Chapter 27: Lightning and Darkness
The arena shook beneath their feet.
Cracks spread across the stone floor.
Dust drifted into the air.
Kai stood motionless.
Lightning danced around his body like countless silver serpents.
Crackle...
Crackle...
The mana pressure alone made several first-year students step backward.
One of them swallowed nervously.
"...Is that really first-year mana?"
A second-year shook his head.
"I've seen some third-years with less pressure."
Professor Adrian frowned.
"They're pushing the limits already..."
---
Kai slowly lifted his wooden sword.
Blue-white lightning wrapped around the blade.
It hummed with destructive energy.
Vee looked at it.
Then looked at his own plain wooden sword.
He sighed dramatically.
"...Mine looks poor."
The crowd laughed.
Kai remained silent.
"You done talking?"
Vee smiled.
"I've got a lifetime subscription."
Kai disappeared.
BOOM!
The stone beneath him exploded.
He reappeared directly in front of Vee.
Lightning exploded outward.
CLANG!
The impact sent Vee skidding across the arena.
His shoes carved two deep lines into the stone.
"So fast!"
Leon exclaimed.
Vee steadied himself.
His hands tingled.
"That hurt."
Kai attacked again.
One strike.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
The arena echoed with nonstop collisions.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Every strike became heavier than the last.
---
"I can't keep defending forever..."
Vee took a deep breath.
Dark mana flowed from his body.
Black mist spread around his feet.
It hissed as it touched the arena floor, leaving faint marks in the stone.
Students stared in amazement.
"Darkness affinity..."
"It's terrifying."
Kai didn't hesitate.
He swung.
Vee answered.
Their affinities collided.
Lightning flashed.
Darkness swallowed it for a brief moment before exploding apart.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave blasted through the arena.
The audience covered their faces from the dust.
---
Kai attacked from above.
Vee blocked.
Kai spun and kicked him backward.
Vee slid several meters.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"You're stronger than before."
Kai answered immediately.
"So are you."
Vee laughed.
"...Did you just compliment me?"
Kai's expression didn't change.
"No."
"Oh."
"I'll pretend you did."
---
Kai rushed forward once more.
This time—
Lightning burst from his sword.
A streak of blue shot toward Vee.
Vee raised his left hand.
Golden light bloomed around him.
The light absorbed most of the attack.
The remaining force pushed him backward, but the burns on his arm began healing almost instantly.
Gasps filled the arena.
"He can heal himself?!"
Professor Selene stood from her seat.
"His Light affinity..."
"...it's activating naturally."
Headmaster Orion watched quietly.
His eyes never left the battlefield.
---
Kai frowned for the first time.
"So..."
"You can recover."
Vee shrugged.
"It saves me a lot on medical bills."
Even while exchanging blows...
He still found time to joke.
Kai lunged again.
Vee dodged.
Countered.
Blocked.
The duel became faster and faster.
The crowd could barely follow them anymore.
All they could see were flashes of black...
Gold...
And blue lightning.
---
Minutes passed.
Both boys were breathing heavily.
Their uniforms were torn.
Bruises covered their arms.
Neither had any intention of yielding.
Kai's lightning crackled wildly.
Vee's darkness became denser.
The pressure grew so intense that weaker students could hardly breathe.
Professor Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"This is enough."
Headmaster Orion slowly shook his head.
"Not yet."
"They're still in control."
---
Kai lowered his stance.
Mana surged around him.
The lightning condensed around his sword until it looked like a blade made entirely of electricity.
Vee felt the danger immediately.
"He's going to finish this with one attack..."
He smiled.
"...Guess I can't lose now."
Darkness gathered around his right hand.
Light gathered around his left.
The two opposite affinities slowly merged around his blade without touching.
The entire arena trembled.
Students instinctively backed away.
Leon whispered,
"...What is he doing?"
Aurelia stared in disbelief.
"I don't know..."
"...but it can't be normal."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
For the first time...
He looked genuinely surprised.
---
The two rivals slowly raised their swords.
Lightning screamed through the air.
Darkness and light swirled around Vee like twin dragons.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Professor Adrian's expression changed.
"...Headmaster."
"I know."
Headmaster Orion took one step forward.
The pressure from both students continued rising.
If those attacks collided...
Half the arena would disappear.
Kai's sword pointed toward Vee.
Vee smiled.
"You know..."
Kai remained silent.
"I still think we'd make pretty good friends."
Kai answered without hesitation.
"...Win first."
Vee laughed.
"Fair enough."
Both vanished at the exact same instant.
The arena exploded with blinding light.
BOOOOOOOOM!
To be continued...