The arena's air still buzzed from Torren and Veyra's clash, the ground freshly smoothed by the academy's enchantments, its packed earth gleaming under the midday sun. Stone tiers loomed, their rune-etched pillars casting faint shadows, the absence of a crowd amplifying every sound—whispers, shuffling boots, the low hum of mana. Teachers and faculty watched from above, Lyra's silver-trimmed gown catching the light, her gaze sharp. The God Wand's case shimmered in the arena's center, its adaptive form twisting subtly, a beacon of power that set hearts racing.

The headmaster, his crimson robes smoldering with residual fire, raised a hand, his voice booming. "Next volunteer!"

Aiden stepped forward, his light-motif robes glowing like a beacon. "I'm up," he said, his grin wide, eyes glinting with confidence. The class stirred, murmurs rising, Kael's laugh cutting through. Aiden didn't walk—he vanished, his body dissolving into a cascade of shimmering light, particles scattering like fireflies. The arena's air sparkled, the light streaking toward the center, then merging in a blinding flash. Aiden reappeared, standing tall, his robes pulsing, the ground beneath him glowing faintly from his mana. The entrance was a spectacle, his elemental body technique in light form a mark of mastery.

Darius grinned, leaning against a pillar. "Can't believe he pulled off Elemental Body," he muttered, awe creeping into his voice. "Aiden's next level now. No way I'd take him down easy." The guy had grown so much, his light affinity honed over months into something fierce. Darius's own wind affinity felt sharp, but Aiden's display was a wake-up call, a spark that fueled his ambition for the God Wand.

The class erupted in whispers, Kael whistling low. "Show-off," he called, grinning. Lira's eyes widened, her hands twisting nervously. The faculty leaned forward, Lyra's cryptic smile flickering, the headmaster chuckling, his flames flaring briefly. "Bold entrance, Aiden," he said, voice warm but commanding. "Let's see if your fight matches it."

The arena's fixed earth gleamed, free of Torren and Veyra's craters, but the air still held a faint heat, a reminder of the stakes. Aiden stood ready, his light robes shimmering, mana crackling around him like static. The students watched, breathless, the arena's hum rising, anticipation thick as fog.

The headmaster scanned the crowd. "Who faces him?"

Renn stepped forward, an earth-fire hybrid, his presence heavy as stone, his robes a deep ochre streaked with molten red. His stride was deliberate, each step cracking the ground faintly, his eyes burning with quiet intensity. The arena's energy shifted, the air tightening, the pillars' runes pulsing brighter. The class murmured, Kael nudging Mara, Lira gripping her vial. Darius watched Renn, his gut tightening, sensing the power in his stance.

"Renn versus Aiden," the headmaster declared, raising both hands, flames dancing at his fingertips. "Ready yourselves."

Aiden cracked his knuckles, light sparking from his fingers, his grin unshaken. Renn stood still, his robes smoldering, the ground beneath him faintly trembling. The headmaster's voice echoed, counting down. "Three… two… one… Go!"

Aiden moved like lightning, his body dissolving into light again, a streak that shot across the arena. He reformed mid-air, his fist glowing with Radiant Strike, a concentrated beam of light that slammed into Renn with a deafening boom. The impact shook the arena, dust rising, the ground cracking where Renn stood. Renn's body flew back, crashing into the earth, a shallow crater forming around him. The air vibrated, the strike's light fading, leaving a stunned silence.

Aiden landed, his robes glowing, his eyes narrowing as he checked Renn's form, motionless in the crater. The students gasped, whispers rippling. "Did he… kill him?" Lira's voice trembled, barely audible. Kael's grin faded, his eyes wide. The faculty leaned closer, Lyra's gaze unblinking, the headmaster's flames flickering with interest. Aiden took a step forward, light pulsing around him, his breath steady but cautious.

Darius's smile faltered, his heart racing. Aiden's speed was unreal, his growth staggering, but something felt off. The arena's silence was too heavy, the ground too still. He leaned toward Kai, who gripped the rail, his knuckles white. "Why're you worried?" Darius asked, voice low.

Kai's eyes didn't leave the crater. "That's Renn. Top-class mage. His defense is insane. Aiden's fast, but that wasn't enough."

A loud pop echoed from the arena, the ground trembling. The class froze, eyes locked on the crater. Louder popping followed, like stone splitting, and the earth where Renn lay cracked open, fissures spiderwebbing outward. Renn's body sank deeper, swallowed by the ground, and Aiden backed off, his light flaring brighter, his stance tense. The arena rumbled, heat rising, and suddenly magma spewed from the cracks, a molten geyser that lit the air with fiery glow. Darius's eyes widened, realization hitting. This fight was gonna be interesting.

The ground shuddered, the fissures widening as magma surged upward, reshaping the arena's packed earth into a jagged landscape of molten pools and blackened stone. Steam hissed where the heat met lingering puddles from the previous fight, the air turning thick and oppressive. Renn emerged from the crater, his ochre robes smoldering, untouched by Aiden's Radiant Strike. His stance was unyielding, the ground beneath him pulsing with earth-fire mana, his eyes burning with quiet defiance. The magma swirled around him, forming a protective aura, tendrils of molten rock coiling like serpents, his defense a testament to his top-class reputation.

Aiden skidded back, his light-motif robes flaring, his grin faltering but not gone. "Not down yet?" he called, voice sharp with excitement. He raised his hands, light gathering into a shimmering orb, ready to strike again.

Renn didn't answer. He stomped the ground, and the magma responded, erupting into Molten Spires. Jagged pillars of glowing rock shot upward, tearing through the arena's surface, each one pulsing with heat that warped the air. The spires aimed for Aiden, their tips molten, ready to crush or burn. The arena groaned, a stone tier cracking from the seismic force, dust raining down.

Aiden moved, his body dissolving into light, a streak that wove between the spires. He reappeared mid-air, launching Luminous Barrage—a storm of light darts that streaked toward Renn, each one crackling with piercing energy. The darts struck the magma aura, sparking violently, but Renn's defense held, the molten tendrils absorbing the hits, turning them to harmless flashes. The ground bubbled, more fissures opening, the arena's earth now a chaotic mess of molten scars and jagged stone.

Renn countered, his hands weaving Magma Lash. Streams of molten rock whipped out, each one flexible yet searing, slicing through the air toward Aiden. The lashes carved furrows into the ground, the arena's surface splitting further, the air shimmering with heat. Aiden dodged, his light form flickering, but a lash grazed his robe, singeing the fabric. He landed, panting, his light pulsing brighter, undeterred.

"You're tough," Aiden said, his grin returning. "Let's see how you handle this."

He clapped his hands, summoning Radiant Cascade—a wave of blinding light that surged across the arena, its intensity burning through the steam, aiming to overwhelm Renn's aura. The cascade hit, the magma tendrils glowing red-hot, but Renn stood firm, his Earthforge Shell rising—a dome of hardened magma that absorbed the light, cracking but holding. The arena shook, another pillar tilting, the ground now a battlefield of molten pools and fractured earth.

Renn broke the shell, shards exploding outward, and unleashed Seismic Blaze. The ground erupted, magma jets bursting in a ring around Aiden, the heat forcing him to leap back, his light form flickering under the pressure. The arena's air roared, the jets leaving scorched trails, the stone tiers stained with ash. Aiden countered with Light Vortex—a spinning funnel of light that pulled in heat, scattering the magma jets into sprays of molten droplets that hissed on the ground.

The fight intensified, Renn's magma surging higher, reshaping the arena into a hellscape of glowing rock and fire. He launched Molten Tide—a wave of liquid stone that rolled forward, its surface bubbling, threatening to engulf Aiden. The arena's earth cracked wider, the wave carving a deep trench, the air thick with the scent of burned stone. Aiden responded, his Luminous Aegis forming—a shield of pure light that split the tide, sending molten sprays skyward, the arena steaming as the droplets cooled.

Darius watched, his heart pounding, stunned by Renn's defense. The guy was a fortress, his earth-fire hybrid mana turning the arena into his weapon. Aiden's speed and light were dazzling, but Renn's resilience was unreal, every attack absorbed or redirected. The fight's intensity was a wake-up call, the God Wand's stakes looming larger. Darius's confidence in Aiden wavered, but his own resolve held firm, his ambition to claim the wand burning hotter.

Renn pressed forward, his Magma Forge shaping molten rock into jagged blades that flew at Aiden, each one exploding into fiery shrapnel. The arena's ground split further, a pillar crumbling, dust mixing with the steam. Aiden dodged, his light form a blur, and unleashed Starburst Strike—a concentrated beam that pierced the blades, aiming for Renn's core. The beam hit the magma aura, sparking violently, but Renn's defense held, the ground beneath him glowing red-hot.

Aiden landed, his robes singed, his breath heavy. "Not bad," he said, light flaring brighter. He was ready to push harder, but the arena's chaos—molten pools, fractured earth, steaming air—showed Renn wasn't going down easily. The fight was poised to escalate, suspense thick, the outcome uncertain.

Darius leaned forward, his eyes locked on the arena. Renn's defense was a wall, Aiden's speed a storm, and the clash was tearing the place apart. Maybe Aiden wouldn't roll over him as easily as he'd thought. The God Wand's case gleamed, its promise fueling Darius's drive. The arena's energy surged, the class buzzing, Kael's voice a faint cheer, Lira's gasp barely audible. Darius's ambition burned, his focus unwavering, anticipation high for his own match, the tournament's challenge clear as day.

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