The atmosphere of the Magic Carnival had shifted into something entirely different. The laughter and cheers that once filled the academy grounds were long gone—swallowed by the thick black-and-purple smog of Seraph's poison magic.
Now, it was a battleground of gods and monsters.
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Show vs. Seraph – The Final Duel Begins
Show's flames raged in his Rising Fire Mode, the heat so intense that the air shimmered, the ground beneath him scorched black. Across from him stood Seraph, his body cloaked in venomous shadows, eyes glimmering with twisted delight.
They both lunged at each other—two forces of nature colliding.
BAM!
The ground cracked as their fists clashed, flame against poison. Show roared, unleashing blazing fists in rapid succession, each punch burning brighter than the last. Seraph blocked with his tendrils of poison, each strike sizzling under the heat.
> Seraph (grinning): "Good! Burn brighter! Show me the fire that calls itself Ancient!"
Show (snarling): "Your poison won't choke us anymore!"
Show's flames spiraled, forming a fiery cyclone around his fist. He slammed it into Seraph's chest, sending the commander skidding back through the air. Seraph laughed even as his armor smoked, twisting the smog into jagged spikes and firing them at Show.
Show darted forward, weaving between them, every step leaving fire trailing in the air. He crushed the spikes with fiery bursts, closing the distance again. Their battle shook the academy walls, sending shockwaves that even the students far back could feel.
---
Raelyn Recovers
Meanwhile, near the sidelines, Lina's hands glowed softly as she poured every ounce of her healing magic into Raelyn. His breath steadied, his wounds began to close, and his aura slowly stabilized.
At last, his eyes opened, glimmering with quiet resolve.
> Raelyn (gently): "Thank you… Lina."
Lina (relieved, smiling faintly): "Raelyn… you're back."
But then his expression changed. He stood, looking toward the battlefield where Show and Seraph clashed.
> Raelyn (serious): "I believe… the time has come."
He turned and began walking forward, his cloak fluttering in the poisoned wind.
> Lina (confused, whispering): "What… what does he mean?"
---
Show Weakens
Back in the fight, Show continued to dominate—his firestorm pushing Seraph to the defensive again and again. He launched a blazing kick, then followed with a spiral of fire punches that forced Seraph to his knees.
> Show (roaring): "This ends here, Seraph!"
But suddenly—his flames flickered. His aura trembled. The Rising Fire Mode began to destabilize.
Show staggered, his vision blurring. His breathing grew heavy, his knees buckled. The energy of the Ancient Fire was slipping from him.
Seraph's grin widened.
> Seraph (mocking): "What's this? The great Ancient Fire… running out of fuel?"
Before Show could recover, Seraph's tendrils of poison lashed out, striking his body again and again. The smog seeped into his wounds, spreading through his veins.
> Show (gasping): "Ngh—!"
Seraph raised his arm and unleashed a brutal strike, blasting Show back across the courtyard. He skidded to his knees, coughing violently, flames dying around him. His Rising Fire Mode shattered, leaving him in his base form, panting and poisoned.
Seraph stepped forward, savoring every moment.
> Seraph (laughing): "Pathetic. This is your Ancient Fire? A flickering candle about to be snuffed out."
Show tried to rise, but his arms shook. His knees gave way. He was falling.
---
The Light Awakens
Just as Seraph prepared to finish him—a sudden beam of radiant light shot across the battlefield, striking Seraph in the chest and knocking him back.
Everyone froze.
From the far side of the battlefield, a lone figure walked forward, surrounded by a blinding aura of white-gold light. His hair shimmered faintly in the glow, his steps calm, steady.
It was Raelyn.
Show's eyes widened, disbelief flooding his face.
> Show (weakly): "Raelyn…?"
The others gasped—Hibiki, Criss, Cyrus, Lily—all staring in shock.
Seraph narrowed his eyes, the first flicker of unease crossing his grin.
Raelyn raised his hand, light radiating from his palm like the dawn itself. His voice was calm but carried across the battlefield like a bell.
> Raelyn: "It seems… my time has come."
The students whispered in disbelief. Even Show, still struggling to rise, was speechless.
Raelyn's aura swelled, light expanding around him in waves. His body was enveloped in brilliance, shifting and reforming into a new form—a radiant ascension.
> Raelyn (shouting): "Ancient Radiant Magic…!"
The air itself seemed to hum with divine energy. The poison smog evaporated around him, chased away by the sheer purity of his light.
His form stabilized—armor of white-gold light clung to him, his hair glowing like threads of dawn, his eyes shining with radiant brilliance. His voice rang out like a declaration of fate:
> Raelyn: "Shining Radiance Mode!"
---
The Second Ancient Wizard
The entire battlefield went silent.
The students' jaws dropped. Hibiki was trembling. Lily's flowers bloomed uncontrollably. Even hardened fighters like Criss and Cyrus were speechless.
> Hibiki (shaking): "N-no way… another… Ancient Wizard?!"
Cyrus (clenching his fists): "All this time… he was hiding this power?!"
Show (in disbelief, whispering): "Raelyn… you… too?"
For the first time, Seraph's smirk faltered. His eyes narrowed, his hand tightening into a fist.
> Seraph (growling): "Impossible… TWO Ancient Wizards… in the same generation?!"
Raelyn slowly raised his bow of light, his aura flaring like the sun itself. His gaze never left Seraph.
> Raelyn (calm but firm): "You've taken enough from us. You will not harm my friends… my family… ever again."
He glanced briefly at Show, who managed a weak smile through his pain.
And then Raelyn's voice boomed across the battlefield:
> Raelyn: "From this moment… it's my turn."
He leveled his radiant bow at Seraph, who grit his teeth as the battlefield lit up in holy light.
The final battle shifted.
Raelyn vs. Seraph.
To be continued…
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