Chapter 38: Quarters

The atmosphere in the academy's massive arena crackled with anticipation. The projections flickered, casting a luminous blue screen over the gathered crowd. The quarterfinal matchups appeared, making every spectator fall into a hushed silence. Whispers filled the stands, buzzing with speculation and excitement.

The names of the contestants were revealed one by one, each a mystery or a known contender. First, Jake vs. Xavier Livia, a matchup that had drawn little attention prior to this day, but one which held a hidden tension, Jake was a contender not many knew as much as these prodigies, he had an average outing thus far except for his combat round, where swept his opponents with only fists.

Next, Boliver Tristuk vs. Zinni Silvus, a clash of mages, though Zinni's reputation overshadowed her opponent's quiet demeanor, Boliver looked like a scholar with those specs on and holding something similar to a Wand.

The third match was the one everyone was most eager to see, Ray vs. Lily Dragonborne. The fight between two of the top contenders this year. Lily smirked seeing the matchup as looked like a child just given a candy, whereas Ray just sighed.

The final match was Clea Borris vs. Katherine Livia, an intriguing battle between a Spirit summoner and a Weapon Master.

Ray's eyes briefly lingered on the matchups. He was interested in each of them, but his attention gravitated toward Boliver Tristuk. The boy, covered entirely by a loose cloth robe, held what appeared to be a simple staff, but there was something unsettling about him. Through his Eyes of Limbo, Ray detected an odd energy around him, something reminiscent of spirit energy, but not quite the same protruding from his back.

"Luna," Ray asked quietly, the concern in his voice barely perceptible,

"What is that?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Luna replied, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"It's not mana, nor primal energy. Something feels... off. Be cautious around him."

Ray didn't dwell on it long. There were other things at play, and he'd learned over the years that some mysteries were best left to unravel in their own time. As the arena settled into an expectant silence, the announcement came that the tournament would proceed without restraint. Sullivan, standing tall at the center of the arena, addressed the crowd with his commanding voice.

"There is no need to hold back any longer. We've taken all precautions. The entire arena is shielded by Ms. Grande's barriers, and we have a healer present, my friend, a specialist who's dedicated her life to restoring what is broken. So fight to your heart's content. Show us your true potential."

Ray's eyes narrowed as Sullivan's gaze flicked toward him briefly, a knowing look passing between them. Ray couldn't help but feel the weight of the Headmaster's words. It was clear that Sullivan was watching him closely, perhaps hoping for something from him to make him entertained, "this crazy old man", thought Ray and seated himself.

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The first match began almost immediately. Jake, with a quiet demeanor, stood across from Xavier Livia, a prodigy known for his mastery of wind spirit arts and his battle-hardened resolve. Jake, who had favored a dagger up until now, wielded a strange weapon for this match. Its shaft long and slender with blades at both ends, gleamed under the arena's light. Its presence intrigued even the most experienced observers.

Even Dravis Dragonborne, rarely one to show curiosity, looked at the weapon with an unspoken interest.

Ray whispered to Luna,

"What is that weapon?"

"That's called a Naginata," Luna replied, her voice tinged with surprise. "It's a weapon that's been lost to history. It's not commonly seen in this era."

Xavier, facing Jake, looked momentarily puzzled but regained his composure. He drew his sword, an elegant weapon infused with wind energy, its edge humming softly. Both competitors stood poised, eager to end the match quickly.

Xavier raised his hand and chanted softly, calling forth a hailstorm that filled the arena with snow and fierce wind. Visibility became nearly impossible, but Xavier, shielded by his wind aura, navigated the storm with ease. He moved swiftly, heading straight for Jake, who stood eerily still as if frozen in time.

Jake's body suddenly surged with energy as he started chanting something inaudibly, the enrgy covering the weapon and him, had an eerie feel to it.

Ray could feel the pulse of grey energy that rippled through the air. His senses tingled.

Xavier attacked Jake. He imbued his sword with all his primal energy and infused it with snow, freezing Jake's body in place slowly. As the wind howled around him, Xavier's blade became sharper, coated with the edge of ice and wind. He swung, unleashing his attack with a shout:

"Fusion Spirits Arts: Snow Wind!"

But when the attack landed, the arena seemed to return to normal, snow melting, wind calming. The crowd gasped, for in that moment, Xavier's sword was shattered, broken in half as Jake, still in his trance-like state, had countered with a single, simple slash.

His grey energy had cut through Xavier's sword like a hot knife through butter, and in one fluid motion, Jake's Naginata was pointed directly at Xavier's neck.

The crowd was silent. No one could comprehend what had just transpired. Even Sullivan stood up, his face a mask of disbelief. Ray's heart raced. He had witnessed the entire exchange, and though he understood what had happened, there was something deeply unsettling about Jake's energy. It was as if the laws of nature had bent under his will.

"Winner, Jake," Myra announced, her voice tinged with awe.

Jake bowed respectfully to the crowd, and Xavier, his head hung low, walked off the stage, his expression unreadable. As he passed his sister Katherine Livia, she cast him a worried glance, but said nothing, choosing to simply let him pass in silence.

The second match began shortly after, the stage being quickly reconstructed for the next battle. Zinni Silvus took her position, fiery determination in her eyes as she faced Boliver Tristuk, who stood across from her, his face impassive. The whistle blew, and both mages were ready to show their power.

Zinni, known for her skill with elemental magic, summoned a fireball of incredible size, compressing it into a molten sphere of magma.

She then created a series of earth walls around Boliver, blocking his line of sight and trapping him. With a sharp cry, Zinni threw the fireball, sending it barreling through the air, hoping to catch Boliver off guard.

But to her shock, the fireball passed through the walls and hit something, a barrier, that absorbed the blast without so much as a flicker. Boliver had cast a wind and water-based barrier that neutralized her attack, both elements swirling in unison.

Boliver's expression remained indifferent as he continued to calculate his next move. He began to chant in an unknown language, summoning a ball of purple energy that crackled with an unsettling, poisonous-looking aura.

Condensing the energy, he transformed it into a form resembling a sword and used his buff magic to enhance his speed and agility. Zinni countered the attack with a tier 3 spell, wind blade, but Boliver easily deflected it, creating another ball of energy in his opposite hand. He hurled it at her, and Zinni, thinking quickly, formed her barrier which was unique magic she inherited from her mother to protect herself, it was also irritating to see someone use similar magic she had thought only she had.

The crowd was intrigued, murmuring about the strange, almost toxic nature of the energy Boliver wielded. Even Sullivan, who had seen nearly every magic and phenomenon in his years of mage journey, could not identify the element that Boliver used. Grande, seated among the VIPs, watched with rapt attention, seeing the barrier the boy used, which had many magical applications and implications, required a lot of calculations, her sharp eyes never leaving the boy.

Boliver's counterattacks were relentless, and Zinni found herself pushed to her limit. She summoned every element at her disposal, fire, water, earth, and wind, attacking with fury. She even used a Tier 4 spell, one that needed mana more than what a battle mage can utilize, the highest-ranked incantations in that tier, but still, Boliver managed to counter it somehow, the rock shard making a cut in his face.

Boliver had a 360-degree change in his facial expression, as he started mumbling in a low voice when something sinister began to unfold.