Thunder's match ended in minutes—all thanks to his opponent's own scroll.
Watching the dejected Ice Mage slump away, Thunder walked over and patted his shoulder. After a long pause, he managed: "Keep up with the times. Next time, you'll beat me."
The referee led Thunder to the headmaster. Laurent, ever the unkempt old man, grinned. "Kid, did you really inscribe those scrolls yourself?"
Thunder nodded.
"Good. Very good!" Laurent stroked his beard. "Last time we met, I sensed you had a unique path ahead. I didn't expect you'd find it so soon."
Thunder chuckled inwardly. *Sure, old man. Real prophetic of you.*
"Headmaster, should we verify Thunder's scroll-making ability?" the referee asked.
Laurent waved a hand. "No need. I believe him."
"Thank you for your trust!"
Sis's match lasted longer. At this stage, every mage was formidable, and she had to work hard to secure her spot in the semifinals.
Next came the remaining four competitors. Erick took the stage—only to face *Flanx*, of all people.
Flanx was currently on par with Sis. While the gap between junior mages wasn't vast, talent still made a difference.
"Do your best. That's enough," Thunder encouraged Erick before the match.
"Beat him until his *mother* wouldn't recognize him!" Sis glared at the unfairly handsome Flanx.
The long-standing rivalry between Thunder and Fire Magic classes had finally collided head-on.
But compared to the earlier matches, these lacked excitement. Thunder's fights were the main attraction, followed by Sis's. These? Meh.
As expected, Erick lost. Flanx outpaced him in both spell speed and power.
On the other stage, Kyle swiftly defeated his opponent, advancing to the semifinals.
Now, the final four were set: Thunder and Sis for Thunder Magic, Flanx and Kyle for Fire Magic. The championship had become a Thunder vs. Fire showdown.
"Bro, avenge me," Erick pleaded. "Flanx was brutal!"
"Your sister's right here. Why not ask her?" Thunder teased.
Sis pinched Erick's ear. "Yeah, why not me?"
"You need to save strength for the championship! So… Bro Thunder's my only hope."
"*Now* you're talking."
"Don't worry," Thunder said. "Whoever faces Flanx—me or Sis—we'll get your revenge."
Erick's lack of bitterness reassured him. After all, this was just a school tournament.
"Lovely Miss Sis." Flanx's smooth voice interrupted as he and Kyle swaggered over. He deliberately avoided looking at Thunder—which only made him *more* aware of Thunder's leering gaze.
"What do *you* want?" Sis bristled. "Got a death wish, interrupting our moment?"
"Must you be so hostile? We're all top competitors now. Fighting here would be… undignified."
"Watch your backs. Tomorrow, I'll make you cry on stage," Sis sneered.
"Then we'll see who burns whom," Flanx smirked.
"I'll electrocute you first," Thunder winked.
Flanx's face twisted as if he'd swallowed a fly. Grabbing Kyle, he fled in despair.
"Too easy," Thunder muttered.
While the individual tournament had narrowed to four, the team matches had only just finished their first round. Advancing were: Thunder's Thunder Magic class, Flanx's Fire Magic Class 1, Ice Magic Class, Water Magic Class 2, and Earth Magic Class.
Tomorrow's round? Five teams, three spots.
The rules: Draw two groups of two teams each, with one team on standby. The winners of each group advance. The losers then face the standby team for the last slot.
Meaning—Thunder's class might compete tomorrow.
Initially, Sis and Erick had worried. No matter how strong they were, their mana wasn't infinite. If opponents played dirty like the Water Mages—draining them before targeting Thunder—their team could fall short.
But now? No more fears.
Thunder could dodge *anything*. Plus, his scrolls were a game-changer. Even Flanx's team stood no chance.
To Sis, the team championship was already in the bag.
Which, admittedly, made Thunder slightly more tolerable—
*As long as she didn't remember he'd groped her.*
**Will Thunder's class dominate—or will Flanx's team turn the tables?**