"Fight!" As the commentator screamed out there was an all encompassing flash of brilliant golden light flashed across the arena. So bright and brilliant I was forced to avert my eyes as I could feel a searing pain setting into my eyes. Bringing my arm up to cover it the next thing I felt from the battle was an overwhelming wave of pressure.
It was pressure akin to a building being dropped upon me, it felt like every inch of my body was being crushed under an overwhelming force that I couldn't comprehend. I felt my heart racing out of my chest, feeling like it would leap out of my throat and out before me.
As I slowly forced my eyes open I could see the source of that overwhelming, dreadful pressure.
The arena had been absolutely torn asunder in a mere instant, rocks were flying as if like guided arrows, a chaotic storm of stone so violent it left whistling red flames in its wake all originating from the side Danielle had been on.
Across from the stones was a similar storm, not of rock, but light. Swords, spears, and arrows of every shape and size blasted across to intercept every single stone while the two combatants remained stationary, as if they were using these incredible shows of force to simply probe for an opening, I could only assume the light constructs to be originating Alexander.
The very instant an opening was found it was executed upon. In mere moments the fight went from a ranged hail-Mary to a close ranged brawl.The speed that they both moved with was so intense that I could hardly keep up, I could see two streaks igniting across the arena, a flash of golden light, and a burst of crimson earth.
The two forces clashed with an overwhelming impact in the center of the arena, with a flash of power that sent rippled through the stands. For a few solemn moments I felt dread as I could hear the glass overhead shutter from the severity of the impact, only to relax as I glanced up and saw that it was completely fine.
I could hardly take my eyes off of the fight as the two streaks separated and clashed again and again, each burst faster than the previous, each impact for violent. While the entire time the storm of mutually countered ranged strikes continued to impact with each other, there was absolutely no sign of where or when the fight could end.
I couldn't bring myself to tear my gaze away from the people fighting. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that these were the people I was bound to compete with one day, the people who had not even an entire day ago all been expecting me to die. Wanting me to die even, I knew these people, with the exception of Tulip, all would likely hold that want to see me dead, for things I never did.
Taking in a breath I pushed those horrid thoughts to the back of my mind, I focused on my breathing while the fight continued.
Every crash was a jarring impact that could be felt from the stands, and yet still it appeared as if the two were simply play fighting. Even from my understanding, or lack there of, for magic, I could tell they weren't doing anything more than trying to find a position to move in.
"Watch as these incredible two students fight against each other! Searching for a weak point to attempt moving in from! Yet every time a position is found it is closed and countered in a near instant!" The commentator began to speak again, apparently having to narrate the seemingly obvious portions of the fight. I glanced towards Tulip, and her partially annoyed face seemed to hold the same sentiment as I did.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
After several long seconds of the continued war of attrition, both figures came to a grinding halt, for the first time since the fight began I could get a good look at both of them now that they weren't just blurs of what appeared to be nothing more than residual energy.
Danielle's red hair was flowing around wildly, as if her body was creating a pressure or gust that was blowing it around. Her body was covered in a dark brown stone that appeared to hold a crimson hue around it, she looked utterly spotless, like not a single traded impact had even effected her. All her face wore was a smile as she leaned forwards slowly.
My eyes snapped across the arena onto Alexander, he stood with arms crossed while a blinding golden aura sat around him almost like an afterimage. Above his head a glowing halo sat, while he simply looked annoyed as he watched Danielle.
"Are we going to actually fight finally?" Alexander spoke with a voice that I could only describe as pompous and arrogant, something I could expect from someone who seemed to be a prodigy.
"Like hell we are." Danielle replied with her grin before the entire arena began to shake so violently that I had to grab a hold of the seat underneath me.
Alexander looked like he was bored as he began to move, he didn't speak, didn't taunt, didn't banter. He simply just began moving. A burst of white light flashing across the arena with such luminous brilliance that I had to turn away, bringing my arms to cover my eyes once more. The first thing I heard was an explosive crash, then as I felt the heat of the radiant light begin to die down I opened my eyes to a crater.
In the center of the arena Alexander stood over a seemingly unconscious Danielle, the stone that covered her body was gone, and all that remained of the floor of the arena was a charred landscape covered in craters.
"Brilliant!" The commentator spoke again, his words shouting out across the arena. "Such a brilliant fight! Lets hear it for the winner! Alexander Vonstrova!"
The cheers that screamed across the arena were deafening, yet the silence that sat beside me was even more so. I turned to see Tulip who had a scowl on her face as she stood, grabbing my arm once more she took a step into the walking row behind the seats and began to pull me out of the arena.
"W-whats happening? What's wrong Tulip?" I asked in a quick, hushed voice as I had to jog to stay in line with her.
"I can't stand to sit around and watch that bastard gloat again. If I knew he was going to be the one in the arena tonight, I wouldn't have bothered to come." Tulip spoke with a venomous voice, one so toxic that I could hardly believe it was coming from her. "Lets just head back... I'm not in the mood to stay out here any longer."
I chose to remain silent after hearing Tulip's words, and seeing her expression. I did truly want to ask, and figure out what was wrong, but I knew it wasn't my place to do so. Yet as she stomped through the streets the silence began to get to me.
I could hear creaks, steps and echoed calls in the distance that sounded like someone was trying to follow us. Yet every time I looked I saw nothing, this dread continued to build until I could see the lights in the distance of the lowering steps. And the torch lit walls of the keep we had left from earlier in the day.
By this point the sky had become pitch black, with clouds covering the moon and stars, yet just as my foot found the first step down I felt someone grab me from behind. My eyes snapped around as I opened my mouth to scream just for a hand to slam my jaw shut from beneath. I could see Tulip in a similar position as well.
"What do we do with the runt?" I heard the person who was grabbing me - A man with a rough voice, speak.
"Red eyes, she'll catch a decent price. But she's the real prize tonight." Another man, the one holding Tulip, chuckled. He had a softer, more well spoken voice. "Guards are coming, lets move. Check for Insignia's."I tried to struggle in vain, screaming even through my clenched teeth yet it felt like my voice was being muffled, a chuckle was the last thing I heard before a white flash of pain struck the side of my head and the world went dark.