TBATE: PRIMORDIAL ASCENSION

Chapter 28: DC vs SC-(I)

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:

As the teams finalized their preparations, the air buzzed with anticipation. The students on the sidelines chattered excitedly, eager to witness the clash between the Disciplinary Committee (DC) and the Student Council (SC).

Professor Glory, now back on her Flare Hawk, raised her hand to signal the start of the battle. "Alright, students! Remember, this is not just a fight, but a test of your teamwork, strategy, and skills. Treat this as a real battle, but with respect for your opponents." 

"LET THE MATCH COMMENCE!"

The moment her hand dropped, signaling the start, both teams sprang into action.

I, the designated "King," positioned myself slightly behind Curtis, Claire, and Gawain, who formed a protective formation around him. Curtis, mounted on his bond, wielded his dual swords with the ease of a trained swordsman, while Claire infused her body with fire and lightning mana, her rapier shimmering in the light. Gawain hefted his broadsword, ready to intercept any threat.

I unsheathed Dawn's Ballad, its blade catching the light. Claire whistled in appreciation. "That's a beautiful sword you have there, Arthur," she remarked, her eyes on the weapon.

Taking this as a moment of distraction, Tessia shot a wind spell toward us, but Claire quickly spun intercepting it, and advanced towards Tessia. Clive also separated from the group and shot a long-ranged wind spell, trying to lure me, but Curtis went after him blocking the attack. 

Gawain didn't wait and went directly after Elijah, and finally, I was left with Lucas.

I saw Lucas calmly waiting for me, his face twisted into a haughty sneer that seemed to say 'I don't need to get ready for you.' Whether it was at the Dire Tombs or even now, Lucas' arrogance had no limit. I still remember when he betrayed us by using us as live bait so he could escape. Even then, he had the same sneer he had now.

Soaring up ahead, I felt Professor Glory's keen eyes studying me as I closed the gap between us. I took a deep breath and blocked out everything else. As far as I was concerned, this was a fight between Lucas and me. Narrowing my eyes in utmost concentration, I used [Zephyr Step], a spell I had learned from watching Jasmine's training with Mistral, and closed the distance between us. 

Once Lucas was within the radius of my sword, I released a small amount of killing intent on him, seemingly paralyzing him, as his eyes widened in horror. Immediately, he released [Inferno Cloak], a spell designed to protect the caster, and a very popular spell among the fire conjurers, but since he cast this spell in a short amount of time, this would result in a large consumption of his mana. 

Perfect! This is exactly what I had intended, exhausting him of his mana slowly and destroying his arrogance in front of all these students would be more humiliating than instantly defeating him. 

[Stone Fist] [Oxygen Redirect]

As I closed the distance between us, I infused earth mana into my hand, forming a solid layer of rock. Then, I wrapped it with wind mana to create an oxygen-less barrier, designed to shield my hand from the intense heat of Lucas's [Inferno Cloak].

With my preparations complete, I struck Lucas's torso with my enhanced fist. The impact was powerful, the rock layer absorbing the brunt of the flames while the oxygen-less barrier ensured that my attack would bypass his fiery defense. Lucas's eyes widened in shock as my fist collided with his midsection, the force propelling him backward and sending him crashing into the ground about five meters away.

Lucas's vision was obscured by his own spell's flames, and he hadn't anticipated that my attack would penetrate his [Inferno Cloak]. He lay on the ground, momentarily stunned and disoriented.