Chương 143: Ice Versus Wind

In the morning, Damion set out to go about his second day of class like he had the first. Exercise in the morning, classes, lunch, more classes and finally magic practice in the evening. The following day he did the same. His days were uneventful, and Damion felt he was doing well in his classes, but he had noticed the other students were starting to become a bit standoffish. At first, Damion thought they were acting differently because of Mage Sorin's challenge to him.

The time for the duel was set for half an hour after the final class of the day at the end of the week. This gave everyone plenty of time to hear about it, which he supposed was Mage Sorin's purpose. Damion expected people to hear about the duel and maybe act a little different around him, after all, he was going up against a favorite son of the noble families. When he overheard the whispers that were actually being spread, he could hardly believe what it was that caused people to stay away. He was a knight.

The reason people started shying away from him and not even sitting next to him was because word had spread that Damion worked and lived as a knight for the last three years. He knew a lot of mages looked down on knights, which he understood more now that he knew many knights were mages with poor talent or low rank affinities, but he felt he had earned his place at Silver Spire Magic Academy. Not only were the elite students whispering and staying away, but the standard students as well.

The school structure, as far as Damion had been able to discern, was already designed to separate the knights and mages. The elite students were the ones with the greatest potential to become mages. While most of the standard students would either end up as mediocre mages or be forced to walk the path of a knight. The more Damion overheard the whispers, the more annoyed he became at them. He was an S+ Rank talent according to their tests.

He had the potential to rise above all other mages in history and with the Magic System, Damion knew he could do it. But now, all these people were treating him as if he was covered in filth, wanting nothing to do with him.

"Don't let it bother you," Elicia told Damion as they walked from the last class for the week to the location for Mage Sorin's duel.

"Thomas probably started spreading the rumors to make you look bad and everyone is too afraid of upsetting the heir apparent to the Sorin family. Once you knock him on his ass people will see he was just full of hot air."

"You really want me to teach him a lesson don't you?" Damion asked as they approached the stage where the duel would take place.

"I really do," Elicia said with a grin as she stopped at the edge of the stage, only Damion would be allowed up.

"Remember, he wins if he hits you first, and you are not allowed to dodge."

"Don't worry. This won't take long," Damion said confidently.

"Hmph. As if I'd be worried about you," Elicia mumbled as Damion started up the steps. When Damion stood on the stage, he saw Mage Sorin standing on the far end waiting for him. In the middle of the stage stood Professor Moretti, the combat class instructor.

"Mage Wells, Mage Sorin you are aware of the rules?" The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Yes," both students said at once.

"Are there any agreed upon stakes?"

"No," they answered again in unison. Professor Moretti looked at Damion and Mage Sorin in turn. It was rare for students to duel without a wager. Wagering on challenges was the main reason for most duels. Wagers in duels were the only way for students to legitimately take something they wanted from another student. Be it points, artifacts or even an attendant, wagers in duels were how these things changed hands.

"Has a limit on the tier of spells been set?"

"No," Mage Sorin answered. Damion wondered if he should ask to limit the spells used to tier 1, since he only knew tier 1 spells. He did not know if Mage Sorin knew any tier 2 or higher spells, but he doubted it. In the end he decided against asking for the limitation, he was afraid if he did it would make him appear weak.

"Very well," Professor Moretti said after Damion was silent for a moment.

"Mage Wells if you would take your place in the circle opposite Mage Sorin." Damion looked at the stone surface of the stage and saw a number of meter in diameter circles, each with one edge touching a circle on either side. The circles were arrayed around the stage forming a larger circle. A few paces away from Damion was the circle that was opposite Mage Sorin. After moving to his start position, Professor Moretti continued.

"Both parties ready," both Damion and Mage Sorin nodded.

"The duel will begin in three… two… one… begin!" When Professor Moretti announced the start of the duel Damion did not immediately jump into action. Damion wanted to see what Mage Sorin was going to do first. Across from Damion, Mage Sorin raised his hand pointed his palm towards Damion, casting a spell. A ball of whirling wind coalesced just in front of Mage Sorin's palm. Damion did not recognize the spell, but by the collective gasps of awe from the spectators, Damion surmised it was not a simple spell.

Mage Sorin seemed perplexed as to why Damion had not cast his own spell yet, but he decided to go ahead and finish casting his spell. A moment later a ball of whirling wind flew out speeding towards Damion. As soon as Mage Sorin released his spell, Damion raised his hand and in just a split-second cast Ice Shard. The Ice spell flashed across the space between him and Mage Sorin.

When the spells met near the center of the larger circle the ice crystal of Damion's spell tore through Mage Sorin's ball of wind and continued straight at the blonde mage. Mage Sorin's eyes went wide in shock when his spell was not only destroyed by Damion's, but the ice spell was able to continue on without slowing down or having its trajectory altered.

The crowd hardly had the time to react at Damion's spell piercing through Mage Sorin's before the latter had to dive out of the way of the Ice Shard or be skewered. The stronger spell flew through the space Mage Sorin had just been in and shattered against an invisible barrier at the edge of the stage. Damion had not even realized a barrier had been raised between him and the audience, but he supposed it was there to keep errant spells in check.

"Winner, Mage Wells," Professor Moretti announced as soon as Mage Sorin dove out of the way.

"Please exit the stage for the next duelists." Damion did not wait around to listen to anyone's praise of his performance. After walking off the stage quickly, he and Elicia made their way to his dormitory. Once away from prying eyes he relaxed and replayed the duel in his mind a few times to evaluate how he did.

"How did I do?" Damion asked Elicia while she started preparing their dinner.

"Quite well for your first time."

"What was the spell Thomas used?" Damion asked.

"Whirlwind Sphere. It is a tier 2 Wind magic spell."

"Is it a strong spell?"

"Yes. Because the Wind magic is condensed so tightly into the sphere it contains a lot of power and is very hard to block. Your Ice Shard being able to pierce through it and continue on unfazed was quite surprising."

"Glad I was able to provide everyone with a little bit of excitement."

"Today was nothing. Tomorrow you will be quite entertaining."

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at my tablet." Damion picked up Elicia's tablet and took a look. Tomorrow he had to answer eight challenges to his elite student status.