Read Novel Full Chapter 822: Jisha vs. Sharon (1)
Chapter 822: Jisha vs. Sharon (1)
"Didn’t I already tell Rafine that I was with Academy Head Chloe?" Nolan replied helplessly.
Seira narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Then why do you smell like her? Don’t tell me the two of you were hugging?"
Nolan was at a loss for words.
He had once heard the saying that a woman’s nose was as sharp as a hunting hound’s.
Now, he was starting to understand why.
Nolan gently patted her shoulder.
"Don’t overthink it. We talked for over an hour. A little physical contact, like a handshake or something similar, is only natural."
Seira pondered his words and found them reasonable. Even so, the suspicion in her heart remained. Her instincts told her Nolan was hiding something.
"Begin!"
Suddenly, the announcer’s voice echoed across the arena.
The match between Sharon and Jisha had officially begun.
Seira reluctantly released Nolan’s arm and returned to her seat.
Nolan let out a sigh of relief and sat down beside Eira.
The little girl immediately nuzzled her head against his arm.
Nolan gently ruffled her hair before turning to Rafine.
"How’s the match been so far?"
"Not bad. Falling Star Academy managed to outscore the Tower of Silence."
"Oh?"
Nolan raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze toward the arena with interest.
The ongoing contest featured not only battles between students from both institutions but also various other competitions, such as alchemy and team battles.
Points were awarded based on each side’s victories. Nolan looked up and saw the scoreboard floating above the arena.
It read, "Falling Star Academy: 10" and "Tower of Silence: 7."
"They’ve improved," he muttered.
If he remembered correctly, Falling Star Academy had always lagged behind the Tower of Silence in every aspect, including the contest held once every ten years.
Even in terms of student quality, the Tower of Silence had always been superior.
But not anymore. The quality of students at Falling Star Academy had caught up to—and perhaps even surpassed—that of the Tower of Silence.
Nolan wasn’t particularly surprised by the result. Changes like this were inevitable with the passage of time.
No matter how powerful a faction, empire, or kingdom on the continent might be, time would eventually erode its strength, and its place would be taken by another.
Boom!
A magical explosion erupted in the arena.
Neither Jisha nor Sharon held back. Both were fighting with everything they had.
"Oh? How interesting. Jisha has reached the Great Mage level. This is truly unexpected," he muttered.
He remembered that just yesterday, the girl had still been a High Mage. Yet in a single day, she had managed to break through to the next level.
Although Sharon was one level above Jisha, that didn’t mean Jisha was completely outmatched. The gap between a Great Mage and an Archmage wasn’t that large.
As long as Jisha had enough spells at her disposal, victory was still within reach.
Boom!
Boom!
A fireball crashed into the ground, leaving behind a crater over a meter deep.
Jisha leaped backward, looking slightly disheveled.
"Tsk! Just as I expected from you, Sharon Lorian!" she exclaimed with a smirk.
Sharon floated in the air with a calm expression. Deep down, though, she couldn’t help but admire Jisha.
"What a talented girl," she whispered.
For a long time, people had compared her to Jisha.
But Sharon had never met her in person before. This was their first meeting—and their first fight.
There was no denying that Jisha was incredibly talented and powerful.
She could cast spells without chanting. That alone was enough to make Sharon feel pressured, despite being a level higher.
"But Sharon Lorian," Jisha said with a proud snort, "I won’t lose!"
She slammed the tip of her staff into the ground.
Thomp!
A faint tremor rippled through the arena. The next second, hundreds of roots, each over two meters long, burst from the ground.
They shot toward Sharon at astonishing speed.
Sharon didn’t dare underestimate the attack.
Her figure vanished and reappeared ten meters away.
However, the roots seemed to possess a tracking ability. They immediately changed direction and went after her again.
Sharon teleported once more, but the roots kept chasing her relentlessly.
Realizing that dodging was pointless, she raised her staff and shouted, "Inferno Blast!"
Whoosh!
Twelve magic circles appeared above her head.
Dozens of deep crimson fireballs erupted from the circles and rained down from the sky.
Boom!
The roots exploded and were instantly consumed by flames.
Strangely, Jisha showed no sign of panic.
A smirk appeared on her face as she slammed her wooden staff into the ground once more.
Thomp!
More roots burst from the earth.
This time, however, they looked different. Purple and red flowers bloomed along their surfaces, giving them an oddly beautiful appearance.
Then, under Sharon’s watchful gaze, the flowers blossomed fully and released clouds of yellow pollen.
The pollen spread so rapidly that the officials from both the Falling Star Academy and the Tower of Silence hurried to strengthen the barriers surrounding the arena.
In the VIP section, Sylvia smiled in satisfaction at Jisha’s performance.
"I didn’t expect that girl to have mastered the art of roots. It seems she’s been practicing in secret," she whispered.
Root magic was a spell classified as "dangerous" in the magic catalog.
Those who mastered it could completely control the battlefield. As long as their enemies remained on the ground, escaping the roots’ grasp was nearly impossible.
Even opponents in the air weren’t necessarily safe. The roots could be controlled to shoot dozens of meters into the sky.
The only effective way to deal with a root mage was to put as much distance between yourself and them as possible.
But could Sharon do that?
Of course not.
The arena was too small. There was nowhere for her to run.
"N-Nolan, is Her Highness Sharon going to be okay?" Rafine asked anxiously.
The roots looked terrifying. They had spread across almost the entire arena.
Not to mention the poisonous pollen released by the flowers. Even Sharon, who was floating in the air, had been affected by it.
Nolan crossed his legs and rested the side of his head against his right palm.
"Don’t worry. I’m sure Sister Sharon will be fine," he replied casually, without the slightest hint of concern.
It wasn’t that he was underestimating Jisha. On the contrary, he thought she was amazing.
Root magic was an extremely difficult art to master, even for mages who had reached the Celestial level.
Even Nolan himself couldn’t master it. Yet Jisha had done so.
That alone was proof of her extraordinary talent.
Even so, Jisha still hadn’t fully mastered the Root Arts. Sharon had likely noticed that as well.
"Ahem!"
Sharon coughed, covering her mouth and nose. Yet there wasn’t the slightest hint of panic on her face.
"Root Arts, huh?" she muttered with a faint smile. "Impressive. But does Jisha really think she’s the only one who can use them?"
Holding her breath, Sharon raised her staff high and shouted, "Root Arts: Thousand Root Prison!"