While they were in the center waiting for the bets to be called and tallied, Erik whispered so Synthy, "where's the dagger? I wanted to cross blades with you, properly, you know."

"... I don't need it."

"You used it before so isn't it fine?"

"... There isn't any reason with how you fight."

Erik's eye twitched as he had to suppress the urge to smack her on the spot. He wouldn't do it for just a comment, but it made his blood boil. "Are you saying I'm not worthy enough? That I can't compare to Mathias? Or even to James who, I should remind you, won."

"..."

She looked away.

It was an infuriating response. Or lack thereof.

It was the defensive stance that irritated her. With a shield, spear, staff, or magic - even fists - it did not bother her, but when it came to blades? It was too similar to that style. It was almost patronizing.

"... Well, whatever. We'll see the result at the end."

Erik gruffed. He was fine with being compared to another when they were in the same league, he even bolstered that impression many times over; however, to be so callously dismissed? He reaffirmed her normal style in his head and already prepared counter-measures.

A lot of them.

"Okay, betting is over! Erik, Synthy, are you two ready?!"

"Yeah."

Synthy nodded.

"Okay! Let's do this one together, everyone! I'll start! Three!"

Erik drew the crescent blade and stood with full concentration on Synthy as a golden sleeve was born from her palm. It crept up her arm to her elbow when they heard,

"Two!"

Erik dug his heel into the soil as the black winds started to condense over the blade. He was not nearly as proficient as her, but it was already hazed over the entirety off the blade. The golden sleeve covered her shoulder by the time,

"One!"

Came along. Erik's blade darkened to a murky, midnight sky, and his heel loosened a little. Synthy's legs were glowing with righteous fury as Erik shifted his weight to immediately start at,

"Go!"

He kicked off the ground and met Synthy's incoming fist with his blade. The dark winds and golden flames tore into one-another; however, both retracted with respective weapons at the same time. Erik saw the kick and struck immediately towards it as it appeared - knocking Synthy's balance asunder as he recovered his own blade.

"Fire Lance!"

"Air Step!"

He bounded over the lance, adding,

"Wind Blade!"

As the darkness condensed to form a wind blade that slashed Synthy's body.

She stopped her gut reaction to immediately attack it, leaping back instead.

'Damn it! I segmented that one, too!'

He landed and Synthy moved first. He blocked the incoming fist with the flat of his blade, jumping over a sweeping kick.

"Fire Lance!"

"Gust!"

A mass of dark winds and the forming golden lance clashed and Erik used the resultant explosion to flip back. He made sure to keep track of where the white stones were this time.

Synthy stood stock-still for a moment.

And he started. Keeping out of her reach, he slashed early to give her an opening - and spun his entire body around as he saw the jumping kick.

Pain surged in his stomach as he could smell skin and hair burning, but the sword smashed into her upraised guard. Her right hand.

And the sheer force blasted her three meters to the side. The golden sleeve fractured as scarlet flames burst out of the seams.

Breathing twice to center himself, Erik kept calm and slowly advanced. Synthy turned to him from her spot face-down on the ground and glared.

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He took it and moved forward, blade centred in front.

She did not move.

"Wind Pillar." He said calmly and Synthy was launched in the air by the instantaneous tornado at her feet.

"Air Step!"

He followed after her as she kept moving five meters in the air and stalled. She spun around, perfectly adjusting the aerial balance and tracked Erik's figure. He smashed the dark sword over her crossed arms from directly overhead and she was launched into the ground.

An orb of scarlet flames appeared in front of her on her descent. "Hover!" She flipped, kicked off a solid scarlet on her way down, and shot back up towards Erik as he slowly began his descent.

"Wind Blade!"

He segmented it again.

"Fire Shield!"

A golden shield locked itself in front of Synthy's narrow body and she forced her self up again with another, "Hover!"

The golden shield trembled and broke apart - and Synthy burst through the sparks and flames.

She punched upwards, missing Erik as reeled back, but grabbed his collar as she pulled herself towards him.

His blade met empty air as Synthy acrobatically pulled herself behind Erik as she shouted, "Fire-"

"Gust!"

His uniform was torn enough as it was. A wind burst out from underneath his shirt, forcing him to stall for a second and felt Synthy hit his back - but then his shirt was torn clean off and she was launched up.

Even clothes became a weapon to skilled enough unarmed fighters. Particularly those with a penchant for throwing moves, if pressed.

He turned upside down. "Wind Blade!"

"Fire Lance!"

Erik, not falling too fast, righted himself and used air step to dodge the attack, and another to jump further in the air.

"Wind Bullet!"

A stream of dark wind cut forward like a sword. It was difficult to control, but as he stood stationary in the wind, he fixed it to his sword and cut up to Synthy's stalled body ten meters off the ground.

Blood and cloth scattered from the original blade of wind, but Synthy just shoved a golden, gauntleted fist down to the path of the dark wind stream, and fearlessly fell into it.

They were fighting in mid-air for a full minute now.

However, as Synthy's momentum stalled from the attack, she was indirectly allotted more time.

The stream ran out.

And Erik stepped again to avoid a disappointing hold.

And Synthy fell across from him. He swung the blade perfectly in-time to gut her; however, her upraised fists caught something. She jerked upwards, swung herself back, and kicked out with two feet towards Erik's chest. He was launched back with nothing to slow his fall.

And both fell again.

The orbs are not designed to hold someone's weight. And it was only because she was so light and over-charged the spells that it worked.

Erik was used to the feeling of rapidly approaching the earth - and Synthy was fearless. She allowed herself to reach three meters above the ground before detonating a fire lance. She was slowed down, grabbed an orb, and kicked Erik who already was slashing down at her. He recovered before immediately and descended on her like a hawk.

Body and blade clashed and the dark winds on his blade snuck into the golden boots. The reinforced sheaths of gold and black began to fracture and crack, the dark wind was lost.

They separated further apart again. Both landed on the ground for on a moment before charging at the other.

Erik's control of the blade grew substantially in the past few days of necessary use; whereas, Synthy's control of her body was already at its pinnacle. She rolled under the slash, feeling the winds rush against her skin, and grabbed Erik's leg as she left.

It was wrenched from underneath him.

He fell, rolled, and dodged the first fist pounding into the ground, and used the flat of his blade to block the second.

"Air Step!"

He kicked off a foothold in the air and felt the defenceless skin of his back scratch against the obsidian glass, stone, crystal, ash, and ice. All the pain was pushed aside as he kicked his legs up, rolled onto his feet, and jumped. His blade was simultaneously set forward into Synthy's charging body

She hastily guarded with crossed arms, but he was the first to kick her stomach.

She was forced back and he released all the wind on the blade.

Synthy hastily shouted, "Fire Shield!" but the wind punched through the half-formed shield, into arms, before dulling the blow and sending her flying directly into an on-looker in the audience.

Both were down for the count.

At least the barrier washed the flames from her body or the random party would have been seriously injured.

"... Did they just really battle in the air...? I don't even do that! Well, whatever! Match! And the victory goes to Erik! In sanctioned matches, he now has the highest win-count of the boys! Someone check on Synthy and the other guy!"

The healers assessed the two as Erik stood there shirtless.

The only real damage was from the kick to his stomach and the scraps on his back; however, he was exhausted.

He fell down. Erik was holding on solely to hear the match being called.

"And someone go to him too! He's probably fine, but still! And, this, ladies and gentlemen, is our daily match! We have had them every day and they only get better! Please visit us if you have time to see our progress - or just me since that's fine too! - and test your skills in picking the best contestant!"

The Headmaster started to clap.

Ayla took that as a matter-of-course - despite the fact it was the first time anyone ever had done it. Naturally, others copied the head of the academy they studied in or worked for and Ayla began a new speech.

"I'd like to thank all the audience members for graciously coming to see our matches! Of course, I'd like to invite all the contestants to the arena that are able! Eldrich and Jennifer, Jack and Fara, Lisanna and James, Me and Jill, Mathias and Wendi, and of course we have Erik here who is hanging on and I think I see Synthy slowly getting up!"

The healer, not used to it, but reading the room, brought Synthy to Ayla's side as the others hesitantly got up into the center of the arena. Mr. Shields stepped forward to cover the better pool, class allowance, and the winner's portion for the fight with a thick barrier.

Once everyone was in the center of the stage, Ayla took the opportunity to add, "I am aware many know already, but I'd like to invite you all the Art Exhibition we'll be having on Sunday! There will be no dramatic fights there, but it's another step to achieving first-year domination!"

"... First-year domination...? Interesting, interesting," the Headmaster grinned, elbowing Mr. Shields, as the man lowered his head in shame.

Not for being the teacher of the class but by being reminded of his own a decade prior.

"Ah, what spirited fellows, I'm glad I pushed them a little," the Headmaster whistled.

"Sir, didn't you win that bet?" Watsan asked.

"They'll find a use for it. More importantly, we have work to do pertaining to the exhibition, do we not?"

"We do. I have more in the office, but these are the most important."

"Understood. Let's go, shall we?"

"Yes.'

The two top-men at Majin Academy left, as did many who lost their bets, and many more once Eldrich and James began releasing the winners' portion.