Amidst the loud cheering of the crowd, an elf stepped onto the stage like a hero.
Sariel, a striking elf with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, stepped into the arena with an air of utmost confidence. He wielded a finely crafted staff embedded with many sparkling gemstones, and intricate symbols carved on it.
Elira got onto the stage as well but the young elven girl paled when compared to her opponent. It was as if a rabbit was facing a lion. One look at the girl and anyone could tell that she was new to combat.
However, thanks to her misfortune she had met with Sariel. Now the match outcome was already decided. With the entire crowd wearing a pitiful expression, the bell rang and the match started.
Gazing indifferently, Sariel raised his staff, locking eyes with Elira as if to say, "Prepare yourself."
In contrast, Elira seemed almost still. She looked up at Sariel, her eyes meeting his briefly before she closed them. It was as if she was taking a moment to center herself. A soft glow emanated from her staff, but it wasn't as flashy or as dramatic as Sariel's.
"And begin!" announced the referee, his voice magically amplified.
With a confident flick of his staff, Sariel summoned a torrent of flame that raced towards Elira. The crowd gasped, already anticipating the quick defeat of the young elven girl.
But just as the flames were about to reach her, Elira opened her eyes. The soft glow from her staff suddenly flared up into a blinding light, forming a shield just in front of her. The flames met the shield and dissipated into harmless wisps of smoke.
There was a brief moment of stunned silence from the crowd before a smattering of surprised cheers and gasps broke out. Elira had successfully defended against Sariel's opening attack.
Sariel himself looked somewhat taken aback but quickly composed himself. "Not bad," he said as if sizing her up for the first time.
Elira's eyes were no longer the eyes of a timid rabbit. They were focused, unwavering. "Thank you. Now it's my turn," she said softly, her voice tinged with determination.
Strong winds started to gather around Elira, swirling and dancing as if called upon by an invisible force. Leaves, soil, and debris on the arena floor were picked up by the wind, hovering as if waiting for her command. Her staff glowed with an azure light.
With a decisive gesture, Elira thrust her staff towards Sariel, and the swirling vortex of wind and debris shot forward like a spear.
For a moment, it seemed like Sariel would effortlessly deflect it as he had done with the previous attacks. His staff radiated a golden light, forming a protective barrier.
But the moment the wind spear hit the barrier, there was a loud crackling noise, and his shield shattered into fragments of light, allowing the wind to continue on its path and hit him squarely in the chest.
The elf touted to win this year's recruitment event was thrown off his feet, stumbling back several paces before regaining his balance.
The crowd went wild. Cheers, gasps, and exclamations filled the air. No one had seen this coming.
"Sariel's gold barrier couldn't block the attack? What is happening? Isn't his golden barrier extremely strong?"
"That girl's elemental affinity is not a joke. The intensity of the attack was high."
"No, the attack was tightly compressed. So her control should be pretty good."
Sariel finally stood up, wiping off his robes, his eyes no longer indifferent but full of curiosity and respect. "You've been holding back," he said, almost in a whisper audible only to Elira amidst the roar of the crowd.
Elira nodded. "As have you," she responded, acknowledging that the battle was far from over.
Sariel raised his staff, its gemstones glowing anew. "Well then, let's make this a duel to remember," he declared.
However, unexpectedly, Elira snubbed him. "You are not worth it and this is not a friendly match."
She then, without warning, waved her staff to materialize a dozen wind spears similar to the ones she had previously cast. Her casting time was so fast that Sariel scrambled to react.
Caught off guard by the sudden flurry of wind spears, Sariel managed to raise his staff just in time, conjuring a dome-shaped barrier around himself. This one was an even stronger barrier compared to before.
But the speed and precision of Elira's casting had left him with little time to perfect his defense.
The wind spears struck his barrier in rapid succession, each making a sharp crackling sound as they hit.
The golden dome flickered and shimmered under the onslaught, its energy visibly draining. And then, with a final resonant clash, the barrier shattered.
Sariel was propelled backward, landing with a thud at the edge of the arena. Another wind spear then made sure to completely push him off of the arena stage.
Thud! He landed with a loud sound. The turbulent winds finally ceased as a wave of silence enveloped the whole arena.
The referee raised his hand. "The winner is Elira!" The next second, a murmur swept through the crowd, tinged with disbelief and awe, followed by chaos. Many elves had placed bets on Sariel as he was the obvious contender, but all of that had now gone down the drain.
As the crowd erupted into a mix of cheers, gasps, and reflective silence, Elira began to walk off the stage.
She did not pay attention to anything happening around her. Her gaze briefly landed on one section of the audience before returning to the ground in front of her as she walked away from the stage.
Liam, sitting among the spectators, allowed a smile to cross his lips.
He continued watching the rest of the matches. The average strength of the elven recruits was not bad at all but he knew that this was not their real power.
They would all undergo a significant burst in power once they officially joined the elven royal guards.
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