Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Professor Aleron approached Ren Natsume and Lyra Valcrest as they stepped onto the arena floor. Both students had made special requests for weapons, a rarity for first-tier spell duels but allowed under the circumstances. Aleron carried a plain steel sword in one hand and a staff in the other.

"These should suffice," he said, handing the sword to Ren and the staff to Lyra. "You may use them only for this match. Remember, they're standard tools—no enchantments, no tricks. The rest is up to your skill."

Ren gave a curt nod, gripping the sword tightly. It was a standard blade, but its weight and balance felt right in his hand. He wasn't about to underestimate its simplicity. Lyra adjusted her glasses and took the staff with both hands, her expression calm but focused. The faint glint in her eyes suggested she had prepared well for this moment.

The crowd was quieter than before, still recovering from the spectacle of Rin and Arthur's match. However, whispers began to ripple through the students as they speculated about the next fight. Ren and Lyra were lesser-known compared to Sosuke and Rin, but their quiet reputations had intrigued many.

Aleron stepped back, raising his voice over the murmurs. "Ren Natsume versus Lyra Valcrest. Begin!"

Both fighters moved into a defensive stance, their weapons pointed at each other.

"We're the first to use weapons. Probably the only." Lyra spoke calmly, showing no sign of weakness.

"I'm not here to make conversation, Valcrest."

"Well, I tried. You know, I admire you Natsume. You seem to know so much already, it's fascinating."

Ren's grip on his sword tightened as he studied Lyra's stance. She held the metal staff diagonally, its polished surface gleaming under the arena lights. Its tip hovered just above the ground, ready to strike or parry in an instant. Her calm demeanor betrayed nothing, but the slight narrowing of her eyes showed she was just as focused as he was.

The silence stretched, the tension palpable. Ren shifted his weight, testing her patience. Lyra mirrored his movement, her staff shifting with subtle precision to match his positioning.

"You going to move first?" Ren asked, his voice even, his gaze locked on hers.

Lyra gave a small smirk. "Why should I? You seem eager enough."

Her words hung in the air for a moment before she lunged forward without warning, her staff slicing upward in a sharp arc aimed at Ren's side. He reacted instantly, stepping back and raising his sword to parry. Steel met metal with a sharp clang, the impact sending vibrations up his arm.

Lyra didn't stop. She spun the staff with practiced fluidity, bringing it low in a sweeping arc toward Ren's legs. He hopped back, the staff narrowly missing his shins.

"Fast," Ren muttered, darting forward with a sharp thrust aimed at her chest.

Lyra twisted her body, the staff coming up in a blur to deflect his blade. The metallic ring of their weapons echoed through the arena as the two locked in a contest of strength. Sparks flew as Ren pushed forward, forcing Lyra to step back, but her grip on the staff didn't waver.

"I knew you were good," Lyra admitted, stepping to the side to break the clash. She spun the staff again, using its momentum to strike at Ren's shoulder.

He raised his sword just in time, angling it to redirect the blow. The staff glanced off, but the sheer force of the strike made him take a step back. Lyra followed up immediately with a quick jab toward his ribs, but Ren sidestepped, letting the attack pass harmlessly by.

Ren countered with a horizontal slash aimed at her midsection, but Lyra ducked under the blade and pivoted, her staff swinging around toward his exposed side. Ren spun his sword, meeting the staff mid-swing with a satisfying clang.

Ren lept backwards, putting space between them. "Unpredictable and quick, that weapon suits you." He charged toward her with his blade, Lyra shifted into a defensive stance once again. Ren slid under her attack that was aimed for his head and left a cut on her thigh.

Lyra fell down to one knee and groaned in pain. Ren stopped himself mid slide and planted his hand onto the ground. "Shatter and encase, Frost Nova." The floor became a frozen blue and shard of ice erupted from under. The shards then shot out of the ground and into the air. Lyra made a desperate leap over the ice, but not before getting caught by a few.

"Crackling surge, Thunderbird." Ren raised his sword and ran his other hand over the blade. Electricity flowed through the swords sharp edge, Ren turned the tip of his blade toward Lyra. "You're smart, sure, but how does that apply for you in combat."

Lyra stood up, spinning her staff around her. Ren dug his sword into the ground and lifted it up with immense strength. A surge of electricity was sent toward Lyra. She slammed the staff down in front of her, "Repel the storm, Voltguard." A shimmering, translucent barrier formed in front of Lyra mitigating all the damage of the attack.

Ren lunged forward, his electrified sword crackling with energy as he closed the gap between them. Lyra, still behind the shimmering Voltguard barrier, calculated her next move with precision. She knew she couldn't overpower him—but outthinking him was an entirely different matter.

She pivoted around the barrier and jabbed her staff low, aiming for Ren's legs. He sidestepped easily, countering with an upward slash aimed to throw her off balance. But that's when Lyra made her move.

She swung her staff down—not at Ren—but at the icy floor beneath his feet. The sharp metallic crack reverberated through the arena as she struck the surface with precise force. The ice shattered in uneven chunks, breaking Ren's footing. His stance faltered, his sword dipping as he struggled to regain balance.

Lyra didn't waste the opportunity. Using the momentum of her strike, she vaulted herself to the side, away from his electrified blade. She twirled her staff, the gleaming metal catching the light, and struck again—this time aiming for Ren's sword arm.

Ren blocked the strike, but the vibrations of the impact coursed through his hand. The frozen ground beneath him had made it harder to stabilize his defense. His grip faltered just enough for Lyra to press her advantage.

"Combat isn't always about strength," Lyra said calmly, driving her staff into the icy shards near Ren's feet. The impact sent more fragments scattering into the air, creating a chaotic flurry of sharp, frozen splinters between them. Ren stepped back instinctively to avoid being cut, giving her the space she desperately needed.

Ren stumbled over on the uneven ground, and groaned in frustration. Lyra raised her staff, and slammed it into Ren's gut.

Ren gasped as the force of Lyra's staff drove the air from his lungs. He staggered back, clutching his midsection, the cold, jagged ice beneath his feet making it harder to regain his footing. Lyra wasted no time, swinging her staff again with calculated precision, aiming for his head this time.

Ren barely reacted in time, instinctively raising his sword to block, but the impact jarred his arm and sent a wave of pain shooting through his shoulder. His grip on the blade tightened, but the vibrations from her strike reverberated through his body, further disrupting his balance on the treacherous ground.

Lyra wasn't finished yet. She swung low, targeting his legs in an attempt to unseat him completely. Ren's eyes widened, and in the split second it took to adjust, he managed to jump backward, narrowly avoiding the staff's strike. He landed awkwardly on a patch of ice, slipping just a fraction of a second too long.

It was enough.

Lyra saw the opportunity and surged forward, her staff moving like a blur. She aimed for his side, where his defenses were weak. Ren brought his sword up to block, but this time he was slower—exhaustion was starting to take its toll, and the force of Lyra's earlier strikes was making his movements sluggish.

Her staff connected with his ribs, the blow strong enough to send him stumbling sideways, his breath coming in shallow, pained gasps. He tried to recover, to swing his sword in a counterattack, but Lyra was already retreating, her weapon at the ready. She kept the distance between them, her eyes sharp and calculating.

"You're good," Ren admitted, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He clenched his jaw, the bruises on his body beginning to ache. "But you won't beat me."

Lyra didn't reply immediately, keeping her focus entirely on him. Her heart was pounding, but her mind remained sharp. "We'll see," she said quietly, lowering her staff in a slight feint to test his reaction.

Ren shifted his weight, preparing to advance. But as he did, he noticed something—the air was colder than it had been a moment ago. His sword was already charged with a faint hum of electricity, but Lyra, ever the strategist, had already seen through his plan.

Without warning, Lyra took a calculated step back and pointed her staff directly at him. The ground between them cracked, and from beneath Ren's feet, a burst of icy spikes shot up, pinning him in place. He let out a sharp grunt, his eyes widening as the ice impaled the earth around him, locking his movement.

Lyra's voice was steady. "You're out of options, Natsume."

Ren's expression tightened with frustration, but a fire ignited in his eyes. His sword surged with an intense crackle of electricity, and with a roar, he broke free from the ice. He placed his palm on the ground in front of him. "Tide surge." The ice shattered and turned into water. A large wave rushed toward Lyra. Ren then slammed his sword into the water with all his might. "Volt burst." A burst of electricity flowed out of the sword and into the water.

Ren's sword crackled with electricity, and with a fierce roar, he slammed it into the water. The burst of lightning surged through the flood, jolting through the water and straight toward Lyra. Her body seized as the electricity coursed through her, her muscles locking up, and she staggered, falling to one knee as the electric charge overwhelmed her. Her teeth clenched in pain, but she refused to fall, gritting her teeth and pushing through the surge.

As the last of the electric current faded, Lyra shook herself out of the shock. Her clothes were singed, her body trembling, but she was still standing, breathing heavily. Ren watched, his own breath ragged, his body already spent from the intense battle. Lyra lifted her staff again, her hands shaking slightly as she focused. She could barely stand, but she still had fight left in her. "You're good, Natsume," she muttered under her breath, her voice steady despite her condition.

Ren, in contrast, felt the weight of exhaustion in his bones, his grip on his sword faltering. Lyra's earlier words about strength echoed in his mind. She wasn't wrong, he realized too late. He had overestimated his power, pushing himself past his limits in a bid to overwhelm her. Lyra's calm, steady defense had neutralized his attacks, and now, as he struggled to stay upright, she moved with precise efficiency. With a swift motion, she disarmed him, sending his sword skidding across the floor.

Ren collapsed to one knee, his breath shallow and heavy. Lyra stood over him, her breathing ragged, but her posture victorious. "Looks like you're right," she said, offering him a small, rueful smile. "Strength isn't everything." Ren's vision blurred as he fell to the ground, the fight officially lost. He had been outmaneuvered, outlasted, and defeated not by raw power, but by Lyra's resilience and strategy.

Lyra helped Ren out of the transparent arena, the moment they stepped out, their injuries disappeared.

Aleron waved a hand to stop the crowds chatter. "In case you haven't realized, the tournament was intentionally set up this way. The pain you feel in these fights are going to prepare you for the very real injuries you will get during the midterm." Aleron walked over to the cube on the ground and picked it up. The transparent arena evaporated as Aleron tucked the cube into his robe again. "That concludes the first roun of the tournament! We continue tomorrow."