Several students winced as they watched Beatrixās body slam into the ground.
They could tell just how painful it mustāve been, those water attacks had been strong enough to tear through the thick slabs of earth sheād created. If that level of power could break stone, then it was a miracle Beatrix wasnāt already unconscious.
The only thing possibly softening the blow was the academy uniform she wore, enchanted for basic protection, but most people watching wouldnāt be surprised if Beatrix didnāt get back up again.
"I guess your friend wasnāt joking when she said she was confident about winning," Liam said, concern flickering in his voice. "I just hope Beatrix is alright."
"Chiba isnāt ranked second because of raw magical output," Yolden explained calmly. "In fact, nearly all of us here are sitting at the same Star Level, 4-Star. So when it comes to rankings, it usually comes down to real combat skills and experience."
She paused, her eyes drifting to the student seated above the rest.
"Well... thereās one person above her. But thatās for a different reason entirely."
Yoldenās gaze held a rare hint of respect.
"If everyone had the exact same abilities and no personal advantage, I feel like Chiba would win every single time."
Raze listened closely to what Yolden said, and he could partially see the truth in it.
During his private lessons, Chiba had always been the one to ask the most unconventional questions. She was the one constantly thinking of bizarre, creative ways to apply her magic.
Sometimes her ideas were so far-fetched they bordered on impossible, but unlike most mages, her mind was wide open. Her biggest weakness? She just couldnāt focus for long.
Had she been able to, she likely wouldāve surpassed everyone else in magical ability by now.
Back on the battlefield, Beatrix pushed herself off the ground. Her body was holding up, but she needed to look like sheād taken serious damage.
That water magic... it actually hurt, she thought, grimacing. Even with my Pagna-enhanced body, it still got through. It just goes to show how powerful some of these mages really are.
If the highest rank among them is a 9-Star Mage... does that equate to a Divine Warrior?
She tried to calculate in her head.
A 4-Star Mage might be at the low end of a middle-stage warrior. Itās not a perfect match, but... I should treat this fight like Iām up against one.
She wiped the blood from her nose, and the stain stood out starkly against her sleeve. The sight of it sparked something strange, an unfamiliar energy welling up inside her.
Startled, she quickly clutched her hand tightly.
No. Iām not going to give in to that.
She took hold of her staff, grounding herself.
I donāt know if Iāve shown enough yet, but if thereās a chance Iāll lose this fight, then I shouldnāt hold back.
Pouring her Qi into the staff, the orb at the top lit up like a beacon.
All across the arena, slabs of earth rose at once, massive and unrelenting, flying straight toward Chiba from every direction.
Chiba didnāt waste time. With smooth, fluid motion, she moved as if surfing on water. She saw one of the slabs closing in and used her fire magic to blast a hole straight through the center, slipping right through.
But another wall was waiting underneath.
As it launched upward, she shot herself into the air using a concentrated burst of water magic.
Up above, an earth pillar came at her from the side.
Reacting fast, she summoned a ball of swirling water around her body, spinning so rapidly it shattered every piece of earth that came near.
The crowd was stunned.
Theyād never seen an Earth Mage manipulate so much terrain at once, massive slabs and pillars rising and falling across the entire battlefield.
Yet just as impressive was how effortlessly Chiba kept up with it all.
Encased in her spinning water sphere, she continued her descent until she hit the ground. The sphere exploded outward upon impact, shattering more terrain.
Even then, it wasnāt over, Beatrix was still launching attacks.
More slabs surged toward Chiba without pause.
"This is seriously getting annoying!" Chiba growled.
In one hand, she summoned searing heat; in the other, cold water.
She brought her palms together, and a powerful burst of steam erupted, expanding quickly, engulfing the entire battlefield.
The dense fog blinded everyone in the crowd.
Beatrix couldnāt see. Without clear visuals, she couldnāt adjust the terrain beneath her properly.
When the mist finally began to clear, the students gasped.
Beatrix was suspended in the air, water wrapped tightly around her like a serpent.
With a sudden motion, the water serpent slammed her downward, smashing her body and face into the center of the stage.
The crowd flinched again.
They could practically feel the pain.
"It looks like this match is over," Redrick commented from the stands. "We should call Diana over to treat her. Or perhaps... weāll see the Saintessās healing powers firsthand."
"Iām not so sure," Luka replied, his eyes narrowing. "This woman... sheās been holding something back. I felt it during the assessment. Itās faint, but itās there."
The teachers and students looked on in stunned silence.
Because Beatrix... was moving again.
Slowly but surely, she was lifting herself off the ground once more.
"STOP!" one of the boys shouted from the crowd. "You donāt have to keep going! Youāve already proven yourself!"
But Beatrix didnāt listen.
She raised her head, bruised and bloodied, and stared directly at Chiba.
Chiba looked surprised.
"Hey... we donāt have to fight like this," she said softly. "Weāre classmates. Youāre new to all of this, right? Thatās what it seems like, anyway."
Still, Beatrix said nothing.
And then, something began to change.
Subtly, the ends of her hair started turning red.
Beatrix extended her hand, and the blood on her clothes and from her nose began to rise, floating in the air, swirling around her outstretched palm.
The blood gathered, pulsating with power, all of it pointed straight at Chiba.
The powers of the Bloody Woman! Raze thought, eyes wide.
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