"I didn't think you had the ability to wield magic," Rebecca said as her powerful magic power clashed against William's.
William smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There are many things you don't know about me."
"Well, you're not wrong."
"Right?"
The two once again increased the strength of their magical powers. A sound that was similar to something cracking spread across the arena as both of their magical powers tried to overwhelm each other.
Suddenly, both of them took a step forward and disappeared from where they stood. The sound of crystals breaking reverberated in the air as both of them fought each other, using weapons made from ice.
With each clash, their weapons would shatter.
With each exchange another explosion would take place.
Eleanor's eyes widened in shock because she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Shepherd was actually using ice magic, and from the looks of it, he was an expert in wielding its power.
Back then, when she was still in the Hellan Kingdom, William didn't show any signs that he was able to use Ice Magic. Even when he fought against Kingsley and won, he never showcased this kind of mastery over magic.
Lady Miriam, the one who had suffered humiliation under William's hands, was equally shocked at the scene in front of her. She had thought that the red-headed teenager had managed to clear the 51st Floor as a warrior, and not as a magician. She even thought that someone was impersonating William to battle in his place.
Thea, who was paying close attention to the battle, frowned. According to the information that she had gathered from Eleanor and Lady Miriam, William didn't have any affinity with magic. Since that was the case, she could only think that the Half-Elf had a fortuitous encounter.
However, the one who was most shocked of all was Lawrence.
The Old Fox of Griffith had used his magic to appraise William during his visit to Lont. As an Archmage, his sensitivity to magic was higher than most. During that time, he didn't sense any kind of Magical Power inside William's body. Even if the boy had hidden this talent, Lawrence would have been able to unearth it due to his uncanny ability.
"You. Explain this to me," Lawrence glared at James. "How did your grandson manage to be able to use Magic?"
James glanced at the Old Fox whose veins were at the verge of popping out of his head.
"What's there to explain?" James asked back. "William is my grandson. Naturally, he is as talented as me. Wielding magic is as easy as breathing to him. When he was ten years old, he killed a Millennial Beast using Ice Magic."
Everyone that was seated near James wanted to drown him in spit. They completely ignored the old man's claim about William being as awesome as him, because bragging was James' natural disposition.
However, even if you beat them silly, they would never believe that a ten-year-old had been able to slay a Millennial Beast using Ice Magic.
They were not little kids that could be tricked so easily!
"Impossible! Do you think I'm a gullible child?" Lawrence wanted to slap James out of anger because he thought that the old coot was joking with him.
James shrugged as he shifted his attention back to the battle that was currently happening in the arena.
"I answered your question," James answered. "Whether you believe it or not is completely up to you. I wouldn't lose sleep over something so trivial. He is my grandson, so him being awesome is only natural."
William and Rebecca both took a step back and distanced themselves from each other. After fighting in close range, the Half-Elf was pleasantly surprised that his opponent was also proficient in close combat.
Not all mages could do this. This only meant that Rebecca had undergone extensive training in both her magical and close quarter abilities.
Rebecca waved her hands simultaneously and hundreds of Icicle shards flew in William's direction.
The Half-Elf didn't make a move to dodge Rebecca's strike and simply stomped his right foot.
Suddenly, several pillars of ice that formed a triangle appeared in front of him, deflecting the ice shards and making them bounce off his improved Ice Wall.
Elliot and Conan had flown outside of the arena and acted as spectators. William had said that this would be a one-on-one battle, so they were not allowed to interfere.
After Rebecca's icicle barrage lost its power, William stomped his left foot on the ground and several ice shards protruded on the ground, charging in his opponent's direction.
These shards were over two meters tall, and looked incredibly sharp and deadly.
Rebecca jumped upwards and spun in the air, creating an ice tornado. It absorbed the ice shards and flung it in different directions.
Naturally, the protective barriers of the Arena activated, preventing their attacks from harming the people who were watching the battle as they ate, and drank. For most of the guests, this was the reason why they visited the Misty Sect. It was all just entertainment, and a way to gauge William's overall strength.
They wanted to see the power that allowed him to conquer the Devil's Floor and open a new era to mankind.
Empress Andraste's eyes never left William. She was dissecting his every move, his usage of magical power, and even his breathing.
As the battle progressed, she was liking the Half-Elf more and more because the way he fought was outstanding for his age. There were very few individuals who could achieve such mastery, but she knew that both fighters were still not using their trump cards.
"I'm sure this warmup will end soon," Empress Andraste muttered as she glanced at her daughter, Lilith, who was also paying close attention to William. She hadn't even looked at Rebecca once when the fight started.
Ephemera and her two companions were chatting casually as the battle waged on. For them, this wasn't a big deal, especially for Ephemera.
As one of the Virtues that specialized in combat, her only concern was whether both fighters would fight with the intention to kill. It was very easy for her to tell that neither of the two combatants showed any killing intent towards each other.
In her eyes, the two were just playing house, and it was not the least bit exciting.
Suddenly, an idea came to her head. She gathered a bit of her magical energy in her hand, as she looked at the ongoing battle in the distance.
Just as she was about to subtly interfere with the battle, she felt a stinging pain in her hand, which almost made her cry out loud.
"Just watch," a little girl with fairy-like wings hovered in front of her face with her arms crossed over her chest. "My disciple is fighting. If you don't want me to smash your face, you better keep your hands in the right place."
William's sixth Master, Chloee, eyed Ephemera like an annoying pest. She had just arrived at the banquet, and was just in time to see the battle. However, when she felt the subtle fluctuation that was gathering in Ephemera's hand, she knew that the girl with long purple hair was planning to play a dirty trick towards her disciple.
This was something that she couldn't allow to happen, so she immediately went to slap her hand, which made Ephemera cry out in pain.
"Y-You!" Ephemera said through gritted teeth.
She had met Chloee in the past, and knew how scary this little familiar was.. Even someone as arrogant as her would not dare to antagonize this little juggernaut who liked to smash furniture, and people's faces.
