Scene: Astral Academy – Main Arena
The air was thick with expectation.
After defeating Reika, Saki stood poised at the center once more. Mist coiled around her feet, a quiet elegance emanating from her.
From the opposite end stepped her next opponent: Aarya, calm, sharp-eyed, and walking like a glacier carving its way through time.
"Wing B's 2nd Rank… Ice Queen Aarya," murmured a student.
"This'll be the cleanest elemental clash yet…"
Their eyes met—Saki's calm warmth vs Aarya's serene frost.
A flicker of acknowledgment passed between them.
Aarya: "I've been looking forward to this, Saki."
Saki: "Same here… Let's show them what elegance looks like."
Battle Start
Aarya raised her hand, and the temperature dropped instantly. Thin spikes of ice formed a ring around her. Saki answered by forming a shimmering water veil, prepared to adapt.
Aarya: "Frozen Waltz."
She dashed forward, ice forming beneath her feet as if she skated. Saki countered—
"Gale Ripple Step."
A burst of water gave her a split-second air-step—dodging Aarya's first lunge.
The arena cracked under the duel of ice and water.
Saki: "Mirror Lake Illusion."
Ten Saki clones shimmered into being. The audience gasped.
Aarya closed her eyes for a second—
"Glacier Sense."
With a snap of her fingers, ice crystals burst beneath each clone—freezing them in place. Aarya sliced cleanly through the real one with an ice blade—but Saki twisted midair and retaliated—
"Tidebind Serpent!"
A huge water serpent slammed into Aarya, dragging her across the stage. The audience shouted.
But Aarya didn't flinch.
"Enough."
"Absolute Freeze: Arctic Lotus."
A blast of freezing wind erupted from her form. Water vapor turned into blades of ice mid-air. The entire field began freezing—clones, serpent, and mist turned solid.
Saki gasped. Her mobility was being locked.
Aarya dashed through the storm, faster than expected.
"Diamond Spear."
She formed a jagged icy javelin and hurled it with perfect aim. Saki blocked with Aqua Veil, but it cracked under the sheer power.
"Abyss—!"
Too late.
Saki was hit in the side, crashing down. She rolled to her knees, panting, a line of frost trailing her arm.
The referee raised his hand.
"Winner: Aarya of Wing B!"
Aftermath:
Aarya offered her hand to Saki.
"You're fast and fluid... I had to go full control."
Saki (smiling, winded): "You're amazing. I'll catch up to you next time."
They clasped hands—Water and Ice, became friends
Anay from Wing A watched silently, impressed.
Veer let out a low whistle. "That girl's scary when serious."
Naman grinned. "This is getting spicy."