KINGDOM OF MAGIC

Who are you, Mister?

Xero wasn't always my friend...... Even now, he's more like a rival friend."

Back then when we were in magic preschool, he was a natural talent. The "Always cool with the girls and teachers" type of guy...

While I.... Well, I was the misfit. Always scorned and being bullied by the older kids. I remember Xero ways came to save my butt back then....

Then one day... I was fed up.

"One day, I'll surpass you! I'll become the prime mage!"

He just laughed... And said:

"Not on my watch!"

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Xero came back up to the area for the colosseum, where Castro and Jasmine we're waiting for him. Looking at them, you could literally see the sparkle in their eyes.

"Nice one, Xero". Castro exclaimed

"You're awesome, Xero." Jasmine shouted

"I think I can do better though..." Castro scoffed.

"You wanna go, buddy?!" Xero smirked.

"Yeah, let's go!".

Castro and Xero locked heads and arms together, preparing to fight. Two swift hits landed on the former and latter's heads, bringing them back into reality. Jasmine blew smoke away from her hands.

"Both of you, behave yourselves."

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The commentator came out of one of the gates the contestants come out from. Holding a megaphone made out of animal skin, he shouted, "All right! The battle continues! Who are the next contestants battling it out for a spot in Zora's institute of magic?"

The crowd went wild with excitement and cheered with excitement.

"Alright.... This one is also a survivor of the Langnon Village. She's small but mighty, even at 16.......Jasmine!!!!!!!!"

She came out of the gate leading to the stage, her short ginger hair dancing in the wind. She brushed her hair back with her hand, exposing her black, intimidating eyes!

"Ahem! She's a fiesty one isn't she?" The commentator said, clearly scared judging by the way his voice was breaking. "On the other side, he's literally a monster on the battle ground. He's from one of the regions of the Dark continent.... He the ruthless, the mighty.... Hephaestus!!!!!!

A tall, dark, burly and muscular man came out of the gate, his steps heard by everyone in the colosseum. He finally got to the centre, where Jasmine was waiting...

"Pitiful, this match will end soon..." Hephaestus scoffed.

"For you that is..." Jasmine retorted.

"We'll see about that!"

"Looks like they hate each other plenty! Who's going to win this match?" The commentator shouted.

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"It's obviously the buff guy that going to win."

"I agree, what's the girl going to do? Sing him a lullaby?"

Anonymous voices belonging to the nobles were heard. Only a few commoners were allowed to see the tournament inside, mostly because they had relations married into noble families.

"Just you watch! Jasmine's going to kick that guy's butt!" Castro quickly responded.

"I'd like to see her try! I trained that man myself!"

Eyes and mouths opened as heads turned to see the man that has said those words.

"Ummm... Who are you mister?" Castro said with a very blunt and confused face.

The man almost spat blood!.... Everyone almost spat blood!

"I'm Zora.... Owner of Zora's institute of magic?!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, she'll definitely beat him...."

"There's something strange about you child..." Zora squinted his eyes.

"Eh? Me?" Castro said, looking more confused"

"Hmmmm..." The middle aged man called Zora stroked his beard. "How about I fight you for your entry?"

Castro, and possibly everyone immediately wore a shocked face...

"I can't possibly fight you mister, what if you get hurt?"

"Don't underestimate me child!" Zora looked serious.

"Okay mister, I'll think about it." Castro said scratching his head

"Let me know when you've decided favourably." Zora smirked.

Zora went to his seat and waved to the commentator, signalling him to start the battle. The commentator, upon seeing the signal, nodded and turned back to the audience.

"Are we ready!"

The crowd screamed in agreement

"FIGHT!!!!!"

A grimoire glowing orange floated in the air next to Hephaestus. The pages started flipping and a coating of rock covered his body. An eerie smile was on Hephaestus' face, he looked like he could saw Jasmine into two and drink her blood.

He flew straight to her, not putting into consideration the time to make a plan. He delivered a devastating blow, which raised dust where Jasmine was standing. The commentator looked well and opened his mouth wide.

"Unbelievable! Jasmine has survived and even blocked that ground shaking punch, this girl's way stronger than she looks*

Jasmine, who's hands were filled with yellow essence, held the stone gloves so firmly that it started cracking, until it totally broke. Now holding his bare hands, she raised him up, attempting an ippon seoi mage throw. She raised him up slowly, so he can feel that it's not a dream. Hephaestus' face went from an eerie smile to that of shock and disbelief. She finally started letting him down slowly, his landing speed increasing with every second.

Jasmine opened her mouth, steam flowing out and with a smile on her face, she looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Know your place, bastard!" She dropped him violently to the ground, the whole colosseum shook and dust rose and blew about haphazardly. When the dust cleared, a huge hole with cracks was seen on the ground, with Hephaestus at the centre of it. Jasmine looked down on the now seemingly unconscious Hephaestus. She scoffed and nodded mockingly.

"Hmmph, couldn't even last long!"

Suddenly, an arm held her leg, it belonged to Hephaestus. He flung her away, therefore sending her crashing into one side of the colosseum.

"Clean hit!" The commentator shouted

After the dust cleared, Jasmine was still standing , though bleeding from her head. Her obvious expressionless face slowly turned into a smirk, which showed her defined canines. She stood up, stretched a bit, and laughed.

"You are more interesting than you look!" She said as her grimoire floated beside her. "Let's hope you last longer!" Her eyes glimmering with maniacal happiness.

"So she wasn't using spells all this time?! This is going to be one hell of a matchup" The commentator shouted

Sparks flew from her body as great concentrations of mana circulated around her. Still giggling and showing off her teeth, she pointed a hand towards Hephaestus.

"Come at me, I'll let you have the first hit!"

Hephaestus, enraged by her blatant mockery, stood up and got serious.

"That will be the last mistake you'll make.... Earth magic: Mother nature's guards". Monsters made of rocks began forming behind Hephaestus holding clubs. They charged at Jolie, ready to attack. But in a blink of an eye, the rock monsters had already lost limbs. Jolie was already on the other side of the colosseum blowing smoke away from her hand

Hephaestus laughed, "They were just decoys, now you will see my wrath!". He streched his to arms apart, like he was donning armour. Rocks emerged and covered his whole body, hardening and making a defined armour by the second. He finally looked at Jolie, who just stood there watching him.

"You scared now! Little girl"

"I'm surprised! You have more to dish out!" Jolie smiled and dashed forward to deliver a drop kick to his head, but it was unsuccessful due to the hardened magic armour. She dashed back to re-strategize. She narrowed her eyes immediately she thought of something.

"He is clearly at an advantage, my lightning attacks won't work fully because of the magic armour around him. But if I can hit him in one place throughout my attack period, the armour will be weakened.... Now, just to choose a place" She aimed for his chest and mimicked attempting to shoot an arrow, suddenly, lightning surged and created an arrow, with an arrow that is shaped like the symbolic representation of lightning.

"Lightning magic: Zeus' arrow!" She shot it and it travelled at near light speed, hitting the exact spot. Hephaestus cleared the smoke, revealing a black scorch on his armour. He rushes towards her to smashed her to the ground but she escapes just in time using her Hermes' boots spell that grants speed boost.

"No matter how much you attack, you'll never be able to break my armour. This is the ultimate magic armour!" Hephaestus boasted. He beat his chest and mocked Jolie in front of the crowd. The crowd laughed along with him and rooted him on. Jolie, enraged by this, speedily circled round the colosseum to gain momentum and to produce after images.

"Nice try, girl!" Hephaestus raised his hands and the ground began cracking, releasing numerous Earth guards to encircle him. But in the twinkle of an eye, they were all destroyed. Lightning bolts began hitting Hephaestus' armour, the spot's cracks getting deeper with every strike. The hole in the armour was deep enough to be destroy the armour and knock him out.

"I have you in my sights!" Jolie shouted still running round. She closed in on Hephaestus, hoping to land the finishing blow when Hephaestus held her with his hands and raised her up.

"Nothing you can do now, little girl!" Hephaestus laughed while looking at Jolie's seemingly helpless appearance.

Jolie smirked, enraging Hephaestus.

"You're done for and you still laugh?"

"Who said I was?" Jolie's smirk became broader and broader. Suddenly, sounds of thunder came rolling and in the twinkle of an eye, a large lightning bolt fell on two of them.

"Feel Zeus' wrath!" She shouted as the two of them faded from everyone's view until the smoke cleared. They saw a figure raising a hand in victory.

The commentator, still in bewilderment, closed his mouth. "I can't believe it! Jolie wins!"

The crowd went wild with excitement as her name was resounded across the walls of the colosseum.

She breathed heavily, and then looked at Castro and Xero... And said underneath her breath:

"I did it". Before slowly falling to the ground