Just as Emma’s overwhelming Thunderfire was about to engulf Kefi, a surprising scene unfolded.
Kefi didn’t flinch or dodge in panic; instead, she took a deep breath, gripping her staff tightly, and wildly injected the last of her remaining mana into it!
Buzz!
A clear and intricate golden magic circle instantly formed atop her staff, flowing far smoother and faster than any previous spell she had cast.
A spear purely condensed from light suddenly appeared, sharp beyond compare, radiating a fierce magical aura as it boldly confronted the incoming
Thunderfire Magic.
It was the second-tier Light Magic: Spear of Light.
Boom——!!!
The golden light and the crimson-purple glow violently collided, erupting into a deafening roar.
A powerful magical shockwave spread in all directions, rippling through the Protective Barrier surrounding the battlefield.
When the light dissipated, the spells of both clashed into nothingness simultaneously, evenly matched.
“What?!” The spectators erupted into astonished shouts.
“Spear of Light?! That’s second-tier magic!”
“When did Kefi… advance to second-tier?!”
“Did Teacher Sefina teach her? That’s amazing!”
Their classmates were dumbfounded, whispering excitedly, their eyes toward Kefi completely transformed.
What was once expected to be a complete stomp instantly became full of suspense.
On the south side of the audience stands, Teacher Clyde’s previously relaxed, arms-crossed posture stiffened slightly as his brow furrowed.
He stared at the brown-haired girl who still looked somewhat timid, disbelief flickering in his eyes.
A last-minute breakthrough?
No, judging from the Spear of Light’s condensation speed and stability, she must have trained extensively after becoming a second-tier mage…
It’s that Sefina! What has she done these past two days?! A vague unease quietly crept into Clyde’s heart.
On the east side of the stands, Mia was so excited she almost jumped up but was pulled down by Ellaria.
The princess’s emerald eyes flashed with surprise before a subtle, intrigued smile tugged at her lips.
She instinctively glanced at Sefina beside her.
Sefina still rested her chin on one hand, legs crossed, as if everything happening below was exactly as expected.
Only upon closer look could one see a faint trace of satisfaction flickering deep within her wine-red eyes.
These past two days of near-cruel “Devil Training” had not only squeezed out more of Kefi’s mana control but had completely unleashed her Affinity for Light Elements.
Panic.
A genius specialized in a single element naturally breaks through faster than most, especially with correct and intense guidance.
Below the stands, Emma’s expression darkened completely; her prior arrogance and ease vanished, replaced by unprecedented gravity and a trace of fear.
Second-tier! She’s actually second-tier now!
It would have been no big deal if only she had broken through to second-tier mage, but…
But she had been rapidly using high-level magic to quickly end the fight, consuming huge amounts of mana.
In contrast, Kefi had been defending with low-level magic the entire time, clearly with a much larger mana reserve!
If this became a war of attrition, Emma absolutely could not outlast her!
Damn it! This commoner has been calculating me from the start?!
Emma was both shocked and furious, a burning humiliation rising in her chest.
She absolutely would not allow herself to lose to a commoner!
From that point, the momentum of the battle instantly reversed!
Kefi abandoned her earlier caution, her offense becoming fierce.
Though still using basic light magic like Spear of Light, Flash, and Light Orbs, her casting speed increased, and her angles became more cunning, always attacking from unexpected directions.
Emma was forced onto full defense. She no longer pursued flashy combos but carefully used Fire Barrier, Lightning Shield, and even lower-tier Spark to block and deflect Kefi’s attacks, trying to conserve every bit of mana.
Only occasionally did she seize opportunities to counterattack briefly with first-tier magic, attempting to disrupt Kefi’s rhythm.
The fight descended into a tense stalemate. Golden and crimson-purple lights flashed, collided, and faded repeatedly across the field.
Both moved and cast spells at high speed, sweat beading densely on their foreheads, their breaths growing more labored.
The audience watched breathlessly, their emotions rising and falling with every clash.
What was expected to be a scrap between weaklings or a one-sided steamroll had turned into an intense, tactical, thrilling duel!
“I didn’t expect Kefi to be this strong…”
“Emma’s defense is also very solid!”
“But her mana must be almost gone, look—the color of her barrier is fading!”
“Kefi’s offense has slowed too, she must be running low!”
“Who will win…?”
***
Finally, after a fierce exchange, both leapt backward simultaneously, leaning on their staffs and panting heavily.
Their mana was nearly depleted, their bodies trembling slightly from intense mental and physical exhaustion.
A brief silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by their heavy breathing.
Victory seemed to hinge on the next move!
Kefi acted first! She raised her staff again, the familiar golden magic circle quickly forming in front of her—
Still the Spear of Light!
Emma’s pupils contracted sharply, nearly an instinctive reaction! No head-on clash!
A collision would only accelerate her defeat! Defend!
Use the least mana-consuming Fire Barrier to block it! If she could hold this, there might still be a chance!
She quickly chanted, and a wavering but still solid wall of fire instantly rose, stretching between her and Kefi.
However, the next second—
The thunderous clash Emma expected as the Spear of Light struck the barrier never came.
Though Kefi’s golden magic circle atop her staff had fully formed, the dazzling light was suddenly snuffed out as if cut off by something, extinguishing instantly,
releasing no magic at all!
Magic.
“What?!” Emma was completely stunned, maintaining her Fire Barrier stance as her mind went blank.
Magic… failed? Because of mana exhaustion?
No! That magic circle formed perfectly; it didn’t look like a failure!
Did her magic… stall?
How was that possible?!
Emma was lost for a moment, and the battlefield fell into an awkward stalemate.
Kefi held her staff, but no magic emerged, while Emma had already formed a Fire Barrier, which was completely empty and wasted.
The Fire Barrier’s duration was limited, and during those few tense seconds, its color gradually faded—soon to vanish!
In that brief instant, a sharp light flashed in Kefi’s eyes. Her hands, still gripping the staff tightly, suddenly thrust forward!
The magic circle’s core, once dim and seemingly failed, recondensed into the golden spear, erupting forward with force!
Emma: This is bad! The defensive magic failed, and now it’s too late to cast anything else!