Arcane Bonds

The air in the Arcadium Arena was thick with anticipation. The monumental ancestral arena had become the center of attention, and all eyes were locked on the towering figure of the announcer as he stood in the middle of the arena. His voice boomed across the stadium, reverberating against the massive walls and ancient runes.

“Welcome, one and all, to the Arcadium Academy's ancestral arena! Today, we witness a deathmatch between the heirs of two great families—the Emberhearts and the Draymores. The rules are simple: no outside interference, no surrender . The last mage standing will be declared the victor. Prepare yourselves.”

The crowd roared in response, their cheers echoing through the arena, vibrating through the very stone beneath their feet. The atmosphere was electric, the tension palpable.

“Now, introducing Valen Draymore!” “A future master of flame magic who has undergone rigorous training to stand before us today!” Valen stepped forward, his face calm but his eyes burning with a focused intensity.

“And Eden Emberheart, the Ice Princess!” A prodigy of dual-attribute magic, the rising star of the Emberheart lineage!” Eden emerged from the opposite side of the arena, her cold aura a stark contrast to Valen’s fiery presence.

Valen glanced at Eden and, for a moment, a flicker of humility crossed his features. “Eden,” he began, his voice steady but respectful, “I want to thank you. Because of this challenge, I’ve seen myself for what I was—a lame, arrogant child. But now, I’ve become stronger, disciplined like never before.”

Eden merely nodded, her icy gaze piercing through him. “No more talking,” she said softly, and with that, her wand materialized in her hand. She pointed it directly at him, and at its tip, a glowing ice-blue magic circle formed, shimmering with power.

Valen’s own wand appeared in his hand, and he gave her a single nod. A yellowish magic circle, tinged with red spots, blazed into existence at the tip of his wand. Both mages stared each other down, and in an instant, the arena exploded into action.

The battle begins in an instant. Eden moved first, casting a barrage of ice spires, each one sharp and deadly, hurtling toward Valen. In response, Valen launched a series of fireballs that clashed mid-air with the ice spires. The collision sent steam and vapor swirling across the arena floor, shrouding the battlefield in a misty haze.

Suddenly, Eden vanishes from sight, only to reappear in the air above Valen, her wand aimed at him. Valen, sensing her presence, reacts swiftly, casting a massive wall of fire that disintegrates the ice spires before they can strike.

Behind his firewall, Valen begins chanting, his voice growing in intensity. He points his wand toward Eden, and a magic circle forms in the sky above her. An explosive fireball hurtles down, crashing into her with a deafening blast. The explosion shook the arena, and smoke enveloped the area where Eden had been.

But when the smoke cleared, she was—untouched, her ice-blue aura still glowing. Before Valen could react, she retaliated with an explosive fireball of her own. Valen dodged to the side, but as the fireball passed, his eyes caught something strange within it.

“Crap!” he yelled, raising his defenses just in time. The fireball exploded, but instead of just fire, thousands of ice spires burst forth from the explosion, launching toward Valen in every direction.

The crowd gasped in awe. The academy's alcove buzzed with excitement. In the teacher’s tower, the Vice-Principal exclaimed, “Remarkable! Eden is pioneering a combination of her dual attributes! Even with basic spells, the way she balances such opposing forces is extraordinary!”

The Director, calm but impressed, nodded. “If she's groomed well, she could create an entirely new school of magic. She’s a true genius.”

In the Emberheart alcove, Mira, Eve, and Joy watched intently. Joy was captivated by the match, her small hands gripping the stone edge of their alcove tightly.

Back in the arena, Valen decides to up the stakes. His expression hardened, and he began chanting an advanced spell. Multiple fire magic circles appeared before him, each one crackling with immense power. He pointed his wand at his own throat, amplifying his voice. “Flame Magic: Draconic Breath!”

Valen opens his mouth, and a massive stream of fire erupts like a dragon’s breath, roaring across the arena towards Eden. She reappeared on the stage, but Valen was relentless. The flare hit her ice defenses head-on, shattering the ice wall almost instantly.

Eden’s eyes narrowed. Her wand shimmered, changing color—one half became black-red, the other pristine white. She pointed it forward, and a unique magic circle appeared in front of her, glowing with red and blue energy. In an instant, a bright blue ice fire stream erupted from the circle, clashing with Valen’s draconic breath. The two forces collided in the center of the arena, neutralizing one another in a brilliant display of magical power.

The arena fell silent. The tension was palpable as the ice dust and flames dissipated, leaving the audience holding their breath.

Eden smirked slightly. “So strong... so this is the Heterodox Lost Magic.”

Simultaneously, Mira and Eve whispered the same words, awe-struck by Valen’s technique.

Joy looked up at her sister with wide eyes. “What’s that? What’s Heterodox Lost Magic?”

Eve glanced down at Joy, her expression thoughtful. “It’s a type of magic from a time when magic wasn’t as refined as it is today. Back then, people experimented with different ways to channel mana. The Arcane Ascendant designed the method we use now—cultivating mana into the brain to amplify magical power.”

Joy tilted her head, listening closely.

“But the Heterodox method used to channel mana through special mana channels in the body. They created a place within themselves to gather mana, then released it in powerful spells. It’s quite dangerous if your body or mana channels aren’t strong enough, the spell can backfire, that’s why the method was mostly abandoned. But Valen… He accomplished it without injuring himself.”

As Eve finishes explaining, both sisters return their attention to the battlefield, where Eden and Valen prepare for their next move. The tension in the air thickens as the crowd holds its breath.

The deathmatch was far from over.