Chapter 28: Difficulty.
Aiden took a fighting stance. His expression was calm, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes — the look of someone who had long trained under merciless discipline and knew that a duel, no matter how friendly, was never to be taken lightly.
The faint wind that swept through the garden carried the scent of wet soil and burning mana residue from previous trainings, rustling through his dark hair. The air was still, heavy with tension, the kind that only comes before two forces collide.
In the blink of an eye, Aiden suddenly vanished.He had used Blitz.
The faint crackle of lightning echoed through the air as he reappeared to the left side of Elizabeth, his movements sharp and fluid, a seamless combination of speed and intent.
In that very moment, he conjured a lightning blast in his right palm — the spell's glow flickering across his determined face, outlining his youthful but resolute features. Then, without hesitation, he launched it toward Elizabeth.
The attack moved through the air like a roaring storm. The faint blue light of pure lightning cut through the garden's calm atmosphere, striking forward with deadly precision. But Elizabeth didn't move. She stood completely still, calm and collected, her gaze unshaken.
The moment the attack was about to land, an earth wall erupted from the ground, intercepting the lightning in a burst of energy and dust. The ground quaked faintly, fragments of soil scattering in all directions.
The shockwave rippled through the air, bending the nearby grass. The smell of scorched earth filled the area as Aiden's attack was completely blocked.
But Aiden, who had learned from Rayan to be ruthless in every duel, didn't even blink. His mind was clear, his instincts honed. He vanished once again — using Blitz.
A streak of light flashed across the ground, and in the next instant, he appeared behind Elizabeth.
His expression was unreadable.He raised his hand — and conjured a Light Ray.
It formed instantly, an almost blinding beam of condensed mana, so pure and sharp that the air around it hummed.
He launched it toward Elizabeth. The beam was incredibly fast, nearly invisible to the naked eye, cutting through space with terrifying precision.
Elizabeth moved — barely — dodging just in time. The beam grazed her side, slicing through the sleeve of her dark dress. The ground behind her erupted in a thin, scorched line where the light struck, leaving behind the faint smell of ozone.
But just as she steadied herself, the ground beneath her shifted violently.Earth spikes burst from the soil like jagged fangs, rushing to impale her from below.
Elizabeth's sharp eyes caught the motion in time. She twisted her body mid-step, dodging one spike after another.
Her movements were elegant, almost dance-like, as she wove through the rising spikes that cracked the earth beneath her feet. Each dodge was precise — her control absolute.
It wasn't that she couldn't crush Aiden's spells easily; rather, she had chosen to restrict herself to stage one spells only, to make this duel fair.
She refused to rely on her greater strength — instead, she matched Aiden's level, testing him, measuring him. And that restriction made every defense more demanding, every counter more meaningful.
Meanwhile, Aiden was relentless.
He moved without hesitation, his mind fully immersed in the rhythm of battle. His heart pounded with intensity — not fear, not hesitation — but purpose.
Every movement carried the ruthless precision Rayan had beaten into him. There was no pause, no mercy, no wasted time.
He vanished again — using Blitz — leaving behind a faint static ripple in the air. When he appeared, he was already behind Elizabeth.
This time, he conjured a metal sword, its silver edge gleaming under the morning light, as he infused it with lightning mana. Sparks raced along the blade, wrapping it in a veil of energy. He swung towards Elizabeth.
The attack was fast, fluid, controlled, and full of deadly intent. Elizabeth dodged, barely avoiding the slash, but Aiden didn't stop. His movements were continuous, seamless — slash, pivot, vanish, reappear.
Each strike was sharper, faster than the last. Elizabeth dodged again and again, her eyes narrowing slightly with each pass.
Then, just as she was about to regain her footing, a burst of light filled her vision. A blinding flash.Flash, a light spell.
Her sight vanished into white. Her instincts screamed. She raised her arm, shielding her eyes, her body reacting on pure experience. The world around her was light and nothing else. But Aiden wasn't blinded — this was his opening.
He used Blitz again, his body vanishing in a streak of light. In less than a breath, he appeared directly in front of her. He knew she couldn't see, couldn't react. So decided to cheat.
His heart raced — his instincts told him this was the decisive moment. But instead of closing in recklessly, he changed strategy.
Without warning, Aiden activated Flight — a fire mana spell — and lifted himself swiftly into the air, completely silent. Elizabeth didn't even realize that Aiden had used a Fire Mana spell.
He rose several meters above the ground, just enough to gain a vantage point. He moved with fluid precision, his body steady as he conjured a bow and arrow, both made from condensed earth and metal.
The air crackled as he infused the arrow with lightning mana. The arrow hummed violently in his hand, light flickering from its tip. Then, he released it.
The arrow flew like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the air toward Elizabeth.
But Elizabeth, though still half-blinded, felt the surge of mana pressure from above. Her instincts flared — she conjured an earth wall, shielding herself just in time. The arrow struck, exploding into a shower of sparks against the wall's surface.
Aiden did not stop as he conjured another arrow — then another. One after another, he fired, his pace quickening, the ground trembling with each impact.
Elizabeth dodged between earth walls and dust clouds, her form flickering in and out of sight as mana flashed around her.
Finally, she created a dome-shaped earth wall, enclosing herself in layered protection.
Aiden hovered in the air, his breathing sharp and controlled. His eyes narrowed as he watched the earthen dome solidify. He didn't hesitate. He began his assault — Lightning Rain, Light Ray, Lightning Blast — all unleashed in rapid succession.
The sky turned white with streaks of energy as bolts of lightning and condensed light struck the dome. The earth trembled violently under the impact.
Dust rose in thick clouds, obscuring the garden from view. The air burned hot, alive with residual mana. After some time of continuous attacking, the earth wall was destroyed.
Aiden descended slowly, landing amidst the dust. He could barely see. His breath came heavy, his mana reserves nearly spent. The remnants of lightning still danced faintly around him, flickering along his arms.
But as the dust cleared, his eyes widened slightly — the dome was empty.Elizabeth was gone.
His instincts flared again as he kept his guard up.The faint hum of mana filled the air. He could feel the shift — the earth beneath his feet was no longer still. It was moving, alive.
In an instant, earth spikes erupted around him, forming a prison.They grew and locked together, jagged and sharp, surrounding him from all sides.
He immediately reacted, preparing to use Lightning Blast to destroy the prison, but just as his mana surged, he saw earth walls forming around the outer surface of the spikes, layering over them like armor.
He used Blitz to escape — or tried to — but the moment his body flickered, a powerful kick struck his back.Bang!
The impact sent him crashing forward, back into the prison. His breath was knocked out of him. For a moment, the world spun. The faint echo of Elizabeth's movement still lingered in the air.
He forced himself up, his arms trembling, his body bruised and burned from the mana strain.
He turned toward the still-forming wall. The gaps were closing. Through the final open space, he saw Elizabeth standing outside the prison — calm, her eyes gleaming faintly with pride.
She smiled and said, "Good luck, Aiden, with destroying this prison. I will conjure some more earth walls to make it more exciting for you."
Before he could respond, the final section sealed shut. Darkness enveloped him. The air was heavy with mana and dust.
He clenched his fists, summoning every drop of energy left in his body.Lightning flickered faintly across his skin — blue, bright, defiant.
He unleashed Lightning Blast, Lightning Rain, and even Light Ray, each spell shaking the walls around him. The sound was deafening. The prison trembled, cracks forming along its surface.
Sweat poured down his face, his breathing harsh. Every muscle screamed in exhaustion, but his resolve did not waver. With one last push, he gathered all remaining mana into his hands and released it in a massive Lightning Blast.
The explosion was blinding.The entire prison shattered in a burst of light and stone fragments, dust filling the air once again.
Aiden stumbled forward, barely standing, his arms trembling, his body exhausted beyond measure. He was drenched in sweat, his mana reserves completely drained. His breath came shallow, his heartbeat was getting faster and faster.
Then, he slowly straightened, looked toward Elizabeth, and said with a tired but composed voice,"I lost."
Elizabeth smiled softly, her eyes reflecting both pride and warmth as she said. "You did really well. If you had more fighting experience, then you could have defeated me in a stage one mana spell duel."
She paused for a moment, then continued with a gentler tone, "Okay, today your training of Earth and Light mana is complete. I will live here for a few days, then I will go back to the capital. So when I leave, don't slack off or waste your talents. Train diligently, so you can become one of the strongest mana cultivators in the world."
Aiden nodded seriously, his voice quiet but firm. "Okay, Aunt Elizabeth."
The faint evening breeze swept through the garden, scattering dust and petals across the broken ground. Aiden stood there, his body exhausted, but his eyes still burned with determination. The duel was over, but his path had only just begun.
Author's Note / Disclaimer:This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are purely fictional and created for storytelling purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental. The world, its mana systems, and characters belong to the author's imagination. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this text is prohibited