Defeat as a Catalyst for Growth

 Akira's Perspective

The moment Eric and Clara relied on their chant magic, I saw it as an opportunity to change our tactics.

Elise had previously shared Clara's weakness with me—the difficulty she had controlling long-range magic.

For reasons unknown, it seemed as though she knew them as if they were old friends.

If true, the moment they cast their Long Master Fire would be our chance...

"Now! Elise, counterattack!" I shouted.

Calmly responding, Elise summoned "Wind Spiral," and in sync, I unleashed "Advanced Fire."

The two spells merged.

The Master Long Fire they had launched veered off wildly, while our fiery whirlwind engulfed Eric and Clara.

Caught off guard by our unexpected assault, they momentarily faltered, giving us the chance to further increase the distance.

"That worked well, Akira. We managed to disrupt their rhythm," Elise analyzed the situation.

"Yes, thanks to you, Elise. But we can't let our guard down. The real challenge with Eric and Clara is just beginning."

With that, we had revealed our hand—the entire strategy laid bare.

It was now up to them to respond.

Although Eric and Clara momentarily lost their balance, they quickly regrouped and launched even fiercer attacks.

We countered with defensive and evasive spells, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, exploiting their fatigue.

The tension in the arena was palpable.

The audience held their breath, watching the unfolding battle.

Each successful strike from us was met with cheers.

"The final blow. Are you ready, Akira?" Elise checked with me.

"Yes, I'm ready anytime."

We gathered our remaining strength and launched "Phoenix Storm," a chant magic that combined the forces of fire and wind into a gigantic phoenix shape, soaring towards Eric and Clara.

"I'll withstand this!" Eric declared, desperately defending.

But our magic was overwhelming, dealing significant damage to their magical armor.

The match was decided.

The referee declared our victory, and the arena erupted in joyous cheers.

Elise and I looked at each other, sharing the joy of our victory, feeling the bond that had grown beyond just teammates.

"We did it, Akira!"

"It's all thanks to you, Elise!"

Sweating, we high-fived.

I offered my hand to a seated Eric, but he rejected the handshake.

"No way... I... I can't accept this..."

He hadn't accepted his defeat.

Eric's rejection, a sign of his wounded pride, was something I could understand.

Since arriving in this world, it had been one setback after another.

It was those challenges that had allowed me to grow so much.

Now, it was his turn to grow.

As we left the arena, we received warm applause from the spectators, each clap celebrating our effort and victory.

Back at the academy, our peers were waiting to celebrate our victory.

It was the moment I, once considered a loser at the academy, was finally recognized.