CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 259: ANASTASIA VS NOEL, PART II

"Stormpiercer—"

"Lightning Lance—"

Both voices rang out almost in unison.

Noel’s body became a conduit of pure lightning, arcs crawling across his arms and shoulders, the black edge of Revenant Fang glowing under the strain of compressed mana. The ground beneath his feet cracked as the energy coiled tighter and tighter.

Anastasia’s wand blazed with condensed light, the tip forming a spear of blinding electricity. Threads of water magic swirled around her ankles, grounding her stance, stabilizing the lethal charge.

They moved at the same time.

Noel launched forward, the world blurring into streaks of color. Stormpiercer’s force dragged the air into a narrow tunnel of light, the sound of it slicing space drowned beneath the deafening crackle.

Anastasia thrust her wand, the Lightning Lance tearing forward with a high-pitched shriek.

They met dead-center in the arena.

The collision was instant and overwhelming, a blinding flash that washed the world in white. The roar of impact hit a split second later, a thunderclap that rattled every bone in the stands. Lightning and water exploded outward, the heat of the clash instantly turning droplets to steam.

The shockwave rippled through the arena, scattering loose debris, making banners whip violently against their poles. The air tasted of metal and ozone.

Through the haze, the two figures strained against each other’s power — Noel’s blade locked against the spear of lightning, both shrouded in violent arcs and spirals of steam. Sparks erupted at every inch where the two forces met.

For a fraction of a second, the clash seemed evenly matched. Then, Stormpiercer surged forward, forcing the Lightning Lance back inch by inch.

Anastasia’s boots slid across the wet arena floor as she poured more mana into her spell, the water around her churning violently. Noel’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on Revenant Fang, arcs of electricity snapping wildly from his shoulders to the ground.

The moment the balance threatened to break entirely, a golden shimmer flashed between them — the tournament’s protective ward activating. It pulsed once, forming a translucent barrier that absorbed the excess force before it could connect directly.

The light of both spells shattered against it, dispersing into harmless motes that floated away on the hot air.

Both combatants staggered back, breathing hard, the arena erupting into cheers at the sheer scale of the exchange.

Steam hung heavy over the arena, drifting lazily before being torn apart by the currents of magic still lingering from the clash. The ground between Noel and Anastasia was a mess of scorched stone and shallow puddles, black lines of burn marks intersecting with jagged cracks.

Noel’s boots scraped against the floor as he steadied his stance. His breaths came sharp but controlled, the hum of residual mana still running along his arms. Across from him, Anastasia straightened, brushing a wet strand of hair from her face, her wand already rising back into guard position.

She moved first. "Flow Step!"

Water surged under her feet, propelling her forward in a low glide that cut through the steam.

Noel snapped his free hand out. "Frost Wall!"

A thick sheet of ice burst up from the arena floor, intercepting her charge. The impact splashed water outward as Anastasia vaulted over the wall, wand slashing downward. "Waveslice!"

Noel’s sword met the incoming strike with a burst of fire. "Ignition Surge!" Flames roared along Revenant Fang, cutting through the watery blade and sending a spray of steam between them.

They closed to striking range. Steel and wand clashed in a flurry — Noel’s slashes quick and deliberate, Anastasia’s counters sharp and precise. Sparks burst from the contact points, brief flashes of fire and lightning flashing in rhythm with their strikes.

Anastasia slid to the side, her feet gliding once more over a thin layer of summoned water. "Voltage Chain!"

A web of crackling lightning snapped toward Noel. He ducked under the first arc, pivoting around it, and countered with a horizontal cut aimed at her flank. She deflected with a firm sweep of her wand, the mana discharge snapping like a whip between them.

Both retreated a few paces, circling in the open space. The crowd’s cheers swelled again, sensing that the tempo had shifted from cautious exchanges to relentless offense.

Anastasia’s chest rose and fell with quick breaths, but her eyes stayed locked on him. Neither was willing to slow down now — every second of hesitation could decide the match.

Anastasia flicked her wand sharply. "Aquabind!"

Streams of water shot from the arena floor, twisting upward like living ropes. They snaked toward Noel, tightening with each heartbeat.

Noel pivoted on his heel. "Flare Trap!"

A red sigil burst to life beneath her feet. In the same instant, a column of fire roared upward, forcing her to leap back, severing her control over the bindings. The whips of water splashed uselessly onto the ground.

Noel didn’t give her space to recover. "Chain Flash!"

A searing bolt of lightning erupted from Revenant Fang, splitting into three smaller arcs that curved toward her from different angles.

"Riptide Spiral!"

Anastasia spun in place, summoning a dense vortex of water to shield herself. The first two arcs shattered against it, sparks skimming off the surface, but the third slipped through a gap in the rotation, striking her shoulder. She staggered a step, the smell of scorched fabric rising from where it hit.

Noel advanced immediately, each step measured, forcing her to keep retreating. Revenant Fang swung in a low horizontal slash, she parried, but the impact forced her wand arm wide.

"Fire Arc!" A curved wave of flame followed the sword’s path, rushing toward her midsection. Anastasia skated backward with "Flow Step!", the flames licking the edges of her uniform but missing a clean hit.

Her breathing was quicker now, each motion a touch less crisp than before. The repeated bursts of high-output magic were taking their toll.

Noel circled to his right, forcing her closer to the arena’s edge. She fired another "Voltage Chain!", but his blade swept it aside with a trail of sparks.

From the stands, Charlotte’s voice pierced the noise. "Keep pushing, Noel!"

Noel didn’t look her way, but his next attack came faster — a rising slash laced with frost, followed immediately by a downward cut engulfed in flames. Anastasia blocked the first, barely sidestepped the second, but her footing faltered.

The shift in momentum was clear now. Anastasia’s defenses were holding, but only just. Noel kept the pressure, each exchange pushing her further toward the breaking point.

The crowd’s roar deepened, sensing the end drawing closer.

Noel feinted a wide slash to the left. "Fire Arc!"

The flaming curve tore toward Anastasia, forcing her to twist her body and raise her wand defensively. The moment her stance shifted, Noel’s eyes sharpened.

She countered instantly. "Voltage Pulse!" Arcs of lightning burst forward in a crackling wave.

Noel met it head-on, igniting Revenant Fang with a roar. "Ignition Surge!" The blade blazed red-orange, dispersing the incoming lightning as he stepped through the sparks.

Anastasia tried to pivot away. "Waveslice!" A blade of water magic cut for his midsection, but he ducked under it, feet gliding across the damp arena floor.

"Flow Step!" she called, skating backward to create distance.

Noel didn’t let her escape. Lightning swelled around him, the air humming with compressed mana. "Stormpiercer!"

He launched forward in a flash, the distance between them vanishing in the blink of an eye. Anastasia’s eyes widened — she raised her wand to block, mana flaring desperately — but his strike broke through her guard, the edge of Revenant Fang stopping a hair’s breadth from her throat.

A golden shimmer erupted between them — the arena’s protective ward flaring to life. It pulsed, absorbing the force of Noel’s blow, dispersing the lightning into harmless light that rained down over the arena.

The referee’s voice rang out above the roaring crowd. "Victory goes to Noel Thorne of the Imperial Academy of Valor!"

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then the stands erupted. Tens of thousands of voices merged into a deafening cheer, the vibrations running through the very stone beneath their feet.

Charlotte leapt to her feet, pumping her fists in the air. "That’s how it’s done, Noel!" Elyra and Elena applauded with calm pride, their eyes never leaving him.

Noel lowered Revenant Fang, breathing hard but steady. He extended a hand toward Anastasia. She hesitated for only a moment before gripping it firmly, her expression one of reluctant respect.

"Now I’m telling them for sure that you are a cheater."

The crowd’s roar only grew louder, the air electric not with magic now, but with the pure exhilaration of a fight neither side would soon forget.