They chose the basic [Colosseum] setup at the tenth-floor stadium. Ashrosaliera and Tanya stood across from each other, in an open field with nothing to block and to dodge. They were stretching and preparing for the fight.
Guidance counselor Pearl Magmal was watching with the necklace in hand, he personally took it off from Ash's neck and was spectating the fight with great interest.
Considering how this match was hastily put together, they thought it would be only him and Luciana watching. Yet somehow, words got around that the main character of the [Burning of 6th Floor] incident and [The Poet] were having a sparring match with no limits. The guidance counselor was also there, which got people curious.
First, around 10 people came, mainly Ash's roommates (excluding Zofia), to cheer her alongside some close friends and classmates of Tanya, who was interested.
Then around 50 people came, friends of the first ten.
Then around 100 people came, friends of the first fifty.
They kept pouring in like it was Black Friday.
Estimated total spectators: 168
"I should really charge people to watch me fight." Ashrosaliera giggled, and her body began to shake as she shrieked from the pressure of the spotlight and stage fright.
Tanya Nrägèjmul looked up at the stadium, and saw a small figure of a vampire crossdresser who was taking advantage of the situation and started selling fresh beer sourced from the cafeteria around the spectators' seats. Which made Tanya suspect he was the one who had spread the word and invited the people.
"One gold coin per cup! Coming right up! I'll feed you mouth to mouth for an extra four!" Luciana hollered around, using [Wind] to juggled two entire barrels and multiple cups in the air.
"What a rip off…" Tanya commented.
Then, muttering and whispers started being thrown around the stadium, catching everyone's attention.
Students whispered from the back rows.
"Is [The Poet] really picking on a first-year? He's that desperate?"
"It's a publicity stunt. Look, he's selling beer."
"Luciana is behind this, I swear."
"This is gonna be funny."
"I'm getting a refund if this isn't entertaining."
"But we're watching for free?"
"My time is worth something too, y'know?"
Among the chattering, Tarnisha and Cinderella sat beside each other, cheering for Ash, but couldn't hide their worries.
"Do you think she'll win?" Tarnisha, the beastman, asked.
"I don't know, you saw her fire magic before, right? How is it?" Cinderella, the half-elf, spun the question around.
"It was like a Fireball… But way more powerful, I had never heard of such high-level magic before. It was terrifying." Tarnisha recalled
"Do you think she'll win?" Cinderella asked again.
"...Sadly, no. If Ash couldn't control her magic, [The Poet] easily disarmed her. Also, did you hear? His name is Tanya. That sounds so cute, right?!" Tarnisha said.
Before answering, Cinderella looked around worryingly and whispered something to Tarnisha's ears.
The beastman girl's eyes widened.
"They're dating?!" she exclaimed
"Keep your voice down!" Cinderella covered Tarnisha's mouth.
But it was too late; everyone sitting around started chiming in, leaning towards Cinderella to eavesdrop on more information.
Tarnisha Smithdottir knew she screwed up, Cinderella Twilight facepalmed and sighed.
But before they could spill more beans about what happened this morning, Ashrosaliera cleared her throat and placed both hands facing each other over her nose for the sounds to travel better.
"Hello world! My name is Ashrosaliera Säpphroaleryst!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, "That is A-S-H-R-O-S-A-L-I-E-R-A!"
After catching everyone's attention, she continued shouting, pointing her index finger at Tanya.
"This is your future [Elemental Empress] talking! I'll defeat this weak and claim the title of the strongest sorcerer in the academy! I am the one who offered a challenge, and I will defeat him! Watch and learn, peasants!"
The whole stadium dropped dead in silence immediately after hearing those words.
Luciana didn't even move; he stood looking at Ash, blocking someone's view. Tarnisha and Cinderella widened their eyes in shock. Pearl Magmal crossed his arms without showing any emotions.
Ashrosaliera started blushing from embarrassment. Did she fumble her five seconds in the spotlight?
Tanya looked at her, fixing his glasses with the other hand in his pockets.
Then, someone clapped.
Followed by someone else.
"UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The crowd erupted into cheers and excitement, people started yelling, and clapping furiously, they started chanting her name, with two syllables of "Ash" and "ro" first, before a fast "saliera".
"Ashro! Saliera!"
"Ashro! Saliera!"
This made her laugh; she spread her arms wide in total bliss and ecstasy. Ashrosaliera smiled with her teeth, and her eyes widened.
"̶A̶r̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶e̶n̶t̶e̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶e̶d̶!̶"̶
"Alright, Tanya!" Ash turned to the guy, head fuming of heat and adrenaline, "Let's do this before the crowd gets bored, ready?"
"Ready, ladies first," Tanya replied.
"You'll regret that," Ash commented, taking a wide stance.
Tanya didn't reply and kept both hands in his pants pocket as if he was not intimidated.
Ashrosaliera took a deep breath, thoughts running through her mind.
'I got permission to go all out now! Just gotta cast a [Fireball], a full power one! I'll easily humiliate this guy. Then the guidance counselor gotta step in to intervene, which will just boost my reputation further.
"Then as the strongest student in the school, I will be moved to A-Class, then I'll do miscellanious minor quests to upgrade my [Fire Flight], with those two skills alone I'll take over the magic world easy peasy. And after I become the Elemental Empress, I'll make the kids from home who called me a freak bow!"
As these thoughts of fantasy ran through her mind, Ashrosaliera started… salivating and shaking. She raised her arms up and opened all ten fingers.
"Full Release!" Ash exclaimed, "Fire Magic: Fireb-"
"Advanced Pillar."
"Kya?!"
Two pillars made of the sandstone ground they're standing on emerged, hitting Ash in her lower wrists, before wrapping around her wrist, restraining her from making any hand movement. Then Tanya made a gesture, moving the pillars and forcing Ash to place both of her arms around her back.
"Watching the sky and earth, the autumn leaves falling, dare not looking away… It was May that came, waiting for someone to dare to escape from heaven." Tanya began reciting poems.
"H- HOW?!" She screamed in confusion and anger, "You didn't chant your attribute type! That's not possible! No one could ever do that!"
"I do chant, Ash," Tanya answered. "You'll learn the [First Cast Theory] if you make it to the second year and pay attention in class."
The crowd erupted louder, this time not for Ashrosaliera but for her seemingly inevitable defeat.
The masses loved nothing more than seeing someone else fall to their knees.
"UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!"
"Mhm…" Tanya hummed, "One can not sure if hit soul fits the era. He may hold on to the dry branches and hope that someday the leaves will grow back."
"Whatever! I could just do this." Ashrosaliera shrieked, trying to regain some grounds against him, "Fire Magic…"
"Earth Magic: Advanced Pillar."
Another pillar shot up and hit her right in the stomach, before going down again, making her cough up blood.
"Stop casting, I don't want to hurt you anymore," Tanya said.
"SCREW YOU!" Ash screamed, "Fire Magi-"
"Earth Magic: Advanced Pillar."
"Fire Ma-"
"Earth Magic: Advanced Pillar."
"Fire…"
"Earth Magic: Advanced Pillar."
"F…"
Blood started flowing out of Ash's nose as she threw up her lunch. The girl knelt on the ground with her head down, both hands still restrained behind her back. She wasn't unconscious, still breathing heavily, looking up at him in anger and fear.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
She was gonna be the Elemental Empress. She was supposed to be rising, not crumbling. But she was on her knees. And it hurt.
"Let's talk," Tanya said, sitting down in front of Ash.