Jace the Elemental

Selene's eyes widened as the black lightning crackled toward Ethan. She knew instantly, it was bad news. 

Making a snap decision, she abandoned her defense entirely. Instead, she slammed her hands to the ground, summoning a massive earth wall between Ethan and the incoming spell. The twisted bolt crashed into the barrier, sending cracks splintering through the stone, but it held just long enough to absorb the attack.

"Go, Ethan!" she shouted.

A split second later, molten lava struck her cleanly, searing through her defenses. The ding of the scoreboard echoed through the arena, her sacrifice had cost them a point.

Ethan clenched his jaw, eyes flashing with fury. Giving up a point stung, but Selene had given him an opening, and he wasn't about to waste it.

Lightning surged around him as he summoned another two of his signature crystals, bringing the total to four. Power crackled between them, amplifying his magic to an even more dangerous level.

His opponents had assumed the black lightning would pin him down, giving them control of the battlefield. But with Selene taking the hit, Ethan was completely untouched, and he had a perfect line of sight.

Without hesitation, he unleashed both spells.

Twin streaks of lightning shot through the air, charged with raw speed and power. The first bolt struck the woman before she could react, the sheer force slamming her back. The second found its mark on her teammate, electricity arcing through him as he recoiled from the impact.

Ding. Ding.

Two direct hits. The score shifted to 4-1 in their favor.

Ethan exhaled sharply, the lingering charge of his attack crackling in the air around him. "One more to go," he muttered, eyes locked onto his opponents.

They weren't out yet, but he wasn't letting them recover either.

Outside the arena, the crowd was left in stunned silence, trying to process what they had just witnessed.

"He's an absolute monster," Jace overheard a student mutter, awe and fear lacing the words.

"He's more than a monster," another voice piped up, disbelief coloring the tone. "They've left him with two openings, and somehow he's scored four points."

"It's like Zeus himself has descended and is punishing them for daring to face him," murmured a third student, as if the very air had changed around Ethan's performance.

"You're so right," the first voice agreed, starting a chant. "ZEUS! ZEUS! ZEUS!"

It started slowly, but soon the entire stadium was roaring with the chant, an almost primal energy building in the air.

Jace couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. "Seems Ethan's got himself a nickname."

He glanced at the arena, watching Ethan with a focused gaze. But Jace knew better than to credit all four points to Ethan alone. While Ethan's power and speed were undeniable, it was Selene's unyielding defense that had made it possible. Her ability to block everything thrown at him had given him the freedom to act almost without restraint. Without her there to absorb the hits, Ethan wouldn't have had the space to operate the way he had.

Back in the arena, the lava elementist was beyond infuriated. His rage boiling over, he launched another massive stream of molten lava aimed directly at Selene, trying desperately to score another point.

At the same time, the woman didn't falter. She was determined to disrupt Ethan's rhythm, sending a torrent of black flames towards him. The oppressive, cold heat of the flames sent a shiver through the air, a sensation that made it unpleasant to even witness.

But Selene wasn't about to give up another point. She trusted Ethan, and her resolve hardened. Quickly, she summoned a small earth wedge, splitting the lava in two and sending the molten stream harmlessly on either side of her.

While she made her move, a shadow darted toward the lava elementist, her magic silently locking onto his location. Meanwhile, Ethan used his lightning enhanced speed, shifting next to Selene and positioning himself perfectly for her defense.

Feeling the marker lock onto him, the lava mage grew defensive, raising a thick shield of molten rock and lava around himself. He knew that with Selene's magic on him, any careless move could lead to a devastating strike.

The woman, not one to back down, glared at their formation and channeled most of her remaining mana into a hexed electrical burst. She launched it at them, hoping to score two points and tilt the game in her favor.

"This is the end, Ethan," Selene said, watching the electrical storm approach them. Her voice was firm, a grin tugging at her lips. "I'll do my job. Now go do yours."

With that, she let Ethan feel the shadow target she had placed on the lava elementist. As the burst of electricity rushed toward them, she focused, channeling the last of her mana into a dense earth barrier to brace against the attack.

Ethan nodded, eyes closing in concentration. He summoned his fifth and final crystal, feeling the surge of power as a massive storm began to form above them. The rolling thunder grew louder, a precursor to the violent lightning strikes that were about to follow.

Ethan's focus was razor sharp. He centered his magic on the shadow marker, and with a commanding gesture, he called the storm to him. Bolts of lightning crackled from the sky, each strike targeting the lava mage's shield with a deafening crack.

One by one, the lightning strikes battered the shield, until finally, with a final, earth-shaking thunderclap, the lava shield shattered, unable to withstand the storm's fury.

Ding.