Rising Against Fate

After the first match, there was a fifteen-minute break, like usual. During that time, the event management committee worked diligently to prepare the stage for the next match.

It was rare to see magic being used for practical purposes in public. Due to that, the spectators were enjoying this part of the tournament as well — at least the new spectators were.

As soon as the stage was prepared, the screens around the stage displayed Miza, who was wearing a white top and black skirt.

Her dress was designed in a way that showed her body curves well. She was the perfect balance of beauty and cuteness, who would appear appealing to anyone — except a few exceptions like Kat, of course.

It wasn't just her body, though. Her face was like a carefully designed and crafted statue. One that could make someone turn around and look at her if they ever cross paths.

A loud cheer echoed throughout the stadium as she continued the announcement.

"What an energetic crowd we have today! The day is just starting; we still have plenty of exciting matches coming up next!"

Her voice was smooth, somewhat childish, but there was a unique boldness to it. It was powerful enough to re-energize the crowds that could barely sit straight in boredom.

"Now, it's time for the second match of the day. A match between two talented magicians who have been able to win the crowd with their incredible talent. Please welcome Hiroshi Yoshino and Raiden Raitoningu!"

There was a moment of silence after the announcement, but as the participants appeared from the two opposite sides of the stage, a loud cheer was heard from the audience.

Raiden looked pissed off, which wasn't surprising considering everything that happened in the last match between Hiroshi and Asa. The electric sparks that were clearly visible around him was making it evident that he had no intention of holding back.

It was exactly the opposite in the case of Hiroshi, who had a small smile on his face. He was looking at the crowd and waving his hand like usual as he walked up to the stage.

Raiden looked too annoyed to even utter a word. His face was clearly saying that today only his fist was going to speak. While in comparison, Hiroshi was too busy responding to the ladies cheering from the crowd.

After a while, as the two took their position, the announcement continued.

"The participants look ready. Now let's begin the countdown!"

"Three!" "Two!" "One!" "Let the battle begin!"

As soon as the signal was given, Raiden dashed forward using his lightning magic and physical enhancement. Due to his rage, both of his abilities were intensified several-fold.

Hiroshi was no fool. He was expecting something like this from Raiden, but as it turned out, expecting something and facing something for real were two different things. Before he could even widen his eyes in surprise, Raiden had already closed in the distance between the two.

Hiroshi's options were limited as his defensive capabilities were low. He quickly activated 'Rose wind' and tried pushing Raiden backward. But Right when Raiden reached in front of him and came within reach of his Rose wind, he disappeared. Or at least it appeared as if he disappeared to Hiroshi.

What actually happened was: as soon as Hiroshi activated Rose wind, Raiden stopped and moved right. But since Hiroshi's concentration was focused on using the spell to repel Raiden, who was approaching from the front, this whole movement came as somewhat of a surprise. Raiden's speed was one of the factors that made this whole thing possible.

To put it simply, Hiroshi was like a swordsman too focused on the swing to strike down the opponent that he didn't consider any possible movements. Not that he had any time to do that anyway.

As soon as the effect of Rose wind ended, and even before Hiroshi could compose himself, Raiden charged towards him. A small smirk was visible on his face as he jumped at Hiroshi.

There were five seconds left before Hiroshi could activate Rose wind again, and Raiden would obviously reach up to him before he could activate his ace move — Dance of the steel petal.

Hiroshi used physical enhancement and tried jumping backward. This action of his was somewhat reflexive and done in self-defense. He had already activated physical enhancement right at the start, but he hadn't been able to use it yet due to Raiden's speed.

A grin appeared on Raiden's face as he caught Hiroshi's leg right as he leaped in the air. And before Hiroshi could do anything in resistance, he threw Hiroshi towards the other side of the stage.

Hiroshi crashed on the floor, but since he had already activated physical enhancement, its effect was somewhat reduced.

"Dance of the steel petal!"

Hiroshi knew that standing at this point was a foolish move. So instead, he took the rose out of his pocket and activated the spell.

He stood up as the silver rose petals appeared and surrounded him. He could use those petals both defensively and offensively, depending on the condition. So, in a way, he now had a defensive barrier surrounding him.

He was still feeling immense pain from the last attack, especially right below his neck and between his shoulders. But he was hiding that pain with a slight smile on his face. He couldn't afford to show himself weak in front of a crowd this big.

When ladies in the crowd saw that smile, the faces that had turned dark recently glowed with a wide smile; a loud cheer mixed with a few cries was heard from the audience.

Raiden just stood there and waited for Hiroshi to make the first move. Even though he was enraged, he knew that it was foolishness to charge in. However, he was willing to make the first move if Hiroshi decided to drag it for long.

Till now, Raiden had only used his raw strength. Hiroshi knew that it would be foolish to wait for him to use his spells, so instead of waiting, he pointed the rose he was holding towards Raiden.

With that, half of the petals that were surrounding Hiroshi flew towards Raiden at great speed. Now it was a battle of speed. If Raiden proved to be faster than the petals that Hiroshi could manipulate, the victory was undoubtedly his.