"Hello students and welcome to the first ranking match of this semester!" The headmistress announces from the stands, "as is the tradition; the two students with the highest win percentage from last year will be the first to battle!"
I can clearly hear the crowd cheering her as I walk down the hallway that leads into the arena. As I pass under the enchanted archway that leads into the stadium the crowds cheering doubles in volume. The sandy ground crunches under foot and I know that I'm finally back where I belong; on the battlefield.
"And here he is, the student with the highest score of the academy's history, the electrifying Alexander Clark!" I could hear the students in the crowd betting on the battle, "and to introduce his opponent, the burning flower Ms. Alisha Ash. The referee will now start the duel."
"Are you both ready?" The duel administrator asks, first Alisha, then me.
"I'm fine here," she replies, her brown hair shining red in the sunlight, as she places both hands on her hips. Then, she raises a questioning eyebrow towards me as I start to stretch.
"And what about you, Mr.Clark?" The referee asks when I don't immediately answer.
"Yeah, I'm gonna need a minute here," I say as I start stretching out my legs. What could I say; if I didn't stretch I'd be ungodly sore tomorrow.
"Prepare all you want; you've got no chance of winning this fight!" She attempts a intimidating pose and summons a bright tongue if red flame to her hand.
"Wow," I laugh at her antics; did she really thank she could scare me"try this on for size."
Thunder rocks the sky as a giant bolt of lightning flies to my hand, which I catch easily. My blatant show of power leaves her speechless, then the sigil inked onto my chest starts to burn.
"I guess that means your ready?" The referee asks stating the obvious.
"I would believe so," I reply, as I release the lightning I'm holding so it can dissipate into nothing, then enter my ready stance.
"Remember!" He warns standing between us at center court, "no using; magic, compounds, summons, or fusions above level six!"
"I request a level nine summons," I say, my voice low so that only the referee could hear.
"A 'level nine summons'!" the referee nearly shouts back in shock. His eyes growing wide.
This raises quite a few mummers from the crowd watching. Few of them could barely use level six magic, much less level nine. The headmistress, Abigail Strife could only reach eleven.
"Any objections?" The referee asks towards Alisha, a slight frown lining his face.
"None here, so long as I get to use level sevens!" She answers practically giddy. Fire dances along her outstretched arms, "it's been forever since I've been able to really let loose!"
'oh, she doesn't need sigils for that level of power!' I think incredulously.
"Then, start!" He shouts collapsing into molts of light, then he reappear s in the bottom row of seats in the stadium. He wanted no part of what comes next.
"Burn to ashes!" She screams out in a fury, even as I call out, "Zephyr!"
A whirlwind of flame spirals in my general direction, torching everything; as the clouds above releases a spear of lightning that travels quickly towards my outstretched left hand, but she's moving slower than normal.
'come on!" I think desperately as time seems to slow down and stretch out, 'faster!'
The fire was gaining ground but with an excruciating slowness the lightning makes contact. A small clap of thunder is all that's heard as I vanish, only to reappear on the opposite side of the arena.
'A level five incineration,' I assess from my position crouched horizontally on the wall of the arena, the static from my body keeping me pinned there, 'too basic; she needs something a little bit more unique, then again if my summoning had been even a second slower I'd be a piece of charcoal right about now.'
