The atmosphere inside the stadium had reached an entirely different level.
The earlier matches had been spectacular. Battles between the strongest participants from both academies had already pushed the audience's excitement to its peak. Yet despite everything they had witnessed so far, everyone understood that those fights had merely been leading toward this moment.
The true climax of the Nine Academy Tournament.
Throughout the massive stadium, hundreds of thousands of spectators watched with undisguised anticipation. The noise that had dominated the arena moments ago gradually faded as more and more eyes focused on the stage.
Even the VIP section was no exception.
Nobles, influential officials, academy representatives, and distinguished guests all directed their attention toward the arena below. Many of them had originally come to observe this year's rising talents, but now even they found themselves genuinely interested in the outcome of the final battle.
After all, the two participants about to face one another were no ordinary students. Both stood among the strongest competitors in the entire tournament.
At Star Shine Academy's side, the atmosphere was noticeably tense.
Everyone knew what was at stake. Across from them stood the strongest participant Crimson Bastion Academy possessed. Perhaps even the strongest student in the entire tournament.
Unlike before, Alex didn't simply walk onto the stage without a second thought.
Instead, he took a slow breath.
His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he acknowledged something he hadn't felt throughout most of the tournament.
A slight sense of nervousness, though it wasn't fear or hesitation.
Until now, he hadn't taken any opponent seriously, but Evelyne was different.
For the first time since arriving at the tournament, he was facing someone whose talent and strength could truly rival his own.
Alex exhaled slowly before stepping onto the arena.
Across the battlefield, Evelyne Crystelle was already waiting. Her crystalline white hair reflected the sunlight filtering through the stadium, while her light amethyst eyes remained as calm and unreadable as ever.
She stood completely still, expressionless. Not a trace of emotion appeared on her face.
For a brief moment, the two simply looked at one another. Yet even without exchanging a single word, the tension between them was already palpable.
The audience unconsciously fell even quieter.
Aurora suddenly floated forward.
Unlike her usual playful demeanor, there was genuine curiosity in her eyes now. For the first time since the tournament began, she appeared visibly invested in a match.
The spirit drifted directly past Alex before her golden eyes studied Evelyne from several different angles, openly observing her without the slightest restraint.
A few seconds later, Aurora floated back.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"You know," she said casually, "I think I'm actually excited for this one."
Alex glanced toward her.
Aurora rarely spoke that way.
Most participants throughout the tournament had failed to hold her interest for more than a few moments. Evelyne clearly wasn't one of them.
Aurora tilted her head slightly. "Well?" she asked.
"Well what?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
The smile on her face widened.
"Are you confident you'll win?"
Alex looked toward the opposite side of the arena. His gaze met Evelyne's. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "We'll see."
Aurora laughed softly.
"Fair enough."
Just then, the signal was given.
"Begin!"
In that same instant, both Alex and Evelyne moved.
A powerful surge of mana erupted from their bodies simultaneously. The air throughout the arena trembled violently. A visible disturbance spread outward as two overwhelming mana pressures collided head-on.
Evelyne moved first. A translucent crystal magic circle unfolded beneath Alex.
"
The spell activated almost instantly.
Transparent crystalline walls erupted around Alex from every direction, sealing together before most spectators could even process what had happened. Within a fraction of a second, he found himself trapped inside a perfectly formed prison of glass-like crystal.
A ripple spread through the audience as many immediately recognized the spell. It was the very same magic that had ended Andy Tyor's match almost before it had begun.
This time, however, Alex showed no surprise.
He had already seen the spell once before. The instant the enclosure finished forming, cold mana surged from his body.
"
A wave of freezing air exploded outward from the center of the prison. The temperature inside the sealed structure plummeted.
Frost spread across the inner walls in an instant. Thin white veins raced along the transparent surface as layers of ice formed faster and faster. The once-clear prison became clouded with frost, its structure groaning under the sudden change.
Then a sharp crack echoed through the arena.
One crack became ten. Ten became hundreds. A web of fractures burst across the entire prison before the structure could stabilize.
The next moment, the prison exploded into countless glittering fragments. Shards of crystal scattered outward like frozen glass as Alex stepped forward completely unharmed.
A wave of surprise swept through the audience, though only a very small number truly understood what had just happened.
To most spectators, it simply looked as though the prison had shattered on its own. But those with deeper knowledge of magic and materials immediately realized there was more to it.
The interior of the prison had been subjected to an extreme and sudden temperature drop while the exterior remained relatively unchanged.
The sudden temperature difference created immense stress throughout the crystal structure. Frost formed within microscopic flaws, expanding as it froze and forcing additional fractures to spread through the prison.
Neither effect alone would have been enough, but together they proved devastating. After all,
Its greatest strength lay in trapping an opponent quickly and restricting their movement. Compared to higher-tier defensive spells, its structure was never designed to withstand overwhelming pressure from the inside.
That was precisely why Alex had chosen this approach.
Rather than attempting to brute-force his way out, he had attacked the prison's structural integrity itself.
The result was immediate.
Across the arena, Evelyne's expression remained unchanged.
Yet for the first time since the battle began, a faint glimmer of interest appeared in her eyes. Alex had escaped far more easily than she expected.
And both of them knew this exchange had merely been the opening move.
Evelyne showed no reaction to the destruction of her prison.
The countless crystal fragments had barely finished falling when another magic circle formed before her.
"
Hundreds of crystal shards materialized in the air before launching forward in a dense volley, filling the space between them with a lethal rain of crystal.
Alex reacted immediately.
"
Several walls of ice erupted from the ground one after another.
The incoming shards struck with tremendous force. Sharp impacts echoed throughout the arena as crystal fragments embedded themselves into the frozen barriers, while others shattered into glittering debris.
Cracks spread across the ice, but the walls held. Yet Alex wasn't content to remain on the defensive.
Using the cover provided by the barriers, he advanced. At the same time, cold mana gathered around his hands.
"
Multiple chains of ice burst from the ground and shot toward Evelyne from different directions.
Unlike before, Alex timed the attack alongside his advance, forcing her to deal with both threats simultaneously.
For the first time since the match began, several spectators believed he had successfully seized the initiative.
Evelyne's expression remained unchanged.
A pale crystal magic circle spread beneath the battlefield.
"
The entire arena erupted.
Clusters of crystal spikes burst upward from the stone floor in every direction, colliding with the incoming ice chains.
Sharp cracking sounds echoed repeatedly.
Several chains wrapped around the crystal growths, only to shatter moments later under the strain. Others were intercepted entirely before they could reach their target.
Alex's advance slowed.
The battlefield between them had become increasingly hazardous.
Crystal spires rose at irregular angles across the arena, restricting movement and creating countless obstacles. What had once been an open battlefield now resembled a maze of jagged crystal.
Then Evelyne moved again.
This time, the mana gathering around her was noticeably greater. A larger magic circle unfolded overhead.
"
The crystal formations scattered throughout the battlefield responded immediately.
Countless shards tore free from the surrounding crystal growths and rose into the air. They began rotating around one another, forming a massive storm of razor-sharp fragments.
Within seconds, a swirling vortex of crystal dominated the battlefield.
The rotating storm expanded rapidly as thousands of crystal fragments spun through the air at terrifying speed, capable of shredding through most defenses through sheer numbers alone.
Alex's expression sharpened.
He could already tell this spell was significantly more dangerous than the previous attacks.
Cold mana surged outward.
"
The temperature throughout the battlefield dropped dramatically.
A wave of freezing air expanded from Alex's position, spreading across the arena floor and coating the surrounding terrain in layers of frost. White mist drifted across the battlefield, obscuring portions of the crystal formations while ice rapidly accumulated on nearby surfaces.
The advancing Shardstorm entered the freezing field.
Immediately, frost began forming across the rotating crystal fragments. Some slowed noticeably, while others became heavier as layers of ice accumulated across their surfaces.
The speed of the storm visibly decreased.
A ripple of excitement spread through the audience. For a moment, it looked as though Alex had successfully neutralized the spell.
However, the celebration proved premature. Although the storm had weakened, it hadn't stopped.
The immense mass of rotating crystal continued advancing through the freezing field, grinding forward with relentless momentum. Thousands of shards still remained under Evelyne's control, and their sheer numbers compensated for the reduction in speed.
The storm continued pushing toward Alex.
The frozen air and crystal vortex collided violently, creating a spectacle that left countless spectators staring in awe.
Across the arena, Evelyne stood calmly amidst the crystal formations she had created.
Her expression remained as unreadable as ever. One by one, she had transformed the battlefield into an environment perfectly suited to her magic.
Alex recognized it immediately.
At this moment, despite successfully countering several of her spells, the advantage remained firmly in Evelyne's hands.
And judging by the calm look in her eyes, she knew it too.