Practical Exam

The duel platform was an arena of anticipation as Darius and I faced each other, an unspoken acknowledgment of the challenge ahead. Darius, known for his mastery of earth and fire elements, and ranked Gold in body, stood confident, his stance a testament to his physical and magical training. I, on the other hand, cloaked in the affinity for dark magic that had grown within me, felt the pulsing power of the shadows beckoning for release, my mana rank of Iron belying the depth of my connection to the darker elements.

At the instructor's signal, the duel erupted into action. Darius initiated the confrontation with a powerful manipulation of the earth; the platform beneath us groaned as slabs of stone jutted out, aiming to entrap me within their grasp. I leaped back, the shadows at my command swirling around my feet, propelling me away from the immediate danger.

Not content with a single element, Darius seamlessly wove fire into his next assault, sending a wave of flames rolling across the ground towards me. The heat was intense, a living entity that sought to consume all in its path. I countered with a wave of darkness, a cool, smothering force that extinguished the flames upon contact, the steam rising around us like specters in the aftermath.

The audience watched, captivated as we traded spells, the air crackling with the energy of our exchange. I dove deeper into the well of my dark magic, summoning tendrils of shadow that snaked towards Darius, seeking to bind him and sap his strength. He countered with a burst of earth, the ground rising up to shield him, before launching a counterattack with a barrage of fiery projectiles.

The duel was not merely a test of strength but of strategy and will. Darius's combination of earth's steadfastness and fire's ferocity against my elusive and enigmatic dark magic created a ballet of destruction and defense. Each move was met with a counter, each spell a challenge to be overcome.

As the battle intensified, I sensed an opening. Darius, focused on maintaining his offensive, had left himself exposed to a direct attack. Seizing the opportunity, I gathered the shadows around me, concentrating them into a dense, dark sphere. With a thrust of my power, I sent the sphere hurtling towards Darius, its surface crackling with contained energy.

Darius, realizing the imminent threat too late, attempted to summon a barrier of earth to protect himself. But the sphere was too fast, too potent. It struck with the force of a storm, the impact sending shockwaves through the platform. The barrier shattered on impact, and Darius was thrown backward, the air knocked from his lungs as he landed outside the designated dueling area.

Silence fell over the room, broken only by the harsh breaths of our exertion. Darius pushed himself to his feet, a look of grudging respect in his eyes as he acknowledged his defeat. The instructor called the end of the match, and applause filled the air, a mixture of admiration and surprise at the outcome.

As I stepped down from the platform, the victory was bittersweet. Each spell cast, each move made, was a reminder of the path I had chosen—a path defined by darkness, by a power that set me apart from those around me. Yet, in the heat of battle, in the clarity of purpose that came with each duel, I found a measure of peace.

The practical exam had been a revelation, a testament to my growth and a declaration of my intentions. As the next duel commenced, I retreated into the shadows of the room, my thoughts turning inward to the journey ahead. The duel with Darius was but one of many battles to come, each a step closer to fulfilling the vow I had made—a vow forged in the memory of loss and sustained by the promise of vengeance.