Chapter 157: An Unexpected Outcome

The fierce attacks kept Anna completely confined to defensive measures. In the duel between their magical beasts, his own beast also held the upper hand. His powerful magic made everyone realize why he hadn’t used his other skill—martial arts. It was his confidence in his magic that drove him to act this way; no wonder his teammates weren’t worried at all. Thinking of this, Rod sighed inwardly. The situation was extremely unfavorable for Anna. Failure wasn’t scary; what was scary was the destruction of her confidence.
“Trouble!” Seeing Anna struggling to hold on with the strong defensive power of earth magic, he frowned. It was still early, and the opponent seemed confident, possibly having more tricks up their sleeve. Even if her magic power ran out, she could still rely on her warrior skills to win—no wonder she was so confident.
Earth magic already had low offensive power. Compared to mages of other elements, they were experts in defense. Even if they unleashed their strongest offensive spells, it was unlikely they could pose a real threat under such circumstances.
Things developed just as Rod had feared. As time passed, Anna’s defenses gradually weakened, and she was on the verge of failure.
“Anna, give up! Hurry up!” Seeing this, Rod couldn’t help but stand up from his seat and shout at her. Wasting time trying to hold on only strengthened the opponent’s confidence; it was better to admit defeat and save strength for the upcoming team matches.
“Anna!” Viski and the others around him also couldn’t help but shout at her.
But Anna seemed not to hear them. She bit her lip tightly, stubbornly determined. This made Rod curse inwardly. That damned girl’s stubbornness had flared up, bringing trouble.
“Anna…” Finally, Rod couldn’t hold back and shouted loudly.
“No! I won’t give up, Captain. Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you!” This time, Anna finally responded. She turned her head with difficulty and shouted at him.
Her face was pale, her forehead covered in sweat, and her mage robe was soaked through, clinging to her body and highlighting her delicate figure.

Looking back at her opponent Paul, a determined glint appeared in her eyes as if she had made a decision. She bit her slightly pale lips tightly and said, “Great Mother of the Earth, I implore you in the name of a covenanter—borrow my lost magic power, let the earth roar, shake the heavens and earth, and make the spirits weep. Please open the abyss of darkness to devour this enemy before me. Oh, fierce darkness, appear! May the heavens collapse and the earth split!”

Immediately afterward, a spell was chanted from her mouth, with complex hand seals being formed rapidly and with increasing intensity. As the spell progressed, the entire world gradually darkened. Strong winds blew, and dark clouds covered the sky. With the last word spoken, it seemed as though the heavens and earth themselves began to tremble. The arena visibly shook and groaned. At that moment, Anna stood coldly across from Paul, as if one with the heavens and earth, pointing at the sky and the earth respectively, standing tall with pride.

“That’s bad—she’s using ‘Heavens Collapse and Earth Splits’! Is Anna willing to risk her life?” Seeing this, the magician Kenny beside her couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. It was a level-six earth magic, an offensive spell—Heavens Collapse and Earth Splits! For Anna, who was still only a level-five magician—actually a grand magician—using this spell was equivalent to wasting her own magical essence, especially when her internal elements had already been depleted from such intense combat. Using this spell could cause minor injuries to the body and mental damage, making recovery impossible without long-term rest, or in severe cases, it could lead to the collapse of her magical essence and mental backlash, turning her into an idiot.

It seemed Anna really wasn’t afraid of dying, using such a powerful spell. As a magician, Kenny knew full well the consequences. How could he not know? Thinking of those consequences, he became extremely anxious.

“Damn it!” Hearing Kenny’s words, Rod also cursed fiercely. He knew the consequences of a magician using a spell beyond their level—had he never seen a pig before?

“Bastard!” Paul, standing across from Anna, lost his previous composure and ease. His expression turned serious as he glared at Anna and cursed. It was a level-six spell. His own magical power was no longer enough to defend himself, and even as a high-level warrior, he had no way of resisting such a spell. Faced with her suicidal attack, he felt terror and fear for the first time in years—emotions he had never experienced before.

That icy aura of death filled him with fear. Watching the changes unfolding between heaven and earth, feeling the thunderous vibrations from beneath his feet, it seemed he made some decision in that brief moment—his gaze turned cold as he swung his magic staff and began chanting rapidly, several times faster than before. Chaotic dust, bewildered travelers, the earth’s roar, the call of the stars. Evil thoughts, chaotic rebirth, wild darkness! Manifest! Destroy the enemy before you and absorb your brilliance with their blood—Thunder of Annihilation!

The intricate spell was quickly cast with the help of his magic staff, taking effect just before Anna’s magic could fully activate.

The sky, already darkened by Anna’s magic, became utterly gloomy. Dark clouds gathered layer upon layer, turning daylight into night and casting a chilling atmosphere.

“Bad! It’s a level six advanced thunder magic—something even mages wouldn’t dare use lightly. It seems Paul has gone mad!” Kenny, watching the changes around them, couldn’t help but exclaim. The power of Thunder of Annihilation was terrifying. Though it was only a level six spell, its formidable thunder-based attack made it no less powerful than any level seven spell. Even at her peak, Anna wouldn’t be able to withstand such a spell, let alone now with her weakest defensive magic.

As for the caster, the backlash he would suffer from using such a terrifying spell would likely be even greater than what Anna would endure.

The people from the opposing Academy also grew restless at this moment, their expressions turning grave as they stared intently at the two on the stage. They all stood up.

Anna’s magic took effect first. The earth roared as cracks appeared, unleashing endless darkness. It was a vivid depiction of chaos—wasn’t this exactly the moment of apocalyptic destruction? The earth’s roar was heart-wrenching.

The judges on the stage and the people in the presiding area watched anxiously, all frowning as if deep in thought.

“Stop the match, quickly! Otherwise, things will get messy. End it as a draw—don’t let them continue!” Finally, after exchanging glances, an old man stood up and shouted loudly.

The situation before them far exceeded what any of them could have imagined. Who would have thought they’d see two people using magic at an advanced level in a beginner’s match? Who would have thought both of them would be so reckless? Continuing like this could only result in mutual destruction, even leaving two corpses—a scenario none of them wanted to see.

Upon receiving orders from the podium, the referee felt relieved, free from his earlier hesitation. With a cold glint in his eyes, he moved decisively, turning into a shadowy figure. Covered in pale purple combat energy, he rushed between the two fighters at an impossible speed.

Seeing the referee take action, Rod felt slightly relieved, knowing there was still hope. He watched Anna anxiously, his gaze fixed on the referee. By now, Anna was already suffering from the backlash of magic, and Paul wasn’t faring any better. Blood streamed from their mouths, showing the severity of their condition.

Amidst his worries, he saw the referee reach Anna first. After drawing a complex hand seal, he struck her in the back with a palm, producing a muffled sound. Anna then collapsed straight backward.

In a flash, Paul was also knocked to the ground with the same move before he could react. The intervention of this holy-grade powerhouse demonstrated its immense strength. Using absolute power, it interrupted the magic seals, forcing the two fighters’ spells to stop.

As the two fell, the chaos and turmoil in the world gradually subsided. The area slowly calmed down. The dense clouds dispersed, the earth stopped shaking, and the lightning in the sky ceased its turmoil, returning to normal as the sun’s light reappeared.

The floor also began to return to its original state after the magic faded, though the cracks remained clearly visible.

“Phew… that damned girl!” Rod finally exhaled heavily in relief as everything returned to normal.

Similarly, Viski and the others around him, as well as Thiel and the others on the other side, relaxed as well. After all, none of them wanted to see their partners in danger.

A highly tense match came to an end in this unusual way, with both sides ending in a draw. With the referee’s permission, both teams rushed into the arena to surround their teammates.

“It’s okay; it didn’t get worse. The backlash isn’t severe—she’ll be fine after resting for a while!” Kenny, the magician, said gratefully after observing Anna first. Indeed, the magic hadn’t fully taken effect, which was fortunate; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. At the very least, Anna wouldn’t be in this state—she might even have become disabled. Carrying Anna back to the resting area, under the referee’s direction, medical staff quickly carried her off the field toward the hospital. Watching Anna leave, Rod wasn’t sure how he felt. His teammates had sacrificed so much for victory and the team, achieving results no one had expected. And what about him? Glancing at Thiel across the field, his next match was coming up. With that thought, he slowly stood up.