Tanya was the first to make a move. She used her [Wind Dash] spell once more to close the gap. However, Edmund was prepared this time. A dust cloud traveled outward in a semi-circle from his position. Wherever the wave passed, the ground rose up into sharp stakes. Tanya almost impaled herself. In a last-ditch effort to avoid the spears, she jumped upward. The Wind Mage managed to successfully transform her momentum into a graceful glide. She passed over Edmund's head.
Zeke recognized that the girl was in a terrible situation. The only Wind Spell in her arsenal that had the chance to even harm Edmund was [Pressure Lance]. For the spell to be effective she would have to get close to her opponent. Close combat was not an area that Wind Mages were usually very comfortable in. Still, she had no choice if she wanted to have any chance at victory.
After circling the arena, Tanya passed over Edmund a final time. She immediately tilted her head back and started to loop back around to dive straight downward. She had decided to try for a surprise attack it seemed.
However, she had to stop her maneuver shortly after as she noticed that two pillars had formed a kind of roof over the Earth Mage. Edmund must have predicted her next move and blocked her approach. The girl continued to circle, waiting for another chance.
Zeke looked over at Viola. Her fist was still clenched and she appeared nervous. It seemed that Viola was a lot closer to Tanya than he had previously believed. Zeke walked over and wrapped one of his hands around her fist.
Viola was surprised by the sudden contact. She quickly looked to the side to find out who it was. She had been so focused on the fight that she hadn't even noticed his approach. Zeke smiled as their eyes met. The girl managed to return his expression with a half-hearted smile of her own.
"What's got you so worried?" Zeke asked.
"I don't think Tanya is gonna win," Viola stated with a sad expression.
Zeke merely nodded. He was of the same opinion.
"I can't tell you everything," Viola began, "but there is a lot riding on this tournament for her. I had hoped…"
"She already did quite well for herself," Zeke praised.
"I don't think it will be enough. She would probably have to take one of the top 3 spots," Viola explained.
"That is very unlikely, even if she were to win this fight," Zeke said in a quiet tone. It was Viola's turn to nod. The girl had also recognized that this was most likely the end of the line for her friend.
It only took a couple of minutes for the first mistake to occur. Tanya had managed to land another two [Pressure Lances] on her opponent. Edmund's [Stone Form] actually sported a small crack upon being hit for the second time. Now, however, he had managed to impale her right leg with a well-timed counter.
Tanya managed to free herself in time before getting buried, but the wound bled profusely. Zeke would have been able to stop the flow using Blood Magic; Tanya had no such capabilities, however. She already looked a little pale from the blood loss by the time she managed to bandage the wound with a piece of fabric from her robe.
"It's time to give up, Tanya," Edmund called. "You've put on a valiant performance, but this is as far as you'll go."
His analysis was made without malice. He was simply stating facts. The words still managed to enrage the Wind Mage.
"I decide when I'm done, not you!" she hissed.
"Have it your way," Edmund said in a dispassionate voice.
Zeke knew what was about to happen. If Tanya still wanted to win, she would have to risk it all in her next attack. He rated her chances of victory in the single digits. Edmund knew that she would come at him with all she had, reducing her chances even further. Even if she managed to execute her plan perfectly, anything less than a headshot from point-blank range would hardly phase Edmund.
Viola had tightened her grip on his hand. Her grip strength was probably enough to break an average man's hand. For Zeke, it was merely a bit painful.
"At least nobody can say that she didn't try," Zeke whispered.
Viola nodded. Her eyes remained glued to the arena. Tanya had just started her final attack. She zigzagged around Edmund's position, using one [Wind Dash] after the other. Clearly, she was holding nothing back. The Earth Mage had turned his surroundings into a fortress by now. Earth spikes littered the ground all around his position and he had limited the angle of approach to a single direction.
Tanja gritted her teeth and took the only remaining path toward her opponent. She dodged another giant pillar that came crashing down on her position. Soon, she was only one last dash away from her target. Suddenly, the ground opened up beneath her feet.
Tanya managed to catch herself before falling too far into the crevice. She was just about to take to the air when the mouth of the hole extended upward. Without being on solid ground, she could not use her [Wind Dash] instantly.
The dome closed around her before she could escape. Edmund continued to pile layers of dirt on top of her. Zeke knew that the fight was over. There was no way a Wind mage could manage to escape after being trapped underground. After the first [Pressure Lance] that almost managed to pierce a hole to freedom, her struggles grew less and less pronounced.
After a couple of seconds, there was no visible movement anymore. The place where Tanya had been trapped was now a small hill made of dirt and stone. Viola let out a sigh. She still had held out hope for a miracle despite everything. It took a couple more minutes for Jorgel to call the fight.
It seemed that Tanya had not given up despite her impossible situation until the very end. After the announcement, Edmund freed the girl from her earthen prison. A limp body emerged from the ground. She seemed to have passed out from a lack of oxygen.
"Congratulations to our last contestant for the semi-final. The next round will begin in an hour's time. In the first fight, we will see Leo battle Felix Feuerkranz. In the second fight, Ezekiel von Hohenheim is going to stand against Edmund Steiner. Ladies and gentlemen, you are in for a treat. We have an extraordinary lineup this year. For the first time in forever, I can honestly say that I have no idea who will come out on top!"
After the announcement was over, the four of them returned to the comfort of the lounge. When they were all seated, Zeke shot Leo a worried glance.
"Are you gonna be alright against Felix?" Zeke asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Leo asked, confused.
"Don't act like you don't know," Zeke said with an annoyed expression. "You are not going to be able to use any Fire Magic against him."
"So?" Leo remarked.
"What do you mean, 'So'?" Zeke exclaimed. "This will be a severe handicap in an already difficult fight."
Instead of a worried expression, Leo seemed to only get more excited. The blonde boy licked his lips as if preparing for a delicious meal.
"You're absolutely right," Leo said. "I can't wait!"
Zeke sighed. What was he doing worrying about Leo? His friend would challenge the emperor himself to a fistfight if given the chance. Zeke's time would be better spent thinking about his own battle. Before he could contemplate his strategy, however, there was a voice calling out from outside the area.
"Are you in there, Zeke?" a deep voice asked.
"Edmund?" Zeke called back.
"Yes," the voice replied. "Can I come in?"
Zeke looked over at Sophia. It was her lounge after all. She made sure Viola didn't have a problem with it before nodding at Zeke.
"Sure, come in," Zeke called out.
"Felix is with me, can he also come?" Edmund asked instead of entering.
"Just come in," Sophia called out instead of wasting any more time.
Two figures emerged from the curtains that shielded the private area from the outside. Edmund and Felix soon stood before the group.
"Lady Sophia, Viola," Edmund greeted each with a nod.
"What brings you two here?" Sophia asked. She had adopted the formal tone she usually took with people she didn't know well.
"Nothing special," Edmund said. "I met Felix by accident on my way over. I just wanted to talk a bit before our fight in the arena."
"And you?" Sophia asked Felix with a raised brow.
"Well, I wanted to speak with Ezekiel, if I'm being honest," Felix confessed. Zeke was intrigued. He didn't have a close relationship with Felix, much less any of the other Feuerkranz members.
"Ohh? What did you want to talk about?" Zeke asked.
"I know that you are not on the best of terms with my family at the moment," Felix began, causing Zeke to let out a snort of amusement. This had to be the understatement of the century. Alexander had tried to have him kidnapped and executed not too long ago.
"… but I wanted to assure you that not all Feuerkranzes are your enemy," Felix continued. "I wanted to let you know that there is a significant amount of family members that are disgusted with Alexander's behavior. My branch of the family, for example, has been very vocal in their criticism."
Before Zeke could even think about a response, Sophia replied in his stead.
"And I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that your branch wants you to take the position of the heir from Alexander, does it?" Sophia asked with a teasing smile.
Felix's face turned red at being exposed. Still, he recovered after only a moment. "I am sure politics was a part of this decision as well. But it doesn't change the fact that I also strongly disagree with Alexander's actions on a personal level," Felix exclaimed righteously.
"He wants to form a connection with you in case you manage to defeat Alexander," Sophia sent telepathically. "It might be a good idea to be on friendly terms with some of the Feuerkranzes. He might be able to warn you if there is another attempt on you."
Zeke nodded imperceptibly at Sophia before extending his hand toward Felix.
"Good to know that reason still has a place in the Feuerkranz family," Zeke said while shaking hands with the Fire Mage. Felix seemed delighted by the success of his mission.
"Yes, you can count on us to keep Alexander and his father in check," Felix promised. "We will not tolerate any more hostile actions until the duel."
Zeke nodded. He didn't know how much stock he could put in that promise. Still, it was better than nothing, he supposed.
"Soooo, ready to get your ass kicked?" Zeke asked Edmund with a smirk.
"I am prepared for our fight, yes," Edmund responded without missing a beat. "I'm curious to see if you still have something hidden up your sleeves."
"Same," Zeke responded. "I didn't expect you to be able to use [Stone Form]. I can hardly believe you managed to learn the spell in a mere month."
"I've been working on it for longer than that," Edmund admitted while shaking his head. "But it's not a difficult spell. The challenging part is meeting the requirements in core purity."
"Hmm, is there an equivalent spell for the other elements?" Zeke asked. "A [Fire Form], [Water Form], and [Wind Form]?"
"I have never heard of something like that," Sophia admitted.
"I can't speak to the rest, but my family doesn't have a [Wind Form]," Viola said. Felix also shook his head.
"Curious," Zeke stated. Was there a reason the spell only worked with Earth Magic? Out of all the four elements, Earth was the only one with a stable shape. Was the reason linked to this property?
"I can't say much," Edmund began, gathering the attention of everyone, "but the way the spell works might be possible with other kinds of Magic."
Zeke was intrigued. Did this mean he could eventually create his own [Blood Form]? The idea of turning to liquid greatly appealed to him. He could let attacks pass right through him.
"Can you show me?" Zeke asked innocently.
"No way," Edmund replied right away. "Do you think I will let you analyze my trump card right before our fight? If you want to see the spell up close, you will have to earn that right in combat."
"I'll take my time studying the spell as I take you apart layer by layer," Zeke taunted.
"Good luck with that," Edmund responded without a flicker of emotion. "I guess we will find out how much your [Blood Whip] can do against my [Stone Form]."
"I would bet my last shirt that Zeke will cut through you like a hot knife through butter, dirt-boy," Viola commented from the side. Zeke could tell that she was still a bit miffed about Tanya's loss. She was not the type to pick a fight like this normally.
"Maybe," the boy responded with a nod, "but he will have to get to me first. Tanya might have made it look easy, but that was only because of her speed and skill. Approaching an Earth Mage on foot is not a course of action that should be undertaken lightly."
Viola nodded. She seemed to have warmed up to Edmund somewhat after his praise of Tanya's prowess. "I would still put my money on Zeke," she proclaimed. "His high damage potential makes him an ideal counter to the defensive but slow style of Earth Mages."
"We will see," Edmund said with a slight smile. "But first, we will get to see how Leo fares against Felix. I would not want to be in his shoes. The idea of another mage simply taking away my magic is terrifying. I am glad I wasn't born a Fire Mage."
"Is that so?" Felix asked. "I'm quite happy with my element. Have you thought of a way to counter me, Leo?"
"Nope," Leo responded with a shake of his head. "I only know basic Fire Magic. There is no way I could have a counter. Still, even if I had to fight with my bare hands alone, I would still be confident in my chances."
This claim would have been ridiculous coming from anyone else. But Leo had long since proven that he actually managed to keep up with the best of them while fighting with a self-imposed handicap. There was no telling if he would actually be able to manage such a feat.
Felix returned Leo's smirk with a challenging grin of his own. The Fire Mage seemed no less confident. Zeke hoped that his friend would pull through, despite the disadvantaged situation. He wished for nothing more than for them to meet in the final round.
Before they could engage in any more banter, they were interrupted by the first chime of the bell. This was the signal that the fighters should get ready for their fight. It was time for the first round of the Semi-Final.