IMPERIAL ACADEMY

The duel

An emergency assembly was called in the fire wing. The sun shone brightly in the Imperial Academy's courtyard that morning. The fire wing, as always, was gleaming under the influence of the sun's majestic ray. But that morning, something happened.

"With the graduation in sight, the fire wing must select its representative for the Brawl of Champions," Bruno said to Alex while they headed to the emergency assembly. Alex was confused.

"What is the Brawl of Champions?" He asked Bruno, who shot him a look of surprise.

"I know you didn't just ask me that," Bruno said with disbelief, but Alex shrugged his shoulders. Then, Bruno sighed.

"The Brawl of Champions is one of the most important events of the year. Every year, during graduation, Wings send a representative to compete for the title of Sword Bearer. Have you heard of The Sword of King Arthur?" Bruno asked Alex.

"Excalibur?" Alex questioned while raising a brow.

"No. King Arthur had another sword before Excalibur was created. It was lost in a war, well, until mages found it. Bearing that sword, Alex, is a great honor. The king would grant you any desire if you became the sword bearer, plus, your wing will receive awesome benefits for the next one year!" Bruno said.

"That's amazing," Alex replied to Bruno.

"Yeah. Only first year students are allowed to compete though. I guess that is why we have an assembly this morning, to select a champion for the fire wing," Bruno added while they walked on.

"So, where is this sword?" Alex asked b

Students from the Fire Wing gathered around, excited about the assembly. As Alex and Bruno stepped into the hall, Alex's eyes locked with Kevin's. At that moment, there was a chill in the air, an anger so palpable and hot it could give the morning sun a run for its money.

Kevin's eyes blazed with fury as he looked at Alex. But when Professor Susan, the Fire Wing's Dean, stepped into the assembly, everyone fell shut and all eyes were on her.

Professor Susan stood on a raised platform with a magical microphone hanging in the air positioned close to the speaking range.

"Good morning, students. As you all know, the Brawl of Champions is here again. And this year, I really want something to change..." She stopped and stepped down from the podium.

"... It is no secret that the fire wing hasn't won the Brawl in ten years. I wonder why. Are we the poorest in terms of skill? Don't we have what it takes to enjoy the benefits the Sword Bearer confers?..." She paused again, and then snapped her fingers.

"This will change this year. Today, we'll choose our champion for the Brawl. Alex Kent and Kevin Hale, step forward!" She called out.

The crowd cheered as Alex and Kevin walked to the center of the hall. Alex didn't expect that he would be called upon. His fire magic skills weren't that great after all.

"You are the most promising student this year. And I couldn't choose who would be our champion. So, you two must duel here and now," Professor Susan said, and cast a spell. A wave of energy swept across the room, and then a ring appeared as dust and particles settled in midair.

Kevin cracked his knuckles and chuckled, grinning confidently. Both Alex and Kevin climbed the ring.

"The rules are simple: the first to land a decisive blow would win," Professor Susan told them. Alex gazed at Bruno, who slowly nodded to him. Then, his eyes roamed to Kevin, who was too excited to be standing there.

"You're dead now, Alex." Kevin threatened.

The crowd held its breath as the duel began.

Kevin raised his hands, and a wave of flames shot toward Alex. Alex jumped to the side, avoiding the flames by mere inches. He countered with a blast of fire, but Kevin was too strong. Kevin deflected the attack with a swipe of his hand.

The fight intensified. Kevin summoned a massive fireball, but Alex dodged it at the last second. Alex retaliated with a series of swift punches, each infused with fire magic. Kevin blocked the blows, but Alex's speed and agility made it hard for Kevin to land a hit.

The hall was ablaze with magic. Flames danced across the ground, and the air was thick with heat. The crowd watched in awe, cheering and chanting for their favorite competitor.

"You're not special, Alex. You can't even beat me!" Kevin yelled at Alex and shot a fireball at Alex again, but Alex caught the fire and turned it into a fiery bow. With a charge, Alex shot an arrow of fire at Kevin.

Kevin stumbled back, his eyes widening in surprise as he barely dodged the attack. Alex seized the opportunity, unleashing a powerful blast of fire that sent Kevin flying across the ring.

Kevin struggled to get back to his feet, but Alex was relentless. He summoned a vortex of flames, surrounding Kevin and cutting off his escape.

Kevin's eyes blazed with fury as he summoned one final, desperate attack. A colossal fireball erupted from his hands, hurtling toward Alex.

Alex raised his hands, and a shield of flames erupted around him. The fireball struck the shield, and the two magic clashed in a spectacular explosion of light and sound.

When the dust settled, Alex stood victorious, his magic having overpowered Kevin's. The crowd erupted into cheers as Professor Susan approached Alex, a proud smile on her face.

"Congratulations, Alex! You're the Fire Wing's champion!" Professor Susan declared, presenting Alex.

"In all my years of experience, I have never seen anything like this duel. I have high hopes this year, Alex," she added, and tapped Alex on the shoulder with a smile on her face.

"Yes!" Bruno exclaimed from the crowd, and dashed toward Alex. "Bro! You were on fire. How did you get so advanced? I know Kevin is madly skilled but you just suddenly improved," Bruno asked Alex.

"I just copied his moves and rewrote it," Alex casually replied, but Bruno was stunned.

"You can rewite spells?" Bruno muttered, but Alex didn't respond. It was at that moment that Bruno confirmed that Alex was not in any of their league.

Alex's eyes met Kevin's gaze. Kevin's expression was a mix of shock and anger.

The crowd's cheers continued to echo across the room as Kevin approached Alex with a smirk on his face.

"I can't wait to see you fail, Alex. And when you fall, I will be there to witness it," Kevin said to Alex with anger in his heart, and walked away.

"Don't listen to him Alex. You can win the Brawl. You will be the sword bearer," Bruno added. Alex

Alex sighed. The next few days will surely be interesting.