Alex was both nervous and excited at the prospect of facing Tessa in the finals. The idea lingered in his mind—half anticipation, half dread. And to make sure that possibility remained within reach, he forced his attention back to the present and focused entirely on the remaining matches.
He wasn't up first for this round, but second to last, which left him with plenty of time to observe—and overthink. He watched the battles unfold while mentally dissecting each fighter, mapping weaknesses, predicting spell rotations, and cataloging details that others ignored as irrelevant.
One opponent stood out more than the rest, someone he unfortunately recognized.
Dorren Sablehart.
A gravity user—alongside the ice element.
Alex remembered their midterm clash vividly. He still hadn't found a proper method to bypass Dorren's gravity defense. Unlike elemental barriers, gravity warped force itself; it redirected reality, bending trajectories no matter how strong the attack was.
Even if Alex's spell overpowered Dorren's mana output, the effect was applied fundamentally differently. Strength meant nothing if the laws of force themselves twisted against him.
Another notable opponent was Mirelle Aldwyn, a dual advanced elementalist wielding lightning and illusion—a vicious combination. She rarely revealed her true capability, because few opponents survived long enough to force her hand. Most collapsed the moment they dropped their guard under illusory distortion and were struck by lightning immediately after.
There were others, all competent in different degrees, but those two created the largest obstacles on his bracket. Assuming they won their matches… they would stand between him and Tessa.
But first, he needed to win this match—ironically considered the easiest of the three.
Toren Derrath. A fire-and-earth martial artist… just like Marc.
The fact that he had reached this stage as the only martial artist remaining spoke loudly about his skill.
Alex had ways to counter both of Toren's elements, but he refused to take chances. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, breathing evenly, cycling through tactics as though solving equations.
Based on his footwork, Toren's style centered around kicks. Nearly all his martial arts drew power from momentum and lower-body techniques. That alone narrowed Alex's options. In a small arena, distance wouldn't save him.
Which meant—for the first time in this tournament—he would need Water Scape.
As Alex stepped into the arena, the familiar hum of enchantments activated beneath his feet. The ground shimmered faintly from residual spells burned into the stone by previous battles. He inhaled deeply; the air smelled faintly of smoke and scorched sand.
He couldn't afford to lose—not here—so he mentally rehearsed every scenario, even improbable ones where he was cornered.
Across the stage, Toren stretched his legs and settled into a low stance like a coiled predator. When their eyes met, Alex felt it again—that faint, simmering anger that rose whenever he faced a noble. It wasn't conscious, more like a reflex deeply wired into him. But instead of clouding thought, it sharpened him, slicing away hesitation.
It made him merciless.
In the stands, now half-empty after earlier rounds ended, Scarlett and Tessa sat together. Teachers had spread out, now free from managing hundreds of students.
"Do you think he'll win?" Scarlett asked without looking away from the arena.
Tessa nodded. "Alex hasn't even used the spell he created recently. He's been holding back this entire time."
"What!?" Scarlett's voice cracked.
'This monkey of a student… has been going easy?' she screamed internally.
"How do you even know he created a spell? He barely talked to anyone the last six months." Scarlett asked.
Tessa scratched her cheek. "I peeked at his notebook once. It had the name Spiked Water Arrow written in the margins. When I asked, he got weirdly defensive."
Before Scarlett could ask her further, a loud impact echoed from the arena, stealing their attention.
The fight had begun.
Alex opened differently this time—conjuring pools of water across the arena floor, while Toren dashed toward him. Most spectators expected a Wind Slicer opener; Alex had used it repeatedly so far.
Toren expected it too.
He launched himself forward, body twisting into a high-velocity flying kick. The air cracked around him as he closed distance—fast enough that a lesser mage wouldn't even react.
But just before impact, Alex smiled faintly and dissolved into a torrent of water, merging seamlessly into one of the pools.
The crowd gasped.
As liquified water, Alex flowed across the arena and reformed on the opposite side within a heartbeat.
Scarlett exhaled. "Water Scape…"
Tessa blinked. "Water scape?"
"It turns the user's body into water for high-speed movement," Scarlett explained. "But it requires direct contact with water to activate, and if the body loses enough mass, the spell forcibly ends."
Back in the arena, Alex focused. Only one spell fit the situation.
'Time to shine, Water Arrow.'
Water fused with wind mid-air, compressing into a sleek projectile. He aimed center-mass for maximum hit chance and fired.
The arrow crossed the arena faster than the audience could follow, slamming into Toren's chest. A red mark blossomed across his torso, and the membrane made it difficult for him to move.
But martial artists didn't fall easily.
And Alex didn't intend to give him time to stabilize.
He surged forward, unleashing a relentless Wind Slicer Barrage. Blades of air hammered Toren's chest repeatedly, each slice smearing the membrane, leaving a red line, turning defense into agony.
Halfway through the assault, Alex halted. Toren's body was nearly entirely red membrane, barely holding together.
A single final spell.
Water Spear.
It pierced Toren's head membrane cleanly—a decisive, brutal end.
Silence fell before the crowd erupted.
"I'll be damned…" Tessa whispered. His display rattled her. She was one of his potential opponents—and that brutality had been casual.
"Relax," Scarlett said. "He only treats nobles that way. Against you, he might fight seriously, but not cruelly."
Tessa looked unconvinced but nodded slowly.
Scarlett exhaled. "But the real shock is the spell. Mixed element already—and self-taught?"
"Multiple-element spell creation isn't taught here?" Tessa asked quietly.
"No. Not until university. He learned it alone in the library."
Tessa swallowed. Alex's intellect was terrifying. Learning advanced theory solo bordered on genius.
What neither of them noticed was Fabian on the corner of the hall, laughing like a madman at Alex's performance.
Tessa's eyes returned to Alex, mind swirling with unanswered questions, but one specifically came to mind. She'd ask him eventually.
And she desperately hoped the answer would be no.