The woman's eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively clutching her chest where the crystal had struck. Her gaze snapped to the scoreboard, where the large 3-1 glowed back at her.
Meanwhile, Lyra had already moved toward the exit, pushing through the door before her body gave out. She collapsed just on the other side.
Her teammates, who had been ready to congratulate her, rushed forward in alarm.
"Sorry, guys," she muttered, her voice weak and fractured. "But I think I'm going to have to lie down for a while." She fell to one knee, struggling to stay upright.
"Of course," Aurora said, nodding. "With the sound magic combined with that fall… I'm sure your mind needs time to recover from the strain."
Lyra gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Captain." She tried to stand, but her legs failed her again, causing her to stumble.
Aurora turned to Selene. "Since you won't be in the four-on-four, can you assist Lyra to her dorm?"
Selene blinked in surprise. "I'm not?" she asked, caught off guard. She had assumed that since Lucian had already participated in the conjuration contest, she, as their last defensive expert, would be in the match for sure.
"After my research, our opponents only have four offensive elementalists," Aurora began, her tone calm and precise. "And unfortunately for them, three of them were in the conjuration contest. With their last offensive member sent into the one-on-one duel, that means they only have defensive or utility types left. So I plan to counter them by sending out our most aggressive lineup."
Selene considered this, then nodded. "That makes sense."
Shifting her focus back to Lyra, she wrapped an arm around her, helping her up. "Good luck, everyone. Leave Lyra to me," she said before guiding her toward the dorm building.
Aurora turned to the group. "Astra, Ethan, Orion. We haven't had many chances to work as a team, but I have complete confidence that the three of you can overwhelm them."
The three exchanged grins before launching into a rapid discussion, already planning their strategy.
Meanwhile, Aurora turned to Jace. Her expression was unreadable, her voice cold and precise. "Jace, I need you out there, but I can't send you if you're going to lose control again."
Jace stared at her, caught off guard by her tone. He hesitated before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I get it. I'll stay in control."
"I'm serious." Her gaze remained locked onto his, unwavering. "If you lose control out there again, I will bench you for the rest of the year."
His eyes widened. There was no doubt she meant it. Every part of her stance, her tone, her unblinking stare screamed that this wasn't a threat. It was a promise.
"Alright, I get it," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll stay in control. I promise."
Aurora's fist met his shoulder with a solid thud. "You'd better. I'd rather not lose my second-best duelist this early in the year."
Jace let out a short laugh, until her words fully registered. He turned to her with a teasing grin. "Second best?"
Aurora didn't even blink. "Well, you don't see me losing control during duels, do you?"
Jace barked out another laugh, shaking his head. "Guess I'll just have to prove it then."
Still chuckling, he moved to join Astra, Ethan, and Orion in strategizing for the upcoming battle.
After discussing their strategy, the group headed into the arena, finding themselves on a hilly field with plenty of cover and elevation. Both teams positioned themselves at opposite ends, surveying the terrain.
The horn signaling the start of the duel sounded almost immediately, with no delay. Looking over at their opponents, they saw a few things that caught their attention. One opponent had already pushed to the top of one of the hills, taking the high ground. Another was casting, a soft glow of light covering their entire team, while the other two hunkered down, preparing for the fight.
"I'm going to set up," Ethan said quickly, his eyes scanning the battlefield. He found a spot to hunker down, taking advantage of the large map to summon his five crystals right away.
"I'll cover him," Orian replied, watching Ethan as he prepped. As the most versatile member of their group, Orian chose to play the defense role for now.
Astra took a few steps forward, her eyes locked on the opponent on the hill. "He's mine." A grin spread across her face as she approached him, eager for the fight.
"Have fun," Jace said, laughing as he crouched down. He placed his hands on the ground, sending trails of ice spreading across the battlefield, amplifying his mobility exponentially.
Their opponents quickly reacted. The man on the hill unleashed a quick blast of fire, creating a blazing arc toward Astra. Using his wind magic to amplify the speed, he hoped to deter her advance.
The woman who had used light magic observed from a distance, now employing dark magic to create a thick smoke screen, obscuring the view between the two teams.
Meanwhile, the second man took a defensive stance, causing the earth to tremble slightly as he prepared a shield.
The last member of their team pulled out a flute, and a gentle, soothing melody drifted across the battlefield, granting her teammates heightened focus.
Jace watched everything unfold. "They definitely have a lot of utility," he murmured to himself. This was shaping up to be a fun duel. With a smirk, his skates formed beneath his feet, and he skated swiftly toward their opponents.