A sharp crack echoed through the air as rlin vanished from his spot.
Seraphina's breath hitched.
'Fast—!'
Before she could react, a sudden gust of wind howled past her. Her instincts scread at her, but it was already too late—
CLANG!
Adrian barely managed to block. His axe trembled as it t rlin's rapier, the impact forcing him to skid backward.
'Shit—!'
Ice exploded beneath Seraphina's feet as she launched herself forward, her body twisting mid-air. She conjured a jagged ice spear in her hand and hurled it at rlin's head.
rlin didn't even turn to look.
He tilted his head slightly, letting the spear graze past his cheek before it embedded itself into the ground behind him.
Then he spoke.
"…That's all?"
Adrian clenched his teeth.
'He's toying with us.'
Without hesitation, he swung his axe downward, a burst of water surging behind the attack.
BANG!
The ground shattered under the force—
But rlin was already gone.
A blur of movent—then Adrian felt sothing cold press against his throat.
rlin's rapier.
"…Too slow," rlin muttered.
Adrian barely had ti to react before—
CRACK!
A massive ice wall erupted between them.
rlin clicked his tongue as he dashed backward, watching the thick barrier form.
Seraphina landed beside Adrian, her hands outstretched as cold mist billowed from her fingers.
"Stay sharp," she murmured.
Adrian exhaled, steadying himself. "Like I have a choice."
On the other side of the ice wall, rlin exhaled slowly, gripping his rapier.
Then, ever so slightly—
He smiled.
'Not bad. They are better than I had anticipated. I guess this much is expected from the team of the protagonist huh?'
Looks like things were finally getting interesting.
The ice wall cracked slightly, mist curling along its edges as Seraphina reinforced it with another layer of frost.
Adrian exhaled sharply. "That was way too close."
Seraphina didn't respond. Her eyes remained locked on the barrier, waiting for movent.
Then—
CRACK.
The entire wall seed to be cracking down like a glass wall.
Adrian's eyes widened. "Wait, did you—?"
Seraphina's expression darkened. "That's not my doing.."
SHATTER!
A chunk of the ice collapsed, revealing nothing but an empty field.
Adrian and Seraphina both tensed.
'Where is he—?!'
A gust of wind roared from behind them.
Adrian turned just in ti to see rlin—standing directly behind Seraphina.
His rapier was already moving.
CLANG!
'W-What the hell is that speed—'
Seraphina barely managed to raise an ice blade in ti, blocking the thrust at the last second. Her arm numbed from the impact, but she grit her teeth and retaliated—forming jagged ice spikes beneath rlin's feet.
"Too slow."
rlin's voice was calm—almost lazy.
His foot flickered out of existence for a split second, his body twisting unnaturally as he avoided the ice spikes with minimal movent.
[Trickster's Reflex.]
A skill designed for unpredictable dodging—his body automatically adjusted to avoid lethal strikes.
Adrian lunged, swinging his axe in a wide arc.
rlin leaned back at an impossible angle, the axe barely missing his chest as he subtly brushed his hand against Adrian.
[Courier's Mark.]
A subtle pulse of mana spread outward as rlin left a mark on Adrian.
Adrian had no idea.
Seraphina, however, was already moving—her eyes narrowing as she summoned a sharp, spear-like icicle and thrust it toward rlin's head.
rlin smirked.
FWOOSH!
His body warped, disappearing in an instant as he used both his wind and space affinity to boost his speed even further.
He reappeared midair, several ters away.
Adrian froze. "Wait—how the hell—is he so fast?!"
Seraphina's gaze snapped toward rlin's new position.
"What the hell is with that speed…?"
rlin casually spun his rapier, landing lightly on the frozen ground.
"I'm just that guy," he said, flashing a grin.
Seraphina's mind raced.
'Space magic… but not high-tier...it can't be that high…That ans—he's using so kind of tricks—'
To her, rlin wasn't just teleporting—it seed like he was jumping to locations.
However, she was pretty wrong.
Her blood ran cold as she felt a sudden uneasiness.
"…Adrian, move!"
But Adrian had already felt it. rlin had activated the skill to teleport back to Adrian.
Adrian felt a sharp pull—an invisible force yanking his body forward. Like he was fighting against space itself.
He spun right into rlin's waiting blade.
CRACK.
rlin's rapier pierced through Adrian's side. Making it appear like a shattered glass panel.
Adrian's breath hitched as pain flared through his torso. He barely managed to stumble backward, trying to clutch the imaginary wound like a dumbass…
Seraphina lashed out, sending a wave of ice shards toward rlin.
rlin vanished again using his affinities.
This ti, he reappeared above her. He was moving so fast it was nearly impossible for them to follow.
His foot slamd down.
BAM!
Seraphina barely managed to block with an ice barrier, but the force sent her skidding across the frozen ground.
rlin landed smoothly, stretching his neck.
"Man," he sighed. "I was expecting a bit more."
Seraphina slowly stood, her breathing uneven.
Adrian coughed, gripping his axe. "I don't know what the hell you are using…but it's bullshit."
rlin grinned.
"Thanks."
—
The arena erupted into chaos.
"Did you see that?! He has multiple affinities?! A deviant?!"
"Holy shit, that's fucking aura… he's playing with them like it's nothing…!"
"Who the fuck is this rlin Everhart?! Is he a genius?!"
Victoria sat back, an amused smile on her lips as she listened to the crowd's frantic shouts. Her eyes, however, never left the massive screen broadcasting the battle.
Her brother was still fighting.
Still winning.
'Just how many secrets are you hiding, little brother?'
—
The teacher's room was silent.
Or at least, it should have been.
"Bahahahaha!"
Morgana nearly doubled over, gripping her stomach as laughter shook her entire body.
"He's toying with them!" She wiped away an imaginary tear, her grin widening.
"…"
The rest of the instructors watched in silence. The fight was reaching its climax—but then, sothing new happened.
Soone else had appeared.
"Who the hell is that?"
Aldric's voice cut through the quiet as the screen zood in on a black-haired figure approaching rlin's battle.
—
'…Hm?'
A chill ran down rlin's spine.
It wasn't fear.
More like… that strange sensation of being watched.
'Whatever. I need to finish this first.'
He raised his hand.
A whip of water ford, twisting and curling as it stretched outward.
Adrian stiffened.
"W-Water too?! Are you kidding ?!"
Seraphina's breath hitched, her ice-cold composure shaking for the first ti.
Adrian, anwhile, stood there—frozen like a lake in midwinter. His lips trembled, curving into a hollow smile.
rlin's voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Let's end this."
CRACK.
The whip lashed forward.
Seraphina reacted instantly, summoning a wall of ice—but she was too slow.
The attack was re inches from striking when—
CLANG!
rlin's water whip collided with two daggers mid-air.
He clicked his tongue. "Ah, seriously?"
His gaze shifted to the newcor—a figure standing at the end of his whip, darkness seeping from his very being.
'Average entrance for a main character.'
Nathan stood firm, twin daggers gleaming in his hands.
Seraphina and Adrian were behind him now—Adrian still trembling, Seraphina gripping her sword tighter.
Nathan took a slow breath.
"rlin," he started, his voice shaking. "Please. Just give up. We don't have to fight."
His daggers lowered slightly, his stance loosening.
rlin?
He just smiled.
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