Magus Supremacy

"Interesting!" Lucian suddenly exclaimed, the once-bored expression wiped clean from his face. He leaned forward on his seat, eyes gleaming with intensity as though stars had begun to shimmer within them.

"What's interesting? The third-year students or the second-years?" Amir asked, his gaze still locked on Vince's battle.

"Both," Lucian replied, grinning wider. "Especially that dual-elementalist from the second year. I haven't seen one from the newer generations since Kael."

"That's where you're mistaken," Amir said, finally turning his attention away from the arena to face the Lunaria principal. "He isn't a dual-elementalist."

Lucian arched a brow. "Then what is he? I clearly saw him using lightning magic earlier, and now it's earth."

Amir exhaled slowly. "That boy's magic is... unique. He has the ability to copy any magic—but only if he makes physical contact. He must've touched a friend who wields lightning magic earlier. During this fight, he likely brushed against that earth mage from the third year, allowing him to switch elements mid-battle."

Lucian's heart pounded louder, a thrill coursing through his veins. "Even better!" he shrieked, eyes now locked on Raze, who crouched in preparation to charge again.

"An ability to copy someone's magic with just a touch? That's incredible. Imagine if he touched me—he could potentially match me in power! That's insane!"

His grin faltered slightly. "The only drawback is that he can only use one element at a time. Still…"

'Hmph. As impressive as that youngling is, something tells me I haven't found what I'm really looking for.' Lucian's gaze drifted, his expression unreadable. 'Why am I even here? Let's just wait until th—hold on!'

"Amir!" he snapped, voice sharp.

"Yes?" Amir responded without shifting his gaze.

"That student you mentioned—the one who supposedly killed a level 7 beast in his first year—will he be participating in this tournament?"

"Unfortunately, no," Amir replied with a note of regret. "He didn't pass the assessment and had to sit this one out."

Lucian blinked. "Wait, what?! You claimed he killed a level 7 boss beast, yet he couldn't pass a simple tournament assessment?"

"He didn't want to participate," Amir admitted with a shrug. "I had to force him into taking the assessment in the first place. I guess he tanked the test on purpose just to avoid the tournament."

'What a strange student,' Lucian mused. His gaze returned to the battlefield, where Raze squared off against his opponent once more, while Amir's attention returned to Vince's ongoing struggle.

---

"How about we go for round two?!" Raze shouted, a wild grin stretching across his bruised face.

With a twist of his hand, the earth beneath his feet surged upward, launching him forward at a decent speed.

"Tsk. Too slow!" the lightning user sneered, unleashing a barrage of crackling lightning bolts.

With a powerful upward motion of his arm, Raze summoned a towering earth wall, which absorbed the incoming attack in a cloud of dust and sparks.

"Let's see how you dodge this." With a snap of his fingers, a dozen jagged earth spears exploded from the ground, shooting toward his opponent like missiles.

The third-year student's feet surged with lightning as he zipped around the battlefield, leaving afterimages behind.

The earth spears slammed into the ground one after another, missing their mark each time.

Suddenly, he rocketed toward Raze, his movement like a streak of living lightning.

Raze paused, scanning the battlefield, but the blur moved faster than his eyes could follow.

Left, above, right, back to the front—the upperclassman danced around him in a dazzling display of speed. The air rang with the crack of thunderclaps each time his feet struck the ground.

Raze staggered slightly, his head whipping side to side, trying—and failing—to keep track of him.

Then suddenly—

Bang!

A fist cloaked in lightning smashed into Raze's back, sending him crashing face-first into the ground. Dust erupted around him as his body bounced and slid.

"Even with the earth element, you're useless if you can't even see me," the student scoffed.

Raze groaned, slowly lifting himself. Blood trickled down from his nose and mouth. He spat something out and muttered, "You idiot… just because I'm using earth magic doesn't mean I want to eat dirt!"

Slamming his foot down, spikes of stone burst from the ground, racing toward the lightning student—who sidestepped with ease, vanishing in a flash of electric light.

A dozen crescent arcs of lightning shot toward Raze like blades, but once more, an earth wall rose up to protect him, sizzling on contact.

"Too slow," the student's voice echoed behind him.

Raze spun—too late.

A bolt of lightning slammed into his face, his hair fizzing and a fresh stream of blood dripping down his chin. His body tumbled backward.

"C'mon, for goodness' sake," Raze groaned, struggling to his feet and brushing his messy blonde hair back into place. "What did my gorgeous face ever do to you? Hit my abdomen, not my face or hair! How else am I going to get married?!"

"What a clown," the student growled, lightning swirling around his arms like a vortex as he charged again.

He thrust forward—an eruption of searing lightning racing at Raze.

Raze countered with another earth wall, absorbing the force, when—

"Still too slow," the voice came from his side.

The lightning student slashed down with a blade of pure electricity.

"You're becoming quite predictable," Raze muttered as he tapped the ground beneath him.

An earth wall surged up sideways, blocking the blade—but the lightning sword cut through, slicing forward.

Raze grinned.

Earth magic flared around his hands. One arm shot out, catching the lightning blade mid-air, sizzling rock and magic clashing against raw power. His second hand followed instantly.

BOOM!

A thunderous shockwave erupted.

"Stop being so predictable, you silly upperclassman of mine!" Raze roared as his earth-enforced fist slammed into the student's abdomen.

The ground shattered beneath them. Cracks spread like spiderwebs. Chunks of dirt flew into the air. The student's eyes rolled back. A soft, glowing light around him fizzled out as blood, air, and spit burst from his mouth.

His body collapsed with a hard thud.

Raze stood for a moment, swaying on his feet. Then his knees gave out and he fell forward, breathing heavily. The earth gauntlets around his hands crumbled, returning to dust.

But a smile lingered on his bloodied lips as he looked toward the crowd.

His gaze searched… but he couldn't find the one he was looking for.

Still, he whispered, "I hope I made you proud, Grey."

"You sure did," Grey murmured from his seat in the stands, almost as if the words had traveled to him on the wind.

Then—

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Three sharp explosions shattered the air.

Something shot across the battlefield, streaking past Raze like a bullet, vanishing into the mist Vorden had conjured earlier.

Then—

Crack!

Shatter!

Both Vorden and Vanica felt their hearts lurch.

They turned toward the sound, blood draining from their faces as they locked eyes with what could only be described as their worst nightmare.