With the first battle out of the way, the next contestants took to the stage. The participants for this round were Yadour's human Fire mage, facing Rimor's Water mage. The dark horse of this tournament faces their biggest enemy. It was bound to be an interesting fight, with the contrasting elements.

*****

The air crackled with energy as the two mages faced each other on the battlefield. The fire mage from the Yadour Empire was tall and lean, with piercing green eyes and hair the color of flames. He wore a robe of red and gold.

The water mage from the Rimor Kingdom was shorter and stouter, with deep blue eyes and long, dark hair. He wore a flowing gown of shimmering blue and silver, adorned with intricate patterns that rippled like water.

The two mages circled each other warily, each searching for a weakness in the other's defenses. The tension between the two nations had reached its boiling point, and it was up to these mages to fight for their respective countries' futures.

The fire mage lifted his hand and quickly called out to the elements, a sudden burst of flames shot from his fingertips, leaving a trail of smoldering embers in its wake. The water mage was not slow either, he quickly countered, summoning a large wave of water that crashed into the flames, sending up clouds of steam and hissing smoke.

The fire mage's eyes glinted with fierce determination, while the water mage's expression was calm and calculating. It was then that suddenly, the fire mage launched himself forward, his hands blazing with fire as he utilized his impressive control over the elements. The water mage ducked and rolled to the side, summoning a wall of water to protect himself from the flames. The fire mage, not wanting to give him any respite quickly countered with a sudden massive fireball, which exploded against the wall, sending droplets of water raining down around them.

The two wizards continued to engage in combat, trading punches and counterattacks as their power clashed in a dance of light and black. While Rimor's mage unleashed torrents of water that surged and swirled around them, the fire mage conjured walls of flames that roared and crackled.

Both magicians were breathing laboriously as the seconds passed, and their robes and hair were covered in water and sweat. If he intended to prevail in this battle, the Yadour mage understood he had to act fast.

As the fire elements began to surround him, he raised his arms, sending heat shimmering through the air. The ground suddenly burst into a huge pillar of fire, sending a conflagration upward. The water mage's eyes dilated in shock but he soon regained his calm and called forth a wall of water to thwart the flames.

The fire mage waved his arms and commanded more fire elements to fuel his attack as his lips twisted into a vile sneer. Rimor mage's eyes widened in panic as the wall of water started to steam and hiss from the high heat. He was aware that time was of the essence if he was to survive.

He hastily lifted his hands, and a massive wave of water surged toward the fire mage, crashing into his wall of fire with a deafening roar. The fire mage staggered back, his wall of flames extinguished by the force of the water. The water mage took advantage of his momentary weakness, summoning a massive whirlpool that swallowed him up and spun him around like a toy.

The fire mage, however, was not one to give up so easily. With a fierce roar, he unleashed a massive burst of flames from his hands, igniting the water and causing it to boil and steam. The fire elements momentarily overpowered the water elements. Rimor's mage cried out in pain as the scorching water burned his skin, and he hastily struggled to escape from the whirlpool before he fell and slumped to the ground, his body wracked with pain.

Seeing that, the fire mage heaved a sigh of relief and raised his hand triumphally. The battle was won, and the crowd went wild. He turned around to face the royal booths, leaving his opponent to suffer alone.

Little did he know, however, that his victory would be short-lived. As he turned around to celebrate, a sudden water arrow struck him from behind, directly piercing his heart and slamming him into the ground dead. The water mage had summoned all his remaining strength to command the water elements to deliver one final blow, and it had been enough to take down his opponent.

And so the battle concluded with the death of the fire mage from Yadour.

*****

Back in the royal booths, when the water mage emerged victorious, the Rimor king let out a deep sigh of relief, his tense posture relaxing slightly. He knew that this would be a great victory for his kingdom, with this, they earned themselves another spot and further solidified their position, so he allowed himself a large smile of satisfaction.

However, the Yadour emperor's reaction, on the other hand, was quite different. He slammed his fist down on the armrest of his seat, his face twisted with anger and frustration. He had pinned all his hopes on the fire mage, and now that he had been defeated, he knew that this would be a crushing blow to his empire's pride and reputation.

The Rimor king glanced at him, his face turning grave and thoughtful. He knew that this victory would not be without consequences and that the tensions between their two nations would only continue to escalate. Not to mention the other countries that were vying for them. It was not all that good to stick out, either.

*****

I watched the battle unfold from my seat atop the platform, my eyes keenly trained on the two mages below. I was truly impressed by the power and skill they showcased.

Their control over the mana elements was vastly below mine, so much so that it was simply not worth mentioning, but I could still sense the raw talent within them. It was clear that they had not had a very long time to get their powers under control, yet they had managed to wield them with impressive precision and force. The power of the mana elements was not something that could be easily tamed, which made their feats all the more impressive.

As the battle came to its fateful conclusion, I let out a rumbling growl of approval. Although I knew that the conflict between the two nations would only continue to escalate, I could not help but smile when I thought back to the sheer skill and determination of the two mages. The battle was fun!