Levana''s next attack came much faster, taking Eldrian by surprise. Lurching to the side to avoid the de, Eldrian moved his spear to block the second de. Only to find himself blown from his feet and sent flying.


    Sliding a few dozen meters, Eldrian bounded to his feet with the help of a burst of wind. Only to find Levana''s des moving for his heart and throat. Her attack was too fast for him to avoid. So, instead, he threw himself back with another burst of wind. Deftly avoiding her attacks, but gaining a few scratches from sliding across the stage.


    This continued for a while, Levana pressing her advantage in speed while casting spells in Eldrian''s blind spots.


    Enduring the onught for a few exchanges, Eldrian tried to cancel her spells before they could form. Unlike the E-vampires, her will was well and properly infused into her spells. The most Eldrian could do was pinpoint their origin and stall their activation by a few milliseconds.


    This, Eldrian felt, was an interesting development. He had assumed he would haveplete control in regard to magic. Finding that she could still use spells silently and perfectly mixed with her attacks. It was honestly a pleasant surprise.


    Of course, Eldrian could have focused entirely on magic to shift the battle to one of wills and mana. However, he wanted to test himself. Hence, he refrained. Focusing on interference while dodging her spells and des alike. Trying to find an opportunity to counter with Crystoi.


    A few minutes dragged past slowly, the two finally separating again. Each heaving in apparent exhaustion. Neither had managed tond a solid hit on the other.


    Eldrian had a few cuts and scratches, but all in all, he had only lost around a hundred HP. Levana, on the other hand, was still unharmed. Her armor having blocked all the attacks and spells Eldrian had gotten through her defenses.


    "You''re holding out on me." Levana said, her voice disgruntled.


    She had confirmed she had the upper hand in speed, strength, and even power of her spells. Yet, Eldrian continued to escape her pursuit at thest second. Each time, his capabilities increasing just enough to ovee the hurdle.


    "Isn''t it the same for you?" Eldrian asked. "You''ve been using only simple spells weaved in with your attacks."


    "To you, that might be unimpressive, but during a heated battle, simple spells are the best supplement." Levana paused. She had clearly noticed how Eldrian effortlessly formed non-precise spells to save him when he was caught. Clearly, using magic was as simple as moving a limb for him.


    "If you wish to see a more advanced spell, I will oblige you." Somewhere along the fight, she had gotten irritated. She wanted to at least force Eldrian to use some of his full power.


    Increasing the distance between herself and Eldrian, she waved her arms and formed a whirlpool of darkness. Sucking in all the light of the surroundings, along with the nearby mana.


    "What type of spell is that?" Eldrian asked, trying to decipher it but unable. The element of darkness was cleverly used to cover the spell, making it impossible to pear inside. Unable to tell even what elements or aspects the spell wasposed of. Eldrian focused on defense.


    Calling on two spells Two had formed in their soul, Eldrian cast a wall of ice between him and Levana. Further activating a magic annulling barrier around himself.


    ''She''s taking so long...'' Realizing the downside of bigger spells, Eldrian started casting more spells as emergency measures. When Levana finally released her spell, five ice walls, three walls of mes, and four barriers -one ether, two wind, and one magic annul- stood between her spell and him.


    The whirlpool of darkness shot forward, lighting fast. Breaking through the ice walls, shattering it like it was fragile ss. The shattered pieces were quickly absorbed into the whirlpool of darkness, the walls of me not offering more significant resistance at all. Being consumed by the whirlpool as it continued towards Eldrian, its speed actually increasing.


    ''Oh, shit.'' Realizing that this spell was quite dangerous, Eldrian moved to dodge. It broke through his barriers just as easy as it had broken through the walls.


    Eldrian managed to cover only a few meters before it reached his old location and burst apart. Mana of the ice, dark, fire, wind, and lighting elements filled the arena.


    Burning, freezing, and shocking Eldrian before pulling him towards the center of the whirlpool.


    Perplexed by the turn of events, Eldrian flew to the center where he felt all the mana gathering and energizing. The feeling it gave him was simr to when he used mana crystals for his nova spells.


    Finally realizing just how much danger he was in, Eldrian panicked. He hadpletely looked down on her spells until now. From the corner of his eye, he could see Levana setting up multiple barriers to protect herself.


    ''Two?'' Forced to ask for aid, Eldrian called on his other half.


    ''This is bad. It absorbed the mana of your spells.''


    ''No shit!'' Eldrian replied. Naturally, he hadn''t missed that peculiarity when his defensive walls had been shattered and absorbed by the whirlpool. His connection with his mana cut as soon as it entered the whirlpool.


    The darkness element had cleverly hidden what had happened with the mana once he lost his connection with it. Obviously, it had all been condensed in the center of the whirlpool.


    Putting up as many barriers as he could, Eldrian pulled out thergest monster piece he had in his inventory and used it as a shield. Sadly, he had no true shield on hand.


    Just as he cast his third defensive barrier, the whirlpool exploded. Lighting coursed through his body and shield, his defenses useless against it. The other elements sent him flying in their explosion.


    Fighting the electricity flowing through his body, the smell of charred flesh entering his nose. Eldrian struggled to move. His muscles stunned by the electricity flowing through him.


    When he finally regained some movement, he was at the max height from the explosion. A few hundred meters in the air.


    ''Oh, we might actually die,'' Eldrianmented as she saw Levana already preparing another spell. Again hidden behind darkness, she formed what appeared like a spear or javelin.


    In a flurry of scrambling, Eldrian gathered as much mana as he could to form as thick a shield of ice between himself and the oing spear of darkness.


    ''Keep a calm mind,'' He mumbled to himself, trying to enhance the ice as he kept pouring mana into it. Two, on the other hand, prepared several spells to dodge the spear, if it came down to it. He also prepared spells to lessen the hit they will take uponnding.


    The spear of darkness shed against the several meter thick ice barrier Eldrian had summoned, sending sparks of lightning flying in the surroundings.


    Just as Eldrian thought the ice barrier would hold, he suddenly felt his mana again being stolen from him. The spear condensing and the danger he felt from it growing by the second.


    AN: Remember to vote andment if you are enjoying the story.