Extra Of The Magus Academy

The crowd held its breath as Ash and Seth circled each other on the grand stage, the air between them crackling with tension.

Seth stood tall, a confident smirk playing on his lips, while Ash kept his stance low and measured, his eyes locked onto his brother's every movement.

"You're too stiff, brother," Seth taunted, flexing his fingers as arcs of electricity danced between them.

"Come on, show me something impressive!"

Ash didn't reply.

He couldn't afford to. His mind was racing, analyzing Seth's posture, the faint flicker of mana that pulsed beneath his skin, the subtle shifts in his breathing. Every twitch was a clue—an opening waiting to be exploited.

'I know all your moves, Seth… I can't afford to be complacent!'

~WHUUUSH!!!~

Without warning, Seth lunged forward, his hand crackling with raw energy. Discover exclusive tales at My Virtual Library Empire

"Storm Fang!"

A jagged arc of lightning surged toward Ash, tearing through the air with blinding speed.

Ash's eyes widened, but his feet were already moving, instincts honed by countless battles kicking in. He sidestepped just in time, feeling the heat of the spell scorch past him as it struck the arena floor, sending debris flying.

BOOOOOM!!!

'He's fast... but predictable.'

Ash twisted mid-dodge, pivoting just as Seth followed up with another barrage—wind-infused lightning bolts that zigzagged toward him.

"Cyclone Strikes!"

Instead of running, Ash leaned into the attack, reading Seth's patterns and moving through the gaps in the storm of energy. Every strike that should have grazed him instead found empty space, the crowd gasping as Ash wove between the attacks with surgical precision.

Seth narrowed his eyes. "Tch... not bad."

Ash slid across the stage, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his brow. He could see it now—the gaps in Seth's aggressive offense.

A rhythm.

If he could keep up his evasion, he'd find the perfect opening to strike.

Seth wasn't done.

He slammed his foot down, and the arena trembled as he called forth a powerful gale.

"Typhoon Surge!"

A violent vortex of wind and lightning roared to life, engulfing the battlefield in a tempest of raw elemental force. Ash felt his feet lift off the ground, but he forced his body to stay steady, using his own wind magic to counteract the pull.

Almost there... just a little more.

Diving low beneath the whirlwind, Ash finally spotted it—the opening.

Seth's right side was exposed, his focus split between maintaining the typhoon and preparing his next attack.

It was now or never.

With a sharp exhale, Ash surged forward, his mana flaring. He muttered under his breath, weaving an intricate spell that crackled to life in his palm.

"Gale Piercer!"

The air around him condensed into a spiraling spear of wind, and just as he was about to strike—

BOOM!

An invisible force erupted from Seth, pushing Ash back with brutal force. The sudden shockwave sent him skidding across the stage, nearly knocking him off balance. He coughed, stunned by the raw power his brother had just unleashed.

"Guh!"

Seth stood at the center of a shimmering field of energy, his aura blazing with an intensity that dwarfed anything Ash had seen before.

"I was waiting for you to take the bait," Seth said smugly. "Did you really think I'd leave an opening that obvious?"

Ash gritted his teeth, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "You're... really annoying, you know that?"

Seth laughed, electricity crackling around him.

"I know."

Ash inhaled sharply, his hand tightening into a fist. If Seth wanted to play seriously, then so would he.

He raised his hand, his voice steady.

"Externalization!"

A surge of emerald light burst from Ash's chest, and in an instant, his Medium-Grade Wind Spirit emerged beside him.

The spirit, a translucent humanoid entity with gleaming wings, let out a piercing cry before coiling around him, amplifying his power.

Ash's aura intensified, the wind bending to his will as he charged forward with renewed vigor.

Seth's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Finally."

Raising his arm, he uttered the same incantation.

"Externalization!"

A deafening roar shook the arena as a colossal, azure-scaled figure materialized behind Seth. His Storm Dragon, an embodiment of wind and thunder, perched on his shoulder, its piercing golden eyes staring directly at Ash.

The entire battlefield seemed to freeze under the creature's overwhelming presence. A suffocating pressure blanketed the arena, forcing even the spectators to lean back in their seats, wide-eyed and breathless.

Ash stared up at the magnificent beast, feeling its gaze bore into him like a predator sizing up its prey.

His fists clenched tighter, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.

"Let's see if you can still keep up, brother." Seth grinned, the Storm Dragon letting out a low, menacing growl.

Ash swallowed hard but steadied himself.

"I always find a way."

BOOOOOOM!

The battlefield was a storm of chaos.

Seth stood tall at the center of it all, his aura crackling with unrestrained power. Arcs of lightning surged across the arena, scorching the ground and sending gusts of wind howling in every direction.

His miniature Storm Dragon perched on his shoulder, its eyes gleaming with predatory focus, each breath it took sending out waves of intense pressure.

Ash struggled to keep up.

His wind spirit darted around him, assisting where it could, but Seth's relentless assault left him with little room to breathe.

Every time he evaded a strike, another followed immediately, and each one was stronger, faster, and more precise. Seth was pressing his advantage mercilessly, forcing Ash to stay on the defensive.

"Too slow, brother!"

Seth's voice boomed through the arena as he launched another devastating attack.

"Thunder Tempest!"

A vortex of electrified wind spiraled toward Ash, and though he managed to dodge at the last second, the shockwave that followed sent him tumbling across the stage.

He rolled to a stop, coughing as dust and debris settled around him.

'Damn it... he's not giving me an inch.'

Ash wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart pounding against his ribs. His breathing was ragged, his limbs heavy.

Seth's strength was monstrous—his attacks weren't just powerful, they were precise, leaving Ash no chance to counter.

Seth smirked, taking slow, deliberate steps forward.

"This is your limit, isn't it? All that fancy dodging, but you can't even touch me."

Ash gritted his teeth.

He hated to admit it, but Seth was right.

No matter how fast he moved, Seth's overwhelming power made it impossible to turn the tide.

'I can't keep running... I need more.'

His hands clenched into fists, his mind racing for a solution.

And then, an idea.

It was risky—dangerous even—but if he didn't try it now, he would never stand a chance.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them with renewed determination.

"Fusion!"

A brilliant emerald glow enveloped Ash's body, and his wind spirit responded instantly.

It dove into him, merging into his very being, and the air around him exploded with power.

His form shifted subtly—his hair lifted as if caught in a constant breeze, his eyes shimmered with an eerie green glow, and his speed surged beyond anything he'd displayed before.

Wings appeared from behind him as markings glowed on his skin and aspartame of his body—his limbs especially—were costed in whitish green light.

WHUUUUSH

Gasps echoed through the crowd as Ash vanished in a blur of wind, reappearing above Seth in an instant.

Seth barely had time to react before Ash struck.

"Tempest Strike!"

A whirlwind of razor-sharp air blades cascaded down onto Seth, forcing him to raise his defenses.

His Storm Dragon roared, forming a protective barrier of crackling electricity, but Ash didn't let up.

He moved like a phantom, striking from every direction, each attack faster and more precise than before.

Seth's eyes widened slightly, his smirk faltering.

"So... you've mastered Fusion, huh?"

Ash didn't respond—he didn't need to. His attacks spoke for him, hammering against Seth's defenses like an unrelenting storm. For the first time, it seemed as if the balance had shifted.

But Seth wasn't one to back down.

"You think this is enough to beat me?!" he roared, his aura surging. "Not even close!"

His Storm Dragon let out a deafening roar, unleashing a wave of turbulent wind that shattered the surrounding air. Seth retaliated with a devastating punch, charged with raw elemental force, and Ash barely managed to dodge it by inches.

The brothers clashed in a blur of movement—wind against lightning.

Every strike sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, forcing the audience to shield their eyes from the sheer intensity of the battle.

The two fighters were evenly matched, each refusing to give an inch.

From the stands, whispers filled the air.

"I can't believe it... Ashfelt Zephyr is keeping up with Seth Zephyr!"

"This is insane... Who's going to win?"

Even the instructors of the various academies leaned forward, their expressions serious.

"Haaa… haaa…" Ash gritted his teeth, panting heavily.

Despite his newfound strength, Seth was still a monster. Even with Fusion, he couldn't land a decisive blow.

His brother had too much raw power, too much experience, and the fight was taking a toll on him.

Seth, though impressed, showed no signs of backing down.

"You're good, brother. Really good. But I'm not losing today."

Ash wiped sweat from his brow and smirked.

"Neither am I."

The two locked eyes once more, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a blade.

The audience sat in silence, eyes locked on the battlefield, not even daring to blink.

Who would emerge victorious?

Nobody knew!