«The most anticipated final in over a century of this competition is about to begin. Ready… GO!!!»
The moment the announcer gives the signal, an enormous sword materializes in my grip. Its hilt gleams gold, while the blood-red blade burns with intense crimson flames.
Rebecca summons instead a long and slender rapier, flames of sapphire swirling around it.
«Crystal Release: Phoenix Shroud!» she cries.
At her words, a blazing blue aura envelops her entire body.
«What a stunning start! Rebecca Asheart has chosen to go all in from the very first second!» the commentator shouts, his voice brimming with excitement. «But will such an aggressive strategy work against an opponent of Jade Kyndrake's caliber? We're about to find out!»
Phoenix Shroud—one of the unique ability granted by her crystal. While in this state, any wound she suffers heals instantly… yet the cost of keeping it active drains a tremendous amount of energy. Still, this is nothing I cannot handle.
Rebecca charges toward me with lightning speed, leaving behind a trail of blue fire.
She opens the battle with a relentless storm of thrusts and slashes, raining down from every angle.
The sharp ring of our blades echoes through the arena—I manage to parry her rapid strikes without too much trouble for now.
Staying only on the defensive is not my style, but since she unleashed her Crystal Release right away, I have little choice.
As expected, her fiery aura doesn't just grant regeneration. It burns with unbearable heat.
Damn it… her strikes, sharp and precise, grow harder to counter with every exchange. That suffocating heat only makes it worse.
«Unbelievable… no one expected this! Rebecca Asheart seems to have seized complete control of the fight! Since the start, Jade hasn't landed a single hit—we've never seen him this pressured before. What an incredible duel!»
The commentator's foolish words are starting to get on my nerves.
Me, at a disadvantage? What fight is this idiot even watching?
My eyes fall on Viktoria, seated in the front row only a few meters away. Her satisfied smile and calm expression tell me she, unlike the commentator, fully understands the situation.
Even so, I must admit it—this brat is proving far stronger than I imagined.
She wields her crystal's powers with shocking mastery for someone only fourteen. But no matter how talented, her combat experience is nothing compared to mine.
And right now, exploiting a slight misstep in her movements—born surely from inexperience—I unleash a powerful horizontal slash, cutting across her stomach.
From the wide, deep wound, azure sparks scatter instead of blood, and in an instant the gash closes completely.
Her uniform, however, does not recover. These aren't ordinary school uniforms, but battle attire woven with nexthal, a magically durable fiber.
Though it was just one strike, Rebecca clearly felt the impact.
My weapon is no ordinary sword, but one born from the magic of my Crystal of the Divine Dragon of Destruction.
An incredible blade that erases the magical energy of anyone its edge touches.
Even if the wound vanished, the energy-shattering effect took hold.
I can already see her flames dimming, her breath turning heavy and ragged.
Perfect. The side effects of her Crystal Release are finally surfacing.
My strategy is working, though later than I had hoped. That girl has a terrifying amount of energy… even after only six months at Astralea, Rebecca has reached power equal to a fifth-year. At this pace, by the next tournament she'll surpass even me and Viktoria.
I cannot allow that.
The moment I've waited for has finally come—the moment to strike back.
I dash at Rebecca with speed greater than hers, despite the size of my blade, wounding her first on the thigh, then the torso.
Her injuries close again, but more slowly this time—and more importantly, I destroy even more of her energy.
Exhausted, she can only retreat, leaping back in quick bursts.
But I refuse to grant her a second's rest.
I extend my arm toward her and…
«Elemental Invocation • Fire: Flame Barrage!»
A burst of blazing fireballs erupts from my palm, shooting straight toward her.
Rebecca tries once more to rely on her Phoenix Shroud to blunt my magic, but this time it fails.
The fiery barrage slams into her, burning her body and stripping away what little remained of her uniform—now she is almost completely naked.
Perfect. Her regenerative ability is crippled, unable even to fully mend those burns.
Suddenly, Rebecca dissolves her rapier, the weapon scattering into countless motes of light.
Has she surrendered? No… she keeps retreating, step after step.
It's clear she's preparing a long-range spell.
The sapphire flames swirling around her blaze brighter than ever.
She's pouring all her remaining energy into one final strike.
All I need to do is brace myself for her spell, and victory will be mine.
«Sacred Phoenix—Elyrion, rise once more and aid me in this battle. Grant me shelter beneath your warm wing…»
Wait… is she reciting the Ancient Prayer?! You've got to be kidding me! She's only fourteen—there's no way she can already draw out her crystal's full potential. This is insane!
The flames around her surge higher, condensing into the form of a massive raptor, its entire body woven from dazzling azure fire.
Viktoria leaps to her feet, just as stunned as I am. Neither of us can believe what we're seeing.
I want to attack, but with those searing flames swirling around her, I can't even get close.
«…In your burning song, resound the eternal melody, purify the world with your sacred fire!»
No… it's impossible! Even I couldn't master the Crystal Chant properly at her age!
The crowd falls silent. Even the commentator holds his tongue.
«Crystal Chant: Purification of the Winged Flame!»
With a creature of such colossal size, evasion is unthinkable.
And in my current state, I can't cast a spell strong enough to counter magic of this scale.
I never intended to go this far against a first-year student, but I see no other option.
«Crystal Release…»
The blazing phoenix Rebecca summoned crashes into me with a massive explosion of fire, shrouding the arena in searing light.
The blast is so immense it even cracks the surface of the protective barrier around us—a special spell meant not only to shield the audience from stray attacks, but also to preserve the vital functions of those dueling inside.
No one can see what happens within the storm of flames.
«…Incarnation of Azkarith—the Destruction Dragon!»