The stadium roared as the announcer's voice cut through the drums and horns.
"Ladies and gentlemen, nobles and warriors alike—today we witness history! The final battle of the Tournament of Nobles begins now!"
The crowd thundered, a sea of banners snapping in the wind.
"On one side, the runner-up who has defied all expectations—Kazuo! His eyes, one green and one black, a sight never before witnessed, should have barred him from standing here today. Yet by the King's mercy, he was granted the chance to prove himself among the best. And prove himself he has! With his Water Magic, rare and never seen in this age, he has earned his place among the nobles and fought his way to the finals!"
A pause, the energy shifting, almost reverent.
"And standing against him, the genius, the prodigy—Aoi! His Lightning Magic—dangerous and precise—was mastered with an ease unseen in generations. The youngest to awaken his Esoteric Art, he is the crown jewel of noble power, and he stands ready to claim victory!"
The crowd erupted again, chants of both names clashing like storm and tide.
The two fighters were called forward. Boots struck stone as they entered the center of the arena.
Kazuo's sword hung steady at his side. His chest rose once as he steadied his breath.
Aoi approached without his usual scarf. Instead, his forearms were fitted with steel extensions—long, narrow constructs that ran from wrist to elbow, ending in lethal, pointed tips. They weren't ordinary blades but sharpened extensions of his body, designed to stab, to impale, and to channel the crackling surge of his Lightning Magic straight into whatever they pierced. The metal gleamed in the sunlight, predatory and cold.
Kazuo stepped forward with a grin he couldn't quite hide, excitement flashing across his face at the thought of the clash to come. But the expression faltered the moment he felt it—Aoi's aura pressing against him for the first time. It was frigid, biting, almost unnatural, and it drained the air of sound. Even the usual chorus of adoring fan girls fell silent, their cheers caught in their throats as if the hostility had reached them too.
The two stood face to face, the air between them charged and heavy, the crowd's noise fading into a low hum as if the world itself held its breath.
Kazuo drew his sword in a smooth motion, the blade catching a glint of light as he leveled it toward Aoi. His voice carried firm and unshaken.
"You know, I hated you because of how easy you are with the girls," he said, the edge of honesty clear in his tone. "But now I can feel it—your hatred for me runs deeper than mine ever did."
Aoi lowered his stance, the steel extensions along his arms humming faintly as sparks flickered to life.
"Ho… so you can finally sense aura." His eyes narrowed, lightning snapping across his weapons. "Yours has changed since the last time we met—it's sharper." His voice was cold. "But understand this, Kazuo… this is where your story ends."
The gong rang.
Aoi was on him in an instant. Sparks flared as the steel extensions on his arms carved through the air, each strike fast enough to blur. Kazuo barely kept pace, his sword straining under the barrage as he was driven backward, step after step.
He's faster than before…!
Kazuo swung wide to force space between them, hand flashing through a seal.
"Water Magic: Water Shuriken!"
Three blades of spinning water snapped into existence, slicing through the air toward Aoi. He slipped past the first, twisted under the second, and shattered the third with a single swing of his lightning-clad arm. Before Kazuo could recover, Aoi was already inside his guard.
The kick landed hard in Kazuo's gut. Breath exploded from his lungs as his body staggered back. Aoi didn't give him a second—his arm thrust forward, lightning gathering at the tip of the steel extension.
"Lightning Magic: Thunder Fang!"
A spear of blinding electricity surged from his weapon straight for Kazuo's chest.
Too close—!
Kazuo swept his hand upward, water surging from his blade.
"Water Magic: Torrent!"
The crashing wave caught the incoming strike and redirected it skyward, lightning bursting harmlessly into the clouds. Steam rolled off the arena floor as Kazuo slid back into stance, chest heaving.
Aoi's eyes narrowed as Kazuo steadied himself.
So… this is how he plans to handle my lightning. Redirect it with water.
Kazuo lunged forward, blade flashing in a sharp arc. Aoi met him without hesitation, the steel extensions ringing against Kazuo's sword in a cascade of perfect parries. Sparks and droplets burst with every clash. Then, with a sudden twist, Aoi hooked his foot behind Kazuo's ankle.
"You're sloppy on your feet."
Kazuo stumbled, balance slipping, and Aoi's kick slammed into his ribs. The impact spun him sideways, air burning in his lungs. Aoi followed mercilessly, thrusting his weapon forward for a killing strike straight to the chest.
Steel shrieked as Kazuo caught the blow with his sword, deflecting it just enough to rip an opening. His counter came sharp and clean—a slice across Aoi's side that forced the prodigy back a step.
Kazuo seized the moment, slamming his blade into the ground.
"Water Magic: Torrent!"
This time the surge didn't climb skyward. Instead, it crashed outward across the arena floor, water rushing low, pooling beneath their feet.
Aoi blinked. What was that. Why did he do that?
The fight turned into a chase, a deadly dance of predator and prey. Aoi vaulted into the air, spinning past Kazuo's strikes with acrobatic ease, while Kazuo pressed after him, matching his speed step for step, droplets flying from his blade with every swing.
Aoi landed, steel arms sparking as he crossed them. Lightning arced violently between the extensions.
"Lightning Magic: Cross Volt!"
He snapped his arms apart, releasing a blazing X-shaped surge of electricity that ripped across the arena. Kazuo's eyes widened. I can't redirect that! He dove to the side, rolling clear as the attack carved a smoking gash across the stone floor.
But Aoi was already there, a blur of speed. Steel grazed Kazuo's shoulder, burning pain searing where the lightning kissed his skin. A heartbeat later, Aoi's boot slammed into his chest, sending him crashing backward across the ground.
Steel rang as they clashed again, sparks scattering across the wet floor. Kazuo ducked low, sword grinding under Aoi's extensions. With a sharp twist, he heaved upward and launched Aoi into the air.
Aoi spun, twisting midair, trying to find his landing. Kazuo surged forward, sword ready to catch him on descent. But Aoi bent unnaturally, flipping past where Kazuo's strike should have landed.
Kazuo didn't chase. I knew you'd dodge…
Instead, he gambled on the only opening left. He swung wide, predicting where Aoi would fall—and his fist connected. The punch crashed straight into Aoi's face, snapping his head to the side.
Aoi hit the ground, spit mixed with blood flying from his lips. His grin didn't falter.
"Terrain Enforcement! Lightening Current"
The arena floor crackled with light, arcs of electricity shooting through the water Kazuo had spread earlier. The ground itself began to shift, glowing veins of lightning forming beneath Aoi's control.
Kazuo's eyes went wide. Panic flared in his chest. If he takes the field, it's over!
He screamed with everything in him, plunging his sword into the ground.
"Arcane of Water: Vortex!"
Water surged outward in a spiral, colliding violently with the forming terrain. For a heartbeat, chaos reigned—water twisting, lightning crackling, both forces vying for dominance.
Aoi's eyes narrowed in confusion. Why… why would he waste an Arcane on the ground instead of me?
Then the water reached his feet.
The lightning he had been channeling through the arena snapped back with vicious speed, racing across the sudden flood. Arcs tore up his legs and into his body, jolting through his extensions and searing across his chest. His face twisted as the current bit deep, forcing him to cut the Terrain Enforcement short.
Kazuo staggered back, clinging to the arena wall with his sword dug deep into the stone for balance.
Aoi straightened, panting, realization dawning. "So that was your plan… using my lightning against me. Gambling again, Kazuo. You know that habit of yours will get you killed."
Kazuo said nothing. He pulled his sword free, dropped back to the ground, shoulders rising and falling in heavy rhythm. The Arcane had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit; every breath burned in his chest.
Aoi straightened slowly, a low laugh slipping past his lips. It wasn't mocking—it was something else, something sharper. His usual cool composure was gone, replaced by a smile that curved wider, almost manic.
Yuki was right… Kazuo thought, eyes narrowing as he steadied himself. He's not calm anymore. He's thrilled.
Aoi's grin twisted, sparks running wild along his weapons.
"Good… more. Show me what you've got."
His weapons blazed to life, lightning coating every inch of steel. The air hissed under the pressure of the charge.
"Resonance of Lightening"
The extensions thrummed as if alive, every movement leaving crackling trails. Kazuo raised his sword but froze—If I coat my blade in resonance, it'll electrocute me.
Aoi lunged, and the clash turned savage. Every strike came faster than the last, arcs lashing out even when Kazuo blocked. Sparks burst against his arms, his ribs, his neck, each graze carrying a sting of current.
Aoi feinted low, then twisted, crossing his extensions in a scissoring motion that trapped Kazuo's blade. Lightning surged through the bind, coursing down the metal into Kazuo's hands.
Pain ripped through him. His body convulsed, thrown backward as the resonance tore across his nerves. The crowd gasped as Kazuo collapsed, smoke rising faintly from his body.
His grip trembled, but slowly, he pushed himself up, sweat dripping down his face.
"You… really are a genius," he breathed, his voice ragged.
They clashed again. Kazuo barely kept up now, dodging desperately, throwing up a hurried defense.
"Water Magic: Water Wall!"
The barrier of rushing water surged between them—only for Aoi to drive straight through it, lightning coursing along the stream and turning it into a conduit of raw power. But Kazuo wasn't there.
He dropped from above instead, blade angled for the strike.
For an instant, Aoi seemed caught, his guard lowered. But his smile only widened.
"Arcane of Lightning: Storm Veil!"
His entire body erupted in lightning, a shroud of raw current flashing outward. Kazuo's eyes widened as the charge ripped into him midair. The blast tore through his jacket, muscles seizing as he was hurled back across the arena. He skidded to a stop, forcing himself to his feet, but his body wouldn't obey—limbs trembling, half-numb from the surge.
His vision blurred, the world tilting.
Aoi was already moving, lunging forward, weapons sparking with deadly intent.
And the first act ended with Kazuo standing paralyzed, staring through the haze at his grinning opponent closing in.