Kael's movements gradually slowed, and the combination attacks from Corvin, Rafe, and Drystan began to land with increasing frequency. The pain from their spells was taking its toll, and Kael's mana was nearly depleted.

As Corvin prepared to launch the final blow for Kael, he sneered, "Looks like you've finally run out of tricks, time to take a nice sleep Kael!"

Instructor Thorne's eyes widened as he saw Corvin prepare to launch another devastating lightning bolt at the exhausted Kael. Reacting quickly, he shouted, "Stop the match immediately, Corvin!"

The urgency in the instructor's voice cut through the din of battle, causing the spectators to fall silent. But Corvin, the malicious grin never leaving his face, chose to ignore Thorne's command. Instead, he shouted, "Thunderbolt!" as he unleashed his ultimate skill with even greater power than before, the air around it crackling as the projectile made its way towards Kael.

Kael, sensing the impending danger, drew upon the last of his mana reserves trying to execute Shadow Step, hoping to evade the powerful attack. But his injuries and exhaustion hindered his movement, and he failed to move out of the way in time.

The "Thunderbolt" struck Kael point-blank, a brilliant flash of light momentarily blinding everyone in the arena. Kael's body convulsed as the lightning coursed through him, the crackling energy leaving a trail of burnt flesh and scorched fabric. Finally, Kael crumpled to the ground, unconscious, the lingering electricity around him dissipating into the air.

A heavy silence settled over the arena as the students stared in shock at the scene before them. The atmosphere was thick with tension and disbelief as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Then, Instructor Thorne's voice boomed, cutting through the silence like a knife as he furiously scolded Corvin. "What the hell were you thinking, Corvin?! I ordered you to stop the match!"

Unapologetic, Corvin shrugged nonchalantly, his tone dripping with sarcasm as his eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction. "Oops, my hands slipped..."

The other students exchanged disgusted glances, their eyes filled with disdain for Corvin's heartless display. Whispers of outrage and disbelief filled the air as they discussed the gruesome event they had just witnessed.

Corvin and his gang, Rafe and Drystan, exchanged smug grins, seemingly unfazed by the backlash from their fellow students. As they swaggered out of the arena, their laughter echoed throughout the training grounds, a harsh reminder of the cruelty and callousness that could be found even among young mages.

The other students exchanged disgusted glances, their eyes filled with disdain for Corvin's cruel display. Elara and Rowan, in particular, clenched their fists in anger, their hearts aching for their fallen friend who they knew had been targeted on purpose.

Instructor Thorne rushed to Kael's side, his face etched with concern. "Kael, hang in there! We'll get you fixed up!" He called over his shoulder to the nearby students, his voice urgent, "Bring a stretcher and healing supplies, now!"

As the students scrambled to gather the necessary items, Instructor Thorne shot Corvin a disapproving glare, clearly disgusted by his actions. Realizing that Kael's injuries were severe and time was of the essence, Thorne decided not to wait for the stretcher.

With great care, he scooped Kael into his arms and began to make his way towards the infirmary, his pace quick and determined. The crowd of students parted to make way, their murmurs filling the air as they whispered in shock, pity, and outrage at what had transpired.