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Julian George leaned back in his seat, his posture relaxed and a subtle smile playing on his lips.

"Interesting, certainly," he agreed. "But I still have faith in your prospect Jan. He has a way of rising to the occasion."

Yuka snorted playfully. "Of course, Jan has no reason to lose. Even If Alice pushes him to his limits he would still win. But I\'ll admit Alice is impressive, Julian. That girl\'s no joke. Her technique, her speed...

it\'ll take more than brute force and a sunny disposition to get past her."

"Ah, but isn\'t that what makes it all the more interesting?" Julian countered, his voice smooth. "According to reports Jan apparently lacks the overt power of some others, but he\'s adaptable. Every fight teaches him something."

Yuka\'s gaze sharpened. "So, you think he\'ll hold back against Alice? ...It could work in his favor, but if it doesn\'t, he\'s toast. Risky move."

"Perhaps," Julian conceded. "Or perhaps he has a few surprises of his own. We\'ll just have to wait and see, won\'t we?"

Yuka let out a delighted laugh. "I guess you\'re right. We\'ll see how this fight goes."

Julian\'s smirk widened. "Possibly... but after this, maybe Alice will be the one everyone\'s underestimating."

Yuka stared at him, her surprise crossing her face. Julian didn\'t often change his thoughts about people, especially about someone he\'d previously seemed to favour. A mischievous sparkle flashed in her eyes. Was this possibly the student Julian wanted to offer after the tournament?

"Oh?" she purred, leaning forward. "Feeling sympathetic towards the lovely Miss Elizabeth, are we? Don\'t tell me you find her focus more appealing than her own abilities."

Julian remained composed, but a slight tightness around his lips betrayed a momentary discomfort. Yuka knew him well, perhaps too well. He\'d always had a keen eye for talent, especially for untapped potential... the kind his England-based guild specialized in developing.

"Merely an observation," he replied smoothly. "One should never underestimate the power of composure under pressure."

Yuka let out a laugh, her suspicions partially confirmed. Julian might try to play the detached game, but she knew better. There was a spark of interest there, and perhaps the heir to his guild in a few years.

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

SHING!, SHING!

Steel clashed as Jan and Alice met on the pristine white platform. With each parry, a grin spread across Jan\'s face. This was a fight he could truly enjoy.

She was slipping through his attacks with ease, her footwork was perfect to the point where Jan was missing clean slashes.

Her ability to read his attacks was almost unreal. with every attack, she was already a step ahead as if anticipating his very thoughts...

"Sly one, this Alice," Jan muttered to himself as they separated after a brief exchange. He\'d been forced to parry Alice\'s attacks, unable to land a solid blow. On top of her technique, something else was changing... the air itself was growing colder. This was unlike anything he\'d seen in her previous matches.

huuuuu...

As the thickening cold air became more dense, a shiver ran down Jan\'s spine the cold winds were blowing directly from Alice\'s direction.

Could it be... that she has the attribute of Ice?

Jan wondered if she truly did, as the ice attribute was most certainly rare, its users were notoriously difficult to engage with in battle. He\'d need to tread carefully. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he scanned the platform, looking at Alice\'s position.

Alice, meanwhile, was patiently waiting and calculating Jan\'s next attack. She\'d driven Jan enough and revealed enough of his style to shift the momentum in her favour. Now, it was time for her true power to shine.

tap...tap...tap...

A light tap of her foot, a rhythmic pulse of power was flowing throughout the stage... Jan looked on, puzzled, unsure of her intent.

Channeling her mana, Alice focused it entirely into her right leg and as she clenched her Sabre tight she stomped the ground uttering, "Blizzard\'s Edge Dance," her voice sharp as a winter wind.

CRACKLE

With a sudden burst of magical energy, the platform shook. Shards of ice erupted from the ground, jagged and slick, transforming the arena into a frozen wasteland.

Pillars of ice surrounded the outer area of the platform generating a thick mist, laced with biting cold, rolling across the surface, hiding their movements.

"...!"

Jan struggled to maintain his footing, his eyes looking through the swirling fog. Alice was hidden, her presence concealed by the icy veil she\'d conjured.

He knew an attack was coming, but from where, and in what form, remained a dangerous possibility.

Alice was the first to truly outclass Jan in technique, proving a real challenge unlike any he\'d faced so far and wanted to see this fight to its end.

vavavava....

Jan shivered as the last rays of sunlight disappeared, swallowed by the thickening fog. The source became chillingly clear he knew the ice shards themselves were generating the mist and he knew destroying them would only leave him vulnerable.

CRACK!, CRACK!, CRACK!

So before he could fully process the situation, streaks of ice rose from the ground through the fog, forcing him to dodge the attack by jumping from the ground up.

"What!"

He barely avoided the attack, the razor-sharp shards nicking his skin. An instant later, Alice emerged within his vision, appearing from the fog as silent as a ghost, her sabre aglow with the blue brilliance of sword aura.

SHINNNG!

A wide, arcing slash erupted from her weapon, aiming to shred his defences. Jan, reacting on instinct, managed to deflect part of the attack, but the force staggered him, as the pain flared through his battered arm.

As he watched Alice vanish once more into the thick fog. He stood, waiting, his senses straining against the oppressive cold and the disorienting fog.

This was the first time he\'d encountered someone capable of such dramatic battlefield manipulation. How much more power did she still hide? Was the entire terrain a construct of her mana? A thousand questions swirled in his mind, but he knew they provided no answers.

Closing his eyes, he shut out the roar of the crowd and the swirling distractions of the fog. He focused on the subtlest sounds, the most minute vibrations. A twitch of muscle, a ripple of mana... there!

A sound of movement, a pulse of energy brushing against his awareness.

SHING!

Without hesitation, his body moved, his reflexes outpacing conscious thought. His raised blade met Alice\'s as she emerged from the mist, surprise registering on her face before she adjusted her attack. He\'d sensed her, even with his sight denied, the flow of her mana was a weakness Jan had detected.

"...!"

Seizing the short advantage, Jan pressed forward, swinging his sword without end. Alice caught off guard, was forced to block the attacks by holding the flat part of blade and gripping tightly on the handle of her sword.

With a powerful thrust, Jan knocked her back several paces.

worry began to rise from Alice\'s usual composure. Desperate to regain control, she extended an open hand, fingers flexing as if grasping an invisible thread.

Suddenly, the outer sections of the frozen arena began to rise, chunks of ice ripped free by her pull. These projectiles shot forward, hidden by the fog until it was almost too late for Jan to react.

SHAK!, SHAK!, SHAK!,

Unable to see the attack coming, Jan was struck. Razor-sharp shards pierced his shoulders, his sides, and his legs. A jolt of intense pain seared through him as ice dug itself into his flesh.

Gritting his teeth, Jan channelled mana, focusing it on the wounds. He couldn\'t fully heal himself, but the basic spell was enough to stop the bleeding. Cuts closed over with a hiss of steam, leaving angry red scars in their wake.

As the worst of his injuries were patched, Jan noticed a subtle change within the arena a thinning fade of fog disappearing from the central parts of the stage.

That was when an understanding flashed in his eyes. Jan had realised that if Alice used the outer sections of her Ice to attack him, Alice was inadvertently weakening the foundation of her ability... This meant that the Icey domain would collapse after all the outer shards were used.

The fight was far from over, but Jan saw his chance. He couldn\'t bet on her clearing the fog but every shard used was another opening. But to exploit that weakness, he\'d have to endure this onslaught, again and again...

_______________

Authors Notes:

- Ajax is pronounced: EYE- AX(The J is silent.)

- Alice\'s main ability is called: Blizzard\'s Edge Dance, This ability enhances her physical attacks with elemental power but also allows her to control the battlefield, creating barriers of ice and a thick fog of wind to control the flow of battle. In Alice\'s hands, the elements themselves become her allies, enhancing her combat prowess to unmatched levels

- Alice\'s elemental attributes: Ice, Wind

- Jan used a skill called Vibrasense: This name reflects its ability to provide a form of sight through sounds, vibrations and mana. This allows them to perceive their surroundings and anticipate attacks.