Chapter 172: Ice Vs Fire [1/2]
As the names of the two contestants slowly appeared across the enormous projection screen that covered the entire Central Arena, the audience who had only just begun to settle down after Zichi’s relatively uneventful match once again erupted into thunderous cheers and deafening applause.
Countless spectators leaped to their feet, unable to conceal the excitement on their faces as they fixed their burning gazes upon the center of the arena.
After all, whether it was Helen, representing the Human Race, or the player from the Sorath race, both were undoubtedly among the most anticipated contestants of this round of the elimination tournament.
More importantly, this was the first time Arthur Magnus, the President of the Players Association’s daughter, would officially step onto a world class stage.
Because of that, the attention focused on this battle far surpassed any of the previous matches. Nearly everyone wanted to witness for themselves just how powerful the young woman who was the daughter of one of humanity’s greatest players truly was.
"It’s finally Helen’s turn!"
"The Association President’s daughter is finally making her move!"
"I heard she was hailed as a once in a century genius in fire magic ever since she was a child. They say her affinity with the fire element is unbelievably high!"
"But her opponent is a Sorath. Those guys are equally terrifying when it comes to controlling ice, especially in an open battlefield like this where they can maximize their advantage. This definitely won’t be an easy fight."
As increasingly excited discussions echoed throughout the arena, Helen finally stepped out from the contestant’s waiting area.
She was dressed in an elegant crimson mage robe, its simple design accentuating all the curves of her body. Her smooth blond hair swayed gently with each step, while her slender right hand steadily held an exquisite staff embedded with a crimson gold crystal.
Her expression was utterly calm, as though the deafening cheers surrounding her, the countless eyes watching her, and all the expectations placed upon her meant absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, the Sorath player also slowly entered the arena.
Standing nearly two and a half meters tall, his body appeared more muscular than that of the other Sorath.
As he steadily walked forward, visible waves of freezing air continuously spread outward from his body. Layers of frost rapidly crept across the arena floor, and within only a few seconds, nearly half of the battlefield had become covered in a thin layer of crystal clear ice, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet dramatically.
"What terrifying cold..."
"He’s trying to make the terrain unbearable for Helen even before the fight starts!"
Many of the younger players couldn’t help but gasp.
The air itself seemed to have become painfully frigid, and even every breath they took carried an unmistakable chill.
At the center of the arena, the two stood dozens of meters apart, silently facing one another.
Neither spoke. Yet the instant their eyes met, both immediately sensed an incredibly dangerous and powerful aura emanating from the other.
It was a silent collision between true powerhouses.
Soon, the pale blue energy barrier slowly rose around the arena, completely sealing the battlefield.
At the same time, the familiar countdown echoed throughout the entire stadium.
[Three.]
Helen slowly raised her staff.
Crimson fire mana continuously gathered toward the crystal at its tip, while the surrounding air gradually became distorted beneath the intense heat.
[Two.]
The Sorath youth slowly spread his arms.
An even colder and vastly more powerful wave of frost energy instantly exploded outward.
The arena’s temperature dropped once again, while the ice covering the ground rapidly thickened.
[One.]
Arthur’s deep and authoritative voice slowly rang across the entire arena.
"Begin."
BOOM!!
The very instant the match officially started...
Both contestants moved simultaneously.
The Sorath violently swung both arms downward.
Countless razor sharp ice spears instantly condensed from the air itself. Their numbers were so overwhelming they nearly blotted out half the sky before descending upon Helen like a torrential storm.
Every single spear radiated bone piercing cold.
Merely slicing through the air caused vast clouds of white frost mist to continuously form behind them, as though even the atmosphere itself were freezing solid.
However, faced with such an overwhelming assault, Helen smiled calmly and then lightly tapped the bottom of her staff against the ground.
Instantly, a blazing magic circle expanded outward beneath her feet.
Brilliant crimson runes rapidly spread across the arena floor.
BOOM!!
With an earth shaking explosion, towering pillars of scorching fire erupted skyward, violently colliding with the incoming sea of ice spears.
In an instant, explosions continuously shook the entire arena.
Ice and fire clashed wildly in midair. Massive amounts of white steam surged into the sky, completely engulfing the battlefield within moments, making it nearly impossible for anyone outside to see what was happening inside.
"Beautiful!"
Mithrash couldn’t help but praise the sight before him.
"Rather than confronting that terrifying barrage of ice spears head on, she deliberately used the collision between fire and ice to generate an enormous amount of steam, obscuring the battlefield and seizing control of the battle’s rhythm. That alone proves Miss Helen’s mastery over the fire element is even more refined than we previously imagined."
Just as the dense fog completely formed, a loud, crisp shattering sound suddenly echoed from deep within the mist.
Crack!
Immediately afterward, countless crystal clear ice crystals rapidly spread through the fog, freezing the entire cloud into countless floating shards of glittering ice that reflected dazzling rays beneath the sunlight.
The Sorath player slowly raised one hand.
FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
Hundreds of razor sharp ice spikes simultaneously materialized from every direction before shooting toward Helen at astonishing speed.
The overwhelming barrage completely sealed off every possible escape route.
There wasn’t a single blind spot.
"Oh no!"
Many spectators cried out in alarm when they saw that their beloved fire princess was about to be hurt!
...
Thanks to everyone who supports this novel with their valuable Golden Tickets and Power Stones. I really appreciate it. The next Chapter will be here shortly!
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