I took a deep breath as I stared at my phone. Yen had texted me that Mr. Suzuran had let Hal take charge of fixing Lei's prana flow. Didn't he know we were in a rush? I could delay, but for how long?

"We will now begin with the semi-final matches! We have something a bit special, given there are six rather than four semi-finalists," Marina said. A giant spinning wheel with our names appeared overhead on the screen. "The first participant!" The wheel spun and landed on my name. "And the second!" It spun again.

If it were to land on Lei, what would I do? Could I ask them to push it aside?

It curled to a halt on my brother's name.

"No!"

"Kun versus Lei, a match between brothers! Come on forth!"

"Wait," I yelled, flying over to her. "My brother's not here yet. He's getting some treatment as his prana's been acting strangely as of late. Can we push our match last?"

Marina put a hand on her chin. "We did that during the first round, so I think we can." She smiled. "In that case, let's move to the second match. It'll help us determine who the last match-up is too. Spin, wheel!"

The wheel spun and landed on Adela's name. It spun again and landed on Aria. Seems it's the High Priestess of Xian versus the Scion of the Arma clan!"

I turned to look at Aria. She faded in a beam of light and reappeared beside me.

"It seems my opponent isn't here yet, either," Aria said.

"Hmm, that's worrying," Marina said.

"Nor is mine," Ayawamat said, walking over to us. He smiled. "So maybe we should shuffle the cards a little."

Marina's eyes gleamed. "That's a good idea!"

"No need. We're here," Adela said as she ran toward us with Nyima not too far behind.

Ayawamat sighed. "I was looking forward to fighting my cousin's associates."

I swung my hands behind my head and grinned. "Well, I certainly wouldn't have minded fighting you. Would've given me another chance to beat you up for what you did to my dear brother."

Adela sighed. "Too bad I didn't get to fight him either."

Ayawamat shook his head. "A pair of vengeful spirits you are. I thought that the Xian were taught not to hold grudges."

Adela grumbled. 

He got us there.

"Then, without further ado, let's begin the match between you and Aria," Marina said, grinning.

Adela nodded.

https://youtu.be/SxXRZYkLvOE

Once the others were gone, Aria and I took our respective sides of the field. Unlike in my match against Ulissis, there were no field effects in place. Not that I needed them.

I slammed my hands against the floor. "Arbol Avis!" The ground shook, and several tiles shattered as roots flew up from the ground.

Aria smirked as she clapped her hands. "Metallum Obice!" A metallic dome formed around her, deflecting the stream of roots back at me. Only a few small dents were made on the thing.

Tsk. Drawing this battle out might've been tougher than I'd imagined. Especially as she still yet to use her 'indurare' spell. If I didn't go all out, I would lose.

I held my hands out, stopping the bird-shaped system of roots. If only I had managed to break through that dome a little. I could've activated my spell's secondary effect.

Wait, no, perhaps keeping her on the defensive was the best way to draw this battle out until Lei returned. Mr. Suzuran said it would take around half an hour to an hour. Meaning I had to draw this out for at least fifteen to thirty minutes. On the other hand, Ayawamat and Nyima's fighting styles usually resulted in quick matches. One could only pray that match would be a tug-o-war like Iah and Nyima's match last year. Or better yet, Ayawamat versus Xue.

I untangled my roots and drove them straight to the floor.

"Let's see if you can hold out against this!" I yelled, thrusting my right arm forward. My roots flew straight at her dome once again. The dents from earlier were gone. Good. It might've made for a boring match, but my goal wasn't a quick victory.

I jumped up as my roots were once again reflected back at me.

Hmm, could I use this little boring back-and-forth of ours to test my power? Aria might be interested in polishing her defenses too. The danger lies in overestimating the durability of her dome and underestimating myself. But out of our class, my prana control is among the best.

I sighed. Hubris would be my downfall if I'm not careful. Last year, I thought I had my match with Nyima in the bag, yet she managed to turn the match around. Likewise, with my rematch against Iah as kids.

"Metallum Verutum!" Aria yelled.

I gasped as throwing lance-like spikes flew out of her dome like the needles of a porcupine.

Let's see who is the better metal mage here!

I snapped my fingers, causing the spears to slow down and start falling one after the other.

Looks like I won this little test of skill.

The spears spun around in the ground like tops.

Or perhaps not.

Aria smiled and raised a hand up. "Argentu!" Beams of silver light flew up from the spears.

I dodged the spears and landed on the floor. Turning around, I covered my arm in leaves and drew the light spell toward me. My leaves withered away. What? Wait, silver!

"You're quick on the uptake but not quick enough!" Aria said as more spears flew at me. I leaped to the sky once more and formed a metal barrier of my own.

I flew back down, this time with my wooden obsidian spiked sword on hand. The spears split as easily as thin slices of cheese.

"Not bad. I wish I could fight you directly, but I know you covered my surroundings in paralyzing spores."

So, she figured it out. Was her prana sensing that polished? Most people could pick up their own elements but had a harder time picking up other elements, especially with some in between them. In this case, the metal dome should've inhibited her detection skills. Unless she had learned to activate its secondary effect, magnetic field. But even then, it would have to be very sensitive. All things were magnetic, but some things were more susceptible to magnetism than others. Plants were in the less susceptible category, while metals like iron were the more easily affected. Animals like us were easier to detect using magnetism thanks to our hearts and brains.

"Radius Magnus!" Aria yelled.

A giant beam of light flew up from the center top of her dome, raining down several smaller beams all at once. Multiple craters rapidly formed, glowing red from the sheer heat. That was too much for my plant spells to absorb.

I continued to dodge the beams. Even behind that dome, Aria was the one on the offensive. I couldn't let her keep me on the defensive. That didn't turn out well for Vermeil, and it certainly wouldn't for me. The only plus was that I took away one of her greatest strengths, her speed. But she could've tried outrunning my spores later. I had to be on the lookout for that.

"Gigantus Gladius!" Aria screamed at the top of her lungs. The metal at the top of her dome bent, forming a twelve-foot-long sword.

Wasn't that too much?

"Uh, like you told Zelde, 'are you trying to kill me with that?'," I said, laughing awkwardly.

She chuckled. "I'm sure you can handle it."

I jumped to the side as her giant sword dropped down, forming a large fissure in the ground that extended unto the barrier.

My eyes widened as the sword turned toward me like a giant clock hand. Grasping it with my hands, I kicked it with a foot covered in metal prana, sending it spinning counterclockwise. It struck Aria's dome, bending it a little.

"See? I knew you would handle that." She laughed as a line formed in the dome.

I stepped back and gulped. That little stunt of mine had blown away the spores I had set up.

"Too late!" Aria said, striking me in the back with sword of light.

I laughed as I appeared over the top of her dome. "You're fast, but I'm not slouch." I looked over my back and blocked her sword. "Really? Aiming from behind is so obvious."

"In that case..."

I gasped as she kicked my stomach, sending me falling under the dome. Thick roots flew out from back and punctured the ground, keeping me from hitting it by serving as a tripod. A few seconds later, I hit the ground. My roots were slashed. Aria kicked me from behind, flinging me into the dome.

I tore through the metal with my sword. Pouring prana into its obsidian shards made it sharper than before. 

Catching myself, I spun around on the heels of my boots. That is enough! I will not permit myself to continue being utilized as a punching bag!

"You will fall!" I yelled as flames started to seep out of my arms.

"About time you use your fire magic," Aria said, cracking her fingers.

I blocked her blade and knee-kicked her in the stomach. My kneecap ached. She must've covered her abdomen in metal beneath her black frilly shirt. I closed my eyes as heat flowed into my leg.

Aria gasped and jumped back from the sound of her boots hitting the ground.

I opened my eyes and flew forward.

Aria dodged my swings. "Seems you still haven't completely gotten over your fear of fire. It's too bad as your flames are among the more beautiful I've seen."

"Thanks for the compliment!" I said, nicking her cheek with the tip of my sword.

Aria smiled and she wiped away the blood. She vanished and reappeared over the still intact dome. "Metallum Aquila plus Indurare plus Accerelare!"

I gasped. "Murus Flammae!" A fall of flames erupted in front of me as a giant metallic bird raced at me. That wouldn't be enough to melt it!

Images of a guy in golden armor popped into my head.

I screamed as the bird crashed into me, taking me into the air with it. W-who was that person I saw? Was it Iah?

I slammed my fist against the half-melted metal bird, sending both of us falling back to the ground.

My legs staggered forward.

Aria kicked me once again.

I dug my heels in, stopping my momentum and sent a large burst of flames at her.

Beams of light tore through the fire and struck me in the chest.

Ugh. No.

I curled up and fell to my knees.

"Seems this match is nearing its end!" Marina yelled.

No. It couldn't be over. I hadn't covered the full twenty minutes I had set out to yet.

I pushed myself up.

"Ohh, looks like Adela is getting back up!" Marina yelled.

Aria sighed and circled me like how she had Zelde. Each of the Arias around me raised their silver swords at me. "Lay down. It's over now, High Priestess."

I smirked as the flames around my arms continued to sway. Each second I could drag this match on was worth getting up. But, admittingly, Lei wasn't the only reason I wanted to stand back up. Shamefully, what pushed me was a desire to maintain my sense of pride.

I chuckled.

"Huh?" Aria said as each afterimage blinked. "What's so funny."

I kept my head down. "Was just thinking of how I'm not much better than my teammates, Princess Sarah, and Carter." I leaped into the sky in a flash of crimson, raining fireballs on the Arias. "I do not wish to lose!"

**Solar Note: Finished just before Christmas Day ended over here in my time zone! Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^^. Merry Christmas, everyone! Ha. Just realized how fitting my Christmas update being a (partially) Adela chapter is.**