Magicae Festival - 6

The match finally ended before the fight between Zenith and Vargas occurred and just in the nick of time.

The one who ended up eliminating the last team was Eve's team.

There were plenty of great fights for the match. Surprisingly, even with the sneak attack done by Shirley, Erlaia's team managed to survive and advance to the last stage.

Though only 5 teams advanced, the last person who was selected to continue the match despite losing was Jade. She lost against the president of the student council's team at the very start of the round, with her crystal shattering after trying to escape the president's attack. However, due to her leadership and quick-witted decision making, the professors and judges deemed her worthy of continuing the competition and advanced her to the next round.

With that, the last 16 contestants are confirmed for the final event.

All of Cedrick Jenkins's students were in the finals. The student council members were part of the finals as well, and lastly, Jade who was inserted in due to her efforts.

Among the teaching faculty, talks of Cedrick Jenkins's students were spread around like wild fire.

Professor Edmund was especially excited even though he was the one who issued the punishment for Red. He was confident in all honesty that Red was able to succeed. Though one thing is certain, nothing is set in stone yet. The condition was still 5 students in the top 10 position. Anything could happen at this rate.

Eventually, the news about Cedrick Jenkins's punishment was spread, yet the majority of the people were rooting for the outside teacher.

Even some of the reporters who managed to get in started interviewing the audience on their thoughts on Cedrick Jenkins and his students.

There were a lot of mixed reviews, especially with the noble family, due to his violent act inflicted on a man with a noble status but everyone ignored it when they found out eventually what caused the incident to even start in the first place.

Ironically, the person, who is the talk of the town, was nowhere to be seen this entire time.

The only clues the audience had to how he looked like was that he was wearing a mask.

Thus came details for the final event.

Headmaster Adhira stood up from his seat and made his way to the podium to start his speech again. But none of the audience or the audience were listening.

Everyone was more concerned with something else. The match-up result was the only thing stopping the audience from leaving their seats. Even the headmaster was excited because of his grandson's sudden development.

"Alright, enough of my blabbering. Here is the match-up for the next event."

Waving his wand in the air, a wizard's hat appeared in the middle of nowhere, landing on the headmaster's hand.

"Contestants. Inside here lies 16 different balls that have a number label from 1 to 8 in it. Contestants, please come and take a number from me."

One by one, the contestants started making their way to the Headmaster, placing their hands in the hat. Within the hat were small little balls with a number label on it.

Headmaster Adhira even gave Desmond a small little smile when it was his turn.

The results were out.

**

The first 4 rounds were announced first.

Round 1: Desmond vs. Eralia

Round 2: Zenith vs. Vargas

Round 3: Eve vs. Grace

Round 4: Shirley vs. Riri

**

As the results were revealed, another surprise was revealed again.

"Contestants for round 1, get ready. You have 1 hour of rest before you start your match."

That statement shocked everyone, even the contestants themselves. Everyone thought that the event of the day was done. The contestants themselves thought that they had a little break before continuing.

Desmond and Eralia both nod their head and return to their resting rooms while the rest of the contestants are seated with the audience to observe the match.

In exactly 1 hour later, the 2 mages returned to the main stage, igniting the start of the final event.

Desmond stood on the left side of the main stage while Eralia stood opposite of him.

The MC stood in the middle of the stage, starting his job of hyping the audience.

"Ladies and Gentl___"

Before he could finish his sentence, something flew right past him, scrapping through his hair as he ducked at the very last minute.

Whatever was launched landed on Desmond, throwing him a few feet up before landing on the ground.

"Let's get this over with. I want to wash my hair." Eralia taunted while brushing the dust off her uniform.

Desmond got up immediately and did something peculiar.

His left arm was held forward while his right hand was held near his head. He lifted his left leg up while his right leg was supporting his body weight from the back.

This was no mere magic duel stance. It almost seemed like something a martial artist would do.

Though the society of this world is mainly governed with the use of magic, there are those that exist without magic here. These people would be labeled as Non Magus. There are many who, in order to defend themselves against the mages, they have learned martial art.

Martial Art in Mundi Magicae is typically frown upon as the arts of the Non Magus, since Non Magus are often thought as inferior beings.

But because of how powerful magics are, no amount of martial art could typically stand against mages.

Though there are exceptions group of mages that do combine martial art and magic together. They are seen to be exceptionally strong due to having the knowledge and mental capacities to match with a mage while having the physical capabilities to beat the mages.

The martial art in question could only be learned when joining the Royal knight, meaning no other mages can learn it other than the royal knight's themselves.

So, to have a student showing signs of specific martial art even though he was not part of the royal knight is a distasteful sight to the nobles. However, this was a competition, so no politics can be involved.

Furthermore, it was something new to the audience, so no one bated an eye.

Although Jade, who saw the stance Desmond took, was alarmed. The stance Desmond took was a very distinct martial with a unique stance where the practitioner covered their head with their arm and had their knees protruding out, ready to strike at any moment.

It was Muay Thai.

The smoke clears as something shiny reveals itself from within it. It was a pair of gauntlets and greaves.

The crowds were pretty captivated by the sight of Desmond's armor, even though for him, they were his weapons.

"Let's see how long those armor could keep you protected."

Without betting an eye, a barrage of spells were cast at a frightening speed to a Non-magician. It would look like a machine gun.

Different sorts of elements were blasted in Desmond's direction. It was as if she was treating him like a training dummy that it was hard to look at.

Irene watched nervously while holding on to Gerald's shirt as support.

Everyone thought it was a one-sided massacre from the vice-president. However, the caster herself knew for a certain that none of her spells landed.

**

[Eralia's POV]

In 2 seconds, I à 4 different spells.

In 5 seconds, 5 spells would be completed along with 3 different spells charging and holding that the end.

In 10 seconds, all spells would unleash like it was raining down on earth.

Yet...Why?

Why couldn't I feel anything from any of my spells. It was as if they were hitting against the ground. Something was definitely not right.

Immediately after the barrage of spells, I took a huge step back to have a longer distance between us and cast a magic barrier in the distance.

Those greaves and gauntlets looked like it was meant for close combat, so going far was the right option... was what I thought until a ray of lightning beam was blasted towards me, shattering my barrier to bits.

"What the?"

Appear from the smoke and dust was Desmond, still in his stance, making his way toward me.

He kneeled down and started chanting something with a magic circle appearing below him, covering his entire body.

It was a magic buff! I can't let him finish the incantation.

Immediately, I ran towards him and pointed my wand towards him.

"[Molten Wave]"

Earth rises from the ground, just to burnt down and melted by fiery flames that form a wave of lava, engulfing and burning everything in sight.

The target will receive burns and extreme searing pain meant for melting everything in its path.

Magic Requirement: 4th Magic Circle

Mana Consumption: High

Hopefully, this spell can stop him, and I could blast him away.

As the lava started gushing and flowing towards Desmond in a tidal wave form.

He suddenly disappeared.

"Wher___"

Then I look up.

There he was, in mid-air right above my barrier, with traces of blue lightning found around his body.

Wrapping the lightning around his leg, it seems as if his greaves were charging the lightning from within it.

"Reflec___"

Before I could finish my incantation, his leg struck my barrier, instantly breaking it.

That attack sent me flying a great distance. However, I was able to avoid getting hurt from the ground using the wind spell [Graceful Gale].

There, Desmond Adhira appears again, this time with lightning charged in both his gauntlets and greaves.

With no other choice, I threw the strongest spell I knew and added [Magic Shield] along with [Magic Barrier] to soften the blow.

[Firestorm]

A wave of fire started spinning rapidly, forming a tornado of fire burning everything in a spiral position and decimating it into ashes. On top of that, using oxygen as the fuel for the flames to burn, the fire sucks out all the air, making it impossible for anyone to breathe.

That was my last ditch effort to take Adhira down with me.

Then, a loud explosion occurred, and everything went black.

The last thing I heard was:

Match over.