The crowd's roar still shook the walls, but in the entrance tunnel, another sound prevailed.
The sound of rapid footsteps and healers shouting.
"Clear the way! Emergency!"
"Low consciousness level! Third-degree mana burns!"
The medical team ran fast with a floating magical stretcher. Green healing magic light flickered in the semi-dark tunnel.
Maria, waiting for her turn to fight, seeing the situation, stepped forward and blocked their way.
Her gaze locked on the person lying on the stretcher.
Arthur.
His white and gold noble uniform was black and torn. The light armor on his chest had melted from the "Plasma" heat, and faint steam rose from it. His face, which always had a warm smile, was now pale and lifeless as cold ash.
The head healer shouted:
"Move, girl! We have to get him to the infirmary!"
Maria stayed where she was, fingers curling around the stretcher's edge.
Arthur, as if sensing Maria's presence through the fog of pain, opened his heavy eyelids with difficulty. His blue eyes were dull and listless.
He raised his trembling, burnt hand and grabbed Maria's sleeve.
"Maria..."
His voice was like the rustling of dry leaves.
Maria bent down and brought her face close.
"Shhh... don't talk."
Arthur swallowed with difficulty. A cold tear rolled from the corner of his eye, leaving a track on the soot of his face.
"Sorry... couldn't... keep the promise I made. We were supposed to... in the finals..."
A lump choked him. The Academy Sun had been extinguished under Damian's heavy shadow.
Maria squeezed Arthur's cold hand in hers. Transferred the little warmth of her hand to him.
"You fought well, Arthur. You broke his guard. Something no one else could do."
"But I lost..."
"Rest. I've got it from here."
Hearing this, as if the burden of responsibility was lifted from his shoulders, Arthur closed his eyes and his hand went limp.
The healers moved the stretcher again and hurried away.
Maria stood and watched them go until they disappeared around the corner.
Then, She pivoted toward the bright entrance of the arena field.
Where Damian was still there, leaving the ground with pride.
Maria's face changed.
The calm in her eyes was gone and turned cold. Colder than the ice of the Northern Lands.
Her jaw locked.
Damian hadn't just defeated an opponent; he had humiliated Maria's friend.
Maria clenched her fists. The creak of her leather gloves was heard.
She whispered to herself:
"The sun has set... but the night isn't yours yet, Damian."
She turned and went toward the locker room.
Now, this wasn't just a fight anymore.
Maria planted her feet firmly in the field. A cold wind whipped around her.
Her opponent, Elizabeth from Class A, was a tall girl with platinum blonde hair and a cold, emotionless face. She held her long crystal staff like a spear.
The referee lowered his hand.
"Begin!"
Elizabeth didn't move even a step. She just slammed her staff violently on the ground.
"Ice Age!"
Suddenly, The warm, dusty ground transformed instantly. A thick layer of blue, polished ice started from Elizabeth's feet with incredible speed and covered the entire field in a fraction of a second like a wave of cold.
Maria, who had bent her knees for her speed technique, was caught off guard.
She lost her balance. Her feet slipped on the slippery surface, and she had to put her hand on the frozen ground to avoid falling on her face.
Damn... zero friction. Can't use 'Mana Burst'. If I try to run, I'll slip.
Elizabeth laughed. Her voice was like breaking icicles. She stood in the center of the field, her boots locked to the ice.
"What happened, Strategist? Little mouse can't run?"
Elizabeth twirled her staff in the air. The moisture in the air froze. Sharp, shiny ice spears hovered around her.
"Ice Rain!"
The spears fired.
Maria had no choice but to roll on the ice. Control was hard. Her body slid involuntarily.
Rip!
One spear tore the sleeve of her tactical suit and scratched her arm.
Crack!
Another spear hit the ground right next to her ear and shattered. Ice shards cut her face.
She was trapped in the corner of the field. Every move to escape ended in slipping. She had to activate her second wristband and hold a small mana shield in front of her face.
Energy loss... keep this up and I lose.
Her reflection shimmered in the polished ice.
Ice. No grip.
A spark ignited in her mind. A memory from her previous life came before her eyes, winter holidays ice skating with Erika (her cousin).
If I can't run... then I'll slide.
Maria reached into her pouch. Picked up one of her handmade metal spheres and threw it with all her might in front of Elizabeth's feet.
BOOM!
An explosion of white light and thick smoke blinded Elizabeth's vision.
Elizabeth screamed:
"Think hiding will save you?! I'll bombard the whole field!"
While Elizabeth fired spears blindly around, Maria drew her daggers from the sheaths on her back.
Mana Edge.
The dagger blades glowed with blue light.
With a quick move, Maria reversed the daggers. She thrust their vibrating blades forcefully into the thick heels of her boots.
The etched circuits in her heels cracked and died, but they weren't needed anymore because Mana Burst was useless on slippery ice.
Now she had two metal blades under her feet.
She'd just built herself skates—razor-edged.
Maria stood up. Balancing on the thin blades was hard, but the muscle memory of her previous life came to her aid.
A push against the edge of the ice... and she moved.
The speed she picked up was terrifying. Much faster than running.
She rushed like lightning on ice toward the cloud of smoke.
The sound of metal dragging on ice created a continuous, terrifying noise:
SCRREEEEEEECH!
Elizabeth heard something approaching but expected the sound of thudding footsteps, not this continuous, sharp hissing sound.
"Where are you?!"
The smoke split.
Maria burst out of the steam like a ghost.
When she reached Elizabeth, she didn't brake.
She lowered her body and slid on the frozen ground. Extended her right leg and, with her shin, delivered a heavy, sweeping blow to Elizabeth's ankle.
Thud!
Elizabeth's leg was swept out from under her. The arrogant mage slammed hard onto the solid ice on her side, the wind knocked out of her.
Before she could lift her staff, she felt a heavy weight on her chest.
Maria had jumped on her.
She had no dagger in her hand (because they were under her feet), but she raised the sharp blade under her shoe and held it right under Elizabeth's chin.
Maria was panting. White steam came out of her mouth, and her eyes shone with the excitement of battle.
"Checkmate."
Elizabeth stared with widened eyes at the dagger blade sticking out of the shoe heel. She felt the coldness of the metal on her throat.
She shivered.
Raised her hand in surrender.
"I... I yield."
The bell rang.
Elizabeth's magic ice began to melt and evaporate.
The referee raised Maria's hand and shouted:
"Winner and second finalist... Maria Alessandra!"
The crowd went wild. They had never seen such a fighting style.
But Maria didn't smile. Didn't raise her fist.
She immediately turned her head and looked at the participants' box.
Where Damian stood.
Damian was leaning against the railing. He wasn't surprised, nor scared.
There was a smile on his lips; a smile that said: "Finally, real entertainment."
Damian raised his index finger and curled it toward himself.
Come.
Maria took a deep breath.
Put her hand on her wristbands. Their warmth had decreased.
One of my wristbands is completely empty. My right leg is bruised. I'm tired.
She fixed her gaze on Damian, who hadn't shed even a drop of sweat.
But he... is fresh and healthy.
Maria didn't look away.
Tomorrow would decide. She didn't intend to kneel.
Cold wind twisted in her hair, plunging the field into silence in anticipation of tomorrow's final battle.