"Strategies?" I asked again. We've gone over it again and again but I still wasn't fully satisfied.

Seraphina nodded. "Lyra will lead with lightning assault in a fast and aggressive way, trying to overwhelm us early. I'll anchor defense to buy time for you guys to counters."

"Their wind mage, Gale controls battlefield positioning," Lucille added. "I'll neutralize him first, we simply can't let them dictate movement."

"Their water specialist, Marina, will try to flood the arena," Ravenna said. "To turn the ground into her advantage I'll counter with void absorption drink the water before she can use it."

"Their earth tank, Boulder, is slow but indestructible," Marcus finished. "I've prepared disruption enchantments. Break his footing and compromise his defense."

"And their fifth member?" I asked.

"Zephyr, he's a storm archer with good long-range pressure." Lucille's expression was cold. "Mine. Don't worry about him, I'll handle him."

I nodded. "Good. But remember. Lyra's team is allied with us outside this arena. We will fight to win, but we don't maim. No permanent injuries, unless they go for our own."

"Agreed," Seraphina said. The others nodded.

"Two minutes!"

"One minute! Teams to the gates!"

We moved to the massive iron gate. Beyond it, I could hear the crowd's anticipation building as the announcer's voice boomed:

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE 73RD CONTINENTAL INTER-ACADEMY TOURNAMENT!"

Roar of approval.

"OUR FIRST MATCH OF ROUND ONE FEATURES TWO EXCEPTIONAL TEAMS!"

The gate began rising, chains clanking.

"FROM ASTRAL HAVEN ACADEMY—THE OBSIDIAN COUNCIL! LED BY HADEON RAVANA, THE.....CRIMINAL! A+ RANK SHADOW MAGE AND TACTICAL GENIUS!"

Half the crowd cheered. The other half booed. My reputation preceded me it seems.

"HIS TEAM: LUCILLE NIGHTSHADE, THE SILENT DEATH! SERAPHINA VALORHEART, THE HOLY BLADE! RAVENNA BLACKTHORN, THE VOID SORCERESS! AND MARCUS VOIDSTEP, THE ENCHANTER PRODIGY!"

We stepped into sunlight.

The arena was enormous. Circular and three hundred meters across. The ground was packed earth with scattered stone obstacles of pillars, walls, platforms at varying heights.

It was fully designed for dynamic combat.

Across from us, the opposing gate rose.

"FROM STORMWATCH ACADEMY—THE TEMPEST FIVE! LED BY LYRA TEMPEST, STORM'S FURY! LIGHTNING MAGE!"

Lyra emerged first, electricity crackling around her form. Her team followed behind her, Gale with wind swirling his robes, Marina with water orbiting her hands, Boulder massive and implacable, Zephyr with his bow drawn.

We met at the center circle with only ten meters apart.

The referee was a stern woman in official robes and she stood between us.

"The standard tournament rules apply. Victory conditions are when opponent team eliminated or surrenders. Killing blows are forbidden, it is automatic disqualification and criminal charges. Medical teams are standing by. Environmental magic is permitted within the arena only. Questions?"

None.

"Captains, shake hands."

I stepped forward. So did Lyra.

Her grip was firm and faint lightning danced across her skin but it didn't shock.

"Good luck," she said quietly.

"Best of luck to you too," I said. "This will be a real fight."

"I'd expect nothing less." She released my hand. "See you on the other side."

We returned to our teams.

The referee raised her hand. A magical barrier shimmered into existence around the arena to keep attacks contained and to protecting spectators.

"TEAMS! READY!"

Both sides tensed.

"BEGIN!"

Everything happened at once.

Lyra thrust both hands forward. Lightning exploded from her palms, twin bolts of crackling death aimed at Seraphina and me.

She wanted to take the two of us off at the very start!

Seraphina stepped in front of me with her holy barrier materializing. The lightning hit, dispersed across golden light but it still packed a punch and she grunted from impact but she held.

Gale swept his arms wide and wind roared across the arena, trying to scatter our formation.

Fortunately Marcus was there and he slammed his staff into ground, the runes on them flickered, imprinting formation on the ground, he used anchoring enchantment that activated and we became rooted, immune to forced movement.

"Lucille! Go!" I shouted.

She vanished and the reappeared behind Gale in a blink.

Daggers flashed toward his spine but Boulder was faster than he looked, he moved his heavy self and earth erupted, forming wall between Lucille and Gale.

She twisted mid-strike, kicked off the wall, landed ten meters away.

"Void Ravenna!"

She raised both hands. Purple-black energy spiraled outward.

But Marinaresponded instantly. Water from the air condensed, forming a massive wave that twisted and spun with a roar... but!

Ravenna's void magic drank it. The water simply ceased to exist as it was consumed by nothingness.

Marina's eyes widened. "What...."

It was then that Zephyr loosed three arrows simultaneously, surprisingly at the ground around Seraphina. They exploded on impact, storm magic detonated, creating localized whirlwinds that janked anything around toward it.

Seraphina's footing disrupted and her barrier flickered.

Lyra capitalized immediately. Concentrated lighting strike shot forward like a white rod and struck Seraphina on the side! She flew backward and crashed into a stone pillar, her armor smoking.

"Seraphina!" Marcus moved to help.

"I'm fine!" She pushed upright, holy light already healing the burns. Her eyes blazing. "They're good, better than expected."

We are good too, I gritted my teeth.

"Formation Beta!" I called.

My team shifted instantly. We'd drilled this formation for weeks after all.

Seraphina center-front in tank position and Ravenna center-back as artillery.

Lucille is our mobile for harassment and Marcus is in support zone for enhancements.

Me in command position I'll coordination and look for opportunistic strikes.

"Pressure test complete," I said to Lyra across the arena. "Ready for round two?"

She grinned, lightning intensifying around her. "Thought you'd never ask."

Gale and Marina suddenly moved in synchronization. Wind and water...

Combined!

A massive water spout formed. Thirty meters tall, spinning with hurricane force. It swept across the arena toward us.

"Marcus!"

"On it!" He traced symbols in air. "Barrier Array....Triple Layer!"

The spout hit our shields a second later, water hammered against our magical barriers like a blow from a giant, the wind shrieked loudly.

The force was simply immerse.

Our first barrier shattered. Second held but cracked. Third absorbed the rest.

"Ravenna! Counter!"

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