Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

From the sidelines, the crowd erupted in cheers as the match entered its most intense phase. Adrian felt the strain building in his muscles, the toll of maintaining his precise movements and spells. But his expression betrayed none of it.

Celia's advantage in Aether reserves was undeniable, but Adrian knew how to turn a disadvantage into an opening.

'One mistake,' he thought, 'and this fight is over.'

Celia seemed to sense the same. Her movements grew sharper, her attacks more desperate. The air between them crackled with tension, a storm of magic and skill that neither seemed willing to relent.

And then, Adrian smiled again, his gaze steady as he murmured under his breath, "I see now..."

---

Celia exhaled sharply, sweat glistening on her brow. She could feel her reserves dipping, but she wasn't about to falter.

"Impressive," she muttered under her breath, eyes fixed on Adrian. He stood a short distance away, seemingly unfazed, his blade gleaming faintly with residual magic.

'He's waiting for something,' she realized, her mind racing. She decided to make the first move, hoping to break his composure.

With a sweeping gesture, she unleashed a 'Cascade Burst', a concentrated stream of water magic that tore through the ground like a rushing river. At the same time, she manipulated the remnants of her earlier spells, forming a spinning vortex of wind and water behind him, cutting off any retreat.

It was a brilliant move—two simultaneous attacks from opposing directions.

---

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation. The Cascade Burst hurtling toward him was dangerous, but predictable. The vortex behind him, however, was the true trap. He had less than a second to act.

'Perfect.'

In a flash, his form shimmered and split into multiple afterimages, each one darting in a different direction. Celia's eyes darted between them, her lips tightening.

"Not this time," she whispered. With a quick gesture, she unleashed a Rainpierce, thin, needle-like projectiles of water that targeted each afterimage. The needles passed through the illusions effortlessly, leaving the real Adrian exposed.

Celia raised her hand, preparing to finish him off with a Hydroblast, a 3 star spell designed for devastating impact. She released the spell with a shout—

But the blast slowed mid-flight.

Her eyes widened. The air around her felt heavy, her movements sluggish. The roar of the crowd seemed to muffle as if time itself had faltered.

---

Celia struggled against the invisible force, her mind racing. '...Compression? What is—'

Her answer came too late. Adrian had been preparing this moment all along, his subtle manipulations of the flow of the battle leading her exactly where he wanted her.

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In the slowed-down world, Adrian moved with precision and speed, his form a blur as he closed the distance between them. His sword gleamed with Aether as he infused it with a controlled burst of energy.

'One strike.' That's all it would take.

He appeared before her, his blade poised at her throat. As time snapped back to normal, Celia's spell dissolved harmlessly into droplets, her hand frozen mid-gesture.

The arena fell silent for a split second before erupting into deafening cheers.

---

Celia blinked, her breaths shallow as she stared at Adrian. His sword hovered millimeters from her neck, his expression calm but resolute.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You..." she began, her voice tinged with disbelief and grudging respect. Did he just teleport? "You used the entire fight to set this up."

Adrian lowered his blade, offering her a slight nod. "Well, it was just a coincidence."

Celia let out a soft laugh, stepping back and raising her hands in surrender. "Well played, Adrian. I'll admit, I didn't see that 'coincidence' coming."

The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, declaring Adrian the victor.

As he stepped off the platform, Adrian allowed himself a rare smile. 'One more match to go,' he thought. 'Let's see if our Masked Man reveals himself in this fight.'

'Probably he will, given his opponent being Cedric.'

_______ ___ _

The air in the arena was thick with anticipation as Cedric and the Masked Man took their positions at opposite ends of the arena. Cedric stood with his arms crossed, a confident, almost dismissive smile playing on his lips. His reputation as one of the strongest young Awakeners preceded him, and he knew it. He actually enjoyed it.

Across from him, the Masked Man was an enigma.

His face, hidden beneath the dark mask, betrayed no emotion. His posture was composed, his grip on his sword steady, yet there was a quiet intensity to him—a stillness that promised devastating action.

The crowd buzzed with excitement, the arena charged with the electric anticipation of two powerful combatants clashing.

"Let the match... begin!"

The announcer's voice rang out, signaling the start of the match.

Cedric wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a Wind Torrent, a powerful, sweeping current of air designed to unbalance and overwhelm opponents. The spell roared across the battlefield, stirring dust and debris in its wake as it rushed toward the Masked Man.

The Masked Man reacted swiftly, his sword shimmering faintly as it became infused with water and earth magic. He stepped into the torrent, slicing through the air currents with practiced precision. Each slash disrupted the spell's flow, breaking it apart into harmless gusts that dissipated before they could reach him.

The spectacle left the crowd in awe. The fluidity of the Masked Man's movements, coupled with the sharp contrast between Cedric's overwhelming power and the masked fighter's calculated defiance, was mesmerizing.

---

Cedric's smile faltered for the briefest of moments, replaced by a flicker of annoyance. 'How is he cutting through my wind so easily?'

The young prince's expression quickly returned to its usual calm confidence, but his movements became sharper, more aggressive. He raised both hands, conjuring multiple Air Blades—razor-sharp crescents of wind that converged on the Masked Man from all directions.

The Masked Man responded without hesitation, his sword dancing through the air in precise arcs. Each blade of wind was met with a strike, the water-imbued weapon dissipating the magic as if it were nothing more than mist.

The onlookers gasped. Cedric's attacks, so devastating against previous opponents, seemed almost ineffective against this mysterious combatant.

---

Cedric clenched his fists, irritation flashing in his eyes. 'This is not how it's supposed to go.'

He shifted tactics, layering his spells in a more complex sequence. A Gale Surge to knock the Masked Man off balance, followed by Vacuum Constrict, an advanced wind spell that would trap and crush him in a whirlwind.

The Masked Man moved like a shadow, dodging the initial surge with a sidestep so fluid it seemed almost inhuman. His sword glimmered as he struck the ground, sending a shockwave of water magic upward that disrupted the forming whirlwind.

Cedric's frustration grew.

He redoubled his efforts, pouring more Aether into his spells, determined to overwhelm his opponent with sheer power. Yet no matter how he attacked, the Masked Man countered with precision and ease, as though he were two steps ahead at all times.

---

The dynamics of the match began to shift. The Masked Man, who had started on the defensive, suddenly turned aggressive.

He advanced with a relentless ferocity, his strikes faster and stronger. Cedric was forced onto the backfoot, his earlier confidence and ego wavering under the onslaught. Each clash of their weapons sent shockwaves through the arena, the sheer force of the masked fighter's attacks leaving Cedric visibly shaken.

The onlookers were amazed and confused in equal measure. Cedric, who had dominated his earlier matches, now seemed vulnerable. Like, where did all of his powerful moves go?

"What's going on?" someone in the crowd whispered.

"Is Prince not as strong as he seemed, or is the Masked Man just this powerful?"

---

Cedric gritted his teeth, doing his best to maintain his composure. He raised his voice, trying to project confidence. "You're good, I'll give you that, but this match isn't over!"

The Masked Man didn't respond. His strikes grew even more forceful, his movements carrying an edge of something personal, something that felt like vengeance.

Cedric's mind raced as he parried another blow. 'Why does it feel like he's targeting me specifically?'

'This damn bas**d!'

---

The battle raged on, but it was clear to everyone watching that Cedric was struggling. His attacks were becoming less refined, his defenses increasingly desperate. The Masked Man, meanwhile, moved with the precision of a predator closing in on its prey.

Clang-!

The air in the arena grew heavier with every passing second as the Masked Man pressed his assault. Cedric's once-fluid movements turned rigid, his impeccable defense crumbling under the weight of relentless strikes.

Clang-!

Thud!

Each clash of steel echoed through the coliseum like a drumbeat of inevitability, followed by the sound of Cedric being driven backward, his feet scraping against the ground as he fought to regain balance.

The Masked Man didn't let up.

His attacks weren't wild or uncontrolled—they were precise and deliberate, like a predator savoring the torment of its prey before the final blow. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Cedric, the celebrated prince of power and dominance, was being systematically dismantled.

"Get up," the Masked Man's voice finally broke the tension, low and cold. It carried no malice, just an eerie detachment that made the taunt cut deeper. He pointed his blade at Cedric, who was on one knee, panting heavily.

"You're supposed to be stronger than this. Where's all that arrogance now?"

Cedric gritted his teeth, the humiliation twisting in his chest like a dagger. He surged to his feet, forcing himself to meet the Masked Man's gaze—or rather, the blank stare of the mask.

"You think this is over?" Cedric spat, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and desperation. "You don't know who you're messing with!"

The Masked Man tilted his head slightly. "I think I know exactly who I'm messing with."