The flare of magic ignited in the air—
And the battle began.
A deafening roar erupted from the crowd as all three finalists burst into motion at once.
Garrik, the Iron Wall, wasted no time. He planted his foot down with a resounding boom, cracking the stone beneath him as he lunged forward like a charging war beast, targeting Kalem with sheer brute force. His plated fists, reinforced with gauntlets thick enough to dent steel, swung like battering rams.
Kalem pivoted sharply, dodging to the side as one of Garrik's fists slammed into the ground where he had stood, sending stone shards flying. He didn't draw his new blade yet—there was no need. Instead, he flicked his wrist, a dagger appearing in his hand as he twisted and slashed at Garrik's exposed side.
A spark flew as the dagger scraped across armor. No effect.
Kalem barely had time to adjust before a sudden chill swept through the arena.
Isolde was already moving. Her greatsword of glacial steel shimmered in her grip, frost clinging to the air around it. With a single, fluid motion, she swung the massive blade in an arc, releasing a wave of ice that streaked toward both opponents, freezing the ground in its wake.
Kalem leaped back, his boots skidding on the forming ice, while Garrik simply tanked the blast, his armor creaking but holding firm as frost coated his pauldrons.
The crowd roared as the fight entered full chaos.
Undeterred by the frost, Garrik surged forward again, this time turning his focus on Isolde. She barely managed to bring her sword up in time as his gauntleted fist slammed into it, sending vibrations up her arms.
Garrik grinned. "Not bad, Ice Queen. But you'll need more than a cold breeze to stop me."
Isolde's eyes narrowed. With her free hand, she traced a rune in the air, and suddenly, the frost that had coated Garrik's armor deepened—hardening, creeping into the gaps between the plates.
Garrik's smirk faltered as his movements slowed.
Kalem saw the opening and didn't hesitate.
Kalem shifted his grip, his dagger vanishing as he unsheathed a standard longsword. He moved in fast, circling behind Garrik and striking at the weakened joints of his frozen armor.
The blade found its mark, piercing just deep enough to force Garrik to stumble. But Kalem was already moving again, switching angles, testing defenses.
Isolde didn't let up either. She stepped forward with terrifying precision, her greatsword coming down in a brutal vertical strike aimed at Garrik's exposed shoulder.
The Iron Wall reacted on instinct, grabbing Isolde's sword mid-swing.
A pulse of frost erupted where his gauntlet met the glacial steel, but he held firm. With a mighty roar, he yanked the blade aside and threw a punch with his other hand.
Isolde ducked at the last second, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The force of Garrik's missed punch sent a shockwave through the air, rattling the arena.
Kalem took the moment of distraction and struck again—this time aiming for a weak spot in Garrik's knee.
A clang of steel. A grunt of pain.
But the Iron Wall wasn't down yet.
Isolde's breathing was steady. She needed to break Garrik's endurance before he used the potion.
So she adjusted her stance. She traced another rune with her free hand, and suddenly, the ice that had latched onto Garrik's armor came to life.
With a sharp crack, jagged spikes of frost burst outward, forcing Garrik to retreat. His movements were visibly slowing now—the cold sapping his body's energy.
Kalem noted the effect immediately. Isolde's ice magic wasn't just freezing objects—it was attacking from within.
A dangerous ability.
His fingers twitched. It was almost time to call his weapon.
But not yet.
The fight continued in full force.
Garrik, though slowed, still swung like a battering ram, forcing both Kalem and Isolde to stay on their toes. Isolde weaved in and out, her sword flashing like liquid ice, each attack leaving behind a trail of frost. Kalem, however, was still holding back, measuring, watching—
Waiting for the perfect moment.
As the arena rumbled beneath their feet, with frost-covered stone and shattered debris littering the battlefield, the crowd screamed in exhilaration.
This was it.
The final battle.
No more holding back.
And Kalem finally made his move.