Extra Of The Magus Academy-Chapter 88: Ash Vs Seth [Pt 2]

RUMBLE!

The battle raged on, the arena trembling under the sheer force of their relentless exchange.

Ash and Seth clashed in a dizzying flurry of spells, wind and lightning intertwining in a chaotic dance that left the battlefield scarred and smoking. Each strike met with a counter, each maneuver met with a counter-maneuver.

It was a battle of power versus strategy, and for now, neither side was willing to concede.

Ash circled Seth, his enhanced speed allowing him to stay just ahead of his brother’s devastating attacks.

The Storm Dragon loomed behind Seth like an ominous shadow, sending arcs of crackling electricity coursing through the air with every movement.

Seth stood his ground, his presence like a storm incarnate—unstoppable and unyielding.

"You’re holding up better than I thought, brother!" Seth grinned, sending a barrage of compressed wind blades hurtling toward him.

Ash barely managed to evade, the sharp gales slicing into his shoulder. He winced but kept his focus.

"I told you... I’m not going down easily."

He retaliated, twisting the wind around him in a spiraling vortex.

"Tempest Surge!"

The compressed winds shot forward like a tornado, aiming directly at Seth’s chest.

With a flick of his wrist, Seth countered effortlessly, summoning a dome of lightning-infused air.

"Thunder Wall!" The two forces collided with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves rippling through the arena.

Ash’s eyes narrowed.

No matter what he did, Seth’s defenses held strong, and worse—he wasn’t even slowing down.

’He’s too strong... and he’s not running out of energy anytime soon.’

Sweat dripped down Ash’s face as fatigue started to weigh on him.

His breathing grew ragged, and the power granted by his fusion with his Familiar was beginning to wane.

He was running out of time. If he didn’t end it soon, Seth would overwhelm him.

Seth, on the other hand, looked as composed as ever, his storm crackling with power. He launched another attack, the air around him twisting violently.

"Storm Breaker!"

A massive, electrified wind current surged toward Ash, tearing through the battlefield with enough force to shatter stone.

Ash reacted instantly, leaping back and conjuring a powerful gale to soften the blow, but it barely held. The edges of his clothes were singed, and his limbs trembled under the strain.

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’I need to end this... now.’

Then, in a split second, Ash’s keen eyes caught something—an inconsistency in the battlefield. With all the constant bombardments, cracks had formed on the stage beneath Seth.

The stone was weaker there, fractured and brittle from the continuous impact of their attacks.

A spark of an idea flickered in his mind.

’That’s it!’

Seth charged forward, lightning crackling around him.

"Give up, Ash!"

Ash didn’t respond.

Instead, he gathered every last ounce of energy he had left, wind swirling around him with renewed intensity. He launched another concentrated blast—not at Seth, but at the ground directly in front of him.

BOOM!

The stage beneath Seth exploded into rubble.

For a moment, confusion flickered across his face as the ground crumbled beneath him.

"You—!"

Seth instinctively leaped away, avoiding the collapsing section just in time—but Ash was ready.

’Got you.’

With the last reserves of his strength, Ash manipulated the lingering winds, forming a barrier behind Seth mid-air. Before his brother could fully recover, Ash conjured restraining gusts that pressed against him, preventing him from escaping further.

"No way!" Seth growled, struggling against the wind barrier, but it was too late.

Gravity took hold, and Seth plummeted down with the collapsing rubble, his expression shifting from shock to grudging acceptance as he fell off the stage and into the abyss below.

The crowd erupted in stunned silence.

"Haa… haaaa…"

For a moment, Ash remained frozen, his chest heaving.

Then the realization hit him—he had done it.

"Winner—Ash Zephyr!"

The announcement echoed through the arena, and the silence was instantly shattered by thunderous applause and cheers.

Seth emerged from the wreckage below, unharmed but visibly impressed. He gazed up at Ash with a smirk, shaking his head.

"You sneaky bastard... I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off."

Ash let out a breathless chuckle, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

"Neither did I."

Seth climbed back onto the stage and offered a hand.

"Looks like you win this time, brother."

Ash clasped Seth’s hand firmly, feeling the immense relief wash over him.

"Yeah... this time."

As they turned toward the roaring crowd, Ash couldn’t help but smile, though deep down he knew that beating Seth had only been a small victory in the grand scheme of things.

He had won the tournament, but what came next would be far more challenging.

’Without even thinking about the Succession Wars, I have to consider what will happen at the last parts of this Exchange.’

For now, though, he allowed himself to savor the moment.

********

[Moments Later]

"And now… for the finals of the Intermediate Stage…!"

The roaring cheers from the arena echoed through the vast hallways of the grand stadium, but Ash and Seth paid them no mind as they slipped away from the celebratory chaos.

They found themselves in a secluded corner behind the towering pillars, the tension from their earlier match still hanging thick in the air.

Seth leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, while Ash wiped the lingering sweat from his brow, his breathing slowly returning to normal.

Seth broke the silence first, his signature grin tugging at his lips.

"Well, you did it. You actually beat me, brother."

Ash exhaled a chuckle, leaning against the pillar beside him. "Yeah… barely. You weren’t holding back, were you?"

"Of course not," Seth said with a shrug. "But fair is fair. I lost, so I’ll keep my end of the bargain."

He straightened, his expression turning more serious. "If the Succession Wars ever happen, I’ll stand by your side. No questions asked."

Ash studied his twin brother carefully, trying to gauge the weight behind those words.

Seth had always been the stronger one, the prodigy their family and the academy admired. For him to submit to Ash’s leadership was not a small matter. Yet, as always, Seth spoke with unwavering confidence—if he made a promise, he would see it through.

"Thanks, Seth," Ash finally said, offering a small but genuine smile. "I’ll be counting on you."

"But," Seth added, his eyes narrowing slightly, "I still think you’re overthinking it. Father’s fine. The Succession Wars won’t happen anytime soon."

Ash’s smile didn’t falter, but he didn’t argue either.

"Maybe you’re right."

Seth sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "You’ve got that look again. What are you planning now?"

Ash glanced away, watching the distant flashes of magic from the ongoing Intermediate Stage Finals.

"Nothing much... just thinking ahead. I might need a favor from you later."

Seth eyed him warily. "What kind of favor?"

"Don’t worry," Ash reassured him. "It won’t be anything illegal, and it will have something to do with our agreement."

Seth smirked, nodding. "Good. You know the rules. As long as it aligns with that, I’ll hear you out."

Ash nodded in return. "I understand."

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden eruption of cheers from the arena. The brothers exchanged a glance and stepped forward to peer through the large viewing windows.

The announcement boomed across the stadium:

"The winner of the Intermediate Stage Finals—Nirvana Gate Academy!"

The air shifted with a mix of excitement and tension. Ash’s sharp eyes tracked the Nirvana Gate students as they celebrated on stage, their triumphant grins sending a wave of unease through him.

He couldn’t help but feel that their victories were more than just skill and power—there was something sinister lurking beneath their success.

Seth whistled lowly.

"Looks like they’re serious contenders this year. That puts us in a tight spot."

"Yeah. It all comes down to the Expert Stage match now. If we lose, they take the title of the Top Academy in the Empire." Ash nodded, his expression hardening.

Seth crossed his arms again, a glint of competitiveness flashing in his eyes.

"You worried?"

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t," Ash admitted. "Something feels... off about them. I can’t shake the feeling that they’re up to something."

Seth snorted. "Overthinking things again, brother?"

"Maybe," Ash muttered, still watching the Nirvana Gate students revel in their victory.

"But I’d rather be cautious than caught off guard."

Seth patted Ash on the shoulder. "Well, whatever happens, I’ll be around. Just say the word if you need me to crush someone."

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Ash chuckled.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

As the final match of the tournament loomed closer, Ash knew that this was more than just a battle for the title.

If Nirvana Gate Academy won, they wouldn’t just be the top academy—they would gain influence, resources, and power within the Empire.

And with everything that had been happening at the Akashic Magus Academy lately, the stakes were higher than ever.

So many things had strayed from the original story. He had contributed a lot to some of them, but this was something that he wanted to flow according to the novel’s original course.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Nirvana Gate Academy winning the Exchange seemed inevitable at this point.

’Of course, I can’t allow that to happen.’