The Moonlight Swordsman

"Finally.... the time has come, THE FINAL BATTLE FOR THE TOURNAMENT.....

"YEAH...

"YEAH...

"WOHOOOO....

"This battle will finally decide which kingdom will become the New Winner!"

"A lot has been riding on this match too....

"So without wasting any time, LET'S START THE BATTLE!!!!

Aizel's team marched in a line, methodically making their way to the Colosseum center stage. 

Zareena took the lead, Soren and Seraphine trailing behind, with Daisy and Aizel at the last. 

Meanwhile, five mages, their robes billowing behind them, moved purposefully towards the stage.

They ascended the steps to meet the awaiting Shoka amidst the lingering dust. 

Everyone's focus in the applauding audience shifted to the gathering.

"So now who would like to take his chance for the spin?" Shoka asked, looking towards both groups.

"Go Daisy, you should try." Aizel suddenly said while Daisy looked a little hesitant.

"Who said you can choose from your side," Suddenly someone from the Theodora Kingdom side spoke.

Aizel turned around to see who it was.

"It will be the handsome "Kelvin Theodora who will do the honor of picking the battlefield.

"You got lucky last time, but your luck ends now," Kelvin said while adjusting his spiky hair and moving towards Shoka.

[Fufu, Master it seems, this guy wants another beating]

"Yeah,"

As Kelvin's fingers danced across the control panel, a broad grin formed across his face.

Everyone looked at the viewscreen as it lit up and images spun into sharp focus. 

A jumbled array of war zones, complete with charred ground, jagged trenches, and ruined fortifications, filled the screen.

Kelvin's joy was evident as he spun through the records with boyish enthusiasm. No one said anything; they were just silently watching. 

The spinning images to a sudden halt, settling on the designated battleground.

A stunned silence fell across the stage. 

Kelvin's gleeful expression faded, and he stared at me with wide eyes instead. The screen's illuminated battlefield shocked everyone.

Aizel was the only one who didn't flinch, and his satisfied grin gradually grew wider. He leaned back, arms folded behind his head, relishing the reactions around him.

"STORM CITADELL!!!!!!!"

"WOHOOOOOOO!!!!

"BLOOD!!!

"BLOOD!!!

"BLOOD!!!

The Storm Citadel was a floating magical stronghold in the midst of a stormy sky; it had all the makings of a fortress. It's a huge circular platform that hangs in the middle of a constant storm.

There are sharp spires that crackle with electricity along the perimeter. There is a mixture of hard stone and beautiful runic patterns that shine with a dim, pulsating light right where your feet are.

Clouds that are swirling all around the citadel occasionally part to let you see a glimpse of the distant ground far below. The air is filled with the scent of ozone, and the constant rumble of thunder adds a dramatic soundtrack to the impending mage battle.

[Fufu Master, we are now in advantage]

Yes, to deal with that fellow, this advantage is surely nice," Aizel thought.

"Now I can't wait for this, ARE YOU GUYS READYYYYYYY..." Shoka's voice boomed and the crowd replied with a roar.

His palms slammed together with a thunderous crack that echoed around the arena. As a result, there was a shimmering and bending of the air around the stage. As the dimensions moved, the teams' perception of reality warped, and they found themselves in a new place.

*THUNDER* *THUNDER* *THUNDER* 

*THUNDER* *THUNDER* *THUNDER* 

As the light faded, the Storm Citadel became visible. Jagged spires clawed at ominous clouds gathering overhead.

The citadel's flawless obsidian walls glowed as mages suddenly materialized within them. Outside this castle in the void, thunder rolled. 

"We are literally close to them. The Citadel doesn't seem to be that big. Also, they are heading towards us," Daisy said, letting her team know about the situation. 

"Okay, Aizel and Soren, quickly intercept that guy and take him outside. Aizel, you will be at an advantage there, so don't blow it up.

"Meanwhile us three will have to take care of the others," Zareena quickly gave the order and everyone nodded towards her.

Both groups strode toward the center.

The sole sound in the fortress was that of their footsteps reverberating off the polished obsidian floors. 

In a matter of seconds, the two groups found each other in the shade of a towering archway. Chests heaved from the swift approach, but no one spoke a word. 

Kelvin was the one who broke the silence and yelled, "Aizel, let's settle the score."

Before anybody else could react, Soren struck, surging into action. He leaped above the Theodora squad and launched himself into the air.

Suspended for a breath, he turned his gaze down upon his target - the cloaked mage directly below. 

Gravity seized Soren, yanking him into a ferocious dive. Energy surged around his fist as it sank like a torpedo.

The gravity-charged punch slammed full force, pulverizing the ground where the mage had stood mere moments before. Debris erupted outward as the impact boomed through the citadel. 

Soren's fist slammed into the glowing magic circle, its energy flickering around his embedded knuckles.

The cloak mage was gone. 

Whirling, Soren spotted his true foe - the cloaked figure stood across the citadel floor, weapon materializing in his hands. He had only struck an illusion.

He yanked his fist up from the broken floor and took a rapid step back to examine the situation. 

The other Theodora mages had also vanished. A rumbling above drew his attention upward. There, ascending a towering stairwell, he glimpsed them racing skyward. 

The cloaked mage raised his weapon, poised to strike.

But before he could do anything, cold metal wrapped itself around his legs. When he looked down, he saw chains whirling out of the shadows and wrapping themselves around his limbs.

As the chains snapped tight, he was helpless to do anything about it.

With tremendous force, they ripped his feet from the floor and hurled him backward. The mage sailed through the air.

A bolt of lightning ruptured the floor where Aizel stood. He disappeared as lightning arced and swirled across the obsidian's smooth surface. 

The energy concentrated and then arced in a jagged line toward the shattered wall left by the cloaked mage. 

Soren followed suit, leaving the building, and the rest of the Theodora crew in the care of Zareena, Seraphine, and Daisy. 

"Now they have left, we have to make sure to defeat the opponents quickly," Zareena ordered.

Zareena nodded to Seraphine and Daisy at her side, her eyes narrowing with resolve. She called forth her whirlwind of golden leaves. 

The leaves swirled upwards on gusts of wind magic, guiding the mages' ascent. Robes billowing behind them, they took flight in pursuit of their foes.

They followed the trajectory of the falling leaves and aimed for the stairs in the sky. The wind roared in their ears as the mages hurtled higher, their hair whipping wildly.

Zareena and her companions ascended toward the citadel's peak. 

Suddenly, a rain of shining spears rained down on them from above. Zareena's pupils contracted, but she instantly ordered her army of leaves to counter.

The once glimmering leaves instantly sharpened into gleaming golden blades. 

They swarmed in an attempt to deflect the oncoming spears, resulting in a clattering, sparking melee. 

The points of the spears brushed against the leaves as they spun, sending both objects careening wildly off course. There was a storm of deflected objects in the stairwell.

"I see, your magic is quite good, but it won't be enough in front of mine," Kelvin said, he was standing in mid-air over a floating spear.

Noticing him readying another volley, Zareena acted quickly. 

She swung her arm and sent Seraphine hurtling toward him. 

Seraphine soared through the air, eyes fixed fiercely on her target. As she rapidly closed the distance, she flourished her hand.

Her spear formed in a flash of light and whirled around to land point-first in her waiting hand. 

Seraphine could feel the spear thrumming in her hand, eager for battle. 

A burst of energy blasted into her side, throwing her off track before she could reach him. Her course became erratic, and she missed her mark.

Twisting in midair, Seraphine squinted through the dust cloud obscuring her new attacker.

A Theodora mage was rocketing toward her, hands wreathed in crackling magic.

Seraphine just managed to raise her spear in time to block his subsequent assault. The force of the crash knocked them both backward.

Seraphine's back smashed against the wall, driving the air from her lungs.

She slumped forward but kept one hand gripped firmly on her spear haft. 

The opposing wizard drew himself up from the broken stone, looking just as surprised as she did.

They locked eyes for a tense moment, sizing each other up through the settling debris. 

The man that faced Seraphine was a towering monster with a boulder for a torso and tree trunks for arms.

However, beneath his huge upper torso, tiny legs supported him on awkward, stork-like feet. 

Though he made an effort to appear strong, his frail legs seemed about to buckle beneath the burden he was trying to conceal.