“Alright! Next in line is you, miss……. Alicia? Alicia Reinhardt.” 

The woman from earlier spoke up as she descended the stairs. Her pitch black hair was a perfect match for her green eyes. She looked to be equally appealing to both men and women. 

Arriving at the arena, she looked calm and relaxed. Her body showed no signs of nervousness or discomfort. As if she’s been in a similar situation before? Unsheathing her longsword, which was strapped on her waist, she held it a few inches below her shoulders, indicating that she was ready. 

Seeing that she was serious, I threw away the wooden staff I previously used, and replaced it with my spear. 

“Let us…….. Begin!”

Her body stiffened as those words escaped my mouth. Holding her sword sideways, the blade looked to be normal, but I sensed a faint trace of mana on the blade. 

“Tempest”

As she swung the blade at me I was utterly confused at why she did absolutely nothing, that was until my arms instinctively blocked an invisible attack. Luckily my spear managed to block the attack. It then hit me, that swing wasn’t for nothing at all, she must have conjured a wind spell when she swung the sword. 

“So you’re a wind mage? This is actually the first time I get to fight against one, and it looks like you have the honor to be the first mage with the wind affinity to go up against me.”

She says nothing, completely ignoring me.

“Seems like you’re the silent type, oh well.”

Using mana to strengthen and boost my legs, I chant a very simple spell, it is easy to use, but incredibly difficult to master.

[Flash Step]

To the untrained eye, it would have looked like I teleported.

Crouching down I held my spear by its butt and holding the shaft to support it, I thrust it at Alicia. As I expected she blocked it, but what I didn’t expect was that she would grab the shaft of my spear and yank it towards her. 

But I counter by doing a flip, making her lose balance and letting go of my spear. Using this I try a risky move, I stab my spear into the ground, and using it as leverage I land a kick straight into her Solar Plexus as the blow sends her skidding a few feet away. 

This seems to have knocked the wind out of her as she knelt down into one knee. 

“Do you yield?”

Raising her hand and pointing at me, her lips form a word which I manage to decipher.

[Tearing Tempest]

Once again my body moved by its own as my head instinctively yanked itself to the right as fresh blood seeped from my cheek.

Unlike the former attack I blocked, this one felt like wind arrows moving at incredible speed. Compared to the other projectile that felt like a blade.

I’m impressed, who knew she would be this good. Guess I have to step it up.

As I thought about this, she used the half second I lost focus to her advantage, I barely dodge a deadly sword swing that was aimed at my head. But how did she get here? There’s no way she could’ve closed the distance between us in a second! Even if she did reinforce her legs with mana it would’ve still been impossible, which left me with one singular conclusion. 

She must have used Flash Step to be able to be in front of me this quickly.

She swung three more times, her swings were fast but not fast enough. Using her right hand she swung the sword at me, I avoided it as it struck the ground below me, making it shake slightly. 

Focusing mana into my hands, I firmly grasped my spear, imbuing it with lightning, and swung it up as it left a brief trail of lightning. 

Despite dodging the attack, this seems to have surprised her for a quick moment. Which was enough time to charge an attack.

Stretching my right arm out; I open my palm and fous mana unto the middle of my hand. In a split second the crackling of lightning envelops my arm as I finish the spell.

[Lightning Bolt]

The bolt of lightning lands straight at the woman. But somehow, she managed to react quickly as her mana reinforced blade cuts through the spell, slicing it in half as it falls to the ground making small explosions. 

Letting go of her sword, I sensed a massive burst of mana swirling around her. From the impressive mana forming around her, this must be her strongest attack.

And as soon as those words started to take shape in my head, I heard a single word coming from her.

Gusts of wind started to appear as they eventually formed into two tornados that were about the size of the average tree. 

“Confine!”

[Frigid Confinement] 

Instantly I felt a chilly feeling as I soon realized that I was frozen from my head all the way to my feet.

It seems she has an affinity for frost magic as well, but still. There is absolutely no way I’ll lose here!

As the tornados start nearing me, I release a wave of lightning, breaking out of the frost prison. Despite my body being drenched with cold water, I could make out the almost flabbergasted face of Alicia. 

Her face goes from a shocked expression to an annoyed one as she stretches out her arm, pointing at me. 

[Tearing Tempest]

The first time she had done this I was barely able to dodge it. But when you find out the delay the spell had, it was easy to guess where it’s aimed at.

Sidestepping the arrow like projectile, I begin walking towards her. She casts the spell again, this time I simply duck down. As she casts it once more, I cover my left hand with mana and parry the spell. 

Placing my spear’s end on her neck, I tell her.

“Do you yield?”

Dropping her sword and raising both her hands up in a surrendering manner, I take this as a yes.

“Very well.”

I say as I take my sword off her and place it on the ground, and on cue Mira handed me her information sheet. 

“Demonstrating impressive capabilities with the Wind element. As well as being able to use Frost magic to an adept level, I hereby appoint you, Miss Alicia Reinhadt. B-class!”

Murmurs immediately flooded the spectating area. 

I grab my spear and head to the exit as I didn’t want to indulge in answering as to why I placed her as a B-class adventurer.