"NEXT DUEL! ZACARD TOSIN VERSUS HELENA CROSS!"

It was Zacard turn.

His duel was against a B-class student named Helena Cross who specialized in water magic.

Zacard jumped onto the platform and Helena was not much slower than him.

Helena had bright blonde hair pulled into two enormous drill-shaped ponytails that bounced with every step.

Each drill curl was tied with a neat blue bow, the ribbons hanging down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a vivid, clear blue, round and sparkling under long lashes.

Her skin was fair and smooth, with a soft pink tint on her cheeks. Her lips were small and glossy, giving her a doll-like look. Everything about her appearance made her seem like the classic main heroine of an otome isekai.

"BEGIN!" Hendricks shouted.

Helena's boots scraped against stone as she launched herself backward. Ten feet of space opened between her and Zacard.

Her hands moved in quick patterns. Blue light gathered in her palms.

"[Water Bullet]!"

A sphere of compressed water shot toward Zacard's chest.

Zacard's spear came up in a single fluid motion. The blade sliced through the water bullet and it burst apart in a spray of droplets.

He charged forward. His boots pounded the arena floor.

Helena backpedaled and her hands were already moving again.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Another sphere formed and launched.

Zacard's spear deflected it to the side. Water splashed across the ground.

Helena's hands glowed blue once more.

"Water Bullet!"

The third sphere hurtled at him.

Zacard didn't slow. He dropped into a slide. His body went horizontal and the water bullet passed over his chest.

He came up running. The gap between them had closed to eight feet.

Helena turned and sprinted. Her robes billowed behind her.

She spun while running. Her hands traced symbols in the air.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Zacard's spear knocked it aside. He gained another foot.

Helena cast again without breaking stride.

"[Water Bullet]!"

The sphere shot backward at him.

Zacard sidestepped. It missed by inches.

He pushed harder. Seven feet separated them now.

Helena's voice rang out again.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Zacard's spear cut through it. Water sprayed his face.

Helena retreated further. She cast again.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Another deflection. Another step forward.

The pattern continued.

Helena would cast. Zacard would destroy the bullet. She would retreat. He would advance.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Slash. Advance.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Deflect. Advance.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Cut. Advance.

The cycle repeated itself. Over and over.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Zacard's spear moved again and the bullet burst.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Another slash. Another step.

"[Water Bullet]!"

The twelfth bullet exploded against his spear tip.

Zacard closed to six feet. His breathing was steady but his jaw was tight.

Helena stopped running. She stood still for the first time since the fight began.

Her hands moved through a different pattern. Blue light swirled around her boots.

"[Water Shoes!]"

The light solidified into a thin layer around her feet. It rippled and flowed like liquid.

Helena smiled. Then she turned and glided backward across the ground.

Her speed doubled. She moved like she was skating on ice. Her feet barely touched the stone.

The distance between them expanded back to ten feet.

Her hands came up again.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Zacard's spear cut through it. He sprinted after her.

But she was faster now. She glided effortlessly backward while he had to run.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Slash. He couldn't gain ground.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Deflect. She maintained the distance perfectly.

The pattern resumed. The same endless cycle.

Cast. Destroy. Retreat. Advance.

"[Water Bullet]!"

"[Water Bullet]!"

"[Water Bullet]!"

The crowd grew restless and started to boo.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Slash.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Deflect.

"[Water Bullet]!"

Cut.

Zacard counted in his head. Twelve more exchanges. Twenty-four total.

"[Water Bullet]!"

His spear swept it aside violently.

"[Water Bullet]!"

He batted it down into the ground.

"[Water Bullet]!"

The twelfth repetition since she cast Water Shoes.

Zacard stopped running.

"What are you?" he shouted across the arena. "A turtle?"

Helena stopped gliding. The water around her feet continued to ripple.

She tilted her head and a cute, delicate smile spread across her face.

She said nothing. Just smiled.

Zacard's eye twitched.

His spear came up. He gripped it with both hands and thrust it forward.

Lightning crackled along the shaft and it gathered at the spearpoint.

"[Lightning Bolt]!"

A jagged bolt of electricity exploded from the spear and it tore through the air toward Helena.

Helena's eyes went wide and her smile vanished.

Her hands flew up in panic.

"[Water Barrier]!"

Blue light erupted in front of her. It formed into a wall of swirling water three feet thick.

The lightning bolt struck the barrier. Electricity arced across the water's surface. Steam hissed into the air.

The barrier held. But it crackled and flickered.

Helena's hands shook as she maintained the spell. Her concentration was completely focused on the barrier.

Zacard moved.

He exploded forward. The water shoes had kept her at a distance. Now she was stationary.

He closed ten feet in two seconds.

His spear began to spin. Slowly at first, then faster. It rotated in his hands like a drill bit.

Energy gathered along the shaft. The spear spun faster and faster. It became a blur of motion.

"[Drilling Spear]!"

The rotating spear struck Helena's water barrier dead center.

The water rippled. Then it shattered.

The barrier exploded outward in a wave of water and mist. Droplets sprayed in every direction.

Helena stumbled backward. Her hands were still raised. Her mouth opened in shock.

Zacard was already through the broken barrier.

His spear stopped spinning. The point was perfectly steady.

It pressed against Helena's throat.

She froze. Her eyes looked down at the spearpoint. The metal was cold against her skin.

"Yield," Zacard said.

Helena's hands slowly lowered. The blue glow around her boots faded and disappeared.

Water dripped from her robes. Her hair was wet from the barrier's destruction.

She swallowed. The spearpoint pressed slightly harder.

"I yield," she said quietly.

Zacard pulled back his spear and stepped away.

Helena's hand went to her throat. She touched where the spear had been. Her fingers trembled.

The crowd erupted. Some cheered. Others booed. Arguments broke out in the stands about her tactics.

Zacard turned his back on her and walked toward his corner. He planted his spear in the ground.

Helena remained standing in the center of the arena. Water pooled around her feet. Her cute smile was long gone.

"ZACARD TOSIN WINS!"

"Thank god, that's over." Lucas said as Zacard came down from the stage.

"How you feeling?" Damion asked as Zacard got closer.

"I've never wanted to hit a lady so bad." Zacard said.

"Not even Veronica?" Damion asked.

"Veronica isn't a lady." Zacard responded coldly.

"Yeah, yeah." Damion said. "Who's up next?"

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