Chapter 320: The Duel
The arena Dhruv was standing on was nothing to scoff at. Despite being this close to the castle, it expanded into a vast field, filled with an expanse of hardened earth which was something new in this realm of hellish cold.
Scorch marks and patches of frost lay here and there, showing the signs of countless practices that the warriors had taken in this place.
With a smile, Dhruv turned and focused his attention on Aurora, who was standing on the opposite side. His eyes met hers as both of them began waiting for the final signal.
’This won’t be easy...’ Aurora thought, well aware of Dhruv’s superior stats and his good control over mana.
Even before the evolution, he had won against her, but now there wasn’t even a chance that she could stand against him. She was a bit confident because of her perfect manipulation, but it didn’t give her much hope.
But then again, this wasn’t going to be a death battle... here both of them were fighting to sharpen their spells.
Looking at her master, Aurora asked in a calm and steady voice, "Ready?"
Understanding the power that was surging through him, the power he didn’t have control over... yet. Dhruv nodded, raising his hands slightly, indicating he was prepared.
He knew this duel was as much a test of his control as it was a battle against Aurora.
Giving her the chance to attack, Dhruv waited.
Aurora didn’t disappoint as, with a graceful motion, she extended her arm. Within seconds, a swirling vortex of frost summoned and encased her hand.
She moved with the same elegance, her spells flowing effortlessly from her fingertips. The frost moved from her hand as the ice shot towards Dhruv, crystalline shards glinting in the sunlight.
Manipulating his mana, Dhruv responded with a sweeping motion of his own. A wall of flames appeared between the two as it melted the ice mid-air, sending droplets of water sizzling to the ground.
The power of his flame seemed immense, but there was a slight delay in his movements. There was a hint of hesitance as Dhruv tried to adjust to his newfound strength.
Aurora pressed her advantage, weaving mana while murmuring to strengthen it further. The mana around Dhruv heeded her command as the air began freezing. The ground beneath Dhruv’s feet froze over, trapping him momentarily.
She followed up with a barrage of ice spears, each one aimed with precision.
Not faltering even a bit, Dhruv responded swiftly. Expanding a bit of mana, he summoned a metal shield, its surface shimmering with pure flame as it deflected the ice spears without any problem.
With a bit of effort, he broke free from the ice, the ground shattering around him. Enough with the defense, he decided to press forward.
Manipulating his flame, Dhruv retaliated with a burst of fire, the flames roaring towards her with intense heat. Aurora countered with a dome of ice, the flames licking at its surface but unable to penetrate it fully.
Aurora pushed her magic further, fueling the dome with another wave of mana. She began expanding outward in a wave of frost that forced Dhruv to take a few steps back.
Creating a plate beneath his feet, Dhruv lifted himself into the air. With his multitasking brain, he began firing spells one after another.
Not having a choice, Aurora was forced to go on the defensive. Using her precise agility and control over mana, she somehow managed to keep herself safe.
The dome vanished as she saw Dhruv descending to the ground.
Seeing the attack coming in her way Aurora began manipulating mana, knowing she had to keep him on the defensive. As the time passed she knew this strategy wouldn’t last forever.
Manipulating another wave of ice, she shot it towards him.
Gritting his teeth, Dhruv protected himself once again. He wasn’t frustrated because he was losing... no, it was the total opposite.
Just moments after the duel started, he could feel a power within him rising. A raging storm demanded to be unleashed. Dhruv could feel the desire to have authority over this duel.
Something deep inside him was calling to... win it all. It wanted him to unleash every bit of strength to crush the opponent in front of him.
[Authority Resistance has leveled up.]
Seeing the notification, Dhruv sighed. Taking a deep breath, he centered himself. He knew he needed to control the flame rising within him; he had to channel it with precision.
For his own and others’ safety, he had to manipulate it according to his own will. He couldn’t afford to let the power run wild.
Letting the breath out, he drew a great amount of mana. He summoned a stream of molten metal. Twisting it according to his will, he swirled the liquid metal towards the ice princess.
Changing the blueprint of the spell she was creating midway, she prepared another spell. A curved dome of ice appeared in front of her, guiding the molten metal away from her.
Gracefully dodging whatever was left over, she looked at Dhruv while puffing for breath. Ignoring her own skin, which was burning from the heat, she countered with a chilled icy wind.
The temperature dropped instantly as a layer of ice appeared, covering Dhruv’s entire body.
[Better Cold Resistance has leveled up.]
Ignoring the notification, he looked at her with a firm gaze. Conjuring a whip of fire, he swung it, the flames crackling as it moved towards her. Penetrating the defense she created, the whip wrapped around Aurora’s arm.
The flames burned with intensity as they began to burn through her skin.
Gritting her teeth, Aurora focused. Mana whirled around her as the ice began to appear over her body. Moving with incredible speed, it encompassed her hand, treating it in an instant.
The frost didn’t stop as it began moving toward the whip, freezing the flame in the process. To stop it from reaching him, Dhruv let go of the mana as the whip dissolved into sparks.
Looking at the arm that still possessed the burn marks, Aurora looked at her Master.
"You’ve gotten much stronger, Master," Aurora said, a hint of admiration in her voice.
"Thanks..." Dhruv replied, his eyes trying to gain control,
"...But I’m still learning."
