The first battle of the tournament for Barthalamew, he was standing across from the cosmic magus which made him extremely nervous... Never before had he the chance to go against one, but there was a first for everything and this tournament happened to be one of those things that just needed to be given a shot.

Kicking it off he would rush in with a statically charged fist of lightning and unleash a massive burst upon a successful hit. There was nothing like the rush of battle as his foe retaliated with powerful cosmic magic, he tried his very best to remain at a distance from them as he had learned from just about every fight he had been in.

Some might consider how he fought to be ridiculous as he maneuvered himself away from the foe, but it was all in the essence of winning. Pushing across the field only to be met by them charging full force, it was a growingly intense bout as he wished to just maintain the entire arena as a distance between them.

Alas, one final charge and with a fist of lightning he would manage to strike down the foe. Yet, he too was dragged down from a blast of cosmic energy. This was one of those times he realised that his heart was just racing away. The first battle, successful... Oh how Granny would be proud!

"Thank you for the bout, it was an honor to fight against you."
(Barthalamew Otho)
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They had never dealt with lightning before, and at first she had to adjust her tactics to what was happening.. Her cosmic flowing around her in an intense golden/crimson flurry.

One could feel the star's anguish were they attuned to the cosmos, the girl draining mana from it forcefully.

The two clash in a flurry of lightning and cosmic, the girl forced not to reveal her Occultism, having held herself back for years now was unfortunate.. She was unsure if she could truly call it up now if she needed it.

Her staff rings across their battlefield, stray bolts of lightning blasting into the sand as they glanced off of the mythril armament.

She cast her hand forwards, a single attempt for a final coup... The Shadows lunge, but they were just to slow to snag her opponent.. She lunged herself, hoping to clash into them and take them down first.

They were both blasted into the dirt and apart from the other.. Though it was determined by the one who struck first, and it was the lightning Magi.

She rose to her feet, that stolen celestial energy fading, those shadows not dissipating as they always had before.. instead..?

They clung to her like a cloak, bound to her by her negative will at her loss.

Unacceptable.

"There is only honor in the shedding of blood, and in true combat, this was but a game.. Congratulations though." She jumps, cosmic magic allowing her to ascend back into the stands.

Her smile as she departed bore nothing but malice.
(Duana Kurokaiyo)