Zoemi thought, directing the subject to the unique shadow of the ice magician lurking within his mind.

|They are things that people can and cannot do.|

Ludier’s shadow responded although he did not sound too confident this time around.

|I guess this is the problem of people born in a world where magic is something normal…|

Zoemi sighed, carefully watching the tiny bit of Arreta’s shadow that luckily remained above the ground, betraying her position for only the black-haired boy.

Oh, I wouldn’t say that… I and everyone gathered here today, most definitely see the insanity…

Ludier only scoffed, commenting on their situation.

Because honestly, insanity was a quite good description of what was going on…

Within the boundaries created by the water magicians to protect the audience, a vortex of murky darkness was completely blocking the view of anyone outside.

The vortex itself wasn’t a spell at all, although it most definitely looked like a shadow hurricane.

The truth was it was thousands upon thousands of the bird-like spells that Zoemi just kept on spawning, all circling around the arena waiting for their turn to crush into the ground to further the process of excavating the brown-haired woman from her hiding spot.

Water magicians holding up the barriers were looking at each other, sweating nervously – the magic crows weren’t hitting against their connected spell, but the pressure created by their movement was a different matter altogether.

It might have as well been an actual hurricane spell at that point…

The howling of the wind was blocking off all the noises from both the inside and outside so even if the judges were calling for the duel to end, the two fighters inside could not hear it at all.

|Now… I wonder how much mana she has left? Don’t you agree that if I will stop pressuring her, she should come out and attack me with all she has left…?|

Sure. I mean, what other option does she have besides that? Staying in the grave she made for herself?

Ludier’s unique shadow responded to Zoemi’s amused thoughts.

|But while doing so – we can’t greet her empty-handed, can we?|

You are getting out of control, kid – but sure. I definitely was not and am not a person that would stop others in their revenge.

Zoemi smirked and Ludier snickered.

”Crows, gather.”

The black-haired boy adjusted his position and the output of the dragon breath shooting out of his left hand in order to stay in the air without using his right hand as he reached out with it and ordered.

At his command the thousands of murky-black crow-shaped spells rushed towards his palm as if it was their nest, clearing the view for the audience…

…at least for a moment…

The air started to shake from the sheer quantity of the spells gathered in an extremely compacted space – although it did not turn into a full-blown air quake.

Meanwhile…

|Ah! He stopped! Finally! I knew he could have that much mana – it would be ridiculous! Damn foundling, now I can hit him with my strongest spell while he is helplessly searching for me!|

Arreta felt that the surface of the earth stopped trembling from the explosions and decided on a full-on offensive.

The timing couldn’t have been better – after all, she was getting desperate as her mana was getting depleted to a dangerous degree for her position.

Without a second delay, she propelled herself towards the surface and shoot out like a graceful and deadly mermaid, ready to deal a fatal blow!

”Giant’s punch…! Eh…!?”

The brown-haired young woman confidently cast her spell and then her hand trembled when she realized something was terribly wrong with the world above.

Because of her own spell, the earth that she just emerged from quivered and obediently formed into a monstrous arm that shot up right where the pesky guy who beat up her father and grandma was… But although she used most of her remaining mana, it wasn’t the amount that could cause an ariquake – so why the air around her was shaking so much that it seemed as if she was underwater!?

”Phoenix.”

|OH SHIT, THAT’S WAY TOO MUCH…!|

High above her, Zoemi declared, speaking up the name of the spell he just created, and instantly regretted using that spell against Arreta and the sturdy rock arm that she launched at him.

The difference between the two spells was too much to even allow a comparison!

Because the thousands of crows that gathered at Zoemi’s palm melted together forming something akin to an egg, and the air stopped quaking for a moment, before…

*crack*

The shell of the egg shattered and the spell emerged from inside.

The airquake that proceeded was incomparable to anything else ever before.

It was as if space itself blurred – as if the calm surface of a sea was hit by a tornado.

The might of the murky-black phoenix didn’t break through the giant’s arm… it denied its very existence by burning up the mana comprising the spell into nothingness and straight-up evaporating the water barrier protecting the audience.

”FUCK! No! It’s too strong! RUN, YOU IDIOT!”

Realizing his mistake Zoemi tried to stop the phoenix but that spell was born solely for the purpose of destruction and refused to be called back.

|That little ** dares to disobey me!?|

Zoemi roared in his mind and bit his lip in fury.

”Explode, you impertinent fool!”

He shouted.

And the phoenix had no other choice but to obey.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

—–

”Ah…”

*thump*

Arreta saw her death approaching.

She saw it clearly and the only thing she could do was to fall to her knees and wait.

There was no use in escaping or trying to hide when the avatar of destruction was right in front of her.

But then, a miracle occurred.

The murky-black phoenix exploded with the unimaginable power – but, there was no shockwave nor heat spreading and harming anyone…

A crimson-haired girl using a fire spell of her own, launched herself from the VIP section in the audience, straight at the impending phoenix while her body shone red and ignited.

As the red flames covering her turned into a splendid ballroom dress, the murky-black spell that got out of control of its caster exploded – but instead of spreading death and destruction, all of the raging inferno got sucked in towards the girl.

As that happened, the flame dress that she was donning went into a transformation – the flames rapidly changed colors going from red, orange, yellow, and then finally pure white.

As it reached the colors of the fresh snow, the dress itself tuned more pompous, basically changing from a ballroom dress right into a full-blown wedding dress – veil included.

”…sheesh… what would you do without me?”

Ehmi landed gracefully in front of the speechless Arreta, but most certainly wasn’t talking to her.

”Seriously… eh…? Whoa…! Hold on – what is this supposed to be now…?!”

Ehmi sighed, shaking her head at the lowly descending Zoemi, before she flinched and looked down at her body confused about the brightness, realizing how her spell changed because of taking in all the power from the boy’s spell.