I didn't expect the attention to move on so quickly.
One moment, people were still whispering about my match—about how a "nobody" from a village had beaten a noble—and the next, the crowd's focus shifted as if pulled by an invisible hand.
The air changed.
It grew heavier. Warmer. Colder.
Mana stirred.
I stopped walking.
All around me, examinees were turning their heads in the same direction, conversations cutting off mid-sentence. Even academy representatives—who had barely reacted to most fights—straightened where they stood.
Something important was about to happen.
"…Guess I'm not done watching today," I muttered.
I followed the flow of people toward one of the largest dueling platforms, its barrier runes layered thick enough that they pulsed faintly even at rest. The closer I got, the clearer it became—this wasn't just another ranked challenge.
This was a spectacle.
Two figures stood facing each other at the center of the arena.
A boy and a girl.
They looked alike enough that it was impossible to miss the connection—sharp features, similar builds, the same silver-black hair catching the light. But the similarities stopped there.
The boy stood loose, relaxed, one hand in his pocket, red mana flickering lazily around his shoulders like embers drifting from a fire that didn't need fuel.
The girl stood perfectly still.
Pale blue mana flowed around her in smooth, controlled currents. Frost traced faint patterns across the stone beneath her boots, as if the ground itself had accepted her presence.
"Those are the Velaryn twins…"
"So they're really fighting each other?"
"Top five candidates… both of them."
I narrowed my eyes.
Velaryn.
I'd heard the name earlier. Powerful magic lineage. Born into privilege, trained since childhood. One specialized in fire, the other in water—with ice as a secondary branch.
Fire and ice.
Opposites that shared the same blood.
The boy tilted his head, smirking. "Still think you can beat me today, sis?"
The girl didn't react to the grin. "I don't think, Cael," she replied calmly. "I calculate."
A few people laughed nervously.
Yeah, I thought. This won't be friendly.
The bell rang.
The barrier sealed.
And the match began.
Cael moved first.
Mana surged from his body in a sharp pulse, heat rolling outward in a wave that prickled against my skin even from the stands.
Fire Art: Scorching Arc — Spark III
He swung his arm, releasing a crescent of compressed flame that tore through the air toward his sister, warping the space around it.
But she didn't dodge.
She raised her hand.
Water Art: Glacial Veil — Spark III
A layered wall of ice formed instantly in front of her. The fire slash slammed into it, exploding into steam and sparks that echoed across the arena.
The barrier flared briefly.
When the steam cleared, the ice wall remained—cracked, scarred, but unbroken.
Cael clicked his tongue. "Still hiding behind walls?"
She stepped forward through the mist. "Still attacking without testing your opponent?"
Two skills each, I noted automatically. Both Spark III. Clean execution.
Cael vanished in a burst of flame.
Flame Step
He reappeared at her side mid-swing, fist engulfed in fire.
She twisted aside at the last second, heat brushing past her cheek. Frost bloomed beneath her feet as she slid backward, maintaining distance.
Ice Art: Frozen Lattice
Sharp ice spikes erupted from the ground where Cael had been.
He laughed, fire bursting beneath his feet as he vaulted over them.
"Predictable!"
Three skills, I counted. Each.
He extended both hands.
Blazing Rain
A volley of firebolts rained down across the arena.
My jaw tightened.
Wide-area suppression. That's dangerous in a duel.
She closed her eyes.
Her mana shifted.
Water Art: Flowing Mirror
A spinning dome of water formed around her, rotating fast enough to blur. Firebolts struck, hissed, and were extinguished in clouds of steam.
Gasps rippled through the crow
Cael landed lightly, grin widening. "You're getting better at that."
She didn't smile. "You're still wasting mana."
She slammed her staff into the ground.
Ice Art: Frostbound Field
The entire arena floor froze over in an instant.
That was her fifth.
Cael skidded, boots scraping uselessly against the ice.
"Tch—!"
He clenched his teeth.
Flame Guard
Fire erupted outward from his body, melting the ice around him and stabilizing his footing.
They circled each other, breathing heavier now, mana levels visibly lower. The earlier confidence was gone—replaced by focus.
Cael wiped sweat from his brow. "You're really trying to win."
She nodded once. "So are you."
They moved again.
No flashy new spells—just mastery.
Cael compressed his flames tighter, shaping them with precision instead of power. Short bursts. Controlled arcs. Feints meant to bait her defenses.
She responded with calculated counters—thinning her ice, redirecting water, conserving mana while forcing him to expend more.
It was… terrifyingly efficient.
This isn't about overpowering the other, I realized. It's about who makes the first mistake.
Cael lunged, flame wrapping around his arm.
She slid aside, ice reinforcing her footing.
He followed up immediately, sweeping low.
She blocked with a thin wall—too thin.
It shattered.
For a split second, her balance faltered.
Cael's eyes lit up.
Scorching Arc
She crossed her arms—
Glacial Veil
Fire and ice collided again, both of them staggering back.
They stood there, breathing hard.
Neither spoke.
The bell rang.
The barrier flared.
"Match concluded," the announcer called. "Draw."
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then the arena erupted.
Cheers. Shouts. Awe.
Cael laughed, wiping sweat from his face. "Guess we're still even."
"For now," she replied.
As they left the arena together, surrounded by whispers and admiration, I remained still.
Five skills I thought. And this is the result.
My chest felt tight.
Not envy.
Pressure.
If this is the standard… then I can't afford complacency.
I turned away, fists clenched quietly at my sides.
The path ahead was clear.
And it wasn't going to be easy.