Serah Crimson's solution had always been simple.
—Destruction!
By raising her Magic beyond the realm within reason, Serah had access to the most destructive Magic that could lay waste to anything.
That was what Transcendental Magic meant to her.
"V-very well, then. Shall we begin?" Aurora spoke, hiding her surprise...
... And anxiety.
"Yeah! Let's do this!"
This fight began as a friendly spar between two friendly nations, but now... it had escalated beyond that.
Though no one directly said it, everyone knew that this was a turning point of the trite belief among both the Human and Elf Race.
A match to determine which among them was superior!
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"Oi, oi, oi!" The Mana I was sensing was dangerous.
If I wasn't certain of the protection granted by the Sacred Tree's Magic, I would have definitely called this whole thing off.
As Aurora readied her brightly colored staff, Serah steadied her posture.
Both women were smiling like the nutjobs they were, and I could only powerlessly watch as they would decimate the area.
I had initially thought of how this match would go, but now I really had no idea what would happen next.
Glancing at both the Elves and humans, I could tell that everyone seemed to be wondering the same thing.
Who would win?!
**********************
>BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
Scarlet aura burst forth from Serah, covering her nearby vicinity with an oppressive heat that melted the very fabric of air around her.
The heat of Mana around was strong enough to vaporize anything that came even the slightest bit close.
The density was beyond ordinary, and this surge of energy kept swelling at an uncontrollable rate.
Rising and peaking to a phenomenal degree, it ascended far above the stage. Everyone watched the brilliant display of her beautifully deadly Mana.
However, this was only the beginning.
>VWWUUUUUUUSSSSSHHHHHH<
The entire energy began condensing.
It rapidly shrunk, swirling around Serah's hand.
Such dense Mana was already unbelievable. To compress it even further was downright impossible, yet that was exactly what was happening.
Reality seemed to be shattering, and the atmosphere couldn't handle its power.
If anyone was to step foot into the stage, they knew their deaths were imminent.
The only reason the two women were fine was because of the enhancements they had on them.
Their Mana was enough to protect them from the power exuded by Serah's concentrated energy.
It finally settled on her fist. Like flames covering her hand, the energy had taken a different color.
It was no longer scarlet. Instead, it took on a more malevolent color.
—Vermillion!
"Here I go!" Serah shouted, readying her body as she focused on the enemy.
Aurora hadn't been slacking off while Serah was preparing her attack.
She too was focusing her energy to resonate with the Mana dwelling within the staff.
Usually, the surrounding Mana would have come to her aid, but Serah's overwhelming energy had completely destroyed every trace of Mana around.
If not for the dense protection Aurora had on her, the defensive Spell would have also been eaten away.
'This is... even fiercer than Miasma!'
Demonic Energy was a corroding element that corrupted Mana slowly. But Serah's own simply burned them away.
The effect was instantaneous, therefore it was more dangerous than Miasma.
Aurora tightened her grip on the Spirit Weapon she wielded. It gave her the confidence needed to face the calamity head-on.
Any wrong move would be fatal, she was aware. Mana was no longer coming to her aid. That meant one thing.
'Here and now... I have to stop that myself!'
No, not just stop it. Aurora had to overcome the energy.
The amount of power it would take to achieve such a frat was incalculable, so she simply poured all she had into the staff.
>VWWWWWWUUUUUUUUUSSSSSHHHHH!!!<
Instantly, the crystalization of energy manifested, and an arrow appeared.
It looked more like a drill than an actual arrow, but this projectile was spinning Mana at an abnormal rate.
The more it spun, the more power it emitted. The blue glow was in direct contrast with Serah's vermillion fist.
The atmosphere swelled with the respective Mana of the two women.
A fist versus an arrow.
Two Transcendental calamities were about to unfold.
"VERMILLION Burst!"
"HARBINGER OF RUPTURE!"
>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<
As soon as Serah leaped from her position, Aurora released her hold on the arrow.
The sound was deafening, and the Suge sent reverberating echoes across the hall.
Everyone trembled in their seats, attesting to the two powers that neared each other.
Faster than the regular eye could process, these two forces clashed.
And then, just as they clashed...
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!<
... Everything turned white.
****************************
I saw it all.
It was tasking, but I made sure to focus my absolute attention on the battle.
I watched everything!
As Serah leaped from her position and launched her fist.
As the devastating drill clashed with the vermillion blow.
Everything turned extremely bright—but I did not lose focus.
I made sure to see beyond the blinding light and watch the outcome of the match.
Who would win?
Their attacks both contained transcendental powers. In essence, they couldn't be measured.
Serah's blow was supposed to decimate anything and everything.
Aurora's arrow was meant to pierce all and devastate everything in its path
The result of these impossible forces colliding was what I wanted to see.
And so, I did.
"Haaa... it's a shame." Serah whispered, staring at her opponent.
The entire arena—which had been fortified with Transcendental Magic—was already destroyed.
"Indeed..." Aurora replied, looking at the former.
The two were completely unharmed. Their surroundings had suffered such terrible casualties, yet none of them were injured.
"Looks like it's a tie."
And so, just as the battle had reached an overwhelming crescendo, the climax finally settled.
Everyone's anxious expressions dissipated, and their questions were ultimately left unanswered.
"We should stop here for now." Aurora smiled, taking a good look around her.
"I suppose. It is a friendly spar, after all."
Even though it was a bit too late to call their fight that, it seemed the two women insisted that was all it had been.
I didn't want to imagine what an actual fight would be like for them.
'I'm strong, but those two...'
They were on a realm higher than mine. As much as I enjoyed the match, everything I witnessed left a deep impression on me.
To be honest, I was humbled.
"There are such monsters in this world, uh?" Grateful they were both my allies, I smiled bitterly.
'I still have a long way to go!'