The tension in the arena was thick as the second round of the tournament began. The first round had been brutal, thinning the ranks of the entry-level students from 120 to just 100. Those who remained were battle-hardened, their nerves steeled by the harsh reality of what it meant to survive at Edgar and Rodger School. There was no room for weakness now—every fight was a test of their resolve, their skills, and their willingness to do whatever it took to succeed.
Jain, Ryen, and Jorel stood at the edge of the arena, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they prepared for their next matches. They knew the tournament would only get more intense from here on out. They had trained hard, but they would need to dig even deeper to continue winning.
Jain was the first of the trio to be called for her second fight. She stepped into the arena, her heart pounding with anticipation. Her opponent was another student from Raven House, a tall, broad-shouldered boy with a reputation for underestimating others. He looked at Jain with a smirk, clearly confident in his abilities.
The boy wasted no time, launching a series of heavy attacks, each one crackling with the energy of his physical pain magic. His strikes were strong and powerful, each one aimed to break through Jain's defenses. But Jain was ready. She had spent the past week refining her barriers, layering them with precision and control.
As the boy's first attack came barreling toward her, Jain summoned her barriers, stacking them one on top of the other. The attack hit the first barrier with a resounding crash, but it barely made a dent. The second and third barriers absorbed the impact, dispersing the energy and leaving Jain unharmed.
Her opponent's smirk faltered as he realized his attack hadn't even reached her. Jain seized the moment, her mind racing. She knew she couldn't rely solely on defense—she needed to go on the offensive. With a quick, practiced movement, she reconfigured her barriers, using them to channel the energy of the boy's attack back toward him.
The boy barely had time to react as his own energy was turned against him. The force of the attack sent him stumbling backward, his eyes wide with surprise. Jain pressed the advantage, sending a second wave of energy toward him, this time infused with her own pain magic. The boy struggled to block the attack, his defenses crumbling under the pressure.
With a final, decisive strike, Jain's barriers shattered through his defenses, sending him crashing to the ground. The crowd erupted in cheers as Jain was declared the winner, but she barely heard them. Her heart was still pounding, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. She had won, but she knew the next fight would be even tougher.
Ryen's second fight was up next. He stepped into the arena, his eyes scanning the crowd before focusing on his opponent. This time, he was facing a skilled emotional pain user from Falcon House, a girl with a reputation for breaking her opponents down piece by piece.
The girl wasted no time, launching an assault on Ryen's mind with a wave of overwhelming sadness and despair. The emotions crashed over him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in the intensity of the pain. Ryen staggered, his vision blurring as the weight of the emotions bore down on him.
But Ryen had trained for this. He knew how to endure, how to push through the pain and keep fighting. He channeled the emotional pain into his support magic, using it to reinforce his own defenses. The sadness and despair were still there, but he had turned them into something he could use, something that fueled his resolve instead of breaking it.
The girl's attacks grew more intense as she realized Ryen wasn't succumbing to her emotional magic. She summoned darker, more painful emotions, trying to overwhelm him, but Ryen held firm. He used his magic to heal the mental wounds she inflicted, his mind a fortress that she couldn't break through.
Finally, the girl faltered, her own emotions running thin as Ryen's defenses held strong. He saw his chance and struck. Channeling his magic into a powerful support spell, he unleashed a burst of energy that sent a shockwave through the arena. The force of the spell sent the girl reeling, her mind unable to withstand the intensity of the attack.
Ryen didn't let up. He pressed the attack, using his support magic to drain her remaining strength. The girl's defenses crumbled, and with one final push, Ryen forced her to her knees, the victory his.
As the crowd cheered, Ryen felt a surge of relief. He had won, but just barely. He knew the next fight would be even more challenging, but for now, he had earned a moment of respite.
Jorel was called for his second fight shortly after Ryen's victory. He stepped into the arena, his mind focused and clear. His opponent was a student from Falcon House, a boy known for his agility and quick thinking. Jorel knew this would be a different kind of fight—his opponent was fast, and Jorel would need to be even faster.
The fight began with a blur of movement. The Falcon House student darted around the arena, his speed making him difficult to track. Jorel's eyes narrowed as he watched his opponent, waiting for the right moment to strike. He knew he couldn't catch the boy with sheer force—he needed to outmaneuver him.
The boy lunged forward, aiming a swift kick at Jorel's side. Jorel sidestepped, but the boy was already moving, his speed allowing him to launch a second attack before Jorel could react. The boy's fist connected with Jorel's shoulder, sending a sharp pain through his body.
Jorel gritted his teeth, refusing to let the pain distract him. He focused on the sensation, channeling it into his Displaced Physical Pain Magic. He pushed the pain outward, forming a string-like force that shot toward his opponent. The boy dodged, but Jorel had anticipated the move. He guided the pain with precision, directing it toward the boy's new position.
The pain exploded into a series of sharp slashes that cut across the boy's back, causing him to cry out in surprise. Jorel didn't waste any time. He closed the distance between them, his twin blades flashing as he launched a series of quick, powerful strikes.
The boy tried to dodge, but Jorel was relentless. Each time the boy moved, Jorel was there, his blades a blur of motion as he pressed the attack. The slashes of displaced pain followed each of Jorel's movements, creating a deadly combination that left the boy with no room to escape.
Finally, with one last strike, Jorel sent his opponent crashing to the ground, bloodied and defeated. The crowd roared as Jorel was declared the winner, but he barely heard them. His mind was still focused on the fight, on the techniques he had used and the lessons he had learned.
As he left the arena, Jorel knew the next fight would be even tougher. He was exhausted, his body worn from the physical and mental toll of the tournament, but he couldn't afford to slow down now. The final rounds were approaching, and he needed to be ready.
Jain's third fight was against a spiritual pain user from Eagle House. The student was known for his ability to manipulate reality, creating illusions that could confuse and disorient his opponents. Jain knew this would be her most challenging fight yet.
The duel began with the Eagle House student creating a series of illusions that distorted the arena around them. The ground seemed to shift beneath Jain's feet, the walls of the arena warping and twisting as if they were alive. Jain struggled to maintain her focus, her mind reeling from the disorienting effects of the illusions.
But Jain had faced worse. She had trained for this, had pushed herself to the brink to ensure she could withstand even the most challenging of attacks. She summoned her barriers, using them to anchor herself to reality, to create a stable foundation in the midst of the chaos.
The illusions continued to swirl around her, but Jain refused to be shaken. She focused on the pain she had endured, using it to strengthen her resolve. The illusions began to waver, the energy of her barriers cutting through the false reality that surrounded her.
The Eagle House student's frustration grew as he realized his illusions weren't enough to break Jain. He intensified his attacks, creating more complex and terrifying illusions, but Jain held firm. She used her barriers to disrupt the illusions, creating openings that allowed her to strike back.
Finally, after a grueling battle of wills, Jain saw her chance. She summoned all her remaining strength, channeling her pain into a powerful barrier spell. The energy surged through her, crackling with raw power as she unleashed it on the Eagle House student.
The barrier struck with a force that shattered the illusions, leaving the student vulnerable. Jain didn't hesitate. She pressed the attack, using her barriers to crush the student's defenses. With a final, decisive strike, she brought him to his knees, her victory assured.