Nate

Tammy and Enkai dashed around the ring. Enkai's transformation had given him a boost in speed, but it was still no match against Tammy's supersonic speed. 

She appeared behind him and sent a sound wave through his back, knocking him to the floor.

I bit my thumb. Tammy sure was strong. If managed to make it past Shuai, beating her in the finals would be a challenge, even with all of my elements at my disposal.

"Enkai!" Shuai yelled, leaning forward. "Don't give up!"

As if responding to his friend's encouragement, Enkai swung his fin-like elbow protrusions back as well as his tails.

Tammy winced as they struck her. She gritted her teeth and rushed at Enkai. She looked furious.

Enkai gasped as he was thrown out of the ring with a palm to the chest.

Tamara really was scary when pushed. It was like another side of her awakened during battle.

"And the winner of the first round of the first-year semi-finals is Tamara!" Ms. Key yelled. "What a finish! She managed to deprive Enkai of a much needed comeback."

Shuai got up and ran over to his friend.

"Enkai, are you okay?"

Enkai rubbed his head and snickered. "A little dizzy is all. Sorry I failed to make it to the finals with you."

He shook his head and smiled. "It's okay. You fought valiantly."

I smiled. For a stuck up guy, he sure seemed to care a lot about his friend.

"That Tamara sure is something," Koichi said, watching as Tammy smiled and followed the two first year boys.

"She really is. Although, she's also a bit strange," Lei said, snickering.

"How so?" Burai asked, blinking.

Enkai snickered as Shuai helped him back. "I wonder if all strong people are oddballs."

Lei crossed his arms. "Maybe?"

Tammy blinked and pointed at herself.

"It's okay to be weird," Yuzu said, snickering. She glanced at Ning. "Think there's an oddball in at least each class."

Koichi nodded. "Or two."

Lei and Burai both grinned.

Ning frowned. "Are you saying I'm weird?"

Yuzuki scratched her face a little and chuckled nervously. "Well, you might be a tad bit. Although, I wasn't specifically thinking of you when I said that."

She shrugged.

I smiled. Those two must've been close too. 

"What's with the smile?" Ning asked, blinking.

"I was just thinking that it must be nice having a friend one is close to."

A thin smile appeared on her usually deadpan face. She turned away and nodded slightly.

"Do you not have friends like that?" Lei asked.

I chuckled and nodded. "I sure do! Even back home."

He smiled.

"Well, how about we start our match, huh?"

Mrs. Key nodded. "Come on forth the two prince of the first-year class."

Eh? That was it? Then again, maybe she was trying to hide my surname. Others could pick up on her omitting it.

I watched as several girls held up 'Go Nat' signs while another group on the opposite side of the stadium held up 'Go Shua' signs.

Shuai smiled at me as we stepped into the battlefield. "Seems this is a battle of the pretty boys, huh?"

I laughed. "Seems like it, but looks won't determine this match."

He chuckled. "If they did, it would still be a close match."

Wow. He was a lot more humble than I had expected. Would've thought he would say he would be the absolute winner under that metric.

The atmosphere in the arena was ecstatic as Shuai and I faced each other from opposite ends of the ring, a clear barrier separating us from our anticipatory audience. The collective breath of the crowd seemed to hold as we began our battle.

"Ready?" Shuai asked, a hint of determination underlying the steady tone of his voice.

I nodded, a firm resolve welling up within me. "As ready as I'll ever be."

As if on cue, Shuai launched the first offensive, calling upon the wind to send a gust barreling towards me. The crowd's cheers were momentarily drowned out by the whirling wind, their faces a mix of excitement and apprehension. I focused my energy, raising my hand to conjure a wall of fire. The flames roared to life, meeting the wind head-on. The gust turned into a warm breeze, dissipating harmlessly against the barrier. A wave of applause swept through the audience, their cheers echoing around the arena.

But Shuai was undeterred. With a swift motion, he conjured another gust of wind, this time lifting dust and debris off the floor of the ring. The tornado of wind and debris swirled ominously, threatening to engulf me. However, I was ready. Channeling my own wind magic, I sent a counter-gust towards the vortex. The two winds collided, creating a turbulent tornado that whirled around the ring, pushed back and forth by us. It almost felt as if I were back in the Ping-Pong club. 

The crowd watched in awe, their cheers growing louder with each passing moment.

Shuai, however, wasn't finished. In a surprising move, he turned to plant magic, causing the flowers to grow rapidly from underneath him. Their vines twisted and intertwined, forming a giant wall of greenery that seemed almost alive.

I knew I had to act quickly. If he hit me, all of the wind would hit me in one burst. Focusing my ice prana into my left hand, I manipulated the temperature around me, causing it to drop dramatically. The vines froze instantly froze as soon as they got near me, becoming brittle under the intense cold and shattering in countless shards as the wind pushed them back.

All of the gathered wind exploded as Shuai and I overdid it with the prana concentration. Each of us dug our heels into the ground, using our other elements to prevent us from getting pushed into the barrier.

Shuai smirked as the dust cleared. "Impressive. No wonder my cousin seems to have taken an interest in you," he said, chuckling.

My cheeks reddened. Was he serious or joking? It sounded like he was kidding. No way Ling would like me. She seemed annoyed by me.

"What's with that face? You don't believe me? Look behind you. Don't worry, I won't attack you will you do."

I shrugged off his comment, scanning the crowd behind me. Sure enough, there stood Ling, leaning forward on the railing with a look of intense focus on her face. She met my gaze and gave me a nod, her lips curling into a small smile.

"See?" Shuai said, his voice laced with amusement. "She's not one to usually show interest in others, but here she is."

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks once more, but I quickly turned my attention back to Shuai, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

"Lucky me," I muttered, refocusing my energy. "But let's get back to the match."

Shuai chuckled, nodding in agreement.

I rushed at him but he jumped out of the way. He really was light on his feet, as expected of a dancer.

His smirk grew wider as he launched a pair of kicks, each one coming from a different side. While I managed to block them, it didn't take long for me to realize his real plan. With his legs wrapped around my torso and his hands on the floor, he flipped me over, throwing me several feet away. The crowd gasped in surprise as I landed with a thud, the wind knocked out of me.

Shuai didn't waste any time as he rushed at me with a literal fistful of wind.

I quickly rolled to the side to avoid his attack, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan to counter his relentless assault. As Shuai continued to press his advantage, I focused on my training, drawing upon my own skills and abilities to turn the tide of the battle.

With a burst of speed, I leapt back to my feet, meeting Shuai's attacks head-on with a series of quick strikes and evasive maneuvers. The ring became a whirlwind of motion as we traded blows, each of us pushing ourselves to the limit in our quest for victory.

Gritting my teeth, I tried my best to keep myself from wavering against such relentless speed. Defeating the one who took down all of my class, minus Tammy and me, would be hard. Tammy. If I was struggling this much against Shuai's speed, then I would surely struggle against her should I make it to the finals. I could turn this battle around if I resorted to my angelic powers, but I didn't want anyone to know I was an angel. At least not yet.

"Ready to give up?" Shuai asked, smirking as he kicked on the side, sending my flying several feet back.

I wiped the sweat dripping down my chin and smirked. "As if. We're barely getting started."

He snickered. "That's the spirit!"

As Shuai prepared to launch another attack, I focused my energy and called upon my magic. A surge of power flowed through me, enveloping me in a radiant aura as I channeled my elemental abilities.

With a swift motion of my hand, I conjured a whirlwind of flames that engulfed Shuai, forcing him to dodge and weave to avoid the searing heat. His smirk faltered as he realized the tables had turned, and I pressed my advantage, launching a barrage of fiery projectiles at him.

Shuai countered with a gust of wind, deflecting my attacks and creating an opening for him to strike. I braced myself as he lunged forward, his movements fluid and precise. But I was ready for him this time, using my magic to create a barrier of earth that absorbed the impact of his blows.

The arena crackled with prana as our battle intensified, the clash of our powers creating a dazzling display of light and sound. I could feel the eyes of the crowd upon us, their cheers and gasps driving me forward as I fought with all my strength and skill.

As Shuai and I traded blows, each more powerful than the last, I knew that this battle would be decided by more than just physical strength. It would come down to strategy, cunning, and the will to emerge victorious against a formidable opponent.

"Ignis Angelus!" I chanted, clapping my hands together. A fiery angel appeared behind me and rushed at Shuai with flame sword at the ready.

Shuai jumped out of the way and thrust his arm forward, unleashing a gale of wind at me.

I quickly raised a shield of earth to deflect the powerful gust of wind, the force of it pushing me back several feet. As I regained my footing, I knew I had to act fast to counter Shuai's relentless assault.

With a focused mind and a steady hand, I summoned a torrent of snow from the air, forming a swirling barrier around me that absorbed the wind.

Without hesitation, I commanded the angel to unleash a barrage of flaming arrows at Shuai, each one aimed with precision and intent. Shuai dodged and weaved through the fiery projectiles, his movements graceful and agile as he sought to evade the onslaught.

As my angel continued his relentless assault, I drew upon my own abilities, channeling my magic to enhance my physical strength and agility. With a burst of speed, I closed the distance between Shuai and myself, launching a series of rapid strikes that tested his defenses and reflexes.

Shuai fought back with equal determination, his movements fluid and precise as he countered my attacks with a combination of speed and skill.

This was it. Whatever we did now would determine the result of this match. And I planned to do everything in my power to make sure the winner would be me!

Solar Note: This chapter was written in parts with the help of A.I. 

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the months long delay in getting this chapter out. I'd been focused on writing the story of Nat's maternal grandparents over on Webnovel. Hope you enjoyed the battle between Shuai and Nat! Hopefully, I can have the next chapter out in five days or so