The atmosphere in the stands was growing more tense. The crowd, which had come to see magical spectacles, was becoming increasingly irritated. On the arena, Elaira and Selin kept moving in circles, trading quick punches and dodging with flawless precision. Their fight resembled a dance — fast, sharp, but… far too simple for those who craved fiery explosions or bolts of lightning.
"Is this a fight or just a warm-up?" someone in the front row grumbled.
"Where's the magic? Why aren't they even trying to use their abilities?" another man asked in disbelief.
The whispers of discontent quickly turned into open complaints.
"We came here to watch a tournament, not a fistfight!"
"Come on, show us something! Are they even mages?!"
Zigrane, seated among the other participants on a separate wooden bench, frowned as he observed the arena. Like many, he was surprised to see two mages fighting like ordinary brawlers.
"Two mages in the arena, and no magic. Strange and… irritating," he muttered, loud enough for those nearby to hear.
"Strange? No, it's genius!" came a familiar mocking voice.
Blitz approached him from behind, casually resting his hands behind his head. His signature insane grin only made Zigrane's irritation worse.
"They're just waiting. Biding their time. Once one of them decides to use magic, you'll see — all this time they've been setting up the perfect opportunity. Then the real show begins."
Zigrane slowly turned his head toward Blitz, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Shut up."
For a moment, Blitz looked almost surprised by the tone, but then his grin only grew wider, more taunting.
"Oh, you're still upset about those team trials? You're not the type to hold grudges… or am I wrong?"
Zigrane clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His voice was laced with fury:
"You think I forgot? You deliberately used the Forbidden Technique: Pillar of Judgment, knowing full well you'd hit me too. You struck everyone — Michael, Torren, our opponents, and me, your own teammate! All just to show off your strength and grab a cheap win. Do you think I'll forgive that?"
For a second, Blitz's eyes flashed with something between amusement and danger. His grin widened even more, as if he was enjoying every second of Zigrane's anger.
"And what? Was I wrong? Look how it turned out. Everyone fell, and I stood tall. It was beautiful, Zigrane. Too beautiful for you to still be this angry."
"Beautiful? You almost killed me, idiot!" Zigrane snapped. "We're both in Block B now, and know this — I haven't forgotten. I'll get my payback. You'll learn what real rage is."
Blitz chuckled softly, leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head.
"Oh, how scary. Well then, we'll see who gets who. I'm actually glad we're in the same block. It's going to be fun."
Zigrane turned away, but his anger didn't fade. His gaze returned to the arena, though his mind still burned with thoughts of Blitz.
Meanwhile, the crowd's murmurs grew louder.
"Is this even a fight? Why do they keep dodging?"
"Come on, at least throw a fireball or something worth watching!"
Some even began whistling.
Selene, hearing all this, merely tilted her head slightly, her smile under the hood growing wider. The noise from the crowd only amused her. Elaira, on the other hand, felt the weight of the audience's pressure. But she wasn't about to change her tactics just for them. She knew that using magic too early could play against her.
On the participants' bench, the discussion became livelier. The fight between Elaira and Selene was unlike any other: no flashy spells, no bursts of energy, just precision punches and dodges.
Ralph spoke calmly:
"Look at their movements. There's no chaos, no random strikes. It feels like they're reading each other."
Renald, frowning, scoffed:
"Reading? Oh, come on. If they've got magic, they should just use it."
Rob, keeping his eyes on the arena, said:
"Elaira is already using magic. Just not the way we're used to seeing. Her predictions don't let Selin find a safe opening."
Renald raised an eyebrow:
"So Selene can't use her cards at all?"
"She can, but she won't risk it," Rob added. "Right now, if she tries to draw a card, Elaira will seize the moment and hit her hard. Cards don't guarantee victory, and any mistake could cost her the fight."
Ralph nodded, his voice still calm:
"They're both waiting. This is a battle of patience. Each one is waiting for the other to slip."
A little further down the bench, three guys were having their own conversation. Deyron, hunched forward with his hands resting on his knees, smirked:
"So, what do you think? Who's winning this?"
Nyrek shrugged, not taking his eyes off the arena:
"Hard to say. We know Selin's cards can be nasty, but she's not even using them yet. And Elaira… Hm, her style is still a mystery to me."
Their leader, sitting beside them and watching with a cold, calculating expression, finally spoke:
"This isn't easy to judge. We've seen Selin's cards before, but Elaira… she's an enigma. Our main goal right now is to figure out exactly what she can do."
Deyron raised an eyebrow:
"So for you, this fight is just a reconnaissance?"
"Exactly. We need to break down every one of her movements. The more we learn now, the fewer surprises we'll face if we cross paths with her later."
Nyrek nodded in agreement:
"Right. No bets for now — just observation."
Katsu, opening his eyes slightly, added:
"Elaira isn't fighting for show. She's using her power subtly to keep control. Selin is cautious, and that's the right move."
Felix, leaning forward with keen interest, remarked:
"This is a psychological duel. It can't last like this forever — someone's going to take a risk first."
Erden and Akatsuki exchanged glances.
"Who do you think will win?" Erden asked.
"If Elaira keeps up this pace — her," Akatsuki replied. "But Selin's clever enough to break the rhythm at any moment."
Michael and Torren stayed silent until Michael finally said:
"You see that?"
"Yeah," Torren nodded. "Elaira's controlling the fight completely. But Selene's definitely preparing something. When she acts, it'll be dangerous."
Meanwhile, the crowd grew even louder:
"Where's the magic?!"
"Give us a real fight!"
But the two girls kept their focus solely on each other, completely ignoring the noise.
On the arena, Elaira and Selene were still circling like predators ready to strike. Their fight remained a blur of sharp punches, quick dodges, and tense movements. No strike had landed yet.
The crowd's chanting grew almost deafening:
"Where's the magic?!"
"Show us something real!"
Elaira heard the shouts and sighed inwardly.
"You don't understand… I've been using magic all along. Without it, I'd have lost in seconds. Every move I make is a prediction of her next attack…"
She focused on Selin. Both of them were breathing heavier now, their punches slowing slightly. Neither wanted to be the first to back down.
Selene narrowed her eyes, her ever-present smile growing slightly wider.
"Alright… time to change this. She's reading me too easily. How do I outsmart her?"
Her gaze flicked to the deck of cards on her belt. Among them, she noticed one — a card engraved with heavy chains and a weight sigil. It was the Weight of Power card, capable of increasing the weight of any object or limb it touched.
Selene's mind clicked into place.
"If I can attach this card to her arm… she won't react in time. Her precious predictions won't save her. She doesn't even expect me to use magic right now…"
She lunged forward again, attacking as before with quick punches and dodges. Elaira read her moves as usual, anticipating each strike. But Selene subtly shifted her rhythm.
In a split second, when Elaira blocked a punch, Selene deftly drew a card from her deck and, under the guise of a quick hand movement, slapped it onto Elaira's right wrist. The action was so smooth and fast that even with her future-sight, Elaira didn't realize what had just happened.
The next moment shocked her.
She swung her arm, but her right hand suddenly felt as heavy as stone. A sharp weight dragged it down, making her movement clumsy and slow. Selin's fist connected squarely with her shoulder.
"Damn it!" Elaira hissed, leaping back to create distance and figure out what had just happened.
She glanced at her arm — nothing looked wrong, but it felt like several heavy stones were tied to it.
Selene stopped a few meters away, tilting her head slightly. Her smile now looked almost mocking.
"Well? Feel that? Heavy, isn't it?" she said softly, twirling another card between her fingers.
Elaira bit her lip. "So that's it… She used a card, and I didn't even notice. I have to calm down. I can't lose like this."
Meanwhile, the bench discussions intensified.
"What was that?!" Renald exclaimed. "She just touched her, and everything changed!"
Rob studied the arena with interest:
"Now Selene shows what she can do. That's one of her cards. But which one? I wonder…"
Ralph nodded, his calm voice unwavering:
"Looks like she's made Elaira's arm heavier. If Elaira doesn't remove the effect or adapt, she's in serious trouble."
Deyron, sitting further back with his group, smirked:
"That's what I love about her fights — Selene knows how to play dirty and smart."
Nyrek, arms crossed, replied:
"Well, Selene's tricks we know. Her cards can be nasty. The real danger isn't her."
Their leader added quietly, but with a hint of interest in his tone:
"The real mystery is Elaira. We need to see how she handles this. Her predictions won't help against something that's already happened. Now's the time to watch closely."