landbeastnovel Chapter 89: The Battle Of The Ages (2)
Chapter 89: The Battle Of The Ages (2)
[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]
Jan and Louise's stalemate turned into a whirlpool of massive winds.
Both their Auras clashed with unparalleled ferocity, Louise's crimson fire and Jan's celestial light locked in a struggle for dominance.
CRACK!!!! CRACK!!!! CRACK!!!!
The air tightened, compressing under the relentless pressure, until the space between them crackled with raw energy. Lightning snaked through their blades, tiny pops and hisses audible over the collective gasp of the crowd.
BOOM!
Another explosion tore through the centre of their clash. Louise, his teeth clenched, tightening the grip on his polearm, his muscles screaming as he strained to maintain the pressure.
Jan's, eyes blazing, mirrored the desperate effort, his knuckles white, where they gripped the broadsword.
BOOM!
A blast of golden wind, infused with an impossible mix of fire and light, erupted upward from the epicentre of their duel.
"...!"
"No way..."
"Did anyone just see that?"
"...Monsters..."
The beam of energy pierced the heavens, momentarily blinding the entire stadium. A bluster of shouts and panicked screams filled the air as the explosion threw Louise and Jan backwards, shattering their deadlock.
...
...
For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Then the dust settled to reveal a scene of devastation.
The impact zone of their clash lay in smouldering ruin, fragments of the platform littering the ground.
Jan and Louise, though separated, stood still on the fractured ground, miraculously unharmed from the chaos.
Their gazes, locked across the arena, burning with the feeling of determination.
The battle had only just begun.
As the energy of their clash finally disappeared, Louise with a dismissive flick of his polearm axe, dispersed the clinging dust.
"Tch, show off."
Jan mirrored the same gesture across the ravaged arena, his brow furrowed in surprise.
He'd never experienced anything like the phenomenon that had occurred.
During the clash, he sensed a strange, almost impossible principle in Louise's attack.
It was something he'd learned long ago, a supposed fundamental law of aura and mana...
When an elemental attribute and mana are combined, they produce a direct elemental output, allowing the user to properly cast spells of their desired element.
However, when aura is introduced into the mix, it creates a unique interaction. Aura, being a manifestation of one's inner energy, acts as a repulsive force when combined with mana and the user's elemental attribute.
This repulsion output results in an unstable reaction, causing the magical energy to explode outward in a chaotic burst.
But somehow, Louise had bypassed that fundamental law.
It took only moments to understand, but Jan realized Louise hadn't used mana during that clash.
What Jan had assumed was that he combined pure elemental energy – Pureset Flame – with his aura in a way he had never seen.
During that moment Jan activated 'eyes of adaptation' replicating the move exactly on a gamble, an attempt to understand the impossible.
But now, it was like a veil had been lifted.
Louise, unknowingly, had unlocked a key, revealing a new possibility of how Aura and Elements could be combined. With this discovery, Jan knew this was a chance to push boundaries he'd only glimpsed before.
He met Louise's gaze, now alight with a quiet challenge. This battle though unpredictable, raw, and utterly thrilling – promised to be more than he'd ever imagined.
CRACK... Dash!
The ground beneath Jan's feet broke in a heartbeat.
He launched into a sprint towards Louise.
"It's called an Elemental Zone," Kang continued, his voice laced with a hint of pride. "A technique notoriously difficult to learn, even for the top guild leaders."
Gerrard leaned forward in his chair, his curiosity piqued. "Elemental Zone, huh? Interesting. It did look somewhat familiar... reminds me of something my daughter pulled off when she was just seven!" He chuckled, the memory bringing a fond spark to his eyes.
"Even with the barrier obscuring our vision," he mused, "my senses can still pierce it to a degree. This battle... it's far stranger than the audience realizes."
A secretive smile played on his lips, hinting at the knowledge he wasn't willing to share just yet.
Kang turned to Gerrard asking him a curious question.
"Who do you think can master this technique in such a short time, given Jan's situation?" he asked, a subtle change in his voice.
Gerrard's smile widened. "Well, Kang, if you're putting it so plainly, then I'd have to say Jan." His gaze remained fixed on the fiery barrier.
"He possesses more potential than even you might recognize. Sure, Jan hasn't yet unleashed his full power in this fight, knowing him at first hand, he'd probably treat it more like practice more than a true battle."
As Gerrard spoke, a wave of nostalgia washed over him, triggering a memory from three years ago. The scene unfolded before him like a vivid dream.
...
[Flashback to 5 years ago]
...
[Freya's Residence, Training Grounds]
A younger Jan stood along with his friends – Valencia, Bazz, Camila, and Lyra in the training grounds.
A playful smile spread across Gerrard's face as he addressed them all.
"Alright, listen up, Future Freya Guild Members! If any of you can land a single hit on me, without making me budge, lunch is on me for the next month!"
"Father... you know it's impossible." Valencia rolled her eyes, muttering her complaints about her father's style of 'training'.
Bazz spoke adding, "Yeah, Mr. Freya! Remember when you flicked me in the head and sent me flying through the trees?"
Gerrard chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. "Come on, Bazz, you're overreacting! It's all to make yous stronger."
Lyra and Camila exchanged glances knowing the beating they had previously received and both said at the same time,
"No, Mr Freya..."
Camila and Lyra gave Gerrard puppy dog eyes and like so he couldn't resist.
"Okay fine... Lyra, Camila, Valencia, and Bazz are excused..."
As Gerrard felt like he was under the rain a boy stepped forward, a determined look in his eyes.
"I'd like to have a duel with you, Mr. Freya!" His declaration surprised even his closest friends.
"J-J-Jan are you crazy?" Camila stuttered looking at him confused.
"Let Jan do it! I can finally see his ass get beat for once!" Bazz chuckled cheering Jan on to fight Gerrard.
Both Lyra and Valencia looked at each other with a gambling look, As the two had bet on whether Jan would be able to land a hit on Gerrard or not.
As Gerrard agreed he looked at Jan intently, his eyes scanning the young boy's form.
"...!"
What he saw was a body honed by years of training and a mana flow that was years ahead of his age, indicating exceptional control. A genuine smile graced Gerrard's lips. "Interesting," he remarked, walking towards the training rack and taking out a sturdy wooden sword.
"Alright, Jan. Give me your best shot."
_________
To be continued...
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Authors Notes:
- Elemental Zoning is a phenomenon in which a user's elemental attribute becomes a dominant force in their immediate surroundings, transforming the area into a domain infused with their element.
The transformations in an elemental zone could consist of the following:
A barrier made of their own element, a terrain made of the element, and a zone that can amplify the user's element.
Elemental Zoning grants the user control over their own terrain or area allowing them to easily manipulate a certain element with ease.
The difficulty of sustaining a zone requires a high level of control over their mana and element, in order to keep the zone together.
- It takes an extreme amount of skill to activate an element attribute without the usage of mana. As the result would be a repulsion of force directed towards the user if not done properly.