**2/2**
**12k out of 140k book**.
Chamada’s voice cut across the Arena in a howling shout.
“This is it! The first round of the finals! BEGIN!” Chamada shouted.
Claire immediately dashed from his place on the sand towards his opponent, Gregor the Bold lifted his pillar and swung it low to the ground sending a wave of sand up into the air. Claire swung his sword at the wall of sand, and the force of his swing was enough to cut it horizontally, just in time for Gregor’s pillar to appear through the empty section of the sand wall and start its terrifyingly fast journey towards Claire’s head.
Gregor’s arm suddenly began moving much slower for some reason, and it gave Claire enough time to leap up into the air and twist over the pillar, only just clearing it in time. His sword had already begun to glow a bright red before he had even left the ground. Claire touched down and, with a swing of his sword, unleashed a wave of fire that smashed into the sand and overran it in an instant.