The noisy crowd grew eerily silent as Akirion faced Shin, every eye fixated on the tense standoff before them. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, yet an almost palpable stillness hung in the air. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the first move, sensing that this battle was about more than just strength—it was a clash of wills.

Akirion's eyes narrowed sharply, reflecting a mixture of focus and curiosity. His voice cut through the silence, calm yet edged with intensity. "So, what are you up to? My mind's been racing, trying to track down your objective. I think it's better to just ask you outright."

Shin scoffed, processing the question with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Your question's a bit funny, don't you think?" he retorted, a sneer curling on his lips.

Akirion remained unmoved, simply shaking his head in silent acknowledgment as he continued to stare at Shin with unwavering intensity.

Meanwhile, Princess Fiana, who had been observing the fight from the sidelines, was taken aback by the scene unfolding on stage. The two competitors stood there—calm, collected, as if engaged in a silent exchange of some secret language. Their bodies radiated tension, but their words, their stances, seemed almost like a prelude to a story. She leaned closer to her brother, eyes wide with curiosity.

"What are they even doing?" she whispered in disbelief.

The prince, ever the impatient one, merely smirked. "Wait for it. Be patient," he whispered back, eyes glued to the stage.

Back on the stage, Shin finally broke the silence with a cold, sneering tone. "Let me briefly explain my objective," he said, voice dripping with mockery. Then, in an instant, he launched a vacuum blade, a sharp, shimmering weapon, directly at Akirion. The blade cut through the air with a deadly hum, leaving Akirion momentarily flabbergasted. But quick as lightning, Akirion dodged, rolling aside to avoid the deadly projectile.

"Wow, what a nice objective," Akirion said with a smirk, voice filled with challenge. "But you're gonna have to do better than that."

Without warning, Akirion darted forward with incredible speed, closing the gap between himself and Shin. His body moved like a blur, a flash of determination. "You read my mind..." Shin started, but before he could finish, a soft 'Shhh' sound echoed in his left ear. Instantly, Shin's eyes widened in shock.

He barely had time to react as Akirion's elbow, powered by his energy channeling, struck him squarely in the back. Shin was propelled forward and crashed onto the ground face-first, coughing and sputtering blood.

Shin struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his lips, glaring with fury. "Not bad for a trusted Class A," he said, blood trickling from his mouth. "But let's see if you can handle this!"

Suddenly, Shin's hands flew to his side. In a flash, he summoned a flurry of vacuum blades—small, razor-sharp projectiles that shimmered with ominous energy. The blades shot out in rapid succession, aiming at Akirion from multiple angles.

Akirion, ever alert, responded swiftly: he shot fireballs in quick succession too, one to the left, another to the right, and a third straight ahead—each exploding with a burst of heat and force, creating a chaotic battlefield of fire and smoke.

Shin, caught in the chaos, tried to dodge, but the situation grew more intense. The fireballs didn't all land exactly where expected—they were designed to force him into a corner.

Shin responded instinctively, shooting a vacuum blade to intercept the middle fireball, causing a powerful explosion that rocked the stage. Sparks flew, and debris of the explosion scattered as the explosion nearly knocked Shin off balance. He quickly shot another arrow of vacuum energy behind him, sensing Akirion's presence on his back.

Akirion, sensing the attack infront of him, gasped. He saw the blade slicing through the air toward his side. With no time to dodge, he braced himself and was struck full force. The blast sent him flying to the edge of the stage, his body crashing against the barrier. Dust and smoke filled the air as the crowd watched in tense silence.

Shin, confident now, saw an opening. His eyes gleamed with determination. He summoned a whirling wind—a fierce, spinning vortex that he sent hurtling toward Akirion with incredible force. The gust was so powerful that it tore across the stage, aiming to knock Akirion off the stage.

Akirion, battered but resilient, struggled to stand amidst the chaos. His muscles burned, but he refused to give in. He quickly shot a barrage of fireballs, their blazing trails exploding in a series of detonations as they clashed with the whirling wind, and that sent shockwaves rippling through the arena. The stage trembled beneath the force of the blasts, and in the chaos, Akirion's figure disappeared from his previous position.

The crowd erupted into gasps and murmurs, their eyes darting around, trying to follow his movements. Nobody noticed that Akirion had vanished— as he fastly ran into the thick smoke.

Suddenly, Akirion reappeared behind Shin, charging with deadly intent. His hand glowed with fiery energy as he fired a blazing fireball directly at Shin's head. The attack caught Shin off guard, sending him sprawling to the ground, rolling in the dirt and debris. Blood dripped from Shin's mouth, teeth clenched in pain, yet his eyes burned with unrelenting fury.

"What now, Shin," Akirion taunted mockingly. "Hurry up and say your final words!"

Shin, bloodied and battered, glared back with a mixture of rage and determination. He shot a barrage of vacuum blades—smaller, faster, deadly projectiles—that streaked toward Akirion with lethal precision. Akirion dodged skillfully, weaving between the blades, then closed the distance rapidly. He launched three fireballs, aiming to distract and overwhelm Shin—a front, back, and middle assault designed to disorient.

The stage exploded in a fiery inferno as the fireballs collided with Shin's blades. The smoke billowed out, obscuring the fighters from view. When the dust cleared, Shin was nowhere to be seen in the stage.

Suddenly, a faint cracking sound echoed outside of the stage. The smoke parted, revealing an unconscious Shin being carried away on a stretcher by medics. His face was pale, blood staining his lips and chin. The crowd's murmurs turned into cheers and applause—impressed by the fierce battle and the resilience of both fighters.

Akirion, standing calmly, sneered as he watched Shin being taken away. He muttered silently, "That was a low-level spell. He's still alive—no worries." His confidence was unshaken; he was already declared the winner.

The announcer's voice boomed through the megaphone, breaking the tension. "Akirion is the victor! Well fought!" The crowd erupted into applause, but many wondered—how did he manage to strike behind Shin so swiftly? The fireball that attacked from behind still left questions in everyone's minds.

As the applause died down, the announcer announced the next match. "Next up, we have Yuna versus Renn. Prepare yourselves for another fierce battle!" The crowd cheered again, eager for what was to come.

Meanwhile, Princess Fiana and the prince watched the scene unfold. Fiana's eyes were wide with astonishment, her heart pounding with excitement. The prince, trying to hide his own surprise, looked at her with a slight smirk.

"Did you see that?" she whispered breathlessly. "How he disappeared and struck from behind… It was incredible."

The prince nodded slowly, adjusting his expression. "Yeah. That was something. But don't get too distracted. The next fight might be even more intense."

Fiana sighed, her face still glowing with admiration. "I wonder if the injured fighter will be okay. That serum should help him recover, right?"

The prince nodded. "Yeah, they'll give him the serum, and then the healers will tend to him. No worries."

The fighters took their places on the stage once more, waiting for the bell. The announcer's voice rang out again, signaling the start of the next bout.

"This time, we've got a different matchup—fire versus earth," he announced, causing the arena to buzz with anticipation.

Renn, with a grin, looked at Yuna. "Maybe they hate me, always fighting my classmates," he teased.

Yuna sneered back. "Maybe it's just luck. Or maybe… you're just that good," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'm ready if you are."

Renn nodded, a confident smirk on his face. "Let's do this."

And with that, the next clash was about to begin, promising yet another fierce and unforgettable fight.

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