Chapter 20 A Ranker
"Cryokinesis: Ice Spike!"
The ground beneath the guy became covered in a thin layer of ice and with a sudden jolt, a sharp spike emerged from the ice, piercing the guy's leg.
"Aghhh!!!"
Rose's opponent let out a bloodcurdling scream as he felt the tendons in his leg tear apart. The excruciating pain was overwhelming, assaulting his mind and causing him to drop his weapon and collapse onto the ground.
He had never experienced such intense pain before, and it sent his mind into momentary shock, rendering him oblivious to his surroundings. All he could feel was the searing pain, which felt like an endless sea of agony.
However, despite the severe injury to his leg, the Formal Fight would only end if one of the fighters conceded or lost consciousness. It didn't matter if the guy's limb was torn off or shattered; as long as he didn't give up or lose consciousness, and there weren't any threats to his life, the fight would continue.
Rose's azure eyes glimmered in the light as she stepped forward, the ground beneath her feet turning frosty with each step.
She approached the guy, who was still kneeling on the ground, his face contorted in pain. As she walked, the pavement around her turned into a sheet of ice, causing the surrounding temperature to drop even further.
"Give up..."
Rose's cold and commanding voice made the guy momentarily stop wailing, as he slowly lifted his eyes off the ground. His previously prideful and gleeful face was now covered in a mix of sweat, tears, and snot, a testament to the pain that he was experiencing.
"Fuck you!"
He replied, suddenly leaping towards her and almost grabbing her blue hair.
"Cryokinesis: Ice Wall!"
A wall of dark ice emerged from the ground, causing the guy to collide with its surface and fall on his damaged leg. The impact was so severe that he almost blacked out from the pain.
"Give up!"
Rose tried to make the guy concede, hoping he would agree so they could get him the treatment he needed as quickly as possible. But her words fell on deaf ears as he scrambled to grab the nearby axe. It was clear that he had lost his reasoning, as he showed no concern for his own physical state. If he continued to fight, the damage could become permanent, but it seemed that he didn't care.
Swish...
His weapon struck the ground, shattering the ice that was slowly creeping up towards him and sending shards of it into the air.
The guy's eyes were full of uncontained rage and pain, causing Rose to glance at the teacher and plead for the fight to stop. Unfortunately, the teacher could only shake his head as he was not allowed to interfere.
"Ahggg..."
With a groan of pain, the guy bolted towards Rose, ignoring the fact that his foot was destroyed by the Spike, worsening its condition even further.
The brutality of the fight made some of the first-year students with weaker stomachs turn around, as they were not accustomed to seeing such gore. The seniors, however, glanced at them with slightly apologetic looks.
They had been in the Mage Academy for more than a year and were used to witnessing such things. The world was not a beautiful place, and humanity needed people who could withstand the cruelty of reality.
Swish...
The guy swung his war axe through the air, narrowly missing Rose's throat. The teacher overseeing the fight felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. Despite being a B Rank Awakener, he knew he needed to be ready to deflect a blow that could end a life.
Formal fights between top-ranked students were no different. Duels often became heated, and only S Rank teachers were qualified to act as referees and separate the fighters.
'This could go bad...'
He murmured, eyeing Rose and wishing she would freeze her opponent to end the fight.
"Cryokinesis: Ice Wall!"
Rose erupted a wall between herself and the guy, blocking his advance and making the rage within him erupt like a volcano.
"You b#$*#..."
Countless curses spewed out of her opponent's mouths, making the spectators frown.Rose was called numerous names and insulted in various ways, and although her opponent would surely be punished for his behavior, it was still uncomfortable to hear.
Some onlookers even tried to enter the ring and punch the guy, but a mana barrier surrounded the circle, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
"...."
Despite hearing all the insults hurled her way, Rose kept her face emotionless, not even flinching at her opponent's taunts. One might have thought she didn't care, but her eyes suggested otherwise...
The aura around her suddenly fluctuated, and a massive wave of mana spread throughout the area, causing some students to flinch. 𝒃𝒆𝙙𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"Cryokinesis: Blizzard!"
Suddenly, snow began to fall from the ceiling of the building, causing everyone to look up in surprise.
Storm clouds gathered above, covering the entire ceiling and releasing snowflakes that slowly descended into the arena.
Swish...
Rose's opponent charged towards her, his weapon held high, but he failed to notice the change in the arena.
"Die you bitch!"
Suddenly, his damaged foot gave out on the ice and snow covering the floor. He struggled to stand and lunge at Rose again, but it was too late.
"Cryokinesis: Freeze!"
Ice climbed up the guy's body, covering him in a thick layer from the ground up. He attempted to break free using his axe, but his movements slowed and he was soon frozen into an ice cube, with icy stalactites hanging off him.
Although he was not dead, he would require serious help from a skilled healer to walk again.
"Call Williams!"
The teacher overseeing the fight shouted to the seniors, who rushed through the doors. He quickly appeared before the frozen guy's body, breaking the ice blocking his face so he could breathe.
"Congratulations on your victory, Lady Rose. You are now officially a ranker..."
He said, slightly bowing his head towards Rose and then giving the severely wounded guy a health potion to keep him alive.