Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Rin glanced up at Sosuke, her face set in an unreadable expression. She gave him a small nod of acknowledgment but didn't say anything. Sosuke had won, but this time, it was her turn. The weight of that realization settled over her like a heavy cloak.

Aleron's voice rang out, loud and clear, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Next match: Rin Sakurai versus Arthur Veiss. Step forward."

The arena fell silent. The transition from Sosuke's hard-fought battle to Rin's match was seamless, the tension palpable. Rin's gaze locked onto Arthur Veiss, the young man who stood in the opposite corner of the arena, unyielding and calm. His piercing eyes were fixed on her, a steady gaze that spoke volumes. No words were exchanged, no grand gestures made. He simply stood there, calculating, waiting for the fight to begin.

"Begin!"

The words tore through the tension, Arthur wasted no time. "Bind and seize, Constricting grasp." Arthur spoke calmly, confident in his moves. He rose his hand up into the air with power. Tendrils of energy tore through the ground rapidly approaching Rin.

She tried to unleash a spell as quickly as she could. "Freeze and—" Rin's words were cut short, the tendrils erupted from beneath her and wrapped around her body. The tendrils lifted her up into the air as Arthur walked toward her slowly. Why wouldn't he just attack again?

Rin closed her eyes for just a moment, gathering her strength. She managed to pull one of her arms free and ripped off the tendril wrapped around her mouth. "Glacier step!" A wave of frost released from her feet, slowing freezing the tendrils from the bottom. She smashed through the ice, preparing another attack. "Pierce the skies, Waterjet." The water in the air mixed with her mana, generating a beam of incredibly high pressure water at her side.

The beam pierced through the air like a blur. Arthur simply sidestepped, narrowly dodging the curved beam. It wasn't a normal dodge, Rin landed onto the ground processing the situation. The water seemed to curve around him when it came near—like it had a mind of its own. Rin had no answer, right now she had to focus.

"Howl and sever, Gale Slash!" Rin summoned a sharp gust of wind by swinging her hand. Arthur's eyes grew wide, he didn't seem to expect this one. He crossed his arms to block the attack, the slash slammed against his block. Arthur recoiled backwards, but recovered quickly.

With the distance between them, Arthur prepared a great attack of his own. He slowly brought his hand up into the air as he spoke, his voice steady. "Sear and strike, unrelenting flame, ignite and scorch the earth in your wake." All the mana surrounding Arthur rushed into his palm which began to glow fiercely.

Rin processed his actions for a mere second. "It must be a fire cannon, but the incantation isn't that long. Something's off, I need even more distance. He wouldn't use it if it wouldn't reach." Rin ran the opposite direction, unsure what to expect.

Flames swirled and grew, twisting into something massive. "Ultimate Fire Cannon." The air warped as it grew in intensity.

"Wrong move, Rin Sakurai. You should've attacked me." Arthur spoke for the first time, and with confidence

"What the hell! Fire cannon shoots only straight right, that's its weakness. I need to move out of the way."

In an instant, a shockwave of searing flame exploded outward, crashing toward Rin with the force of a thunderclap. The ground trembled as the heat radiated, scorching all in it's path. It was too large to dodge. "How is this fair?" Rin thought.

Rin was engulfed by the flames, its scorching heat tearing through the ground with blinding intensity. The explosion sent her tumbling backward, her body whipped violently by the impact. In that moment, she thought back to Sosuke's words. "You're not like everyone else here."

"Rin!" Sosuke cried out. He turned toward Professor Aleron. "Isn't this too far!"

"What the hell…" Ren watched in shock.

The audience was filled with confusion and surprise. Aleron's voice tore through the tension. "Arthur Veiss! Usage of that spell is against the rules!"

Arthur slowly turned his gaze toward Professor Aleron. "Professor, you said use only spells we've learned in chapter one. I did, just a better version."

Aleron ran toward the arena, intending to open the door and get Rin out.

The smoke began to subside, revealing a figure. Rin stood, limping toward Arthur, her eyes filled with determination. She was bleeding and had burns around her body. "Don't end it! I can keep fighting!" She was breathing heavily and seemed like she was barely standing.

Rin's breath was shallow, her body battered, but her resolve burned brightly in her eyes. She could feel the heat of the flames still licking at her skin, but she refused to let it show. She had to end this now.

Arthur stood across from her, still calm, seemingly unfazed by the ferocity of the ultimate fire cannon. His confidence irked her, and she knew she had to shake it.

She raised her hands, fingers curling slightly as she gathered her strength. "Rage of the sky, Gale of Ruin!" she shouted, her voice laced with intensity.

The air around her twisted, and suddenly a furious gust of wind exploded outward, ripping through the arena. Dirt and debris shot up from the ground, swirling in a chaotic storm that whipped across the battlefield.

The gust was so powerful it threatened to knock Arthur off his feet, but it wasn't just the wind that attacked him. The dust and dirt were carried along with the tempest, blinding him, filling the air with a cloud of grit and confusion.

Arthur staggered back, raising his arms to shield his face, his eyes squinting against the stinging barrage. The winds howled louder, pushing him further away. But Rin wasn't done.

With the cloud of debris masking her every move, she surged forward, her steps firm despite her injuries. The moment she was within range, she closed the distance in a flash, launching herself into a powerful strike.

Her fist connected with Arthur's chest, the impact causing him to gasp in surprise. The force of the punch knocked the air from his lungs, and his eyes widened, barely able to process the speed of her sudden shift from spellcaster to close-range fighter.

Rin didn't wait for him to recover. She was already moving, her hands grabbing for his limbs, pulling him into a hold, her grip unyielding.

Arthur struggled, his body still disoriented from the onslaught of wind and dirt. He tried to break free, but Rin's grip was like iron. His breath was heavy, his chest rising and falling with effort, but her determination only grew stronger.

With a swift motion, Rin twisted her body, using his momentary confusion to her advantage. She slammed him into the ground, the force of the impact reverberating through the arena floor. Arthur let out a grunt, but before he could react, Rin was already on top of him.

Her hands moved with precision, locking his arms in place, her knees pressing into his chest to hold him still. Her breath was labored, but her focus was unshakable.

"Give up," she said, her voice steady, despite the exhaustion creeping into her muscles.

Arthur glanced outside toward the audience, narrowing his gaze on Sosuke. He turned back to Rin, grinning slightly. "Flamebound." He continued to speak calmly, it was irritating to Rin. His hands ignited, forcing Rin to move off.

Arthur jumped up, putting distance between the two. He wipes blood from his mouth and nose before putting his hands into the air. "Radiance, Luminous Warding." Cracks of light appeared in the air and exploded. The explosion of light cut through and neutralized Rin's Gale of Ruin. Arthur walked slowly toward Rin and she walked the other way. "Flashstep." A burst of lightning surged off of Arthur's feet. Within a blink of an eye, he appeared behind her.

Rin barely had time to react before Arthur's hand gripped her shoulder, spinning her around with brutal force. Her eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat. Arthur's expression was cold, his voice as sharp as ever. "You're strong, but you've already lost." With a swift, decisive motion, he pressed his palm to her chest. "Flashstrike." A burst of concentrated light shot from his hand, sending Rin crashing backward. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, her body slamming into the ground with a harsh thud. She lay there, dazed and unable to rise. The arena fell silent as the smoke cleared, leaving

Rin coughed, and sat up with a groan. "I'm done."

As the professor opened the door of the arena, the class exchanged looks, unsure of whether to applaud what happened or not. One student did, which caused a chain reaction. Arthur and Rin looked around at the audience. It was filled with more than just Class 13-A students now.

Aleron stepped in front of Arthur, staring into his eyes. "See when the tournament is over. You will still continue to the next round." Arthur didn't complain, he understood Aleron's reasons.