After entering the arena, Song Cheon-hye and Hong Yeon-hwa stood silently for a while. They simply faced each other.
Then, Hong Yeon-hwa was the first to speak.
“This is our first proper fight, huh?”
“It is.”
Their respective magic towers interacted regularly, so the two had known each other since childhood.
But perhaps due to clashing personalities, they ended up more like rivals than childhood friends.
They had frequently butted heads lightly, though most of those skirmishes were cut short by outside interference.
This was effectively the first time they faced off in earnest—
A match where they could unleash their full strength and where a clear winner would emerge.
Rumors often said the two were avoiding a showdown on purpose.After all, they hadn’t once gone head-to-head since the second semester began.
But contrary to public opinion, the two had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
Song Cheon-hye was confident.
I’ve gotten stronger over the break. The time I spent with Grandpa wasn’t wasted.
She had received one-on-one training from none other than the Thunder Lord, an S-rank hero.
Training that others might not get even for a few hours despite offering a fortune…she had it all summer long.
By contrast, all Hong Yeon-hwa had was a bit of mentoring from Dang Gyu-young. There was no way she had kept up.
Hong Yeon-hwa, for her part, was equally sure of herself.
Do you know how many Hardships I’ve gone through?
She’d completed quests and endured countless Hardships to improve her magic.
Her skills had improved dramatically. Beyond comparison to how she was before the break.
I still can’t beat Unnie or Dang Gyu-young senior, but she’s easy.
Song Cheon-hye slipped on her gloves, and Hong Yeon-hwa gripped her wand.
They exchanged faint smiles once again.
I’m going to win.
No matter what, I’m winning this.
At that moment, the countdown began.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
[Song Cheon-hye 100%]
vs
[Hong Yeon-hwa 100%]
Tak!
Song Cheon-hye immediately kicked off the ground and charged forward.
The opponent’s a battery-type mage.
Once Hong Yeon-hwa’s magic began layering in earnest, it unleashed an overwhelming level of firepower.
That meant the fight had to be decided before that point, if possible.
Their skills were close, so it wouldn’t be easy…but still:
I need to start suppressing her now.
The more pressure applied early on, the easier it would be to control the match later.
While sprinting forward, Song Cheon-hye reached out her hand.
Electric currents gathered and split into three streams, forming three hummingbirds that shot through the air.
Fzzzzzt—!
She’d put significant focus into controlling them, so no matter how they were dodged, at least one was bound to hit.
Hong Yeon-hwa also understood her intention but didn’t feel even a hint of threat.
I just won’t dodge, that’s all.
She simply stood her ground and rapidly continued casting.
Then, just before the hummingbirds reached her, two spells activated simultaneously.
Fwoosh—!
Flames burst from beneath her feet—
One layer took the form of armor, the other a spherical shield.
[Blazing Armor] and [Reverse Curtain].
Crackle!
The lightning hummingbirds fizzled out with a few weak sparks upon contact, vanishing without effect.
Of course, Song Cheon-hye hadn’t expected much from them anyway.
She’d just fired them off lightly as a prelude before closing the distance.
By now, two thick bolts of lightning were crackling in her hands.
She hurled one of them straight ahead.
Boooooooom!
[Hong Yeon-hwa 100%] → [98%]
“……!”
Some of her defenses had been pierced and she’d taken actual damage, causing a slight furrow between her brows.
But Song Cheon-hye didn’t stop there—
As she closed in further, she slashed diagonally with the remaining lightning like a blade.
A long tear ripped through the barrier—
But from that very tear, flames erupted violently.
Whoooooooosh—!
It was the automatic counterattack effect of Reverse Curtain.
And just as the flames burst outward, Hong Yeon-hwa snapped her fingers.
The expelled flames triggered a secondary explosion.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Song Cheon-hye retreated to avoid the blast but immediately surged forward again.
However, she was forced to retreat once more—
A massive pillar of fire erupted from beneath her feet.
Whoooooooooooosh—!
It was Hong Yeon-hwa’s signature spell: Fire Pillar.
With confidence blazing in her voice, she shouted,
“First one’s mine!”
Immediately after, the pillar of fire transformed into the form of a four-headed serpent that began spewing fireballs nonstop.
It was Hydra, another one of Hong Yeon-hwa’s core combo spells.
After dodging and swatting away the incoming fireballs, Song Cheon-hye quickly made a decision.
I need to get rid of that thing first.
Fzzzzzzzzt!
The lightning in her hand warped and elongated, transforming into a whip-like shape.
She lashed it around the fiery serpents, coiling it tightly before yanking with force.
Crackle!
The Hydra shattered into fragments and vanished.
But in the very next moment, Song Cheon-hye realized it might not have been the wisest move.
Whoooooosh-Whoooooosh—!
Two more pillars of fire erupted immediately after.
Naturally, that meant two more Hydras.
How is she casting that fast?!
Even before, Hong Yeon-hwa was known for her exceptional casting speed.
But this…. summoning two Hydras in the time it took to destroy just one—
was far beyond expectations.
It was a clear miscalculation.
And the price was steep: Song Cheon-hye now had to scramble to dodge a barrage of fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Forget about clearing them.
There was no helping the Hydras already summoned.
What mattered now was stopping her from summoning more.
Song Cheon-hye decided to revert to her original plan.
Close combat. That’s the only way.
She surged forward with her body crackling with electric current.
Seeing that, Hong Yeon-hwa thought,
Knew she’d come.
It was a smart move.
Even if Song Cheon-hye simply slammed into her, she would likely take more damage.
And once it came down to a brawl, Song Cheon-hye would inevitably win.
At least—
Before more Hydras could accumulate.
Which meant, in reverse—
If I can just hold out a little longer, I’ll win.
If she could minimize damage while continuing to stack more Hydras, victory would be hers.
Just then, the fire spell she had been preparing was fully cast and absorbed into her body.
Fwoooosh—
Since close combat was imminent, she amplified her physical abilities with [Overheat].
And as she began casting her next spell, Song Cheon-hye closed in and clashed with her.
Baang!
The Reverse Curtain broke again, and a counterattack was launched, but unlike before, Song Cheon-hye didn’t avoid the flames and pressed on with her assault.
[Song Cheon-hye 99%]
[Song Cheon-hye 97%]
Fzzzzz—
Each time the lightning stabbed or slashed upward, thunder roared.
Hong Yeon-hwa dodged them by shifting her body and stepping back.
And then, she suddenly felt something odd.
…This is too easy.
When she fought Kim Ho, even twisting her entire body couldn’t stop the staff from striking her on the crown of her head.
Seo Ye-in had been comparatively easier, but she still took a beating.
In contrast, the attacks from Song Cheon-hye whom she had considered a rival were surprisingly easy to read and even easier to dodge.
She could move and cast spells at the same time with ease.
By contrast, Song Cheon-hye was clearly flustered.
Why….why isn’t she getting hit!?
She had expected some resistance in close combat but ultimately assumed she would dominate.
After all, she was an all-rounder, and the other party was a battery-type mage.
But now that they were actually fighting up close, Hong Yeon-hwa was effortlessly dodging the lightning and electric spells with smooth, natural movements.
[Hong Yeon-hwa 94%]
vs
[Song Cheon-hye 91%]
If anything, Song Cheon-hye was taking more damage, thanks to the flames bursting from the Reverse Curtain and the Hydras’ fireballs.
And even while dodging, Hong Yeon-hwa was chanting spells.
Then, suddenly, she came to a complete stop.
Song Cheon-hye’s eyes lit up.
This is it! …No, it’s a trap!
She started to lunge, then hastily pulled back just in time to see a pillar of fire erupt from the spot where she had just been.
Whooooooooosh—!
She had cast Fire Pillar while luring her in that direction.
Hong Yeon-hwa beamed brightly.
“Was it too obvious? Still, I thought you’d fall for it.”
“……!”
Song Cheon-hye almost snapped but held it in.
Lose your temper, and you lose the fight.
A proper mage must remain calm no matter the situation—
…or so her grandfather used to say.
But right now, Song Cheon-hye’s mind was in complete disarray.
While she hesitated, the number of Hydras reached four.
I can’t take them out, and close combat isn’t working either…
In the end, only one option remained.
She had to go all-in.
Whoosh-whooosh-whooosh-whooosh-whooosh!
The Hydras multiplied at a terrifying pace, spewing flames and hurling fireballs.
Stepping carefully to minimize the damage, Song Cheon-hye raised one hand above her head.
Lightning gathered at the ceiling of the circular arena, forming thunderclouds.
Fzzzzzzzzzzt.
Seeing the thunderclouds swell rapidly, Hong Yeon-hwa immediately sensed that her opponent was about to play her trump card.
And she laughed with scorn.
Of course I’ll take it head-on.
In fact, it was just what she wanted.
She began chanting faster and summoning even more Hydras.
Crackle.
Before long, the thunderclouds had grown large enough to cover the entire arena ceiling.
Sensing it was nearly time, Hong Yeon-hwa twirled her wand as if she were conducting an orchestra.
The ruby at its tip emitted a red glow.
Fwoooosh!
In an instant, dozens of Hydras rushed together and merged into one.
The next moment, a giant serpent of flame was flicking its tongue at the center of the arena.
Song Cheon-hye looked up at the serpent with her mouth slightly open.
“Wh-What…”
Why is it so huge?
Her thunderclouds suddenly seemed pitiful by comparison.
In both size and power, defeat already seemed inevitable….but she’d come too far to stop now.
No matter what happened, she had to go through with it.
P-Please!
I hope that serpent’s not as strong as it looks!
Song Cheon-hye shut her eyes tightly and, lowering the hand she had raised above her head, pointed it at Hong Yeon-hwa.
The thunderclouds became a massive bolt of lightning that struck down.
Fzzzzzzzzzt—! Kwaboooom—!
The giant Hydra moved with surprising agility for its size, shielding its master.
The barrage of lightning blasts pierced large holes into the Hydra’s body, but its sheer bulk made it impossible to break through completely.
And even those holes quickly healed.
Crackle…
With a final soft rumble of thunder, nothing remained on the arena ceiling.
Meanwhile, the giant Hydra still stood there, with the same original form.
Then it turned its head toward Song Cheon-hye and opened its jaws wide.
“Ah…”
All Song Cheon-hye could do was stare in helpless disbelief.
Whooooooooooooooooooosh—!
The entire circular arena was engulfed in a sea of flames.