The Transmigrated Author

Chapter 81: Jan Vs Alice (3)

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

shaaaaa...

Jan felt a shift in the air, the fog was thinning just enough to cast faint, distorted shadows. This slight change was all he needed – anticipating Alice's attacks would be marginally easier. Closing his eyes, he focused his senses, waiting for her next strike.

...

...

THUD

A thud echoed through the air, an impact muffled by the fog. She's going for a surprise attack, he figured.

SLASH!

As his Muscles tensed, he whirled around, his sword slicing through the sound of a crash in the air.

"...!"

That was when Jan realised something... It was too late! Shards of ice rained down from above, a glittering fall he'd completely misread. The thud was a decoy of Ice, a clever distraction to hide her true intent.

Shaa!

Alice emerged from the fog once again, her form dangerously close.

SLASH!

A flash of steel, a clean slash across Jan's chest. A split second later, another, imbued with the brutal force of sword aura.

Jan was able to block the enhanced blow, but the impact sent him staggering back. And as he looked up towards Alice, she faded into the icy shroud, leaving him alone with the sting of fresh wounds.

Despite the pain, a wry smile touched Jan's lips. His respect for his opponent deepened with each move.

"Quite the challenge indeed," he muttered to himself, the joy of the fight outweighing the sting of his injuries. This was why he competed, why he pushed himself so hard.

TATATATA

Jan flinched as another ambush of ice shards left its mark on his body. Alice's strategy was clear she was using a relentless cycle of attacks and hiding, aimed at slowly wearing him down. Smart, undeniably effective, but... was that all she had?

Realising this Jan was in disbelief feeling the creeping doubt. If repetitive attacks were her only weapon, then he'd overestimated her. It was too cautious, too predictable for someone with her abilities.

As Alice closed the distance between them, Jan parried another of her surprise attacks. Steam hissed as he focused mana on the newest slash across his chest, knitting the wound closed. Scars wouldn't slow him down, not now.

A flashback hit Alice, the image of this exact scene mirrored itself over the present. A boy with a crossbow, not a sword, had her in the same position with the same tactic. It was weird she couldn't understand why.

haah...

With a sigh Alice knew she was defeated, she lifted a hand, dispelling the remaining ice and fog.

"I surrender," she declared, her voice clear and controlled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have a winner!" the announcer's voice boomed through the arena. "Alice Elizabeth concedes the match, giving the victory to Jan Ates! He will now advance to the semifinals!"

The crowd erupted in a frenzy of cheers. Jan lowered his sword, offering Alice a hand up. But with her usual shyness, she awkwardly got up, dusted herself off and simply gave Jan a cat-like stare.

"You fought well," Jan said genuinely. "Thank you for the match, Alice."

With a polite bow, Alice turned and left the stage. The crowd's enthusiasm washed over him, but Jan's thoughts were focused on the girl walking out.

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: VIP Box Suite #4]

"WOOWOO!!!"

Yuka's voice roared, her usual composure momentarily forgotten.

"That boy didn't even break a sweat, even when Alice had him cornered. Pure raw talent, destined for stardom, a future jewel in my guild's crown–"

Julian, who normally wouldn't care about wins like these was slumped in his chair, his face a mask of muted despair. Alice's defeat had thrown a wrench in his gut.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Julian grumbled, his brow furrowed, annoyance in his voice. "Don't pretend you weren't about to lose it when Alice sliced him up."

Yuka, in the middle of her victory dance, paused mid-twirl. "Me? Nooo!" The defiance in her voice was a touch too sharp. "Nonsense. I had faith in my boy!"

A sly grin spread across Julian's face. "Funny," he countered, "you were about two seconds away from sobbing if that 'boy' had ended up skewered on one of those ice spikes."

A flush stained Yuka's cheeks. she puffed out her chest, he wasn't entirely wrong. "Boring details! Jan won gloriously! " She resumed dancing, a little less enthusiastically now.

"Go sulk, Julian. Winner of this round..." She paused her eyes flashing, pointing at him, "...is my guild's future star, Jan!"

_______________

Authors Notes:

- Alice can freely dismiss the fog at will.

- The main 4 elemental attributes are: wind, fire, air, earth