The afternoon sun hung low over the Arcadia Arena, casting long shadows across the stone pillars as nobles, mages, and commoners alike returned to their seats. The arena pulsed once more with excitement.
The first second-round match had ended with thunderous applause—Lilith Starwind had obliterated Sylas Veylor in under five minutes, shocking even her harshest critics. Yet somehow, the tension in the arena was only rising.
Everyone knew what came next.
The announcer's voice rang out again, echoing with renewed vigor.
"Match Two—Second Round! Cicilia Wales versus Prince Rowan!"
A wave of murmurs rolled across the stadium like a gathering storm.
"Cicilia… that's the sword witch from the Western Expanse, right?"
"She defeated a Tier 2 last round… with only wind magic and a rapier."
"She's no noble—but she's got bite."
"And Rowan—he didn't even break a sweat in his last match…"
In the noble balcony, Logan narrowed his eyes slightly. Cicilia's control over wind had impressed him. She wasn't flashy. She was sharp. Efficient. Dangerous.
But Rowan was something else. His composure, his elemental layering, his effortless victory last round—everything about the prince screamed crafted perfection.
Across from Logan, Ardyn Vex watched the arena in silence, his arms folded.
"This should be good," he muttered.
Alice sipped from a delicate crystal cup.
"Rowan's control over his fire and lightning elements is rare even in royal circles. But… maybe Cicilia's the type that grows stronger when cornered."
"Yes. Her first match surely felt like that."
Darius snorted.
"She won't survive ten exchanges."
Mirena didn't speak—her eyes were fixed on Rowan. Not in admiration, but wariness.
Down on the arena floor, Cicilia stepped into the spotlight. Her lean frame was wrapped in wind-sheathed robes, her pale-gray rapier drawn with a single, fluid movement. She took her stance: one foot forward, shoulders square, blade aimed directly at the opposite gate.
From the opposite entrance, Prince Rowan emerged in silence. His crimson cloak with a golden crest trailed behind him like a comet. His expression? Calm. Confident. Focused.
But his eyes—those glinting golden eyes—were not cold. They were curious.
As he approached, he gave Cicilia a small, respectful nod.
"I saw your last match," he said simply.
Cicilia offered no bow, only a slight tilt of her chin.
"I know who you are. I'm not here to kneel."
Rowan smiled faintly.
"I don't want that either. I don't want my bloodline to speak for me. My strength will. And I will always respect strong opponents like you."
The referee raised his hand.
"READY!"
Cicilia's blade pulsed with compressed wind. Rowan's fingertips crackled faintly—lightning danced between them like impatient serpents.
"THREE… TWO… ONE—BEGIN!"
Cicilia moved first. Like a leaf caught in a storm.
She vanished—wind propelling her sideways in a burst of speed, her rapier stabbing toward Rowan's shoulder. A blink later, she pivoted mid-air and slashed from a new angle.
But Rowan was already gone.
He didn't block. He didn't dodge in haste.
He flowed.
His body twisted with the elegance of a dancer and the sharpness of a blade, sidestepping both strikes with near-impossible timing.
Crack! A bolt of lightning snapped from his palm toward her chest.
Cicilia spun away mid-air, her robe burning slightly at the edge, then landed on one knee, breath sharp.
The crowd leaned in.
Back in the noble balcony, Logan exhaled.
"They're both reading three moves ahead."
Ardyn nodded slowly.
"And not showing their full hands yet."
Cicilia stood.
Her sword shimmered—then split into three translucent wind-blades that hovered behind her like wings.
The crowd gasped.
"She can create wind constructs?!"
"Never saw that in the first round!"
Rowan's brows lifted, amused.
Cicilia charged.
Wind blades circled her like orbiting daggers as she dashed forward with surgical precision. A barrage of thrusts, jabs, and feints fell upon Rowan—who blocked with brief bursts of fire magic and precise lightning parries.
She wasn't aiming to kill.
She was probing.
But then—
Rowan's palm hit the ground.
Lightning bolts emerged from the ground, trying to shackle her, forcing her upward.
In midair, Cicilia flipped and launched her three blades downward.
CRACK! The wind spears struck—but Rowan had already leapt sideways, countering with a streak of lightning aimed at her back.
She twisted—and it grazed her hip.
Pain flashed across her face.
Rowan didn't relent. He followed up with a wave of flame—not wild fireballs, but a stream, narrow and focused, aimed to trap.
Cicilia raised both arms—and detonated a compressed sphere of wind around herself.
BOOM!
The flames were blown outward, but her robe tore, and she hit the ground hard, tumbling to her knees.
Blood dripped from her temple.
She stood—slowly.
Rowan paused, as if offering a moment of reprieve.
"You're really good," he said. "But still not good enough."
Cicilia chuckled, wiping blood from her brow.
"Maybe not," she said, lifting her rapier again. "But let's see how long it takes to make your perfect hair dirty."
Another clash. Then another.
Wind tore up tiles. Lightning flashed in pulses. Fire danced like threads of a tapestry being rewoven mid-combat.
It was clear now: Rowan wasn't holding back anymore.
And Cicilia—she was fighting with desperation. With pride. With the hunger of someone who had never once been handed power.
But the gap was real.
She was fast. Smart. But Rowan was a force of nature.
In one sweeping movement, he layered flame over lightning and launched a whip-like arc that sliced through her final wind barrier.
Her rapier was knocked from her hand.
And in a flash, Rowan was behind her—his palm hovering just behind her neck.
The referee raised his hand immediately.
"STOP!"
Silence.
Then:
"Winner—Prince Rowan!"
The crowd burst into applause.
But it was not a wild cheer.
It was respectful. For both.
Cicilia stood up slowly. She turned to face Rowan—and bowed.
The prince returned it.
From the balcony, Lilith Starwind gave a soft smirk.
"He's still behind me," she said to no one in particular. "But not by much."
Logan didn't respond. He was watching Rowan carefully.
"His layering… he's already preparing his next spell before the first finishes," Logan murmured. "He's fighting like someone who's faced real battlefields."
Alice turned to Rudeous.
"Is he really only the king's third son?"
Rudeous's gaze remained fixed on the arena.
"Third in line, maybe. But in raw talent? He might just be the first."
As Rowan exited the arena, the next match was already being prepared in the waiting halls below.
And in the crowd—
More whispers rose.
And the real war was just beginning.