The Moonlight Swordsman

Leaving Soren on solid ground, the wizard disregarded the dark magic circle's throbbing presence and made his way slowly toward Aizel. 

"You have many tricks up your sleeve," Aizel commented, buying time to recover his strength and focus.

"As do you," he chimed in. "I fight for a cause, just as you do. 

"To achieve my goal, I will do whatever it takes to win this match. But you have earned my respect. My name is Yoji Elbaf."

For an instant, he lowered his head, and then he sank into a combat position.

"I hope you won't have any hard feelings after I defeat you," he further said.

"Yeah, don't worry about that. I am just getting started," Aizel replied. There was a moment of stillness as the two regarded each other, honorable rivals now revealed. 

Aizel's eyes moved towards Soren for a second, who was lying on the ground and was not moving.

This idiot doesn't seem like he's knocked out," he thought. 

Yoji traced his teleportation circle once more, vanishing within its borders. Aizel's grasp tightened on Sekki, and it transformed into a blade. Another magic circle emerged under Yoji as he summoned his own blade. In a second, he vanished and began his assault.

Aizel's lightning-wreathed eyes tracked the motion.

He spun quickly, sword lifted, to avoid the blow he anticipated would come from the right. Simultaneously, he attempted to surprise Yoji by firing sharp water jets from his left hand.

However, Yoji had already teleported away, reappearing on the other side of the platform where he was no longer in danger. The jets slashed through the void and vanished into thin clouds of mist.

Aizel fired another volley of water jets at Yoji, only for him to vanish and reappear somewhere new. 

Yoji lifted a finger in imitation of Aizel's gesture, and a little magical circle glowed over his left eye. Sharp water jets sped back in Aizel's direction.

Aizel, suddenly surprised, bolted away like a bolt of lightning. But Yoji persisted, relentlessly shooting water jets that forced Aizel to keep moving. 

Aizel narrowly escaped the attacks by darting fast across the platform. But Yoji tracked him effortlessly, the magic eye enhancing his aim and reaction time.

He increased his speed, leaving a trail of arcing energy behind him. Yet the water jets stayed on target, slicing through the air behind him. 

Damn it, can he also copy others' magic and skills," Aizel thought, he was getting a little irritated.

[Master, we shouldn't take this lightly. We still don't know how many more and different types of magic circles he can use]

You are right,"

In a flash of lightning, Aizel shot upward and disappeared behind the gloomy clouds above.

His power attracted the developing storm to him like a magnet. Aizel vanished into the churning clouds.

Below, Yoji watched warily from the platform, his magic eye scanning for any sign of movement.

As more lightning arced wildly from the skies and struck the citadel from all directions, deafening thunder boomed across the area.

*CRACKLE*

A deafening thunderclap exploded overhead, making Yoji wince and cover his ears. 

A huge dragon's mouth appeared from the clouds, sizzling with the energy of blue lightning. Slowly, it opened, energy growing as it prepared to assault.

Yoji felt goosebumps all over his body and a strong urge to flee. However, a broad grin spread across his face, and he stood tall.

*Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle* *Crackle*

The dragon's mouth erupted, unleashing a relentless torrent of lightning bolts that bombarded the platform like artillery fire.

The citadel fractured under the endless strikes, chunks exploding into the air. Yet Yoji stood firm despite the lightning rain, two magic circles spinning rapidly beneath him.

A bright spear appeared in Yoji's grasp among the flashes of lightning. Gripping it hard, he funneled the energy from the whirling magic circles into the weapon. The spear was blazingly bright, bursting with raw strength.

With a mighty heave, Yoji hurled the spear skyward, directly at the dragon's maw. It streaked upward like a missile, tearing through the air.

Lightning bolts bent toward it, only to fizzle out of existence when they touched the spear's light.

There was nothing that could stop the spear as it sped toward its victim. The blazing spear continued to speed toward the dragon's head, undeterred by the wind or the lightning.

In an enormous, booming explosion that echoed across the sky, the glowing spear rockets met the dragon's jaws.

The clouds dispersed as a shockwave radiated away from the impact zone. 

The lightning dragon let out a last crackling shriek before shattering completely, destroyed by the spear's purifying light.

Sparkling remnants of energy rained down harmlessly where the dragon had been. Yoji's spear had blown away the lightning storm, neutralizing Aizel's attack.

The dark clouds began to thin and disperse in the aftermath, releasing the last trapped sparks of electricity into the air.

Six pillars sped down from the clearing skies as Yoji was still trying to catch his breath. They slammed into the platform, forming a ring around him before he could react.

The pillars, now embedded deeply in the platform, had him pinned down in the center. Yoji lifted his neck, searching the sky for Aizel. But the clouds stayed still, providing no clues. 

"LIGHTNING RUMBA"

 *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE*

Aizel's voice reverberated through the air, and seven separate flashes of lightning struck the pillars. They all came together at once, with Yoji being the target.

*Argghhh* In the middle of the relentless lightning, Yoji stooped to one knee.

That spear kind of canceled out my attack," Aizel thought. 

Was it the spear or the magic circle power? He is definitely dangerous."

On the ground, Tojii slowly began to recuperate his strength. Under his feet, a brand-new magic circle appeared, glowing a brilliant white. In an instant, the entire barrage of lightning was nullified and obliterated.

Yet in a blink, Aizel materialized directly behind him, moving at lightning speed. "It seems that the white circle can neutralize spells and attacks," he remarked, slashing his sword toward Yoji.

Seeing Aizel swing, Yoji quickly dodged and backed away. He chose to be silent rather than engage in conversation. 

A crimson magic circle materialized beneath his feet, catching Aizel's attention.

Aizel, noting Yoji's defensive move, took a step back himself. He kept his guard up as another strange circle appeared under Yoji, expecting the unexpected. 

Suddenly, there appeared a swarm of fireballs in the sky above Yoji.

"So like a fire attack huh," Aizel thought. 

Yoji unleashed the attack toward Aizel, who casually waved his hand, manipulating the fireballs and dispersing them into the air.

"Ummm... I forgot you have great control over your core and magic," Toji replied, after seeing that. 

"Have a taste of this," 

A bigger green magic circle appeared this time. In an instant, a colossal tree sprouted from it. Aizel observed it attentively, noting the tree's relentless growth as it reached skyward without pause.

The tree's limbs uncurled like serpents in the air and slithered sinisterly toward Aizel. Swift as a dancer, evaded the oncoming onslaught, seamlessly sidestepping and parrying with his sword.

The branches lashed out in all directions at Aizel, becoming increasingly sinuous and merciless. Each slash of his sword was a measured response to the growing danger, and his motions were a symphony of agility and precision.

Aizel's focus remained unwavering on Yoji even as he contended with the animated tree. 

His eyes darted between the advancing branches and his opponent, a testament to his unyielding concentration. 

He skillfully hacked at the branches, sending them flying in a flurry of splinters with each swift move.

Yoji and the animated tree collaborated to unleash a relentless attack on Aizel. The pressure on Aizel rose tenfold, the combined menace forcing him into a battle. 

He grappled with the simultaneous onslaughts, battling not only against the conjured forces of nature but also the calculated strikes from Yoji. 

The combined might of their assaults proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, testing Aizel to his limits as he attempted to hold off the onslaught. 

Suddenly, Sekki morphed into a multitude of razor-sharp chains. Aizel rapidly wrapped them in flames, strengthening their destructive power, and began a frantic onslaught against the advancing branches.

He spun and attacked with controlled madness, slashing and burning in every direction. The chain blades, now wreathed in fire, were extensions of Aizel's controlled turmoil. 

Each swing and thrust aimed at quelling the animated threat, turning the battlefield into a tempest of fiery slashes.

Yoji, however, was aware of the danger and stayed well back, dodging the unpredictable assaults. 

Seeing his chance, he quickly conjured a teleportation magic circle that quickly covered the platform.

[Master, he can teleport now]

Toji teleported through the tangled web of chains and appeared next to Aizel. A familiar magic circle formed beneath his feet, one hinting at a strength-enhancing one.

Aizel, quick to sense the impending peril, relinquished his hold on Sekki. In an instant, he summoned containers and hurled them into the space between them.