Several hundred people from the first year classes were gathered in front of a small hill. Andrew scoffed at the notion and walked towards a large valley between two crescent peaks. He did not bother to say a word to the fuming Leya, but she quickly understood his intent.

'More room,' was all he thought as he glanced at the relatively small hill-top scathingly.

When the lights finally dimmed a silver-haired young man cracked a small smile as he looked at the two.

"Finally someone started a fight. Took a whole four hours! Someone, call the ladies to bring lunch outside."

Ms. Greyson and Ms. Troy wore wry smiles as they tried to appraise their own future pupils. Yet, their glances turned harsh even under their smiling facade.

'Shit, I already fell unconscious once today,' mused Andrew bitterly.

His mana pool was somewhat replenished, but the lingering headaches still impeded him slightly. However, he did not know if that was a likely concussion or the mana use - or both. Nevertheless, he waited patiently with crossed arms as his sister withdrew her steel sword.

It glowed with a fiery red as flames surged from the bottom of the blade. Andrew scoffed and wielded an icy dagger in each hand and a doppelganger formed to carry the second pair.

A dreary black mist covered half of the small valley and a bright glow of light appeared on the other half. He noticed that she already employed her own, admittedly subpar, doppelganger into the fight. It was unarmed - albeit covered in flames.

"Start," spoke the silver-haired young man.

His expression turned passive as he glanced at the two.

Andrew let out a malicious smile and roared, "congeal, pain."

Immediately afterward, a spray of bullets sped towards Leya. Yet, just as he was about to hit, a flaming hand gripped his shoulder and flung him up and over onto his back. As he cried aloud, a similar one was heard. However, even under the mist of vibrant light, a flash appeared.

"I hate that flash heal," growled Andrew.

He treated several steps back and launched his doppelganger to attack. With each movement, he expended a fair portion of his mana, but the light reflection of Leya held it at bay. Golden rays pierced through the darkness and shot towards him. Yet, fire bounded forward just behind it.

Seeing this, Andrew collapsed the darkness and coaxed it with a frigid wind that carried itself throughentiretyirity of the mist. Then rock bullets pierced through the flames and shot towards Leya.

She calmly forced a wind forward to alter the trajectory; however, an iron dagger was suddenly shot towards her true body.

"Congeal," murmured Andrew.

The dagger pierced her arm just in time for the flames to lick his chest. The cloak he wore was now in ruins. Before the healing could be completed, he spoke his two other hexes.

Silence also could stun the mind, but it was more of an interupt rather than keeping the spell off the table. As the fire danced around his cloak, he throw it forward.

A whistle was heard from above and he suddenly glanced upwards. A sword pierced through the darkness and launched itself towards him under the care of the wind. Using his well-trained earth manipulation, he verred it off-course from his neck.

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The blade turned and slashed through the upper portion of his retreating shoulder blade. He immediately held unto the dagger that fell limply with his practised manipulation and reholstered it as he turned to face Leya.

The fire clearly did a number on her cloak as charred areas stood out against the blue. In addition, crimson blood appeared in various locations on her body. However, he was no better.

They mutually gave up on the shadow and light blind that surrounded them and the crowd of students finally saw the entirety of the damage.

"Not too bad," spoke Andrew coldly as he cracked his neck.

"Just getting started."

Andrew laughed and with a wave of his hand the doppleganger vanished. Since he no longer had to expend the mana on it, he felt a little better even if his own recovery time was slow.

However, Leya snorted and sprinted towards Andrew, blade in hand, as the light appartion appeared at his side.

Using a tangled mass of shadows, he restrained it and crushed it before dense clusters of darkness launched towards Leya. Rays of light shot forward to meet the darkness and the two revealed a dirty trick underneath.

Fire swept towards him as shards of ice was launched towards Leya. Each side-stepped and rebounded the element towards each other. Additionally, wind sharpened to a point and caused his cloak to turn to ribbons. However, a scatter shot of bullets managed to knock her back.

They both were heaving and feeling faint from over-use. But neither gave in. Light pierced in all directions and managed to go through a shadow holding her leg. Andrew snorted and fired off another and another tendril holding her down before he caused them to be fill with icy winds to stunt her reaction time.

"Pain, congeal, silence," repeated Andrew.

Her spells seized up for a split second and Andrew's own restrained her.

The victory was short lived.

An apparation hugged him tightly as it was set aflame and the two withered under the weight of the other's magic before they lost all control.

Andrew and Leya managed to stay up by sheer willpower alone and glared at one another.

'Tomorrow - same time and place,' projected Andrew.

'This time its a tie, but I had to suddenly learn a new spell.'

'You learned a spell I had to pay fifteen gold for - for free! Bullshit! I swear I will show you up tomorrow,' growled Andrew back towards her.

They were swept up by a wind from the silver-haired man who scratched his chin. As they were deposited on the very hill they would have fought on before, he looked over at the crowd.

"Well, it's a tough call, but its a draw. Anyone what to finish this match for their class? Ten points to the victory. Well, whatever, pair up! Pop-tournament! Ator and Yhir are in the lead with five points for their courage - and a timely break to this boredom!"

Each class looked stunned, but then shouts appeared and the valley become a battle ground. After the first five minutes of withholding unconsciousness, it became far easier. Especially so when their respective teachers offered up a healing spell.

"This is not the end," growled Leya.

"Princess... seriously, you're like a mad dog."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "what are you insinuating?"

Andrew gave a small smirk and laughed, "you heard me."

Their mana pools were only at five percent, but their bodies were still adequate. Andrew and Leya gripped their steel weapons and immediately charged at one another.

Ringing of steel echoed through the back of the school and fire and ice appeared underneath each strike in spurts. On occassion they were hit with stray spells, but they never took their eyes off each other.

Andrew rolled under a high, horizontal slash, raised his dagger and cut towards her leg. His left arm was pushed back and the sword's backswing slashed his shoulder. However, the dagger already firmly cut across her exposed calf.

After kicking out lightly, he hit her wounded leg just before her other boot hit him square in the chest. They howled in pain for a few moments before charging back at one another.

"Laurel, did you know this was going to happen?" Spoke Ms Greyson curiously.

"Hmm, wasn't sure. All I knew is that this kid somehow respects a person with such a childish body."

She wrapped her arms around her chest and exentuated her bust. However, before either could speak, the silver-haired man laughed loudly, "fight!"

Without any further provaction, the two kicked off the ground started a devasting battle. In moments, there was no single duels, but rather a battle-royal that was underway with only three innocent bystanders casually floating in the air.

"This is going to be a good year," spoke an elderly woman happily. "Too bad he isn't in my class. Well, he is more suited for Kyrana anyways."

A middle-aged man looked at the scene and sighed. "Fern, you called for lunch, right? Where are they?"

Fern, the silver-haired young man shrugged, "morning staff is fighting night. Something about not leaving their duties to the other at shift-change."

The middle-aged man sighed and used a gentle vortex of wind to bring up a few pre-made sandwiches from a nearby cart. Three of them appeared and he handed them out as they watched the minor bloodshed unfold.