Awakening Domination System: But I'm a Slave?-Chapter 291: Tournament [13]

[Ding!]

[New skill unlocked:]

[Voltaflare!]

KABOOOOM!

Fire and lightning merged into a single devastating blast, in a roaring column of flame interwoven with arcing electrical currents that consumed everything in its path. The sound was deafening, like a thunderclap and an inferno colliding.

Thane raised his axes in a desperate cross-block, essence flooding into the weapons to reinforce them—

CRACK!

One axe shattered under the combined assault. The other held, but barely, and Thane was driven backward across the arena.

When the blast dissipated, smoke curled from Thane's armor. His remaining axe trembled in his grip. Burns covered his arms, and his breathing was ragged.

"You..." He coughed, spitting blood. "You're a monster."

Alaric tilted his head slightly. "Are you yielding?"

For a long moment, Thane stared at him, then at the ruined axe lying, then at his own trembling hands.

"...I yield."

Vash didn't waste any second. "The winner is ALARIC GLIMOR! Another win for Silver Crown! THE CHAMPIONS ARE BACK TO THE GAME!"

The crowd exploded into chaos, cheers, shouts, the thunder of thousands of feet stamping in approval.

Alaric turned and walked back toward his side without celebration. His shoulder throbbed where Thane's axe had caught him, but he ignored it. Behind him, healers rushed onto the field to attend to his opponent.

Silver Crown: 2 | Iron Talon: 2

He met Verelia's gaze as he passed her in the preparation area. She gave him the smallest of nods, acknowledgment, not praise.

"Your turn," he said simply.

"Obviously," she replied, already stepping forward.

"HOLD YOUR HORSES FOLK! NOW COMES THE LAST MATCH OF THE FINALS!"

She paused. Letting the crowd roar.

"VERELIA RITHVALE vs CASSARA WINDHELM!"

The temperature dropped the moment Verelia crossed onto the ring. Frost spread from her footsteps in delicate, crystalline patterns that glittered under the afternoon sun. Her ice-blue eyes were calm, analytical, devoid of mercy.

Her opponent was a wiry woman, lightning affinity, known for speed and unpredictability. She bounced on the balls of her feet, electricity crackling along her arms in erratic bursts.

"Ice versus lightning," Cassara said with a cocky grin. "This should be fun."

Verelia said nothing. She simply raised one hand, and the air around her grew heavy with cold.

"BEGIN!"

Cassara moved first her form blurring into a lightning-charged sprint that left scorched footprints in her wake. She closed the distance in an eyeblink, one fist wreathed in crackling energy aimed straight for Verelia's face.

Verelia's hand moved in a single, precise gesture.

SHHHIIIING!

A wall of ice erupted from the ground between them, thick, crystalline, perfectly angled. Cassara's punch struck the barrier with explosive force.

BOOM!

Lightning scattered across the ice in brilliant, branching patterns, but the wall held. And in that moment of impact, Verelia was already moving.

She stepped to the side, her other hand extending toward the ground. Ice spread from her fingertips like living roots, racing across the sand toward Cassara's feet.

The Iron Talon fighter noticed too late. She tried to leap away, but frost had already encased her left boot, anchoring her in place.

"Wha—"

Verelia's palm thrust forward.

WHOOOOSH!

A lance of ice shot across the distance like an arrow. Cassara twisted desperately, lightning bursting from her free leg to shatter the ice holding her, but Verelia had anticipated that.

The first lance was a feint.

The real attack came from below.

SHHHHUNK!

Spikes of ice erupted from the ground beneath Cassara's feet, forcing her to leap skyward to avoid being impaled. But in mid-air, she was vulnerable, no footing, no leverage.

Verelia raised both hands.

The air temperature plummeted further. Frost formed on the arena walls. Spectators in the front rows shivered despite the afternoon heat.

"Frozen Cage."

Her voice was soft, but the words carried absolute authority.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

Ice manifested in mid-air around Cassara, not a solid prison, but a lattice of interlocking spikes that formed faster than thought.

The Iron Talon fighter tried to blast through with lightning, tried to find an opening, but every gap closed before she could exploit it.

In three seconds, she was completely enclosed.

The ice cage descended slowly, gently, until it touched the arena floor with a soft clink. Inside, Cassara was frozen in place, not fully encased, but trapped, her arms pinned, her legs immobilized. Only her head remained free, and her breath came in visible puffs of vapor.

"I... yield," she gasped, teeth chattering from the cold.

For a heartbeat, the arena was utterly silent.

Then Professor Vash's voice exploded across the stadium.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BEINGS OF ALL RACES!"

Her words rolled like thunder, dramatic and theatrical, building with each syllable. "WHAT. A. COMEBACK!"

The crowd erupted in a tsunami of sound that shook the very foundations of the arena. Cheers, roars, the thunder of thousands upon thousands of feet stamping in approval.

"Down two-nothing! Their backs against the wall! Facing elimination! And what did Silver Crown do?" Professor Vash paused for effect, letting the tension build. "THEY. DIDN'T. FALL!"

Verelia released her technique, and the ice cage dissolved into harmless water that soaked into the sand. Cassara collapsed the moment she was freed, her body still trembling from the cold. Healers rushed forward with essence blankets, wrapping her in warmth.

"Kieran Draveris with a masterclass in wind manipulation, controlling the battlefield, forcing his opponent into an unwinnable position!" Vash's enthusiasm was infectious, her voice rising and falling with practiced showmanship.

"Alaric Glimor demonstrating why dual-affinity combatants are so feared, fire AND lightning in perfect harmony, overwhelming his opponent with sheer elemental dominance!"

Alaric watched from the sidelines as Verelia turned and walked back toward their side. Her expression hadn't changed once during the entire fight, calm, analytical, efficient. Her breathing was perfectly controlled despite the massive essence expenditure.

"And THEN..." Professor Vash drew the word out, milking the moment. "Verelia Rithvale steps and delivers a CLINIC! Demonstration of ice affinity at its finest, and absolute mastery of the battlefield!"

Verelia's ice-blue eyes remained forward, ignoring the deafening applause. Frost still clung to her fingertips, glittering faintly in the afternoon sun.

"Three consecutive victories! Three different fighting styles! Three demonstrations of why Silver Crown earned their place in these finals!" Vash's voice dropped slightly, taking on a more serious, respectful tone.

"Iron Talon fought with honor and strength, they pushed Silver Crown to the absolute brink, but when the moment came, when everything was on the line..."

Another dramatic pause.

"THE CHAMPIONS. DIDN'T. FALL!"

The crowd's response was thunderous.

Alaric met Verelia as she rejoined them in the preparation area. Kieran was leaning against the wall, exhausted but satisfied, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Efficient," Alaric said simply.

"Obviously," Verelia replied.

Professor Vash continued her commentary, her voice carrying across the arena as the crowd's noise began to settle into excited murmurs.

"What a tournament this has been, folks! What a display of skill, determination, and raw talent from our first-years! Both teams should hold their heads high, this was combat at its finest!"

Verelia began walking toward the arena exit, heading for the stands where the rest of Silver Crown's team had been watching. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Now, let's give our finalists a moment to catch their breath while we prepare for the awards ceremony!" Vash's voice took on a more playful note. "I don't know about you all, but I need a moment to recover myself, my heart is STILL racing from that comeback! When both teams return to the arena floor, we'll have Student Council President Aurelia Glimor present the championship recognition!"

The crowd applauded again, though less intensely now, the immediate adrenaline of the fights beginning to fade into satisfied contentment.

Verelia climbed the steps leading into the stands. Students parted to let her through, some offering congratulations that she acknowledged with minimal nods. Elina was there, still pale from her earlier fight, one arm wrapped in bandages, but conscious and sitting upright.

Damien sat nearby, his essence channels still recovering from his loss to Rennick.

"Well fought," Elina said as Verelia approached. Her voice was tired but genuine.

"You as well," Verelia replied, settling into a seat beside her. "The Arcana Regia was... impressive."

Elina's expression flickered, something between pride and exhaustion. "Fat lot of good it did me."

"You awakened a legendary bloodline ability mid-combat and used it to nearly defeat an opponent who should have been impossible to overcome," Verelia stated, her tone matter-of-fact. "That's not nothing."

Down in the arena, Professor Vash was still keeping the crowd engaged.

"While we wait, let's take a moment to appreciate some of the standout performances from today's tournament!"

The crowd murmured in agreement, several people glancing toward where Elina sat in the stands.

Alaric remained in the champion's room, his arms folded, watching the crowd with those cold, calculating eyes.

Nyra stood slightly behind him, her posture perfect, expression neutral, but her attention was focused elsewhere.

On the stands.

On specific individuals scattered throughout the crowd.

"Young master," she murmured, barely audible over Professor Vash's continued commentary. "We have a problem."

"I know," Alaric replied quietly, his gaze not shifting from where he'd been looking.

In the stands, some figures sat too still. Their essence signatures were faint, almost undetectable, but wrong.

Professor Vash's voice rang out again, building toward the ceremony. "Alright, everyone! I think our champions have had enough time to catch their breath! Let's bring our teams back to the arena floor for our awards ceremony!"

The crowd applauded as both teams began descending from their respective areas. Alaric remained where he was for another moment, his eyes still tracking those figures.

They hadn't moved.

Hadn't cheered.

Hadn't reacted at all.

"Stay close," he murmured to Nyra.

"Always," she replied.