A terrifying spectacle was unfolding in the heart of the coliseum — a clash between two elemental titans, Greg and Dante.

    Both were natural elementalists and bitter rivals: one wielding the volatile might of lightning, the other commanding the unyielding strength of earth.

    Spectators sat at the edge of their seats, unable to tear their eyes away. Just when one fighter seemed to gain the upper hand, the tides would shift in a breathtaking reversal.

    At that moment, Greg found himself ensnared — trapped within an earth mound, his legs bound tightly by hardened soil. He appeared immobilized… until he wasn''t.

    With a furious surge of power, Greg shattered the mound in a blinding flash of lightning, dust erupting around him.

    ''Impossible!'' Dante''s thoughts raced as his construct lunged forward. ''No lightning mage should be able to break free of that! Earth counters lightning! So how... how did he—?''

    The ground trembled with each heavy step of Dante''s massive earth golem charging at Greg.

    But Greg stood unfazed. With a mere glance and a wave of his hand, a bolt of lightning thundered from the sky, obliterating the construct in a flash of brilliant white light. The golem collapsed into a heap of dirt and rubble.

    "Now," Greg said, his voice cold and laced with menace, white eyes crackling with lightning, "I dare you to repeat what you said earlier."

    "You''ve just broken through…" Dante growled, his voice low but resolute. "Then it''s only fair I do the same."

    Greg scoffed. "Tsk. Like that''ll scare me."

    In a blink, he vanished, lightning surging beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a bolt from the heavens.

    "Oh, you should be scared," Dante muttered, slamming his foot down. The ground responded with a violent upheaval — a massive pillar erupted beneath Greg''s path.

    Greg zigzagged through the arena, but the earth pillar pursued, twisting midair like a serpent. Before he could react, it curled and slammed into his face with brutal force, sending him crashing down.

    The moment he hit the ground, another spike of earth launched upward, smashing into his back and hurling him across the arena in a spray of blood.

    Above him, a massive boulder materialized — its shadow falling over him like a death sentence. Greg''s eyes widened.

    "Damn!" he growled. In a split-second motion, he spun, his foot crashing into the boulder and shattering it into pebbles. Then—

    Bang!

    He streaked forward like a lightning-struck ghost and, in less than a second, delivered a raw bolt of lightning directly into Dante''s chest.

    Dante flew backward, tumbling across the earth as the impact sent tremors through the arena.

    "Shit… kuk!" Dante coughed violently, blood and dirt spilling from his lips. Pain radiated through his limbs, paralyzing him temporarily.

    ''That damned stun effect… it''s the worst thing about lightning mages!'' Dante winced as Greg stalked toward him, electricity wrapping around his fists like coiled serpents.

    Greg''s body blurred again with a sonic crack, but just before impact, an earth wall surged up, absorbing his lightning strike.

    A pillar followed, erupting beneath him, but Greg twisted and leapt backward, blood trailing from his lips.

    "Impressive," Dante said, standing tall. A scratch marred his cheek as he wiped it clean. "Lightning naturally alters the body—makes you faster. Add control over lightning movement, and your speed becomes insane."

    Greg didn''t reply, but the sparks around him intensified.

    "But now that you''ve broken through, your speed is legendary. Tracking your movement is nearly impossible." As Dante spoke, the ground quaked beneath him.

    Stone enveloped his limbs, torso, arms — an earthen armor that molded perfectly to his form. It wasn''t bulky like traditional golems; it was sleek, a second skin of stone.

    He smirked. "Let''s see whose strength reigns supreme!"

    With a burst of power, Dante charged forward, propelled by earth magic, matching Greg''s earlier speed.

    "You''re on!" Greg answered, vanishing into a blur of light.

    They met at the center of the arena. Dante''s earth-clad fist collided with Greg''s crackling knuckles.

    Boom!

    The collision unleashed a delayed shockwave that rippled across the coliseum. The ground fractured in every direction, debris lifting into the air from the sheer force.

    "Woah! How the hell is the earth mage that fast?!"

    "Exactly! He wasn''t like that before!"

    ''Tsk. They don''t know he''s manipulating earth beneath his feet to propel himself faster,'' Grey observed silently from the stands, arms folded, eyes sharp.

    "Too slow!" Greg barked as he blurred in every direction — front, back, sides — cracking the arena floor and leaving blurs and afterimages behind.

    Bang!

    He reappeared behind Dante, conjuring a lightning spear and hurling it at breakneck speed.

    But Dante didn''t flinch. "More like you''re the slowpoke." An earth wall shot up just in time. The spear crashed into it, shaking the ground violently.

    "Screw you!" Greg snarled. Leaping back, fifty lightning arrows spiraled around him, forming a glowing constellation.

    With a snap of his fingers, they launched.

    Dante raised another wall, which shattered under impact, but it gave him just enough time to dodge. The ground cracked and smoked behind him.

    "Earth Magic: Scythes of Death!" Dante roared.

    Fifty jagged scythes of rock exploded toward Greg.

    "Lightning Creation Magic: Lightning Serpent!" Greg responded. A radiant serpent of electricity appeared, its eyes glowing bright, fangs bared. It opened its maw, unleashing a tidal wave of lightning at the scythes.

    The two attacks collided with cataclysmic force. The arena trembled. Lightning danced across the sky while scorched chunks of earth rained down.

    "How are you this strong?!" Dante demanded, panting, eyes narrowed.

    Greg''s serpent launched a barrage of bolts, which Dante barely dodged.

    "You want to know why?" Greg growled, lightning flaring violently. "Because I push past my limits every single day! And today is no different!"

    He slammed his foot down. The ground beneath him cracked violently, forming a crater.

    Then, with speed akin to light itself, Greg pounced. He struck Dante with a bolt so pure and powerful that the older student flew like a ragdoll, skidding and crashing.

    Before Greg could celebrate, another pillar slammed into his jaw, flipping him backward and sending him skidding across the dirt.

    Both fighters lay still momentarily. Blood streamed down Greg''s face, painting half of it crimson. Yet he gritted his teeth and stood, swaying but defiant.

    Dante, protected slightly by his armor, also stood, bloodied but breathing.

    "Do you realize I''m number two among the third years?!" Dante yelled, the earth shaking beneath him. "How dare you try to injure me?!"

    "Oh yeah?!" Greg snapped. His lightning serpent coiled around Dante''s arm and dragged him through the air.

    ''This will drain everything... but I don''t care!'' Greg roared in his mind. His arm trembled as he summoned an overwhelming surge of lightning, pain wracking his body.

    Dante struggled as the serpent shocked and dragged him rapidly toward Greg.

    "I''m also…" Greg grunted, eyes glowing, "I''m also number two of the second year students!"

    He thrust his electrified fist forward just as Dante reached him. Their collision unleashed a shockwave so powerful, it formed a crater like a miniature well beneath their feet.

    Dante''s armor shattered as his body launched backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

    Bang!

    Crack!

    Shatter!

    His body smashed into the protective earth surrounding his team''s crystal — and shattered it on impact. The fragments rained down as his body hit the floor, unmoving.

    Greg, his lightning aura dissipating, collapsed next. The serpent vanished in a final flicker. He hit the ground with a hard thud, unconscious. Sёar?h the Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    For a long moment, silence reigned.

    "Impossible… This is so unbelievable…" Captain Amir finally said, his voice echoing in the stunned silence.

    "It''s a draw between the two teams!" he declared. "Charlotte destroyed the second-years'' crystal at the same time Dante''s body crushed the third-years''!"

    A stunned murmur swept across the crowd. The clash had ended — not with victory, but with equal devastation.

    ___

    {A/N}

    Alright, there we have it guys! The battle between the team A''s has just ended????

    On to the next thing. Please drop your thoughts on this tournament so far.