"Finally—nobles against nobles," another added, rolling his eyes.

"Not those pathetic commoners wasting our time."

Beneath the floating crest, the two duelists stepped from the lower archway, walking side by side down the path toward the arena floor. The faint hum of their mana signatures shimmered already, stirring the air between them.

"I heard her house is famous for combat," a girl whispered to her friend, eyes fixed on Tess's graceful stride.

"The Alvane line trains directly under the Knight Command."

"Yeah," her friend replied, lowering her voice. "But Eldric Korr's family is known for fiery frost. That's not a small deal either."

Eldric brushed his thumb across his lips, his grin playful and mocking. "Well, well," he drawled, his tone laced with arrogance. "Isn't it my cutie noble? I must say, you look far too delicate to be standing here. Combat isn't exactly a noblewoman's charm, now is it?"

He shrugged lazily, stepping forward a little. "But don't worry. I won't give you the chance to come too close… or even close the distance between us."

Tess's eyes snapped up to him, a faint flick of her head to one side. Her long braid shifted behind her shoulder, the motion was precise, and sharp.

"Humph," she muttered, with a flat voice but heavy with disdain. "You talk too much for someone who's about to be embarrassed."

She stood firm, posture regal, refusing to even glance at his grin again.

From the front rows of the crowd, a group of girls cheered out in unison—

"Go get him, Tess! Show him what the House of Alvane stands for! Show him your pride!"

The enforcer at the side raised his arm high. "Step forward."

Both nobles obeyed, moving closer toward the center of the arena. Their boots clicked lightly against the obsidian floor as they stopped just before the white line of the dueling crest etched beneath their feet.

They bowed their heads briefly... first to the judges' table, then to the high seats above where the faculty and nobles of higher houses watched in still silence.

Girzar's voice carried through the hall again, slow and steady.

"Remember your house. Your pride. Begin when ready."

At that, the enforcer lowered his arm.

A faint hum filled the air.

Tess drew a slow breath, her hands glowing faintly red as mana began to gather, wrapping around her arms in spirals of light.

Eldric grinned wide. "Pretty lights," he mocked softly.

"Let's see how long they last."

His eyes flashing with cold arrogance.

Just then.. the enforcer's voice echoed sharply...

"Begin!"

Instantly, Eldric hissed under his breath, spreading his arms wide. A violent shimmer of frosted mana burst from his palms, and in seconds, ice formed like blades, sleek and deadly, hovering around him in spinning formation.

Shhkk!

...they fired forward like bullets, cutting through the air with razor precision.

The crowd gasped, some already leaning forward.

"Did you see that?" one voice cried.

"Eldric's improved! Last time, his crystal blades weren't that sharp, nor that fast!"

Tess flinched but didn't step back. Her boots slid slightly against the obsidian floor as she flipped to one side, narrowly avoiding the icy barrage. She smirked, her was tone mocking,

"So, you'll just stand there throwing ice all day, huh?"

Eldric sneered. "Shut up."

He thrust both hands again, this time sharper, the motion fluid and practiced. Tess darted forward, closing the distance, but one shard sliced across her arm, leaving a faint trail of blood.

She hissed softly, then grinned, pressing her hand over the cut.

"Nice aim," she said, her eyes narrowing with defiance.

The crowd erupted in cheers, voices overlapping in waves..

"I knew it! Eldric's no joke this time!"

"There's no way someone with pure combat skill could get close, he's freezing her out!"

"Not even a chance!"

From the front row, a group of girls shouted, cupping their hands to amplify their voices.

"You can do this, Tess! Show him what we're made of!"

Tess rolled her shoulders, ignoring the sting of blood as her mana began to glow—a faint reddish aura swirling around her like smoke caught in flame. Her lips curved in a half-grin.

"Alright, ice boy," she muttered. "Let's see how well that frost holds up against fire."

Beneath the archway, the murmurs spread like wildfire... low, biting, and restless.

"This isn't a fair match," one noble muttered, folding his arms.

"A combat-type against a frost specialist? She's doomed from the start."

"Yeah, she can't even close the distance," another replied.

"Eldric's house is known for their ice discipline. Once he locks her down, it's over."

"Shouldn't have decided so suddenly," came another voice, laced with lazy amusement.

From the opposite side, a group of girls scoffed loudly, their tones sharp and dripping with defiance.

"Bunch of cowards," one snapped. "You're so quick to pick a side."

"Just wait till Tess gets her hands on him," another added, crossing her arms.

"You'll swallow those words soon enough."

Meanwhile, Eran leaned silently at the far corner of the archway, half-shadowed from the light. His gaze flicked from the stage to the nobles around him, watching their chatter swirl and multiply like buzzing flies. Their laughter, their arrogance, it all sounded the same.

To him, this wasn't pride. It was noise.

He exhaled slowly, lips curving into a faint smirk. So this is what they call nobility, mocking their own while hiding behind names and titles.

His gaze slid towards them again, and for a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to 'Miyu. Her entrance a week ago perhaps still burned in their memory; the mere thought of her presence alone sent half of these self-proclaimed elites trembling in their polished boots.

But then again… flies scatter when the queen arrives. I guess huh ?

The grin deepened on his face, subtle yet sharp.. one that hinted amusement and danger all at once, as his eyes returned to the arena where Tess was just beginning to rise with that burning glow around her hands.

From the top rows, the girls' voices rose above the murmuring crowd.

"Show him your pride, Tess!"

"Yes! Girl power!"

Their cheers rang across the arena like a challenge of their own.

A few boys nearby hissed under their breath, exchanging mock grins.

"Cowards," one sneered.

"They'll be crying when she gets frozen solid."

Down below, Edric's gaze locked onto Tess, his grin twisting cruelly.

"So, you really want to get tough just because of those cheers, huh?"

Tess tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a razor-sharp smile.

"So you still don't know when to keep that shitty mouth shut, right?"

The crowd barely had time to blink before her feet dug into the obsidian floor.

A flicker... then she moved.

In the next instant, she was gone from where she stood. Edric's pupils shrank.

"W–what?"

A blur of motion cut through his line of sight.

Whispers erupted. "Did you see that?!"

"She was just standing there a second ago!"

Edric tried to react, frost flaring from his palms, ice forming like jagged blades..

but it was too slow. Very slow.

Tess twisted low into a spiral, her body cutting through the air with fierce precision.

"Well," she said, her voice calm, with venom-laced, "I guess I'll shut that mouth of yours first."

Edric barely had time to look down...

"Huh—?"

CRACK!

The sound echoed across the arena. Her fist connected squarely against his jaw. A tooth shot from his mouth, glinting midair before bouncing off the stone floor.

Edric stumbled back hard, skidding across the arena's smooth surface as frost shards splintered under his boots.

The crowd gasped.. then roared.

"Y–yeah, Tess!"

"Go get him!"

"Teach that frost freak a lesson!"

The sound rolled through the stands like thunder. Tess straightened slowly, brushing the dust from her gloves, her smile widening just a fraction.

"Not so cold now, are you?" she muttered, eyes locked on Edric as he struggled to rise.

From the judges' table, a few heads tilted subtly, their expressions unreadable as quills scratched faintly over parchment.

The faint shhrrrk of ink against vellum filled the silence between crowd cheers.

Each judge began scribbling through their evaluation journals, recording every strike, motion, and surge of mana that rippled through the arena.

Nyssa sat near the far right end, her emarald quill tapping lightly against her page. She leaned toward Selene, who was calmly noting Tess's movement patterns with an almost clinical focus.

"It's quite interesting," Nyssa murmured, eyes flicking from her notes to the arena floor.

"You have such a promising noble under your wing, Selene."

Selene's lips curved faintly as she let out a quiet chuckle that slipped past her composure.

"I guess the fights have been entertaining so far," she replied, setting her quill down. "Well apart from the last one. That one was a bit too rough for my taste."

Nyssa smirked. "True. Though I can't help but notice..." she paused with a teasing tone, "I haven't seen Miyu or Eran so far."

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