The air vibrated with tension.
The magical arena was completely silent. Even the crowd's cheers had faded, as if everyone instinctively knew they were about to witness more than just a simple duel. This wasn't just magic… it was a clash of emotions.
Liana, wearing her flowered green robe, walked with soft yet determined steps. Her connection to nature surrounded her like an invisible melody.
Dana, the golden-haired noble, advanced with her usual confidence, the air crackling with electric discharges at her every step.
In the stands, Ares watched with a serious expression. He didn't fully understand what was going on between them… but he could feel it.
—I won't lose, —Dana said, her blue eyes as firm as steel.
—Neither will I, —Liana replied with tense calm— Not this time.
Begin!
Liana reacted first. Roots burst from her hands, slithering across the ground like snakes, aiming to trap Dana's legs. The lightning mage responded by raising a barrier of electricity that electrocuted and shattered the first vines.
—You can't reach me! —Dana shouted, firing a lightning bolt straight at Liana.
The elf spun on her heel, summoning a shield of hardened leaves that absorbed the impact, though the ground shook beneath the force of the thunder.
Liana counterattacked with a flurry of flying thorns, while carnivorous plants erupted from the soil, trying to close in. Dana leapt with agility, cloaked in an aura of electric energy.
—Dancing Lightning!
A rain of blue bolts fell across the arena, forcing Liana to retreat. Still, her gaze did not waver. With a motion of her living wood staff, she summoned an armor of stone and leaves onto her body.
The battle escalated in intensity.
The terrain was torn apart. Sparks and roots clashed again and again. The crowd watched in astonishment as neither girl gave up a single inch.
—Why are you fighting so hard? —Dana shouted— You're not even sure how you feel!
—Maybe not! —Liana cried, her heart pounding— But I won't let you decide for me… or for him!
Her words ignited Dana's heart even further.
Both launched their most powerful spells at the same time.
—Descent of the Sacred Thunder!
—Song of the Primeval Root!
Two columns of power—one of electric light and the other of wild nature—collided at the center of the field.
The crash was so great that the ground cracked, and a shockwave swept across the entire coliseum.
When the dust finally settled…
Both girls were on the ground, unconscious, their bodies pushed to the limit of exhaustion.
Clover, wearing a grave expression, approached. After a few seconds of silence, he raised his voice:
—Double knockout. The duel has no winner.
The crowd erupted into murmurs, disbelief, and emotion. Ares stood up abruptly. So did Tony.
Both girls were taken to the infirmary, but one thing was clear…
That battle didn't decide who would win Ares's heart.
It only fueled the fire burning in all three of them.