Eryndor stepped back, eyes scanning the next opponent called forward:
Lyric Veynthal — tall, sharp-eyed, and exuding confidence bordering on arrogance. He smirked as he approached, clearly used to being the center of attention. His elemental affinity was fire, but he combined it with a martial style that emphasized dominance and flair.
"You think lightning and wind can carry you here?" Lyric called out, voice dripping with self-assurance. "Let's see how long it lasts."
Eryndor didn't respond. He shifted into stance, feeling the wind lift subtly beneath him, lightning humming along his fingers.
The clash was immediate. Lyric's flames licked across the courtyard as he launched a series of high kicks and spinning punches. Eryndor flowed through Eightfold Flow, letting Pulse Step carry him past the strikes and Gale Feint redirect Lyric's momentum. He countered with Arc Lash, precise, controlled, and strategically placed.
Lyric's arrogance almost cost him. Eryndor used his opponent's overconfidence against him, weaving a combination of lightning strikes and wind-guided footwork, eventually landing a decisive strike that sent Lyric stumbling back. He raised a hand in concession, smirk fading slightly as he acknowledged Eryndor's skill.
The next match brought Celia Ardent, charismatic and composed, whose movements were graceful and fluid, drawing the attention of students watching from the sidelines. Her elemental affinity was water, but she incorporated martial flow seamlessly, almost as if dancing.
Celia twirled, sending water blades slicing through the air. Eryndor dodged and leaped, using Pulse Step and Gale Feint to glide through her attacks. Each strike of his Arc Lash was timed to interrupt her rhythm without overcommitting.
"Impressive," Celia said mid-match, voice smooth, almost teasing. "Most boys your age would crumble under pressure."
Eryndor didn't respond verbally. Instead, he accelerated, combining lightning and wind in spinning strikes that forced her to adjust, counter, and adapt. The fight was as much a test of intuition and timing as raw power. Celia finally nodded, stepping back and conceding—not defeated, but impressed by Eryndor's control.
Tarin Volcrest was next: brash, loud, and seemingly reckless. His earth affinity made him a heavy-hitter, and he relied on pure strength and forward pressure. Each stomp shook the ground, each punch carried weight designed to crush.
Eryndor gritted his teeth, feeling the familiar tingle of lightning along his knuckles. Tarin charged with a series of crushing blows. Eryndor used Pulse Step to dodge, Gale Feint to redirect his opponent's momentum, and delivered a flurry of precise strikes—lightning-enhanced but calculated—to unbalance Tarin without overextending.
By the end, Tarin groaned, not with humiliation, but with the acknowledgment that Eryndor's technique had nullified brute strength.
Each of the remaining students had their own flair:
Mira Duskveil, quiet and calculating, used shadows and subtle strikes, her attacks almost invisible. Kaelen Frostwind, calm and stoic, manipulated ice and air to control spacing, forcing opponents to fight on his terms. Joren Brightclaw, boisterous and cocky, relied on showy, powerful fire blasts, which Eryndor had to read and counter carefully.
Eryndor moved through each match with the same methodical rhythm: observe, adapt, integrate martial flow with elemental bursts, and conserve energy. Each duel pushed him to think faster, move more fluidly, and integrate Ember Tier lightning and wind into his Eightfold Flow strikes.
By the end of the preliminary top ten rounds, Eryndor had won each match—not because he was the strongest in raw power, but because he could adapt, anticipate, and fuse martial arts with elemental mastery in real combat. His peers began to murmur, some impressed, others wary.
Kael watched silently from the platform, taking note of each movement, each subtle adjustment. Eryndor's potential had become undeniable.
The courtyard buzzed with tension. The final matches were approaching, and Eryndor could feel it—the step up in challenge, the next level of Ember Tier combat waiting just beyond.