Chapter 116 - Jon Vs Alina: 60 Seconds
A/N: Sorry for not announcing earlier! A SPECIAL BIG THANKS to @Anton bygden @DDsurvivor @tetley --- You Guys are awesome and part the reason why this thing is still going!
Welcome to the Cult.
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[Hilda's POV]
Two of my most important people in the world are standing face to face against each other. I can't stand to watch it but I have to be the person who stands between them if something dangerous happened!
I looked at Nurina and she nodded. According to her, everything should go just perfect. It was her idea from the start but I would have chosen a better solution to make this happen.
Please, kids! Don't do anything reckless!
Jonhild stood to my left in his most impressive appearance wearing an armor that gave of a majestic air and a ferocious aura.
Alina stood to my right in her most beautiful appearance wearing a crimson dress that added more to her beauty.
After a few words of warning from me to make sure everything was not going to get in the wrong direction. I asked them to do the introduction.
Alina's turn came first but the Steward of the Moonblade, Ornulf, interpreted the introduction and made a problem. Jonhild is smiling but that's not a smile at all! Where did he learn it from?
But to say something like that to the one you are challenging! Even if it wasn't disrespectful to Jon, it is like slapping Nurina on the face and telling her the disciple she raised is nothing special. She is an Arch-Wizard for Kyne's sake.
Just as I was about to shout at him, the assassin girl that follows Jon around came forward. I don't like the girl but I see the way Jon looks at her, he completely accepted her as family. She also looks at him the same way I used to look at Jonrad before. According to Nurina, the girl is too submissive when it comes to Jon. A mother wouldn't like a girl like that around her son but Nurina wouldn't be cheated in people, that's why I took her word for it and didn't bother with the girl.
But when the girl stood in front of Jonhild and introduced him only by "This is Jon Dare!", the quiet hall applauded and no one remained his place. Jonhild is that popular.
I think the assassin girl can be trusted for now.
Steward Ornulf's face turn blue and walked away to his seat. He is an idiot through and through but he didn't know that he was talking to a Firemane. I'll let Alina handle him later.
The problem is... Alina's image in front of the students may get affected but that behavior.
Jonhild and Alina were now facing each other but I didn't see them putting on a fighting air just yet.
Jonhild smiled and spoke. "That was?"
"Ehem! Steward Ornulf from my clan!" Alina replied with a fresh smile.
Good! Jon is giving her some face.
"Haha! You should have told that Skywalker guy to make your introduction instead of that clown."
Mara's mercy! Here he goes!
"Wahahaha!" A loud laugh sounded! That was Nurina.
These two! They just don't have limits when it comes to badmouthing people. I could see Steward Ornulf's face turning green this time. He would have replied at Jonhild but Nurina's laugh sealed it.
Arch-Mage Savos tried to calm him down and glared at Nurina but she ignored him and kept stroking Jonhild's cat.
Alina, on the other hand, didn't know whether to laugh or cry so she remained silent.
I held a small hourglass in my hand and declared. "This one-minute hourglass will decide the start of the match as well as the one minute challenge between Jon and Alina. You two are ready?"
"Ready! ... Moonblade girl, I won't be going easy on you."
"I never asked for you to do so... Ready!"
"Dammit! You two, I forbid you from harming each other. Now, Fight!"
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[Jon's POV]
Just right before Hilda turns the hourglass, I gave an order to the System!
'System! Give me a 60 seconds countdown and keep it on screen!'
<01:00>
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[Hilda's POV]
"... Now, Fight!"
<00:59>
Jonhild and Alina took their staves with their right and evoked a spell on the left, not a second passed and there was a rune circle on the ground in front of each of them.
<00:58>
Both of them stuck the end of their staves in the middle of the rune circle and took a shiny thing from their bags then threw them on the rune circles. These appeared to be Soul Gems.
<00:57>
"Look at that! Grand Soul Gems!" The crowd was shocked from the appearance of the highest grade Soul Gems. But Jon and Alina were already moving.
<00:56>
They were moving in a complete synchronization and stood in front of their staves while preparing the next move. Their staves, on the other hand, were hovering over the rune circles casting magic on their own.
<00:55>
The synchronization continued and both kids cast a fortification magic on themselves with a hand and an attack spell on the other.
<00:54>
The synchronization ended at this point as Jonhild shot lightning magic and Alina shot wind magic. Both spells made contact and canceled one another. The one who fell short in the previous exchange was Alina. Jonhild's magic was just too fast.
<00:53>
The staves behind the kids finished their first cast in unison. From Alina's staff, a cyclone of wind appeared and charged against Jonhild. Near Jonhild's staff, void distorted and being was conjured. It was a Storm Atronach.
<00:52>
Jon faced the wind cyclone with a lighting spell but the cyclone was stronger than anything Alina cast until now. Jon was planning to cast the next spell at Alina but the wind cyclone withstood Jon's attack and kept advancing. Alina wanted to take advantage and attack Jon but the Atronach attacked her. Jon was about to fall short in this exchange.
<00:51>
<00:50>
<00:49>
The wind cyclone took four spells from Jon to stop. By that time his staff conjured one more Atronach and Alina's cast more wind cyclone.
<00:48>
Jon changed the spell to a stronger spell and finished the cyclone before it even moves by two attacks. Alina attacked him but he found the time to block with a ward.
<00:47>
Alina got pressured by the second Atronach as she failed to destroy the first in time. The second Atronach and Jon attacked her.
<00:46>
<00:45>
<00:44>
<00:43>
<00:42>
<00:41>
<00:40>
<00:39>
<00:38>
<00:37>
The exchanging continued, Alina was completely overwhelmed yet she managed to destroy one of the Atronaches but now four Atronaches are pressuring her. The wind cyclones her staff shoots were now being easily put down by Jon.
<00:36>
<00:35>
<00:34>
Alina was not able to take the pressure anymore and retreated behind her staff then took out a scroll from her bag. This was all legal.
<00:33>
In a second Alina spread the scroll and a strong magic came out of this. A strong wind cyclone much bigger than the ones her staff made rushed at Jon.
<00:32>
Jon looked at the large cyclone and decided it is troublesome, he retreated too and took his staff then jumped...
<00:31>
... to the side evading the large cyclone safely. The cyclone destroyed the four Storm Atronaches.
<00:30>
Alina took the chance while Jon was evading and shot a very fast wind slash at Jon. Dammit! Didn't I say no lethal spells?
<00:29>
Jon's reaction was a bit off. He only raised his hand.
<00:28>
The wind slash closed on Jon in a second or less. What only he did was to wave his hand at the incoming wind slash.
<00:27>
What happened next made me doubt what I saw. Jon slapped the wind slash with his hand and it got completely reflected and flew back at Alina.
<00:26>
Alina panicked and jumped to the side without any preparation. She managed to evade her reflected wind slash but fell on the ground.
<00:25>
A power was felt from Jon's body that resembled an Aura but that was magic. According to Nurina, this is called inner casting. Jon put the staff away and took the Saber in his side.
<00:24>
Alina jumped up as Jon started his charge at her, with nimble moves she jumped back and shouted. "Swords!"
<00:23>
Two swords were thrown from the direction of the crowd, this was that kid Svakin for sure. The swords flew towards Alina but Jon's charge was abnormally fast.
<00:22>
Magical power rose from Alina in the same way it did with Jon. Another inner casting.
<00:21>
Jon drew closer! Yet the swords arrived to Alina half a second faster. I was worried about Jon as it is considered madness to clash swords with a Moonblade, but Jon's speed made me worry about Alina. It seems that his inner casted spell was speed related.
<00:20>
Alina caught the two swords without drawing them and released her inner casted spell. Jon was slashing at her.
<00:19>
Alina's magic was released and a whirlwind got formed around her. Alina jumped in the middle of the whirlwind and her swords were unsheathed to reveal two beautiful Moon Sabers, the signature weapon of the Moonblade clan. With every single rotation, she would slash at the retreating Jon twice with the swords.
[A/N: Moon Sabers pic https://ibb.co/hHrqJp ]
<00:19>
<00:18>
<00:17>
<00:16>
Jon was smiling as he held the saber with both hands and activated its enchantment. After a few clashes, the swords fell from Alina's hand and she jumped away from Jon. She kept looking at the swords in disbelief but hastily managed to recollect her thoughts and put her hands in her bag.
<00:15>
Jon was about to cast lightning magic but he froze when he saw what Alina took out. She took out four scrolls like the one from before.
<00:14>
Alina spread the four scrolls at once. Four large cyclones were formed and charged at Jon.
<00:13>
<00:12>
<00:11>
Jon jumped hastily to the back, he retreated full speed to the end but he had no way to avoid the large cyclones. This is bad! Didn't I say not to use lethal spells? Just as I was about to interfere, Jon disappeared from his place and the large cyclone hit the wall.
<00:10>
The next thing I know, Jon appeared behind Alina. How is that even possible? The surprises didn't stop here Jon was already attacking Alina who got pale as she realized someone was behind her. The only thing we realized next was her voice shouting "WULD!".
<00:09>
<00:08>
<00:07>
Alina moved in an unbelievable speed away from Jon. Jon who was about to win was shocked. Everyone was shocked. I myself was shocked. Alina performed a Thu'um called 'Whirlwind Sprint' and evaded a critical hit. Amazing! Absolutely beautiful! But Jon was looking at Alina with a grin.
<00:06>
"Wuld!" Jon said the Thu'um. Why would he do that? Doesn't he know that a single word of power needs years upon years of training! He can simply do that.
<00:05>
"Wuld!" He said it again! Just stop it! You can't do it like that. I don't mind you let the minute pass through! At least we would have achieved...
<00:04>
"... WULD!" ... impossible! Just how?
<00:03>
Jon crashed into Alina and she was sent flying. Jon wasn't finished, Alina was falling and he was charging a lightning spell to cast at her. I looked at Nurina! She was opening her eyes wide. Do something! Hurry!
<00:02>
I looked at the hourglass! Only a few grains of sand left but Jon was casting the spell! I need to do something! I shouted "ONE MINUTE UP!"
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[Jon's POV]
<00:02>
"ONE MINUTE UP!" Hilda shouted early! No, only two seconds left! I can make it. I can...
<00:01>
"Huh?" The spell... It didn't come out! It was erased from my hand. My Magicka was...
<TIME UP>
... Blocked!
Who did that?
Why?
I looked to the side.
Hilda shouted a bit early! Nurina was smiling!
Wait!
Nurina! Did you just cast 'Silence' on me?