Chapter 20: Showcase part 1

Nia and Yatia got out of their carriage and walked towards the center. It was surrounded by a crowd containing new students shouting while pointing towards a spot.

Nia and Yatia made their way through the crowd and peeked through it. They saw a circle in the middle made out of rocks. Two young men were standing opposite each other.

The air around the two boys crackled with tension as one spoke with bitter malice. His words cut like a knife through the stillness of the night. The other boy, Amari, stood before him with a stoic expression, his jaw clenched tightly as he listened to the venomous tirade.

As the first boy continued to spew his hateful words, a look of defiance flickered across Amari's face. He straightened his spine and raised his chin, refusing to back down in the face of such aggression.

"Damn you, Amari!" the first boy spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "I told you that you're better off staying away from me. You and your senseless pride of your fallen family. The Tatiki family is far from what it used to be. The fact that you still cling to that little bit of relevancy from thirty years ago just angers me."

Amari's eyes narrowed at the mention of his family, and he gritted his teeth in anger. He knew all too well the hardships that his family had faced in the past, and he refused to let anyone belittle their legacy.

But before he could respond, the first boy raised his hand, and small sparks of fire began to appear, coalescing into a blazing ball of flame in the palm of his hand. The sight of the fireball was both mesmerizing and terrifying, and Amari took a step back, his eyes widening in shock.

The tension in the air between Amari and Kamauri was palpable as Amari confronted Kamauri about the disrespectful act of vandalizing his carriage. The two boys stood facing each other, their eyes locked in a fierce stare-down, each daring the other to make a move.

"You dare disrespect me and my background the very moment that we arrive here," Amari seethed, his voice laced with anger. "I will show you what happens if you vandalize a carriage that isn't yours, just because of some stupid family feud from twenty years ago."

Kamauri sneered in response, his eyes flashing with a mix of amusement and contempt. Without a word, he flung his hand forward, and the fireball in his palm split into five smaller ones, each of them hurtling towards Amari with increasing speed.

Amari's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the fiery projectiles approach him. He knew that he had to act fast if he wanted to avoid getting hit. With a quick movement of his hands, he summoned a few bits of blue energy that coalesced into a protective shield around him, just in time to intercept the fiery bullets.

The energy shield crackled with blue light as the fiery projectiles slammed into it, sending sparks flying in all directions. Amari gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed in concentration, as he struggled to maintain the shield against the onslaught of Kamauri's attack.

Despite the heat and pressure of the flames, Amari held firm, determined not to let Kamauri get the best of him.

Kamauri's laughter echoed through the air, mocking Amari's supposed lack of ability to control anything other than shapeless arcaneum energy. He summoned three bolts of fire around him, his confidence growing with each passing moment. "That's hilarious," he jeered. Before he could finish his sentence, three blue beams of energy shot towards him, interrupting him mid-sentence.

Kamauri was quick to react, summoning his bolts to interrupt the beams that Amari had shot at him. The two sets of energy collided in the air, sending sparks flying in all directions. Kamauri smirked, feeling a surge of satisfaction as he gained the upper hand.

"So, the Tatiki family doesn't have any manners left either," Kamauri taunted as he conjured two sparkling red cores that began to transform into two large red beams. Without hesitation, he directed the beams at Amari, watching with glee as they streaked through the air towards his opponent.

Amari's eyes widened in alarm as he saw the beams hurtling towards him. He knew that he had to act fast if he wanted to avoid getting hit. With a quick motion of his hand, he summoned a powerful gust of blue energy that sent the beams spiraling off course, narrowly missing him.

The gust dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared, by the hands of the fiery beams that Kamauri sent at him, leaving Amari panting and gasping for air. He glared at Kamauri, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination. "You may have the upper hand for now, but don't get too comfortable," he growled. "The Tatiki family may have fallen, but we're not out of the game yet."