CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258: ANASTASIA VS NOEL

The crowd roared as the announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.

"Next match, Noel Thorne of the Imperial Academy of Valor... versus Anastasia de Ravienne of Luceria Grand Academy!"

Cheers erupted from the Valor side, Charlotte’s voice ringing the loudest. "Go, Noel!!! KILL HER!!" Elyra and Elena joined in with quieter encouragement, their voices calm but certain.

Anastasia stood at the far end, wand in hand. Her eyes locked on Noel as a faint smirk curved her lips. "Did you tell them?"

Noel frowned. "Tell them what?"

"That you cheated on them with the short-haired blue girl," she said, her tone sharp but casual, as if it were a known fact.

Noel’s brows drew together. "It’s not what you think. She’s just a friend. I’d never do something like that."

"Mm." Anastasia tilted her head slightly. "We’ll see."

They both raised their weapons — Noel gripping the black blade of Revenant Fang, Anastasia lifting her wand with practiced precision.

The signal horn blared.

Anastasia moved first.

"Aqua Pulse!" A jet of water burst from her wand, cutting through the air toward Noel. He shifted to the side, feeling the spray skim past him, and dashed forward to close the gap.

Noel swung Revenant Fang in a quick arc. "Fire Arc!" A sharp crescent of flame tore forward, forcing Anastasia to pivot and snap her wand toward him.

"Voltage Chain!" Lightning erupted from her spell, crackling through the air in jagged arcs. Noel twisted his body, the electric lash missing him by a hair’s breadth.

The crowd roared at the first clean exchange.

Noel pressed forward, steps quick and controlled, but Anastasia’s movements were just as fast — her wand flicked, redirecting smaller bursts of water to keep him from advancing too directly. Each strike and dodge was met with an equal counter, neither giving ground.

A sudden feint from Noel almost caught her — he brought Revenant Fang low, flames licking its edge, before abruptly pulling back when she raised her wand for another spell.

’Fast... she’s reading me as well as I’m reading her.’

The announcer’s voice rose above the clash. "What an opening! Fire and lightning against water and storm — neither is letting up!"

Anastasia’s wand flicked sharply. "Flow Step!" Her feet skimmed over the arena floor, water forming beneath each step, propelling her in a wide arc around Noel.

Noel turned with her movement, planting a hand against the ground. "Frost Wall!" A solid wall of ice surged upward in her path.

She didn’t slow. With a quick leap, she vaulted the obstacle, her wand cutting downward mid-air. "Waveslice!" A compressed blade of water magic shot toward him.

Noel swung Revenant Fang upward. "Ignition Surge!" Flames roared along the blade, meeting the water head-on. Steam exploded between them, masking their vision for a heartbeat.

From the stands, Charlotte’s voice cut through the noise. "Come on, Noel! Burn her down!"

Through the steam, Anastasia landed lightly, already aiming again. Noel pushed forward without hesitation, breaking through the mist with a horizontal slash. She parried with her wand, sparks of residual lightning snapping where steel met magical focus.

Their eyes met for just a moment — a silent acknowledgment. This wasn’t going to be won with simple exchanges.

Anastasia’s wand snapped toward him. "Aquabind!"

From the tip, streams of water lashed out, coiling into thick, rope-like whips. They wrapped around Noel’s arms, chest, and legs, tightening instantly. The cold bit into his skin as the bindings locked him in place, their grip like steel.

She didn’t waste a second. "Voltage Pulse!"

The water around him crackled violently as bolts of lightning surged through it. The shock tore through his muscles, arcs dancing across his frame in bright flashes. The smell of ozone filled the air as the current snapped against the black blade of Revenant Fang.

Gritting his teeth, Noel shifted his stance just enough to free his sword arm. "Chain Flash!"

A piercing bolt of lightning erupted from the blade, striking the arena floor between them before branching into three more arcs. The smaller bolts shot wide, whipping toward Anastasia’s flanks and rear.

"Riptide Spiral!"

She spun on her heel, water gushing upward around her and forming a swirling barrier. The arcs of lightning struck the outer layer, sending droplets spraying outward, but the vortex held firm. The shield turned with her, absorbing the impacts until the last crackle faded.

Noel tore free from the weakened bindings, surging forward with a wide horizontal slash. Flames ignited along Revenant Fang mid-swing — "Ignition Surge!" — the edge burning bright as he brought it down toward her.

Anastasia slid back in a smooth retreat, water flowing under her boots. "Flow Step!" The movement left a trail of rippling mana in her wake, carrying her out of reach.

Before Noel could close again, she cut her wand diagonally through the air. "Waveslice!" A sharp crescent of water shot forward, spinning rapidly like a sawblade.

Noel stepped into it and swung upward. "Fire Arc!" His blade released a curved wave of flame that met the incoming water strike. The two collided with a burst of steam, obscuring them both in a white shroud.

A flicker of movement came from the left — Anastasia bursting through the haze, wand aimed point-blank. "Voltage Chain!"

Crackling arcs lashed toward him. Noel twisted at the last moment, the electricity grazing his shoulder instead of striking full-on. He retaliated instantly, "Ice Spike!" Multiple jagged shards erupted from the ground beneath her.

Anastasia vaulted over them with a kick of her heel. "Flow Step!" She landed light on her feet, but Noel was already in motion, his sword sweeping low, trailing frost.

She blocked with the shaft of her wand, mana flaring as the clash rang out. Water splashed from the impact, and both fighters were driven back a step.

Noel’s stance lowered, his grip tightening. Mana surged around him, arcs of white-blue electricity racing along his frame. "Stormpiercer—"

Anastasia’s eyes narrowed as she raised her wand high, magic condensing into a spear of pure lightning at the tip. "Lightning Lance—"

The ground trembled faintly under the pressure of their gathering spells. Sparks and droplets mingled in the charged air between them. Both knew that the next heartbeat would decide who seized the momentum.

And then—