Chapter 53 – The Guild Duel

The central guild arena was alive with noise, the air buzzing with the excitement of dozens of adventurers. Wooden stands were packed with spectators shouting over one another, betting on which party would win.

In the middle of the stone-floored arena, glowing blue runes pulsed, forming a perfect circle that served as the dueling boundary.

Guild Master, a broad-shouldered man in a crimson robe, raised his hand to silence the crowd. His voice boomed across the arena.

“Listen well! To determine the strength and coordination of the parties chosen to participate in the Ice Dragon Raid, we will be holding official guild duels today! No one will die—this arena is enchanted with protective wards. But if any member can no longer continue, their team will be declared defeated!”

The announcement was met with deafening cheers, making the atmosphere feel more like a festival than a serious test.

Zareen stood on one side of the arena alongside Yuna, Sari, and Doni. His heart thudded hard against his ribs. *So this is it. Our real trial begins now.*

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### The Fearsome Opponents

“Your opponents for this match,” the Guild Master continued, “are none other than one of the guild’s top elite parties—**Crimson Fang**!”

The crowd erupted, stomping on the wooden stands in excitement.

From the opposite gate, four adventurers strode into the arena with unshakable confidence. They wore armor polished to a mirror shine, their movements carrying the assurance of veterans who had dominated the guild rankings for years.

At the front was a tall man clad in black plate armor, a massive shield strapped to his arm. His grin was sharp, almost predatory.

“Hah! So these are our opponents? Just a bunch of rookies? This will be over before it even starts.”

Doni swallowed audibly. “Crimson Fang!? Are they trying to kill us!?”

Sari gritted her teeth and cracked her knuckles. “Relax. We’ve come this far—we’re not backing down now.”

Yuna said nothing. She simply stepped forward, her eyes narrowing, her sword gleaming faintly in the sunlight. Zareen knew that look—it meant she was already focused and ready to strike.

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### The First Clash

The bell rang. The blue runes flared brightly.

The duel had begun.

Crimson Fang’s tank charged first, slamming his shield into the ground. “Forward Strike!” The arena floor cracked as a shockwave rushed toward Zareen’s party.

“Barrier!” Zareen lifted his staff, and a translucent wall of light shimmered into existence just in time to absorb the blast. The wave dissipated harmlessly, leaving the crowd gasping in surprise.

Sari darted forward, her chain whistling through the air. “Poison Chain!” The weapon wrapped around one of their opponents, but the enemy cleric instantly countered with a cleansing spell, burning the chains away.

“Wha—!?” Doni panicked, raising his bow. “Meteor Shot! Lock target!” A rain of flaming arrows descended from the sky, drawing cheers from the spectators.

But the Crimson Fang sorcerer simply raised his staff and conjured “Wall of Flame,” creating a barrier of fire that burned away most of the arrows before they could land.

Zareen’s jaw tightened. *They’re good—too good. If we keep fighting head-on like this, we’ll be crushed.*

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### Zareen’s Strategy

“Yuna! Don’t rush in yet. Wait for my signal!” Zareen shouted over the clash of spells.

Yuna spared him a glance and gave a short nod.

Zareen focused, channeling his mana into a series of buffs. “Speed Up! Defense Up! Regen Active!”

Green and blue auras flared around the party, enhancing their movements and letting them breathe easier under pressure.

Sari lunged forward again, this time hooking her chain onto the enemy tank’s shield. She pretended to struggle, giving the impression she was being overpowered.

The tank took the bait, stepping forward with his guard lowered just a fraction.

“Now!”

Yuna’s sword slashed in a perfect arc, striking the exposed side of the shield. The clang rang out like thunder, and the veteran tank stumbled back several steps.

The crowd roared. “They actually pushed Crimson Fang back!?”

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### The Counterattack

Crimson Fang quickly regrouped. Their sorcerer raised his staff high, chanting in a deep, resonant voice.

“Thunderstorm!”

Bolts of lightning rained down across the arena, splitting the air with deafening cracks.

“Sanctuary!” Zareen planted his staff into the ground, summoning a dome of white light that enveloped his party. The magical storm crashed against the barrier, sparking and fizzling before fading.

But the strain was immense. Zareen’s arms trembled as sweat beaded on his brow. *I can’t keep blocking spells of this level forever…*

“Zareen…” Doni’s voice was tense as he loosed another arrow. “Can we even win against them?”

Zareen’s breath came heavy, but he managed a faint smile. “Winning isn’t the point. We just have to prove we deserve to stand on that battlefield.”

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### A Bit of Comic Relief

From the other side of the arena, Sari shouted, “Zareen! Heal me now or I’m—”

“Heal!” A brilliant light engulfed her, knitting her wounds closed.

Sari blinked, then grimaced. “Ugh, did you have to make it so bright!? I feel like a walking lantern!”

Despite his exhaustion, Doni burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Perfect! Now we won’t need torches in a night raid—we’ll just use Sari!”

“You little—!” Sari kicked him so hard he nearly toppled over.

Even some of the spectators laughed, the brief moment of humor making Crimson Fang glance their way with annoyed expressions.

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### The Duel’s End

The battle raged on for nearly half an hour. Neither side managed to land a decisive blow. Zareen’s team, though battered and bruised, held their ground against Crimson Fang’s relentless offense.

When the bell rang again, signaling the end of the match, everyone was breathing hard.

The Guild Master raised his hand. “Enough! Time is up! The match is declared—**a draw!**”

The arena erupted into cheers.

Zareen collapsed to one knee, gasping for air, while Yuna remained standing tall, her blade still at the ready. Sari and Doni flopped onto the ground, laughing breathlessly.

Crimson Fang’s leader approached, this time without his earlier smirk. “You… are stronger than I expected. You’ve earned your place.”

The Guild Master nodded, clearly pleased. “From this day, Zareen’s party is officially approved to participate in the Ice Dragon Raid!”

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### After the Match

Outside the arena, Doni dropped onto a bench with a dramatic groan, fanning himself with his bow. “Never again. No more duels. Next time I want our opponents to be… I don’t know, slimes.”

Sari snorted. “Please. You’d still panic and trip over your own bowstring.”

Zareen chuckled faintly, gazing up at the bright blue sky above the arena.

*We may not be an elite party, but we stood our ground against Crimson Fang. We’ve proven ourselves. And this… this is only the beginning.*