Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1232: The Duel

On the stage, the instant Rice adjusted his position, his aura gathered tightly, rendering his footing far more steady...

Next, he lifted his palm, infusing it with Piercing Echo, the Combat Spell meant to bypass protections by sending vibrating aura straight to the foe’s essence.

This was a skill he’d only just grasped after endless lessons from Denise...

In truth, he’d tested it solely against Arthur, one of Denise’s Magic Automatons. Over recent months, Arthur had served as his sparring companion, and Rice realized he couldn’t have mastered this without him...

Bam!

His hand shot out, aura surging forth like a rippling blast.

Sora tensed up, his body soaking the hit while his aura burst out to guard him.

The strike rocked him back, yet he stayed rooted... Owing to his Dragon Blood, his muscles clenched, bones grew tougher, and the harm to his organs lessened.

Then came his bellow, laced with soul power, making the earth tremble.

Rice felt stunned as his footing shook briefly from the roar’s force. Yet he steadied himself fast, aura flowing back under his command.

The Arbiter observed intently while the spectators shouted even wilder with every clash.

The Arbiter grew anxious, fearing he might not react swiftly enough to rescue either if things turned deadly.

He glanced about, relieved to see several professors edging nearer, ready to step in if needed.

"Beat him, Sora! You can do it!"

"Make it more entertaining! Go use your Soul Energy!"

"Right, no one should surrender! Fight until one of you gets knocked out!"

"Do not lose, muscular boy!"

"Beat that tiny classmate of yours!"

The audience yelled for varied motives. Some craved the thrill of combat, others backed a victor in the bout.

Yet the pair tuned out the noise. Their attention locked solely on the showdown!

Sora charged once more, fists glowing hot, his build propelling him with unyielding might.

Rice faced the onslaught directly, zeroing in on ripostes. As moments ticked by, his actions grew keener and smoother.

His energy drain dropped steadily.

To onlookers, the fight resembled a graceful performance.

Sora’s brute force pounded ahead as Rice’s polished skills deflected it. Every collision rattled the platform and drove the watchers wild...

They adored these clashes among Martial Artists!

Even so, the combatants were still so youthful...

Sora’s breathing grew labored as the skirmish dragged on.

He’d prepared rigorously, survived Chad’s savage drills, taken in dragon blood amid agony and flames, but battling Rice proved tough given the finesse of his methods.

Meanwhile, Rice’s gaze blazed with concentration. He understood clearly that misjudging any of Sora’s strikes could spell disaster. A solid hit from Sora’s power would surely crumple him.

He’d faced dismissal his whole life, his weak frame ridiculed, his might questioned... But now his senses sharpened, his aura merged seamlessly with his being, allowing effortless command.

Moreover, his skills could now pass as perfect for his tender years.

"Haa!" Rice yelled while parrying yet another blow.

The throng bellowed fiercer, none able to predict the victor in this clash...

Sora surged forward anew, his punch fueled by Dragon’s Drive.

Rice twisted away, deploying his Redirecting Spiral. Exhaustion nearly undid him, but he pulled it off!

The force splintered the ground, though both pressed without pause.

The contest blazed fiercely, with neither seizing dominance!

***

Meanwhile, the two allies atop the platform, eyeing the fight, kicked off their wager!

Denise brushed off the tease, her focus shifting back to the bout. "Look at them. I think Rice is about to finish this..."

Chad chuckled and wagged his head. "You mean Sora’s about to end this? Do you want to bet?"

Denise cocked her head, a subtle grin playing on her mouth.

"A harmless wager, then. If Rice wins, I’ll give him a runic pendant with Temporal Power... It came from a Time Manipulator, but aside from that, it also stabilizes aura flow and prevents overexertion. For someone with his body, it could mean survival in the real competition."

Chad beamed. "I like that! And if Sora wins, I’ll hand him a draconic gauntlet I’ve kept hidden. Forged from tempered scales, it channels aura through the fists. Perfect for a boy who insists on breaking walls instead of walking around them."

Denise laughed lightly. "So, a pendant for accuracy, a gauntlet for recklessness. Fitting gifts."

Chad edged nearer... "It’s not about winning or losing, is it? It’s about showing them we believe in their growth."

Denise nodded. "Well, I guess you’re scared to lose. But let’s just say it’s exactly like that."

Before Chad could respond, the atmosphere flickered nearby. A swirl of shadow and glow solidified into a misty-robed form.

Neither spectators nor Arbiter spotted it, but Chad and Denise knew the arrival at once.

Vale’s Avatar had come.

"Still making wagers, I see," the Avatar remarked with a laugh. "You two never change."

Though merely an Avatar, it bore Vale’s soul, so the pair welcomed it warmly.

Chad grinned slyly. "We’re just keeping things interesting. Besides, Sora fights harder when he knows what’s at stake. So I plan to tell him this through telepathy, is that alright?"

Denise dipped her head in respect. "And Rice fights harder when he knows he is seen. He has always been underestimated. This duel is his chance to prove otherwise."

Vale’s Avatar directed its sight to the arena, where the youths collided once more...

"Alright... Let’s see how the battle will change if they learned that there are some stakes on the line."