The battle at the center of the arena had become a titanic spectacle. Yuri, the Ice Monarch, and Akane, Princess of the Red House, were completely immersed in their deadly dance. The crystalline ice panels Yuri conjured reflected sunlight like mirrors, while Akane’s blazing flames made the surrounding air shimmer, creating a stunning visual contrast.

  Ren—no, Yuki sat in the stands, nervously wringing his hands. His sky-blue eyes were locked onto the arena, barely blinking, utterly absorbed in every detail of the clash.

  On the battlefield, Yuri moved her hand with surgical precision, and a storm of ice spikes erupted from the ground, forming a wall that surged toward Akane. Each shard looked sharp enough to slice through steel. But Akane, wearing a confident smile, swept her arm in a wide arc, summoning a swirling inferno that incinerated the incoming spikes before they could touch her. The flames danced around her like living serpents, forming a protective shield.

  Ren's reaction was instinctive. He leaned forward, lips parted in surprise. “That level of control and power... it doesn’t even seem human,” he murmured.

  Beside him, Saki kept her eyes on the fight. Usually composed, she now wore an expression of surprise. When Yuri gathered her energy into a translucent ice spear and hurled it like a lightning bolt at Akane, Saki let out a quiet gasp. “That’s insane... The ice is so dense it looks like pure crystal.”

  Akane didn’t hesitate. In one fluid motion, she conjured a massive flame shield shaped like a fan, deflecting the spear with a deafening boom. The ice weapon shattered into snow-like particles that rained down over the arena—! Though not before a secondary explosion sent cracks rippling across the ground.

  On the other side, Yurei puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms in frustration. “Ugh, this is so annoying! I wish I were down there. Do you really think they’re the only ones who can fight like that?” She pouted, though her eyes sparkled with thinly veiled admiration.

  Before Ren could answer, a sharp sound echoed through the arena. Yuri had frozen the ground beneath Akane, slowing her movements. Taking the chance, the Ice Monarch conjured a massive dome of ice, sealing Akane inside.

  The crowd held its breath... including Ren, who felt a chill crawl down his spine. But before anyone could believe the battle was over, a fiery roar erupted from within the dome. Akane burst out in a blaze of golden flames, vaporizing the ice in a wave of scorching steam.

  Saki covered her mouth with one hand, eyes wide with disbelief. “She broke through Yuri’s formation... in mere seconds?!”

  Yurei, on the other hand, was now standing, stomping her feet like a child. “I have to fight them one day! It’s so unfair they’re the only ones in the spotlight!”

  As the battle reached its peak, Ren watched in silence, heart pounding. He knew he was witnessing something extraordinary, a clash that would shape the future of the Reijō Academy’s two greatest powers. But more than that, a chill ran through him. If he ever had to face something like this... how would he survive?

  The intensity of the battle soared, leaving the crowd breathless. Every move Yuri and Akane made felt like a clash between gods, their impact shaking the arena. The ground trembled, ice spread in intricate patterns, and fire blazed uncontrollably, devouring everything in its path. The academy students screamed and cheered with each exchange, their voices merging into a roar that electrified the air.

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  Inside the administrative building, where the instructors watched the match on a massive Nexis crystal screen, shock filled the room. One of the teachers, stunned, dropped his coffee mug. The crash went unnoticed—overshadowed by the tension gripping the room.

  Kaede, the instructor of advanced tactics, lounged on a plush sofa, a provocative smile playing on her lips. With slow, deliberate grace, she crossed her legs, the gleam in her eyes betraying her interest. “Fascinating... They’re truly surpassing themselves today,” she murmured, her voice low and laced with charm. Her perfectly manicured nails glided along the rim of a wine glass beside her, though she didn’t take a sip. Her full attention remained on the screen.

  Back in the arena, Yuri launched a devastating attack: a serpentine blast of ice speeding toward Akane with relentless force. Akane responded with grand flair, summoning a flaming phoenix that tore through the air with an ear-piercing cry, colliding with the ice in a blinding explosion of heat and light. The impact created a shockwave that rattled the stands, forcing Yuki and many others to brace themselves.

  ??●○●??

  ....

  ....

  ....

  While chaos reigned in the arena and the crowd remained spellbound by the clash, far away, deep within the shadows, something else was stirring.

  A vague figure, cloaked in darkness, watched in silence. The Nexis energy that saturated the atmosphere seemed to swirl and dance around them, as if drawn to their presence. Despite the lack of light, a serpentine smile curled across their face.

  "The more you use it... the stronger it becomes" the figure whispered, voice laced with both fascination and danger. Their gloved hands clasped together in a motion that bordered on reverence.

  ??●○●??

  The arena shook beneath the pressure of the two warriors, as if even the air itself feared the magnitude of their power. Yuri Fayitsuki, surrounded by an icy aura that froze the ground beneath her feet, extended her arms. Her Nexis flared into a violent cyclone of frost spinning furiously around her.

  “[Crown of Eternal Winter]!” Yuri declared, her tone cold and composed. Above her, a massive crown of jagged ice crystals materialized. In mere seconds, temperatures plummeted, blanketing the arena in snow and rime. The sheer power in the technique was palpable—! Each shard of the crown floated like a deadly weapon, poised to tear through anything in its path.

  Across from her, Akane stood tall, her Nexis burning in deep crimson hues, like the molten core of a volcano. The ground beneath her feet began to melt into lava from the heat radiating off her body. She raised her arm, and a colossal spear of flame formed in her grasp.

  “[Crimson Spear]!” Akane roared. The weapon erupted in fire, unleashing waves of heat so intense that even Yuri’s ice began to hiss and crack. The sky turned blood-red, and the raw energy in the air was so overwhelming that even the audience—shielded by magical barriers—could feel its intensity.

  “Now!” both shouted simultaneously as they surged forward.

  Yuri unleashed her Crown of Eternal Winter, sending a barrage of ice shards in a howling blizzard. Each fragment sliced through the air like frozen razors, turning into a storm of unstoppable destruction.

  Akane hurled her Crimson Spear with all her might, the weapon bursting forward like a fiery meteor, roaring like a dragon in flight.

  Fire and ice collided at the heart of the arena.

  The resulting explosion was beyond human scale. A shockwave blasted outward, obliterating the arena floor. Protective barriers cracked and shuddered. A blinding light swallowed the arena, leaving the spectators shielding their eyes in disbelief.

  When the dust finally settled, Yuri was seen flying across the arena, slammed into the outer barriers by the sheer force of the blast. Her white hair was disheveled, but her steely gray eyes still burned with the unyielding determination of someone who refused to lose.

  Akane, meanwhile, stood her ground, her feet firmly planted as she reinforced the scorched earth beneath her with Nexis. Despite the exhaustion etched into her features, her confident smile remained intact.

  ....

  ....

  The announcer hesitated... but there was no doubt about the outcome:

  “Winner: Akane!”

  Yuri, still on the ground, slowly stood up without showing a hint of weakness. She cast one last glance toward Akane... cold, sharp, and calculating.

  “It was a good fight,” Akane said with a superior tone, turning her back. “But remember… I’m the president for a reason.”

  “...This isn’t the end.”

  Yuri looked down at the ground. In silence, she walked away—already plotting her next move. For someone like her, defeat was never final... just a pause on the road to victory.

  From above... Ren felt his chest tighten even more.