Adrastos vs. Zai

There were three wins under Adrastos Thanatos' name, but not many knew his name. Only once did he slip up and call himself by his real name, but no more would he make that mistake. Inside other countries, he would be known as Neo Mortem, a magician from Magnostadt and that's it. That new identity wasn't enough to chase the jitters of this battle away. Zai, a Fanalis who was slowly rising to fame, would be his opponent today. Te Fanalis race was not uncommon to see in the Coliseum. After all, they were strong, built for combat in most cases, and craved the adrenaline that a fight would provide. They were brutal and merciless.

Adrastos didn't wait for the door to open. He opened it himself and pushed forward, listening as the doors shut behind him with a heavy groan. There was a  flash of lightning and rumble of thunder that ripped through the dark clouds above. Rain was pouring down in huge amounts, and the battleground was turned into a muddy terrain that could be easily slipped on, but was also capable of being used to one's advantage if they knew how to use their surroundings properly. Adrastos though it was funny for it to be raining since he was a water magician, but he couldn't do anything other than use the spells he had already learned.

The Fanalis before his eyes smiled at Adrastos with a crooked grin that exposed his white teeth. However, Adrastos did not show fear and only stared with cold eyes at his opponent. Zai was like any other Fanalis with a love for fighting. He stood straight with one hand on his hip and the other at his side, hanging limp. He had long wild red hair, the color typical for him being a Fanalis, but it's length and matted disorder did nothing to hide his long, pointed ears. Unlike Adrastos' previous opponent, Rufi, this man had no facial hair. The clothing he wore was dark, consisting of darkened blues, or perhaps a purple-ish color, with some red and white. He even had a cape for crying out loud, as if it made him look more stylish. His body was lean, possibly still strong since he probably had many brawls in the past. The Fanalis carried no weapon. Was he going to use his bare hands? The idea terrified him more than Rufi's sword and shield, or Silver Fox's metal ball, or Lady Antonius' bladed fans. If we was able to fight and win with only his knuckles, then what chance did the magician have? The mage began to think the worst, that he would going to die. He had thought that the last two times though, so the chances were slim. Slim only, but still possible.

No words were exchanged. This was a fight. The Fanalis was the first to move, starting off at a slow paced jog before reaching a total speed of 10 m/s. The mud splashed underneath his footing. Adrastos found himself hoping that Zai would fall. it was a foolish idea, but he could dream, couldn't he? Adrastos shook his head to focus. Once Zai was within 10 meters, Adrastos casted his first spell, Aqua Fluctus. He side-stepped easily without even losing his footing on the muddy wet field and used Bursting Strike. The corkscrew punch was aimed at the magician's chest, but he put his borg up in the nick of time to cancel out the move. Then, Zai used a Flurry of Blows and Feints, many of the punches being fake while some of them hit him across his upper body and face. Adrastos stumbled back and casted Glacies Spica, a spell that caused shards of ice to shoot upward from underneath his foe's feet. It didn't do much damage, but Adrastos wasn't going for the knock out blow yet. It was too soon. Zai laughed, issuing another Bursting Strike. Since Adrastos could not use his borg, the attack hit him right in the chest. At least four rubs broke instantly, and Adrastos' couldn't breathe after having the air knocked out of his lungs. He didn't know what type of damage was done internally, but if his lungs were punctured, he wouldn't last much longer due to drowning in his own blood. Adrastos coughed blood into his hand and swung his fist at Zai like he was a pesky bug flying around. Zai pulled his arm back, preparing for another punch, but Adrastos quickly  staggered away, casting Audrustum Aura II, freezing the air around Zai in a 10mx10mx10m space, dealing frostbite to through the mucsles, followed by Glacialis Lamnia. Adrastos watched as Zai fell on his back and into the mud. With a huge groan, the blue mage fell to his knees. It was time to take a break from Coliseum fighting. Four matches was enough for him for now.

The crowd cheered as usual, some disappointed by the loss of Zai, but some just happy to see a good battle.