The same question kept guing Constantin as he watched the fight continue. Eldrian appeared hopeless. Even as he defended against Zaphreal''s bolt of lighting, it did not appear that anything had changed. He was sent flying back and no closer to forming any sort of offensive.


    Eldrian simply did not measure up to Zaphreal. This should be an obvious fact: someone with just a few years'' experience in a field should naturallyg behind someone with decades.


    Yet, that made that same question guing Constantin all the more relevant. What was the point of ANW? Why did Miracle ever develop ANW? Why were they so adamant about its further development?


    Constantin just could not find the answer. From what he was seeing, clearly, it was not to discover and understand more of magic, as he had believed. The story he had been told, and which he had told others in turn.


    Here he watched someone, assumingly of the highest division in thepany, execute magic with ease. Suppressing Eldrian with ease. Eldrian, who up until now, Constantin had believed the only one capable of using magic at will.


    Sure, he had his suspicions before, especially since he had made some progress in guiding mana himself. But never had he thought there would be someone like this out there. And if there was this person, then Constantin was sure there were plenty more.


    Which again, begged the question guing his mind; Why even bother with ANW?


    Constantin knew that there was no trick behind it. It was not, as the yers believed, admin privilege. Zaphreal was not relying on any of the AI to cast his spells, nor had he required their assistance to dispel Eldrian''s blizzard.


    Constantin''s entire world was being shattered by the duel. And while the atmosphere in the room suggested that Eldrian stood no chance, he hoped dearly that Eldrian could escape the trap he had fallen into.


    That was why, when Eldrian managed to survive yet again, he sighed in relief. A long, calming sigh as he came back to the moment.


    "Do you know what type of barrier that is?" Qiren asked, watching the ball of darkness that waspletely unaffected by the thunder surrounding it. Unphased by everything that Zaphreal was throwing at it.


    "Not a clue." Constantin replied. His smile growing as he started believing that Eldrian might just pull it off.


    —


    On the stage, Zaphreal stopped his assault and took a moment to rpose himself. Shockingly, Eldrian had managed to ce up a defense that could effectively stop his strikes. Furthermore, it was d in darkness.


    A darkness not of the ck color, but of a substance devoid of light. Preventing any and all attempts of analyzation. Somehow, the barrier was even capable of stealing the mana from Zaphreal''s spells and probing.


    "If you wish to absorb the mana of my spells, you will have to do better than that." Zaphreal announced, more for the audience than anything else. And so he renewed his assault with the same idea as Eldrian had used against Levana.


    As the barrier absorbed the mana of the spells flung at it, all Zaphreal believed he needed to do was feed it mana until it exploded. And killed Eldrian with it.


    —


    Eldrian was struggling to keep his mind stable as the aspect of death continued to invade his mind and soul. Luckily, he was notpletely alone in his fight. As normal, Two handled the soul aspect while Eldrian focused on the body. Somehow, they managed to get the invasion under control. Allowing Eldrian to focus again on what was happening.


    When his attention returned to the barrier, he was numbed by what he felt. It was at the point of explosion, filled with enough mana topare to several medium mana crystals. Well into the tens of thousands of MP.


    How Zaphreal had so much mana after the system bnce for their duel, Eldrian could not even hazard a guess. He even felt it unfair—though he had nned to use his mana soul to his advantage simrly. This never became relevant to him. He could only assume Zaphreal had something simr he was relying on.


    ''It did its job.'' Eldrian smiled.


    The barrier had bought him time. And also a great deal of mana. Sadly, Eldrian could notmand such a quantity of mana. His limit was perhaps two or three thousand mana at once. More than that, and he struggled to maintain his control over it all.


    To take control of nearly forty thousand, he was not capable. However, he could manipte it to his own design.


    ''I don''t need to control it. Like I use mana crystals to activate Nova, I will use this.'' Eldrian smiled. Finally, he had what he had needed to break the death crystal.


    Now, he only needed to find a way to survive. Or at least die along with Zaphreal. This would all be for naught if he died immediately and Zaphreal a few millisecondster. The only option Eldrian felt open to him was teleportation.


    ''However, unlikest time, I don''t have line of sight or—that''s it!'' Without a dy, Eldrian formed the strongest mental message he could envision. Never before had he tried to contact someone from god knows how far he was from Avgi.


    ''Ceph, I need your help. Please send me a teleportation request. I''m in a PINCH! AS SOON AS YOU CAN!''


    Praying that there was not a barrier or something that would block this, hoping that Ziraili or GAIA had disabled them when they had teleported him here, Eldrian anxiously awaited the familiar nudge and request for teleportation.


    He felt it not muchter, his partner not sleeping on his duty. As soon as Eldrian felt the nudge, he filled the connection between them with mana and activated the ability. Disappearing form the stage, while leaving a present for Zaphreal as he did.


    —


    Suddenly, the barrier of darkness disappeared. However, Eldrian was nowhere to be seen. And just as everyone was wondering what was going on, the area where he had been turned dark again.


    A darkness that expanded and expanded. Covering the entire stage and much, much more.


    Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, the announcement that Eldrian had won sang through. The development was so confusing that no one managed to follow what had happened.


    —


    ''Luckily, our contract did not stipte that the duel needs to be ended in the arena. Zaphreal likely never thought I would try to retreat.'' Eldrian smiled as he turned towards his savior. "Ceph, thank you so much! You really saved me this time!" Eldrian shouted, rushing to hug the little alicorn.


    Where the tournament had been held, it had been midday, but here it was early morning. Ceph had actually been woken by Eldrian''s sudden cry for help.


    ''Can you exin what''s going on?'' Ceph asked, shrugging Eldrian off with one of his wings and morphing into his elven form for easiermunication.


    "I nearly fell for a truly deadly trap." Eldrian said, exining the developments to his old friend. And as the two talked, Eldrian forgot all about the doubts he had had about being bonded with Ceph. Without him, Eldrian would have certainly been caught by Miracle just now.


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