The magical barrier dissolved, and the roar of the crowd hit Lian like a wave. But contrary to what he expected, the shouts following him were not of joy or acclaim in his favor, but of hatred.
They had lost their bets, their hopes pinned on Brutus now shattered.
From the stands, Trevor cursed under his breath. "This rookie is ruining everything!"
Rebecca, on the other hand, smiled. "I bet he will surprise us again." her tone laced with quiet confidence.
Next to her, Christopher shook his head. "Let us see how long he lasts. After all, he will fight until he is defeated. And the boy does not have infinite mana."
anwhile, Lian was still on the stage. He had a determined expression as he observed the stands where those three, along with other people, were seated.
"So you planned this ga for , huh?" he murmured as the announcer declared his next challenger.
Lian knew it. He could not withdraw from the tournant without being defeated, unless he wanted to beco the laughingstock of the academy by retreating now.
He had won his first battle, and Lian was beginning to understand the level of humans. There were no fancy talents, only skill and technique.
They could not fight like Sera, using fire as an extension of her hand, nor like Seline, crushing enemies before they could even react.
But above all, they were in no way a match for Lian. His mana was many tis greater than that of others, and the sa applied to his recovery. He could face more challenges without issue. Not to ntion his destructive power, directly proportional to his spells.
Lian was not afraid of the factions. The only threat was those Bronze 5s, but he was not scared.
the announcer's voice bood, reigniting the crowd's fervor.
The crowd, which had stopped cursing at Lian, began cheering with renewed vigor. After all, the girl who had just stepped onto the stage was one of the beauties of the Silver Phoenix, a full-fledged Bronze 5!
"Go, Zery! Crush that guy!"
"Zery! You are stunning!"
"Zery-"
A flood of complints and comnts erupted from the stands the mont the girl stepped onto the ring, her arrival a spectacle in itself.
"Pleased to et you," she said with a friendly smile on her face. Her eyes looked like crescent moons as she slightly bowed her head in respect. "I am Zery. Do not worry, I will go easy on you!" her voice light but with a teasing edge.
The girl's words sounded almost ironic due to her small stature. She was short and petite, making her seem half of Lian's size.
"The pleasure is all mine-" Lian replied, returning the smile. "But do not worry, you do not have to go easy! I think I am strong enough—"
Damn, I did it again! I was arrogant. Lian thought the mont he finished speaking. I need to stop acting tough.
The announcer wasted no ti as everyone placed their bets. If before, one percent of the people had bet on Lian, making them rich, this ti the number of people betting on him could be counted on one hand.
Still, Rebecca was among those figures. It was not that she lacked faith in Zery; after all, she was part of her faction. However, she believed Lian had much more to show, her intuition sharp and calculating.
the announcer's voice thundered, signaling the start.
The mont the announcer finished his sentence, the sa runes as before activated again. The floor, cracked in several places from the previous battle, returned to normal as the blood spilled by Brutus vanished as if it had never been there.
Brutus himself had been carried away by two n on a stretcher. He would receive proper dical care and be back on his feet soon.
The barrier rose, and the mont it fully closed—
"…"
"…"
The two challengers rely stared into each other's eyes.
Lian's gaze turned strange. He had not expected his opponent, Zery, to remain as still as he was, her calmness an unexpected mirror to his own.
"I am stronger than you, so it is only fair that you make the first move." Zery smiled kindly, sending the crowd into a frenzy with her benevolence, her gesture amplifying their excitent.
Lian rely nodded as he launched simple wind blades toward the girl, who dodged them effortlessly, her movents fluid and graceful.
"You can do better!" Her smile remained unchanged as she extended a hand to cast her version of the wind blade. "Ventus Surge, Ventus Aeris."
The air in the ring grew thick with tension as Zery's wind blade shot toward Lian, cutting through the atmosphere with a sharp whistle, a deadly arc of compressed air.
The crowd, though inaudible behind the magical barrier, was clearly in a frenzy, with students leaning forward from the stands, their eyes wide with anticipation.
The speed and power of Zery's attack were on another level compared to Lian's. The difference between a Bronze 4 and a Bronze 5 was easily apparent to all.
This ti, the clash was between two Mages with an affinity for the sa elent, a battle of wind against wind.
Lian, of course, was not intimidated by this scene. With a shrug, he visualized a series of interlocking triangles.
"Ventus Surge, Scutum Aeris!" he chanted, his voice steady and focused.
A wall of compressed wind materialized in front of him, solid as a steel barrier but transparent as crystal. Zery's blade crashed against the wall, dispersing into a series of gusts that shook the floor, a perfect defense against her assault.
The runes on the tiles glowed for a fraction of a second as they absorbed the remaining energy of the attack.
The wall remained standing as Lian stared at Zery through it. "Not bad, but I told you. You do not have to hold back." he said, as with a casual gesture of his hand, the wind wall vanished. Maintaining an active spell consud mana.
Sure, Lian had plenty of mana, but wasting it was not part of his plan.
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