Arlon didn't answer. Instead, he activated Eyes of K*T**.
Ti slowed.
The movents of the battle stretched out before him like fras in a perfectly controlled sequence.
He could see the way Mirek's feet were positioned, the minute shifts in his muscles as he prepared his next attack.
Arlon scanned his opponent, watching every detail unfold in slow motion.
Mirek (Level 102)
HP: 35,000
Skill: Divine Aura, Auto-Barrier, Light Step
Weak Points: Lower Right Rib, Left Shoulder (Old Injury)
Arlon's eyes flicked to Mirek's shoulder. The way he moved—powerful, but slightly off-balance—suggested the old injury still affected his mobility.
More importantly, he was fast.
Even though Arlon could easily keep up, he recognized that against most opponents, Mirek's combination of speed, barrier-based defense, and offensive holy magic would be overwhelming.
Mirek twisted his wrist, and a staff appeared in his hand, materializing from thin air in a flash of golden light. Without hesitation, he swung it downward, the tip glowing with divine energy.
Arlon dodged effortlessly, stepping to the side and letting the weapon pass through empty air.
But before he could counter, Mirek's other hand moved, palm open.
A burst of golden light exploded at point-blank range.
A delayed spell—he had used his swing as a feint.
Smart.
The explosion sent Arlon skidding backward, the impact strong enough to rattle even the reinforced arena floor.
Mirek was already moving again, closing the gap instantly. He wasn't giving Arlon ti to counter.
His combat style was aggressive and relentless—unlike any priest Arlon had ever faced.
The audience gasped.
"He's pushing Arlon back?"
"No way. How strong is Mirek?"
Arlon, still in slowed perception, calmly adjusted his footing.
Mirek was powerful, yes. But there was a flaw.
Every movent he made, every attack he threw—it was all backed by divine magic. He relied entirely on his skills.
Which ant...
If I disrupt his flow, he loses everything.
Obviously, Arlon could easily won if he didn't want this fight to go on. His main objective was to learn more about how priests fought, and also to show it to Carole.
Mirek lunged forward, swinging his staff in an arc ant to control the space around him. A blinding trail of golden energy followed behind, creating an unavoidable wall of light.
Or so he thought.
Arlon moved.
Without hesitation, he stepped through the light.
For a brief second, he vanished into the radiance, his form blending with the golden glow—then, he was behind Mirek, completely unhard.
Mirek's eyes widened in shock.
Arlon didn't give him ti to react.
With a single, fluid motion, he brought the flat of his blade up and struck Mirek's shoulder, targeting the old injury.
Mirek staggered, his body jerking from the unexpected pain. His auto-barrier flickered—but before it could fully activate, Arlon pressed the advantage.
He kicked Mirek's leg out from under him.
Mirek barely had ti to process what was happening before Arlon's blade stopped just short of his throat.
Silence.
The golden glow around Mirek dimd. His auto-barrier was still active, but Arlon had already proven it wouldn't save him.
If this had been a real battle, the fight would be over.
Mirek clenched his jaw, then let out a breath. "Tch… I surrender."
Orlen, watching from the side, nodded. "Winner: Arlon."
The barrier around the arena faded, signaling the end of the duel.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then—
"That was insane!" a student shouted.
A wave of excited murmurs filled the stands. Even those who had expected Arlon to win hadn't expected him to dismantle Mirek so effortlessly.
"Does this an i is Arlon's now?"
"Idiot, she is a living being, she doesn't belong to anyone."
"You know what I an! Mirek needs to step back now."
"He dug his own grave."
Mirek, still kneeling, exhaled sharply and looked up at Arlon.
"You really are sothing else," he muttered, half-annoyed, half-impressed.
Arlon finally deactivated Eyes of K*T**. Ti resud its normal flow, and he sheathed his sword.
"You're strong," Arlon said simply.
Mirek let out a short laugh. "Not strong enough." He stood up, rolling his shoulder as if testing it. "Still... I get it now. Why i's so interested in you."
Arlon gave him a blank stare. "Interested in what?"
Mirek smirked. "Never mind." He turned to Orlen, giving a nod. "Thanks for overseeing."
With the match concluded, the students exploded into chatter.
Zack pumped a fist into the air. "Hell yeah! That was aweso!"
i sighed, rubbing her temples. "Great, now Arlon's fan club is gonna be even bigger."
anwhile, Carole, who had watched the match very carefully, tightened her grip on her sleeves.
She finally understood what Arlon ant earlier.
---
Mirek and i stepped away from the crowd, finding a quieter spot near the edge of the training grounds. The excited murmurs of students still echoed in the background, but here, it felt more personal.
Mirek exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I lost. So... I won't be going after you anymore."
i crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Are you an idiot or sothing? You should've given up even before the duel."
Mirek blinked. "Huh?"
i sighed. "I'm not a prize, Mirek. You don't win or lose in a duel. What kind of logic is that?"
Mirek quickly waved his hands in protest. "No, no! That's not what I ant! I never saw you that way. I just... wanted to prove that I was stronger than Arlon."
i scoffed. "And look how that turned out."
Mirek winced, rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah... not exactly how I imagined it."
"You still don't get it, do you?" i shook her head. "I won't be interested in soone just because he's stronger than or soone else. That's only one of the conditions I have for myself."
Mirek straightened up slightly, regaining so confidence. "I know that, but I'm sure I et the other conditions." He gave her a smug grin.
i stared at him for a long second, then flatly replied, "You're not even close."
The smugness vanished instantly. "Ouch."
i sighed, this ti more patient than annoyed. "Look, everyone has their own conditions for liking soone. But even then, feelings don't always follow logic. Sotis, people end up liking soone who doesn't et any of their conditions at all. It's not a checklist, Mirek."
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