Arcane Bonds

The arena was silent for a moment, the only sound being the soft whisper of Eden’s footsteps as she moved into position. Her wand, glowing with both icy blue and fiery red, pulsed with raw power. As she took her stance, the air around her began to shimmer, a visible tension building as her magic circled through her. The air around her shifts, growing colder and heavier with each passing second then the first spell she casts, a shimmering ice spear, is deceptively simple, but as it shoots forward, the true force behind it becomes clear. The spear doesn’t just travel; it slices through the air like a gust of frigid wind, sending a chill through the crowd.

Eden wastes no time. A second spell follows immediately—a cascade of fiery arcs that spiral through the air in perfect harmony with the ice spear. The crowd gasps as the two opposing elements move together, neither negating the other. Instead, they combine, amplifying the power of each by tenfold. The moment the ice and fire collide at the center of the arena, the resulting explosion sends shockwaves across the stage. Flames and frost alike scorch and freeze the ground. Then, with a sudden flick of her wrist, she released another spell—a powerful blast of ice fire orbs, but unlike before, these were larger, and faster. They shot across the arena, glinting with deadly precision. Valen’s eyes narrowed, but he was ready, conjuring fireballs to meet the orbs in midair.

Even though they are basic elemental spells, the sheer strength of Eden’s dual attributes in perfect harmony astonishes the spectators. Her attacks grow more intense with each passing second, each spell fiercer than the last. Ice spires shoot out from the ground, while pillars of flame erupt around her. The union of these two opposing forces is a spectacle of power, creating an overwhelming pressure that even the most seasoned mages in the crowd can’t help but admire.

Eden’s attacks grew fiercer, her movements sharper. With each wave of her wand, she summoned more powerful spells, sending a barrage of ice and fire toward Valen, and the audience gasped as the explosion shook the arena floor. The sheer power and speed of the attack left everyone stunned, even the seasoned mages in their towers.

“Remarkable!” one of the senior mages exclaimed.

But while Eden’s magic becomes increasingly destructive, Valen Draymore stands firm. His eyes burn with determination as he weathers the onslaught of spells. Flames singe his flesh, and patches of his skin turn a frosty blue before crumbling away, revealing the toll of Eden’s attacks. His face twisted in pain for only a moment, but his eyes… His eyes stayed locked onto Eden with an unwavering determination.

Behind a wall of fire that shields him, Valen takes a deep breath. His burned flesh sizzles, but he ignores it, focusing on what he had learned. “This is what it means to fight,” he mutters under his breath.

He had been forged through grueling training, and this was his moment. As the wave of destruction bore down on him, Valen defended himself with a series of firewalls, casting them in rapid succession. His movements were precise, his focus unbreakable. The flames roared around him, blocking the incoming attacks and preventing Eden from overwhelming him.

Then, with a calm intensity, Valen begins chanting an incantation. His voice grows louder with each word, reverberating through the arena. Magic circles form around him—one, two, three, four—each one glowing brighter than the last. The audience watches in stunned silence as these circles tighten around his body.

A transformation begins. Valen’s skin glows with fiery energy, his entire form igniting. His wand points to his temple, and in an instant, his body erupts into flames. The magic circles flare, and before anyone can react, his entire body begins to change. Flames erupted from his skin, and his form shifted, growing larger and larger. His once-human figure transformed into something monstrous, something born from the depths of a volcano.

In his place stands a massive, fire-breathing lizard—its entire body composed of molten flame. This was not just any creature; it looked as though it had been born from the heart of a volcano. The ground beneath it sizzles. Valen had transformed into a creature of pure fire, a monstrous lizard with a hide of swirling flames that radiated intense heat.

Someone in the crowd gasps. "He’s using the heterodox method to transform his body!"

The audience watches, mesmerized. The flaming lizard roars, its molten eyes fixed on Eden. With each breath, the heat in the arena rises, distorting the air around it. Eden’s spells—ice fire spears, twin element spheres —are immediately suppressed, evaporating before they can even reach the beast.

The shift in the battle is palpable. What had been Eden’s advantage moments ago now seems insignificant before the sheer power of Valen’s transformation. Her once overwhelming attacks are neutralized by the flaming lizard’s presence, and the tide of the fight turns.

Eden, narrows her eyes. Her wand remains steady, but she knows that Valen’s transformation is no ordinary spell. She watches as her powerful dual-attribute magic, which had once astonished the crowd, becomes ineffective against the fiery beast before her. Valen, now fully in control of his transformed body, roars again, his voice a deep, rumbling sound that shakes the arena.

“He’s suppressing everything,” Eden whispers to herself. She can feel the heat even from a distance. Every spell she launches dissipates before it can even reach him.

Valen steps forward, each footfall leaving scorched earth behind him. His fiery form exudes both defense and offense—anything that comes close to him is instantly incinerated.

Mira, from the alcove, watches the battle with a clenched jaw. “That’s the signature move of Darius Draymore… That boy survived his training. He's stronger than I thought.”

Eve, standing beside her, adjusts her glasses, observing closely. “It’s impressive,” she commented, her tone clinical. “But there are irregularities in the spell. He’s pushing himself.”

Mira’s gaze flickered toward Eve. “Irregularities?”

Eve nodded, her eyes fixed on Valen as he rampaged across the arena. “The transformation—it’s draining. I estimate he can hold that form for five minutes, maybe a little more or less, before he exhausts his mana entirely.”

Mira exhaled slowly, her knuckles white as she gripped the alcove railing. "Five minutes... that’s more than enough time to cause serious damage."

Eve continued, her voice calm despite the tension rising in the arena. “In this state, his offensive and defensive capabilities have surged beyond what any foundational mage could handle. He’s operating on a different level now. Only an Arcane Initiate or stronger could break through his defense at this point.”

Back in the arena, Eden’s eyes sharpen. She pointed her wand forward again, Valen roared at Eden, a primal, guttural sound that echoed through the massive arena, sending chills through the crowd. With a terrifying speed that belied his massive fire-lizard form, he launched himself toward Eden. In a blink of an eye, he surpassed her defensive perimeter, his flames burning through any ice traps she had meticulously laid.

His fiery body was a juggernaut, unyielding, unstoppable. Eden could barely dodge his molten tail as it whipped dangerously close to her face, the heat alone singeing her hair. Valen pressed his advantage, attacking with wild ferocity. He swung his molten tail again, aiming for Eden's midsection. She threw up an ice wall, only for it to disintegrate instantly under the searing heat of his fire, forcing her to leap back, her breath coming in short gasps. The crowd gasped as Eden nimbly dodged another attack, her movements fluid and precise, skating just out of reach of Valen’s molten tail. He struck again, swiping at her with his enormous fiery limbs, but she slid to the side, leaving nothing but mist in her wake.

Valen wasn't giving her any room to think or counter. His claws slashed through the air, aiming for her head, and Eden barely managed to duck under it, rolling to the side as another fire wall erupted in her path. She was nimble, quick, but even she knew that a single hit from Valen’s transformed body could incapacitate or worse, kill her.

Eden’s eyes flickered with determination. She couldn't hold back anymore. In a fluid motion, she flicked her wand, conjuring a mist that spread like a blanket across the arena, cooling the scorching ground beneath them and obscuring her figure in a dense fog. The audience gasped, their vision now obstructed by the thick mist . He slammed a fist into the ground, sending molten shards flying at her, forcing Eden to cast another ice barrier. The molten shards melted through the ice like lava, but Eden was already gone, disappearing into the mist she’d summoned. The arena grew thick with a dense fog, obscuring everything. Eden had blanketed the battlefield in a cold, icy mist, her magic spreading like a veil over the arena.

His eyes narrowing as the mist obscured his view. His flame-lizard form seethed with fury, embers crackling at the edges of his scales, but his advantage was slipping. He couldn't see Eden clearly, though his senses were sharp. He snarled, unleashing another wave of heat to dissipate the mist, but even so, he couldn't pinpoint her exact location. Valen paused for a moment, his molten eyes scanning the white clouded battlefield. The mist swirled around him, and for the first time in the match, his speed and precision seemed less effective. He roared again, sending a wave of flame across the ground, trying to melt through the fog, but Eden was elusive. Her movements were a blur within the mist, darting through the air like a shadow. He swung his tail, but hit nothing but air.

From the Emberheart alcove, Mira’s eyes were wide, her breath caught in her throat. "Come on, Eden," she whispered under her breath.

Despite Valen’s ferocity, Eden was always one step ahead—until she wasn’t.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement in the mist. Valen’s eyes widened, and he lunged. His molten claws swiped through the fog and before Eden could cast a defensive spell, she felt a sharp, burning pain in her chest. Valen’s claw pierced her chest.

The crowd gasped in collective horror. A silence fell over the arena as Eden’s limp body hung from Valen’s claws, flames licking at her robes.

Valen's molten claws lifted Eden's limp body, the sight so grotesque and sudden that even the hardened nobles in the stands stood in shock. His fire roared, his victory seemingly assured as Eden hung there, blood staining her pristine robes.

“Eden!!” Joy's piercing scream echoed through the arena, her small body lurching forward, ready to leap from the balcony. She thrashed against her mother’s arms, desperate to reach her sister. Mira, pale as a ghost, held her daughter back, her own eyes wide in terror and disbelief.

Eve, standing beside them, adjusted her glasses with trembling hands.

Valen’s molten body seemed to pulse with victory.