Chapter 51: Staff
After Elowen’s overwhelming victory, Elizabeth also won her match quite easily. Now, only two candidates remained.
One who wore a confident smirk on her beautiful face, as she walked on the stage calmly with a grace and elegance that bordered on natural.
Her long reddish orange hair glinted in sunlight looking like fierce flames of fire while the end of her locks were like frost given life.
Her eyes were sharp, with a sense of anticipation building within them.
While the other one, was a mysterious enigma wrapped in a black robe with a sword hanging on his side. Even without seeing his face, Lunive could instantly tell he was not an ordinary guy.
’Oh, this is gonna be fun.’ She thought excitedly.
’Guess, it will be a good fight.’ Calix thought a slight smile blooming on his face.
For a moment, both of them looked at each other.
One was fire while the other was thunder.
When both of them will meet, the collisions will be astounding.
"Begin." The referee’s hand came down, as he instantly backed from the fighters.
Flare... Spark...
Not even a second passed, as both of the individuals moved with rapid speed. Lunive flicked her wrist forward, as multiple orbs of searing flames materialised and shot towards Calix.
Calix obviously didn’t stand still, amethyst flickered around him in chaotic and wild sparks, as he nimbly dodged the orbs with meticulous precision.
Dodging through them, he could feel extreme heat packed in those small orbs. The orbs hit the white stone of the arena leaving only charred marks and the crisply blackened stone.
While dodging he simultaneously dashed forward straight towards Lunive, closing the distance between them. Lunive didn’t flinch.
Just as Calix was about to close the distance between them, she swiftly raised her open palm into the air and then clenched it.
Step
A pillar of rabid and scorching flame burst out just when Calix took another step towards her, however Calix had already reacted.
With a light jump, he backed away from the blistering pillar of fire. Then, with a snap of his fingers, orbs of fierce lightning gathered around him, as they shot towards Lunive.
Lunive eyes narrowed, sensing the immense amount of lightning trapped in those seemingly small glittering orbs.
Immediately, she raised her hand around her spikes of pure flames materialised spinning with such insane rate that made the air around them red.
With a small wave the spikes and orbs met.
Boooommmm
As if someone had fired a cannon with extreme fire power the explosion that resounded was deafening.
Dust and black smoke covered the ring, with lingering sparks of lightning and flares of flame.
It carried such heat and static that the audience sitting in the arena could feel their hair standing on their own as goosebumps ran through them.
Calix didn’t wait, with tremendous mana coursing through his veins, he moved like a deadly phantom through the smoke and dust...direct towards Lunive.
’Tsk, I can’t see clearly.’ She clicked her tongue. With thick smoke covering everything around her, her visibility was reduced to little.
However, this wasn’t much of a problem for Calix, though not much like night vision Calix’s tricolour eyes were able to pierce through the smoke making him able to attack.
He closed in on her with unbridled speed, however just as he was about to attack her. His instincts flared like blaring bells.
Beneath him, a pillar of scorching flame rose as he saw the slight smirk on Lunive’s face.
He realised...it was a trap. Her not being able to do anything in the smoke was a strategy to lure him. Yet...he was calm.
Amethyst lightning flashed clearing away the smoke with a blast of static, as he barely dodged the pillar, jumping in the air.
Then instantly around him four three metre long spears of purple lightning sparked as they immediately went straight for Lunive in response.
Seeing this, Lunive waved her hand. With the wave, a wall of fire erupted from the ground swallowing the spears whole. The lightning spears were instantly devoured by fire.
However, just then Lunive’s instincts flared. She turned, her eyes widening slightly.
Calix was there behind her, like he had teleported from the front. Because of the fire wall blocking her view she couldn’t properly watch his movements leading to this mistake.
Lightning wrapped around Calix’s hand as he clenched his fist and punched straight towards her.
Even though she was a mage, it doesn’t mean she was unable to fight in close combat. No, she had been educated in the art of close combat from a small age.
Of course...that doesn’t mean she had perfected it.
She ducked dodging the punch wrapped in lightning, as strands of her red hair hovered in the air charged from the static.
However, just then Calix turned with a light spin of his ankle, he launched a kick towards her. Lunive’s eyes widened momentarily before instincts kicked in.
She raised her arms in front defending whatever she could in that small moment.
Then, the kick landed.
Boom.
Lightning exploded from the impact.
Lunive slid several meters across the arena floor, the white stone cracking beneath her boots as she struggled to keep her balance.
Heat still radiated from the earlier flames, mixing with the sharp sting of electricity.
Her arms trembled slightly from the force.
But she didn’t fall.
Calix landed lightly, the lightning around his body flickering like restless snakes.
"You’re strong," Lunive admitted, lowering her guard slowly.
Calix tilted his head beneath the hood. "You too."
For a brief moment neither moved. Then Lunive’s smirk returned.
"Let’s raise the temperature a little now, shall we?."
She lifted her hand.
It appeared as if summoned from thin air, forming piece by piece from swirling mana. The staff was slender yet elegant, its shaft forged from dark crimson wood etched with powerful runic lines that glowed faintly.
At the top rested a crystal the color of burning amber, flames dancing lazily within it as if the gem itself had a heartbeat.
The moment Lunive grabbed it, the heat in the arena rose instantly.
Calix noticed it.
Ah... so she’s serious now.