Sekuheim’s great hall had not been fully repaired since the Master’s last match. Duels were normally postponed until the hall was spotless but today was an exception. This match simply had to take place.

The event carried a gravity that Elem had never witnessed before and grossly overshadowed any of the school’s superficial directives such as the state of the hall.

In truth, the damaged hall even added to the duel’s dramatics. Ferran and Ardan faced each other in silence, as if they were ancient warriors meeting each other on a ruined battlefield.

While waiting for the duel to commence, Elem filled Aja in on the events of the previous day.

“Bloody hell,” she cursed just a little too loud.

The air in Sekuheim’s great hall couldn’t have been tighter and the audience was so quiet that Elem couldn’t even hear his peers breathe. Everybody had heard the story of Master Ardan and Ferran’s legendary battle and it was clear that the challenger’s sudden resurface had caused an eerie confusion among the entire school.

Even Elem who knew far more than the other disciples felt as if he was stuck in some surreal dream. Ferran was supposed to be dead but yet he stood before everyone with his head held high.

Ferran wore the same clothes as the day before. His outfit, although once-elegant, looked messy and unwashed. He seemed relaxed, carrying a strange air of confidence as if he knew something that nobody else in the hall did.

“How many Summons can you command?” he asked his opponent.

Master Ardan was neutral in his reply, pretending as if he didn’t hear the mockery in Ferran’s tone.

“Can you call three?”

“Three it is.”

_________________________________

Master Ardan had selected Tarjun to serve as referee. The instructor moved to the center of the hall and raised his batons.

“This will be a Classic Duel,” he declared. “As per the Association’s rules, the duel will continue until the losing side surrenders or perishes.”

“Surrenders,” Aja whispered in Elem’s ear. “As if that ever happens during Classics.”

She was right, Classic Duels almost always resulted in death. Summoners were an honorable breed and giving up during a Classic was generally considered worse than bravely losing your life.

“I suppose challengers go first,” Ferran said casually. He was eerily nonchalant for someone who was about to risk his life. The challenger knelt down, touching the black tiled floor with his right hand.

“I am sure you remember my trusted companion,” Ferran said as he slowly got back to his feet.

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He spread his hands diagonally alongside his body, prompting a vast white portal to open before his torso. Mere seconds later, a grotesque winged creature emerged.

“I summon the Cockatrice, Wind Summon: Harbinger of Doom.”

Elem shuddered as the rooster-dragon let out its harrowing growl. He had read about the Cockatrice in his compendium but seeing it in real life was an entirely different experience. Something about the Summon exerted a strange dreadful energy.

The Cockatrice’s wings were tattered like a centuries old warship, its reptilian tail slithering behind its multicolored body. The Summon’s head was that of a monstrous rooster with a flabbery comb and a large crimson crest.

However, the creature’s eyes were what made it truly unique. They burned with a hateful malice, revealing that the Cockatrice was just as ready as its Summoner to utterly annihilate its opponent.

Master Ardan didn’t seem impressed. He’d been sitting motionless the entire time, stoically watching Ferran bring his Summon into the world.

“I summon the Shishi, Fire Summon: Fierce Protector of Dynasties,” he finally said with red glowing eyes.

An inferno rose up from the floor, giving birth to the guardian Summon. The Shishi roared. Its bulky feline body was a deep red, its manes resembling golden flames.

Elem looked at his father, trying to read his impression. He didn’t usually call the Shishi as his first summon. Why was he saving his Minotaur?

Master Ardan’s dueling philosophy had always been to avoid unnecessary fighting. If he believed his Minotaur could waltz through its opponents, he made sure to use it first.

On the contrary, starting with the Fire Summon could only mean one thing; Sekuheim’s Master was expecting a long, difficult battle.

“Ready?” Tarjun called as jerked his batons to his sides. “Start!”

“Let’s not waste any time,” Ferran shouted at his Summon.

The Cockatrice leaped into the air like a cockfighting bird, it’s talons and elongated spurs pointed at the Shishi like blades.

The Fire Summon didn’t try to dodge the attack, instead it jumped to meet the Cockatrice in the middle of the hall. A flash lit the room as they clashed, only for both Summons to fall back to the places they’d started.

The Shishi roared once more, this time the golden flames spread away from its manes and covered its entire body in a fiery aura.

“Again!” Master Ardan shouted and his Summon sprinted towards its opponent.

The Summons crashed into one another again but this time the Shishi’s flaming aura was powerful enough to slam the Cockatrice to the ground.

The Wind Summon let out an angered screech as it got up and shielded itself with its wings.

“I see you have improved,” Ferran noted. “You’ve hurt my previous Summon!”

Ardan and his Shishi wouldn’t let their opponents’ moment of weakness go to waste. The Master’s Summon pushed its legs off the great hall’s flooring and dashed towards the Cockatrice. If it could slam into the creature with all of its force, it might’ve been able to finish the Summon off.

Elem loved the technique. As a Summon, the Shishi was commonly known for its defensive capabilities but his father had turned his Shishi into an offensive powerhouse. Its thick skull and stocky build were ideal for blocking attacks but also made for a great body slam.

“One more time!” Ardan yelled.

As the Fire Summon dashed towards its target, its golden aura streamed behind its body like the backlights of a motorcycle.

However - a second before impact- the Cockatrice sprang up, making the Shishi miss and crash into the wall on the other side. The collision shook the ground, blowing clouds of dust through the entire hall.

Elem noticed how a self-indulgent smile appeared on the challenger's face. His Summon had feigned its injury and had baited the Shishi into making a mistake.

The Cockatrice stayed in the air, wings flapping as if it were some monstrous eagle. Its eyes lit up like two red orbs and glared so brightly that they easily pierced through the dust.

Ferran pressed his fingertips together. His Summoner’s glare suddenly appeared even whiter than it had been at the start of the duel.

“Now it is finally time to settle the score.”