“Will the last member of each team make their way to the arena.” Calling for the final match up, the announcer got ready to start the fight.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make it into the next round!” Class 2’s Elaria comforted the worried looking Daeharice.

“Hmph. This won’t take long.” Círdan said.

The two walked to their starting positions before getting into their combat stances.

“Now we will begin the third round of the third match. Please begin.” The announcer said before Círdan immediately dashed towards Elaria with his grips on his axes tightening. He slung his arm back and sent a powerful flame induced swing towards Elaria’s face.

“A swing that lacks conviction has no hope of touching me.” Elaria said before hoisting her shield up and blocking his swing. Pushing against the axe, she forced Círdan back several steps before firing off a wind blade in his direction.

Crossing his axes in front of him, he sent out two cross shaped wind blades towards the incoming one in an attempt to block it.

Shit!

Unfortunately, Elaria had a higher mastery over the law of air so her wind blade easily tore through his own and clashed against his axes.

“URGHHH!”

Círdan was sent flying through the air at an incredible speed, only barley managing to regain his footing! Everyone in the audience widened their eyes in shock. How could such a basic slash that lacked technique or grace generate such force?! The one responsible for this looked towards her opponent with a heroic smile dawning on her face. “How does a swing packed with nothing more than my resolve feel?” In that slash she didn’t hold back in the slightest! It was her personal belief that a mage knight should never look down on her opponent no matter how weak they may appear outwardly. From her body a heroic aura burst out, making the audience want to cheer for her.

Círdan, who was currently regaining his balance in the distance, grit his teeth in anger as rage started to boil up inside of him. She’s look down on me! You smug bitch I’ll show you what I’m capable of! A slight trace of madness shone in his eyes as he gathered the wind element onto his body.

Dashing towards the heroic looking Elaria, he brandished his axes. Lets see if you can still smile after this!

Seeing him closing in, Elaria smile turned serious as she raised her guard in preparation of meeting his attack.

*BOOM!*

Crashing into her shield, Círdan mercilessly rained down blow after blow. Before she got the chance to swipe back with her shield, Elaria discovered that Círdan had already backed away. Charging back at her, he repeated the same style of hit and run tactics slowly becoming more and more aggressive after each retreat.

Seeing her opponent refusing to fight her in a straight forward manner, Elaria lowered her shield slightly. Opting to change into a more defensive stance. peaking over shield she was met with Círdan’s cruel smile smeared across his face. What’s he up to?

Seeing him close in on her, she covered her sword in flames and swiped it towards her opponent.

“Hmph” Avoiding the flame slash Círdan threw one of his war axes at her.

*CLANG*

Blocking the axe with her shield, Elaria realised that her opponent was nowhere to be seen. Above her an elf surrounded by a numerous amount of fireballs shot down towards the confused swordswoman.

*BANG!!*

*BANG!!*

*BANG!!*

Several fireballs bombarded her shield as she felt a sudden weight land on top of it. Before she even realised what had happened, the weight suddenly disappeared. Backflipping off her shield, Círdan landed in front of her and delivered a fire enhanced kick to her undefended midriff.

*BOOM!!*

The force behind the kick sent her flying like an arrow being released from a bow. Her body travelled quite the distance before she managed to use the law of air to help soften her impact with the ground.

“URGH” *cough* *cough*

Coughing out a mouthful of blood, Elaria grimaced in pain as she felt her stomach sting with a fiery sensation. Looking down at her midriff area, she saw that Círdan’s flame covered kick had partly burned through her clothes and landed directly on the skin. Kneeling on one leg, she forced herself to stand. Taking in several deep breaths she calmed her mind and tried to understand her situation.

In the distance a gleeful Círdan stood watching the kneeling Elaria. Told you, you wouldn’t be smiling for long.

Summoning a ball of water, she applied it to the area that the pain originated from. The cooling sensation allowed her mind to relax slightly as she shifted her focus back on her opponent.

Tightening her grip on her sword, she slowly walked towards Círdan. Not to long after, her walking evolved into a jog and then into a sprint, and now a charge towards the distant Círdan.

*CLANG CLANG*

*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*

*CLANG! CLANG!*

Dodging and parrying, parrying and dodging. Axe and sword clashed against each other as both mage knights tried their best to outdo the other.

Missing his 2nd war axe, Círdan relied on his power and aggression to stave off Elaria. Fuelled with the law of fire his attacks were monstrous and would be devastating if they landed.

Elaria on the other hand relied on the law of air to increase her attack speed and enhance her reflexes in order to avoid Círdan’s flaming axe. Now that she no longer had her shield for defence, she felt vulnerable.

“Stop dodging and fight me properly!” Círdan let out an enraged snarl.

*Fwoosh!*

Ducking under his axe, Elaria swung upwards at his chin. “If you had any real skill you wouldn’t complain about your opponent’s movements, you’d fix your own.”

*CLANK!*

Deflecting his axe strike, she gathered a ball of water in her left hand. Hopefully this works.

Agitated by her words Círdan swung his axe more aggressively, blinded by rage. You damn bitch! You think you still have a chance!

Stamping his foot on the ground he summoned a large earth spike beneath her feet.

What a generic move. Easily dodging the giant earth spike, she was not impressed. Throwing the ball of water at him, she transformed it into a ball of ice mid-air.

*SLASH!*

*BOOM!*

Cutting the ice ball with his axe, Círdan was surprised when it exploded in front of him and surrounded him in mist. Summoning the wind element around him, he blew away the all encompassing fog. “Did you really think something so pathetic could stop me!”

*FWOOSH!*

Behind him the sound of air being ripped sounded out.

*BANG!*

Feeling a large object make contact with his back, sending him stumbling forward.

“Stop you? No, but stall you, Yes.” Standing behind him holding her shield was the heroic Elaria. After using the ice mist to block out his vision, she used the wind element to get her shield back. In the attack just now she could have ended the fight if she used her sword. But attacking an enemy from behind would go against her core principles. That’s why she chose to shield bash him instead of stabbing him.

“Get up! We’re not done yet.” Now that she had her shield back, Elaria felt her confidence return to her.

“ARGHHHHHHHHH” Screaming at the top of his lungs, Círdan’s eyes turned bloodshot as he charged towards Elaria without the grace of a mage knight.

Controlling her breathing, she calmly watched as the enraged Círdan charged at her. She firmly planted her feet onto the ground and got into a stance that would make it easy for her to dodge. Looking in front of her she could see the fiery intensity in his eyes.

When he finally reached in front of her he enforced the axe with the law of fire as he swung at her with the intent to kill. The power behind the swing would easily tear through steel let alone a neck.

Yet, Elaria didn’t panic in the least.

She took a step forward and ducked below the axe swing, she then immediately performed a shield bash on the unguarded Círdan causing him to recoil back.

*Bam!*

Not giving him the chance to find his balance, she immediately followed up by swinging her sword upwards forming a wind blade that collided with his chest and blew him off his feet. Before he landed on the ground, she enhanced herself with the law of air and appeared above him holding her shield with both hands.

*BANG!!!*

Slamming her shield down on his stomach, she knocked all the air out of his body once he collided with the floor. For a couple of seconds his body spasmed before his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Seeing him pass out, Elaria felt a breath of relief escape her mouth. “Phew” wiping the sweat off her forehead she felt like her body was made of jelly. Sitting on the ground she waited for the announcer to call the match.

“Winner Class 2”

Haha with our resolve there was no way wouldn’t win.

…

In the distance Daeharice felt uncomfortable watching the match. Not because he was worried about that Círdan guy or anything. No, it was because he knew that even though he and Chasianna were stronger than Elaria, if she were to ever abandoned her principles during a fight she would become an opponent that he didn’t have confidence in defeating. This match only further reminded him of that fact even more. There we plenty of times during the match where she could have defeated Círdan if she chose to fight dirty. It was those principals of hers that were holding back her full potential. She had a strategic mind that adapted to any situation she was in. What made it even more terrifying is that she didn’t use the element she had the greatest affinity with: earth.