The top three teams for the group battles were finally decided: the Lightning Class, Fire Class 1, and the Ice Class.
The rules remained point-based, with rankings determined by total scores—same as the solo tournament. Win a match, earn one point. Lose, get zero.
For the Lightning and Fire Classes, it was smooth sailing—they'd only fought once to reach the finals. But the Ice Class? They'd clawed their way through *two* grueling matches just to secure their spot. Even with their mana restored, they were exhausted.
Now, facing the academy's two strongest teams, their chances were slim. Yet the Ice Class trio stood firm, their expressions resolute—ready to fight even in certain defeat.
The first final match: Fire vs. Ice. The Lightning Class had the round off, so Thunder's team stood aside, analyzing their opponents while cheering for Francis and the others.
Rivals on stage, friends off it. Even Sisi's long-standing rivalry with Francis was just competitive spirit—no real malice.
Ice against fire—a natural clash of elements where victory hinged purely on raw magical power.
Among the Ice Class trio was Thunder's quarterfinal opponent, the one who'd unleashed the *Frost Nova* scroll. Against anyone else, he'd have been formidable. Even against Francis, he'd drained the Fire prodigy's mana to the brink before falling.
When the second Ice Class fighter stepped up, Francis finally collapsed, landing one hit before being knocked offstage.
Thunder studied them closely. Only the quarterfinalist posed a real threat—the other two were leagues weaker.
Once he was out, the Ice Class crumbled. Kaili took down the remaining two solo, securing Fire Class 1's first point.
After a half-day rest—enough for the Ice Class to recover mana—the second finals match began in the afternoon.
Luck was *not* on the Ice Class's side. The draw forced them back into the arena: Ice vs. Lightning.
They looked ready to cry. Already worn out from days of battles, now back-to-back matches? Brutal.
This time, the Lightning Class adjusted their lineup: **Thunder first, Sisi second, Eric third.**
The Ice Class's quarterfinalist stepped up first. Seeing Thunder, he forced a pained smile. "Beast… you again."
"Fate's funny like that," Thunder grinned.
Haunted by his past loss and demoralized by Sisi waiting in the wings, the quarterfinalist fought like a sleepwalker. Thunder closed in, mana-charged fists hammering relentlessly—no scrolls needed.
The remaining two Ice Class fighters fell just as easily. Lightning Class: **1 point.**
The *real* finals—Lightning vs. Fire, the ultimate grudge match—would begin the next day.
Sisi burned with vengeance. She and Eric had both lost to Francis in the solos. Now? Payback time.
But Fire Class 1 wasn't about to surrender the group championship. They'd analyzed the Lightning Class's patterns and planned their lineup accordingly.
So when Francis saw **Eric** casually stroll onto the stage as the first fighter, he nearly choked.
"*You guys are playing DIRTY!*" he yelled at Thunder and Sisi.
Last night, Fire Class 1 had strategized:
- *If Sisi goes first, Francis counters her.*
- *If Thunder goes first, Francis overwhelms him—no way he has scrolls left after spamming so many.*
Take down *one* of those two, and Kaili could easily handle Eric. Fire Class's odds? **70%.**
But now? Eric's appearance shattered their plan. He couldn't beat Francis—but he could *drain him dry.*
Thunder had actually volunteered to solo all three, but Sisi, noting his lack of new scrolls, insisted on this safer lineup.
Hearing Francis's outrage, Thunder and Sisi exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
They'd learned this trick from the Water Class. **The ultimate dirty tactic.**
True to form, Eric focused purely on defense, dodging like his life depended on it. Francis finally resorted to a *Blazing Fireball* to end it—but the effort left him mana-starved and gasping.
Sisi high-fived Thunder, grinning. "My turn to wreck this pretty boy."
Even with Thunder having avenged her earlier, the invincible beauty believed in *personal* redemption.
**Sibling teamwork would send Francis packing—but does Fire Class 1 have a countermove left?**