Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest-Chapter 410 93.2 - Duels [3]

Irina knew she had to break through Seraphina's defenses.

To do that, she did it the only way she had fought before.

'Burn.' Summoning all her strength, she conjured a pillar of flame, the heat intense enough to melt steel. She directed it at Seraphina with a fierce determination, hoping to overwhelm her opponent.

「School of Emberheart. Flame Pillar」

Seraphina's eyes narrowed. She channeled her mana into a powerful ice barrier, the air around her freezing instantly. The pillar of flame met the barrier with a tremendous explosion, sending shockwaves through the arena.

The crowd gasped as the two elements clashed in a spectacular display of power. For a moment, it seemed as if neither combatant would yield. The ice barrier held firm against the flames, the air crackling with energy.

Yet, this time, it was evident that Seraphina was also having a hard time. A bead of sweat fell down to the ground from all the heat and humidity in the air.

But suddenly, an enormous mana expanded from the tip of her fingers.

With a surge of mana, Seraphina pushed back. The ice barrier expanded, driving the flames back toward Irina.

「School of Frostborne. Expanding Glacial Shield」

Irina was forced to retreat, her eyes blazing with frustration.

'Got you.'

Seraphina seized the moment. She summoned a barrage of ice spears, each one aimed with deadly precision.

「School of Frostborne. Ice Spear Barrage」

Irina tried to counter with her flames, but the onslaught was too much. The ice spears broke through her defenses, striking with a force that sent her reeling.

Seraphina saw her opportunity and decided to exploit the opening she had created.

After all, once the pain entered one's mind, their thoughts would slow down, making it nearly not as fast as before.

And this was a detrimental fact for mages who needed to focus constantly to form their magic as fast as they could.

With Irina reeling from the force of the ice spear barrage, Seraphina pressed her advantage. She moved swiftly, her icy demeanor unwavering as she conjured more ice constructs to keep Irina off balance.

「School of Frostborne. Frostbite Strike」

Aiming to catch Irina while she was still recovering, Seraphina launched a series of rapid ice strikes. Each attack was precise, targeting Irina's defenses with the intent to overwhelm her completely.

SWIRL! However, she forgot one thing. No, she didn't forget but rather failed to account.

Irina had been training not only on her control of fire but also on her direct combat efficiency.

She had been facing the strongest monsters in the simulations and in dungeons.

And the pain was something she had already been accustomed to, while the way she had used her fire wasn't exactly like a normal mage's either. As the icy strikes bore down on Irina suddenly, flames began to swirl around her, forming a protective barrier.

「Flame. Protect me.」

The swirling flames fended off Seraphina's ice attacks, creating a temporary reprieve for Irina. The flames danced and flickered, their intensity growing as they absorbed the impact of the ice strikes.

Seraphina, undeterred, pushed forward. She knew that when a mage was in pain, their thoughts would slow down, making the formation of magic slower. She intended to capitalize on this, aiming to keep Irina on the defensive.

However, as Seraphina prepared to unleash another barrage, suddenly, the air around her intensified.

'Huh?'

The numbers rose rapidly, and she couldn't keep up.

'No!' A sudden, powerful explosion erupted right before her face.

「School of Emberheart. Inferno Blast」

The explosion was so fast and unexpected that even though Seraphina saw it coming, she couldn't completely defend herself in time. She conjured an ice barrier to shield herself, but the force of the explosion blasted her backward.

「School of Frostborne. Ice Wall」

Despite the ice wall absorbing much of the blast, the sheer power of the explosion sent Seraphina skidding across the arena floor. The crowd gasped as the two powerful mages clashed, their elemental magic creating a breathtaking spectacle.

Seraphina gritted her teeth as she regained her footing after creating a brick of ice behind her heels. She could feel the sting of the explosion, her eyes teary.

RING!

Her ears were also ringing as if to remind her that her body was shaken.

'What happened?'

Seraphina asked herself, her thoughts moving in every direction. How could such an explosion occur this fast without her knowledge?

She would have seen the numbers rising.

"Heh…."

However, her thoughts were stopped by a laugh as she turned to face the source.

Irina stood amidst the swirling flames, her hazel eyes blazing with renewed determination. The flames around her flickered and danced, a testament to her fierce spirit. Her eyes ablaze with fire, as if she was the empress of the flames.

"I see now…."

There was a crazed smile on her lips. Even though her clothes were burned thanks to her own fire.

Even though her bare skin could be seen from some of the holes in her clothes, even though she didn't retain her elegant presence….

She felt like a fierce Hunter who found her prey.

'No, it can't be.'

For a split second, Seraphina almost broke down her expression.

For a split second.

After that, she realized who she was against.

'No. There is no way.' Seraphina took a deep breath, her mind racing. She realized that Irina was playing for a psychological edge, trying to break her mentality and then exploit her.

Seraphina had seen enough of such scenarios in her life that she had already become accustomed to such tactics. After all, she had been fighting with other heirs of her family for years. Contrary to a certain person, she wasn't the sole heir, after all.

She straightened her posture, her icy blue eyes locking onto Irina's blazing gaze. "Now you're trying to mask your confidence with that smile of yours?" Seraphina called out, her voice steady and unwavering.

Irina narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious. "Frostborne. I am not someone who will resort to such puny tricks, and you know that."

Seraphina's lips curled into a slight smile. "Perhaps. But you're certainly enjoying this more than usual."

Irina's flames flared up around her, the heat creating ripples in the air. "Because this time, I am sure." She smiled, her eyes burning. "I am going to win."

"Really? How many times it has been?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't smile." At Irina's words, a certain emotion awoke in Seraphina once again. She didn't know the reason why.

She couldn't completely understand why, but it was as if her instincts were informing her.

"….."

She still smiled, but her smile was stiff this time.

SWIRL!

She saw the numbers around Irina rising incredibly. The numbers indicated that a strong attack was coming.

""Come!""

With that, both mages prepared to unleash their full power. Seeing Irina's spell from the numbers, Seraphina instantly visualized what was about to come.

Her mind, innately gifted at calculations, could interpret the numbers to reality. And that reality showed her a bird.

'Heh.'

Thus, she created the counter magic to what Irina was using.

「School of Emberheart. Inferno Phoenix」

And just as she expected, Irina conjured a massive spell, calling forth a phoenix made of pure flame. The phoenix screeched, its fiery wings spreading wide as it soared towards Seraphina.

「School of Frostborne. Ice Dragon's Breath」

Seraphina responded with a summon of her own, conjuring a massive ice dragon, its breath a freezing gale that surged toward Irina. The dragon roared, its icy breath creating a path of frost in its wake.

The two elemental constructs clashed in midair, the ice dragon's breath meeting the phoenix's flames. The arena was filled with the sound of roaring fire and cracking ice, the sheer power of their magic creating shockwaves that rippled through the stands.

Seraphina and Irina stood their ground, each channeling their mana into their respective constructs. The ice dragon and the phoenix battled fiercely, neither willing to back down.

The crowd watched in awe, the tension in the arena palpable. It was a battle of wills as much as it was a battle of elements. Both mages pushed themselves to their limits, their determination unwavering.

Seraphina could see that Irina wasn't using any other magic. The numbers didn't reveal anything else, only showing changes around the Phoenix Bird.

"It is my win, little Emberheart."

However, she was different.

–Second Memory.

Since she had such a special ability to cheat.

Though her mana reserves were depleted, she had secured the win for herself. As the strongest and ultimate spell of her family was conjured. 「School of Frostborne. Pseudo Absolute Zero」

The world seemed to come to a halt before her as every particle slowed to the maximum. Though her spell was not the real one and the degraded version of the true Absolute Zero, it was still a level-7 spell. Everything in the arena froze.

The ice dragon. The flame phoenix. And Irina herself. Everything stopped; only Seraphina remained.

"Wow…..This is beautiful."

"To think we would live to witness such a duel."

"Though it is sad that it is over."

'No matter what you do, Irina Emberheart. You will never beat me.'

She stood there, looking at Irina with a cold smile of victory. The crowd held their breath, believing that Seraphina had won since Irina was not moving.

CRACK! "Huh?"

But suddenly, she heard a cracking sound. The ice around Irina's face began to break, and Irina turned to face her. Seraphina's eyes widened as she sensed a sudden rise in numbers once again.

At that exact moment, Irina mumbled with a smile, "Taste my own magic."

「School of Irina. Nuclear」

A blinding light erupted from Irina, shattering the ice that encased her. The intensity of the light and heat was overwhelming, and Seraphina's eyes widened in horror. The numbers were off the charts, far beyond anything she had calculated.

A massive explosion followed, the force of it obliterating the ice and creating a shockwave that rippled through the arena. The audience gasped, shielding their eyes from the blinding light and the sheer power of the explosion.

Seraphina tried to conjure another ice barrier, but the heat was too intense. The ice melted almost instantly, leaving her vulnerable to the blast. The force of the explosion sent her flying backward, crashing into the arena's edge.

When the dust settled, Irina stood in the center of the arena, her flames flickering around her.

She looked exhausted but victorious. Seraphina lay at the edge of the arena, battered and struggling to rise.

The crowd was silent, the tension thick in the air. They had just witnessed a clash of titans, and it was clear that both combatants had given everything they had.

Irina took a deep breath, her voice echoing through the now-silent arena. "This duel is over. Do you yield, Seraphina?"

Seraphina, struggling to her feet, nodded slowly. She had to admit defeat this time. "I yield," she said, her voice barely audible.

The crowd erupted into applause, the noise deafening. Irina had proven her strength and resolve, and Seraphina had shown her exceptional skill and control. Both mages had earned the respect of everyone present.

********

'You really did it, didn't you?' Looking at the girl whose first thought was to find me in the crowd, I nodded my head.

"Heh...."

I could imagine her making this expression right now, though she must be too tired to let out a sound.

"It seems this is my win."

As I mumbled, I turned to look at Lilia, who was focused on the arena alone.

"...."

Her expression was filled with surprise.

"Yeah, it is your win."

Sometimes life was like this.

One needed to put their faith in others.

Or their own efforts.

'You grew up.'

Just as I thought about that, suddenly, I sensed a disturbance around me.

Disturbance of mana.

'What? Now?' –BOOM!