AMELIA LALA'S POV:

Both participants stood a few mels apart. Asthia was now wearing extremely light Fei armor, and I could tell she was slightly uncomfortable in the shining golden and white colors.

I would be both the spectator as well as the judge of the duel. The King believed my word to be neutral, and I would uphold that honor. There would be no biases in my words and judgment.

Asthia and Rena both grabbed their weapons from a wide selection that was made available to them. My eyebrows raised in surprise upon seeing Rena wielding a blade. She was more than capable of fighting within melee range, but everyone knew her true specialty lay in ranged attacks with a bow.

Was she really that confident? Rena Vye was not one to boast about her abilities, but the circumstances of the fight could easily influence her actions.

Both fighters prepared themselves, their stances revealing their approach to the battle. I smiled at the sight of the Dragon girl. Even if her objective was to play defensively and survive five minutes...

"Begin!"

She'd launch an offensive.

BOOM

Asthia shot off the ground towards her opponent, their blades meeting right in front of Rena's face.

"!!"

An explosion of energy erupted around the combatants, momentarily blinding the spectators. King Valven's earlier smug expression was beginning to fade, failing to understand how his prized S-rank was being pushed back.

If both fighters were at full strength, Rena would most likely come out on top.

But if they both utilized swords... then Asthia had the upper hand.

Rena jumped back to create some breathing room, but a figure emerged from the smoke of the explosion immediately.

"Dragon Strike," muttered Asthia.

Her silver blade was engulfed in flames, a dragon serpent made entirely of fire swirling around her as it synchronized its movements with her swing.BOOM

Another blast of power as Rena parried the attack. I understood now, after witnessing only a few seconds of the battle, the devastating firepower of inferno bind users. Whereas lightning users such as myself or Jay relied on speed and evasive maneuvers, those who manipulated the flames of hell only cared about raw power.

Rena retreated once again, raising her sword and imbuing her body with wind bind. Asthia appeared in the sky, a crimson glint of anger visible in her eyes as an inferno surrounded her. Rena reeled her arm back, charging her blade with holy bind and awaiting her opponent's attack.

Both fighters swung their blades from a distance, sending forth a giant pulse of their respective element. The projectiles clashed, exploding in midair with a blinding flash.

Asthia landed on the ground and flicked her blade to the side, cooling it off slightly before leaping at her opponent once again. The sound of clashing blades and low rumbles of bind strikes echoed repeatedly across the area.

Both figures became blurs as they continuously spun around each other, but it was evident who was winning the fight. This was no longer a question about whether or not Asthia would survive five minutes.

It was whether or not Rena would still be standing after those five minutes.

Asthia continued her assault, unleashing attack after attack alongside searing flames.

"H-How is this possible," muttered the King, making sure nobody could hear him. I smiled but continued to face the arena, pretending I hadn't overheard him.

Asthia Darck had been viewed by many as someone who lurked in Jay Cadmium's shadow, forever unable to surpass him and destined to accept her own weakness. The girl knew that was how many people in the world saw her, and all the frustration she had felt toward herself was being used in this fight.

This was the time to prove them all wrong, Asthia.

"Divine gift!" cried Rena. She was tired of being pushed back.

Golden strings of energy entered her body. The Fei's eyes shot open with newfound power, her sword glowing brightly as she dashed towards Asthia.

"!!"

If I wasn't mistaken, this was the first time Asthia was going up against a holy user. I closed my eyes briefly, recalling the experience of fighting Jean one on one. It wasn't a pleasant memory. Rena was nowhere near Jean's level, but she was still an S-rank.magic

Rena's increased agility shifted the scales, finally allowing her to launch her own offensive. She became a blur of light, leaving only a golden trail of energy behind her as she zipped around her opponent. I was able to read her movements easily by allowing lightning to course through my body, but without the electric element, it was almost impossible.

The clashes of metal and sparks began to cloud the battlefield, but something seemed off about the scene. How were there so many sparks?Those would only appear if Asthia was accurately deflecting every blow that was being delivered...

"!"

She was.

How was she able to keep up? Her eyes shot across the battlefield instantaneously, and wherever they lay, Rena always appeared in that exact spot. The flames on her blade allowed her to create a defensive shield of heat around her, but her sword was always blocking the unforgiving onslaught of attacks.

What appeared to be an absolute beating from Rena... was actually a perfectly balanced duel. Valven's eyes beamed with pride at the sight of the flashes of golden energy. He was unable to see the reality of the fight.

Still... how was Asthia able to keep up? She didn't have that kind of speed.

My eyes widened at what followed. Asthia closed her eyes, awaiting the next attack when she suddenly sliced with the full power of her flames behind her.

"Argh!"

Rena had appeared right in front of the flames, almost as if her momentum had determined her location beforehand.

The Fei was engulfed by the fire. She shot back, tumbling on the ground at terrifying speeds before coming to a halt. Silence beset the scene as everyone was left speechless.

"I'm an unranked infernal binder with fire and earth attunement."

I suddenly remembered Asthia's words back in the Academy. My mouth couldn't help but widen into a giant grin as I realized how the Dragon Princess had been able to keep up with Rena's speed.

"Pulse detection," I muttered in disbelief. She was simultaneously manipulating both elements!

I had always known that Asthia was able to use more than one element, but for some reason, I had forgotten. Her overwhelming power with fire had convinced me that that was all she was using... but I was mistaken.

"I've had it with you," growled Rena, glancing to the side and seeing a minute left on the clock. A small void appeared beside the S-rank as she let go of the sword and retrieved a golden bow.

The rules had been breached, but I didn't end the fight. If I did, then Asthia wouldn't accomplish her goal. She wouldn't be able to prove her worth to those around her, and herself.

Rena levitated into the air with the power of wind, aiming the divine weapon right at her tired opponent and pulling back on the strings that glowed with energy. A giant circle of holy energy appeared behind her, fueling the arrow that began to take shape through currents of bind.

The emerald green eyes of the Fei roared with power, glaring at the Dragon below her.

"Divine... arrow!"

Now, Asthia. Show everyone what you're capable of. Show them that you don't live in Jay's shadow!