1 Challenger

"Let the match commence!"

When Violet's voice fades away, Jurga shifts his broad shoulders and muscular limbs into a wide stance. Positioned across from Azel's thin frame, one might mistaken him for a mountain.

Jurga doesn't attack right away. Instead he mocks: "I don't get why you are wasting everyone's time with this pointless challenge, but I'll make you regret it."

Azel is unresponsive to his threat. His eyes are even closed, as if Jurga doesn't exist.

Jurga grits his teeth.

"If you're counting on luck to beat me and take my spot, dream on!"

Jurga chants: "From my hand comes forth a fiery wrath that will scorch all in its path."

A raging ball of fire gathers at Jurga's palm, growing larger and larger at an alarming pace. The arena is bathed in an orange glow where the air shimmers and distorts to the fearsome heat.

Jurga roars: "FIRE BLAST!"

The instant the spell begins to leave his hand, Azel's eyes snap open upon which he charges straight towards Jurga.

"Is he crazy?"

Violet prepares to save Azel. There is just too much inertia behind his reckless charge to dodge, nor does he have enough time to perform any sort of incantation.

"What's this...?"

She barely notices the vine shooting out of the ground. It wraps around Jurga's leg and gives it a yank.

Jurga finds himself suddenly thrown off balance. He tumbles sideways, resulting in the fireball being shot off course.

BOOM!

It soars past Azel harmlessly, exploding on the one-way barrier a distance behind him.

Jurga is still trying to process what had happened, but Azel is already in front of him. Jurga snaps out of his shock. He attempts to twist and stabilize his footing so he can punch Azel, but a small pouch is thrown at him.

"Shit."

Azel whispers: "Ten thousand grains obscuring senses, dust cloud."

"ARGH."

The bag erupts into a flurry of sand that invades Jurga's face. It gets into his eyes, ears, and nose. Suddenly he can't breathe. His chest feels tight. His vision and hearing fades away, plunging his world into a complete and utter darkness that makes him feel so naked and vulnerable.

When he tries to sense something, anything at all, only his panicked heartbeats greet him.

He desperately throws his hands up to protect his face and tenses his body into a curl, anticipating a fatal follow through. Despite mustering up some defense, he completely fails to predict Azel's next angle of attack.

Azel whistles sharply. From the sky an eagle swoops down, its powerful talons carry a rock which it releases directly over Jurga.

The rock streaks through the air, gathering more and more speed.

SWOOSH!

At the last second before impact, a wind blade cuts the rock into two halves which scatter to the side.

"That's enough."

Violet stands up after casting the spell. There is a strange expression on her face as she declares

"Azel wins!"

Hearing those words, Azel collapses onto the ground from exhaustion. The spectators erupt into discussion.

"No way! Isn't that the famous class skipper who is last on every ranking. How the heck did he beat Jurga?"

Another person theorizes "I feel like that Azel guy only won because Jurga was too talkative and arrogant."

The person beside him complains, "Even so, I don't understand how Jurga tripped. Azel didn't even perform any incantations at the beginning."

Two healers rush onto the stage to attend the contestants, but Lynn is even faster. She springs down from the stands to Azel's side.

"Hurry up!"

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Azel open his eyes to the ceiling of the infirmary.

"I guess I have a long way to go."

He tries to sit up, but is surprised to feel something pressing on his legs.

"Yawwwwn."

Lynn rubs her eyes having her nap disturbed. A brilliant smile spreads across her face seeing Azel awake. She leans towards Azel and gives him a flick.

"You sure know how to give a girl a fright! First challenging Jurga for his spot, then collapsing from exhausting your mana, you seriously need to reflect on your recklessness!"

All Azel can reflect on is her beauty.

Through the round window the morning light bathes her face and highlights all of her enchanting features. From her long slender brows that are bent in annoyance, to her soft red lips mushed together in a pout. Yet nothing can compare to her warm brown eyes, glittering with emotions. A light breeze blows through the room, causing her long bangs to gently flutter, playing with his heart.

"Hey why are you so spaced out?"

Renzo gulps when he lower his vision and spots Lynn's deep cleavage. She has adorned one of the nurse outfits that perfectly wraps around her curvaceous figure. Combined with the healing herbs that invigorates his blood and vitality his little brother can't help but grow exicted.

Renzo shuffles nervously on the bed as he starts to plan a way to retreat before she sees the embarrassing sight.

"Is he still injured somewhere"? Mina pondered at Renzo's stillness.

To investigate, she leans closer to Renzo to feel his forehead. But halfway through her motion she feels something hard poking at her stomach.

Renzo swears under his breath and wishes for a monster to just gobble him up.

Mina on the other hand widens her eyes at the tall tent that has formed under the sheet.

Her face flushes into a deep red shade.

"I...I hope that you are better now. I'll talk to you later!"

She quickly flees the room.