After Lyra stepped off the platform, Vanica imdiately rushed over to treat Instructor Eric's injuries.
anwhile, the dueling hall, as if breathing life of its own, began repairing itself.
Within five minutes, it was pristine—its marble floor smooth once more, the shattered edges rebuilt, and the lingering battle scorch marks erased like they never existed.
Grey, observing quietly from the sidelines, couldn't hide his amazent.
'This academy has the sa restoration chanics as Lord Cedric's estate… the ability to regenerate any structural damage.
Now I'm seriously thinking of installing sothing like this in our ho,' he mused, a wistful smile curling his lips.
'Mum would love that—less cleaning up after my magic experints. But... when am I even going back ho? I miss her cooking. I miss Jesse's annoying, childish antics.'
A genuine warmth spread across his face at the mory of his little family.
Lyra caught the smile from across the room, and her heart fluttered. 'Is he smiling because I dealt with Eric for him?
He always wanted to knock that smug instructor down a peg himself. Maybe now he sees —not just as a friend, but soone willing to fight for him. Please… just notice , Grey.'
anwhile, Selene, noticing Lyra's dreamy, borderline obsessive smile, shook her head in mild horror.
'Yup. She's completely lost it. Madness confird.'
Eric, on the other hand, massaged his temples, groaning inwardly.
'Argh, still so many damn students left. Can this end already? My bones are screaming.' He squinted down the long list in his hand and called the next na.
Another third-year student took to the platform, putting up a comndable fight, but ultimately fell short of the mark.
The next, a determined female combatant, barely crossed the two-minute threshold. Despite her grit, she didn't manage to land a single blow.
Then ca Raze.
With a cocky grin and confidence radiating from him, he strode onto the platform.
Before the fight began, he had discreetly tapped Scarlet's arm—and now, he wielded Fire Magic with flair.
Flas danced at his fingertips, blazing across the hall in a spectacular display.
Mid-fight, Raze darted toward Eric, brushing against him just enough to switch his affinity to Wind Magic. From that mont, the hall transford into a vortex of chaos. Razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air, tornadoes spun wildly, and gusts strong enough to rattle the stands sent robes and hair fluttering in every direction.
To the stunned spectators, it felt like they were watching a miniature version of Grey himself unleash hell.
Eric twisted, ducked, and deflected, but even his superior agility couldn't shield him forever.
Within the blink of an eye, Raze landed three solid hits in two seconds—forcing Eric to acknowledge defeat.
"One minute, forty seconds," the instructor muttered, eyes glinting with respect. This kid is no joke.
'So he can not only mimic soone's magic... but also match their mana output,' Eric thought. 'If he ever touches soone strong enough to flatten a city, he can beco a walking calamity. Dangerous… and impressive.'
Jay was called next. His Water Magic was a spectacle of elegance and control. He moved like a fluid dancer, casting waves and spears of water with impeccable rhythm.
His mastery of creation magic allowed him to form serpentine constructs and water beasts that snapped at Eric.
With just twenty seconds remaining, Jay finally landed a glancing blow—then strutted off the stage with a smug stomp, victorious.
A string of students followed. So floundered. So soared.
Dante took the stage next. Eric had barely prepared himself before Dante began his assault. At first, his attacks were easily dismantled.
But then, Dante summoned a titanic golem-like armor around himself, encasing his body in solid earth. The floor trembled with his every step.
Slamming his fists into the ground, he generated a localized quake that sent Eric stumbling backward. And then—boom!—with explosive speed, he launched into the air like a cannonball, shattering the sound barrier with a deafening crack.
His stone-armored fist smashed squarely into Eric's face, blood spurting from the instructor's broken nose as he skidded back several feet.
"Dante wins," Eric wheezed, holding his nose as he trudged toward Vanica once more for healing.
From the stands, Grey's eyes narrowed in contemplation.
'I know what they're thinking. They believe Eric's weak now—because he's been injured by so many of us. But they're wrong.'
'The fact that he can fight non-stop, back-to-back, against dozens of students—without going all out—is insane. Each match drains him further, but he keeps going. That's a scary level of endurance, skill, and discipline.'
Eric returned to the stage, newly healed. "Next!" he barked.
He called out Scarlet.
The air thickened with heat the mont she stepped forward. Flas curled around her like a second skin. She raised her hand, and fireballs rained down with relentless fury.
Her creation magic conjured a miniature dragon, which soared around Eric, spewing streams of fire that scorched the platform.
Eric t her head-on, his wind magic forming protective barriers and slicing through the flas with sharp precision.
At one point, he exploited a gap in her defense and appeared behind her in a swirl of wind—smacking her squarely in the back and sending her flying.
But Scarlet wasn't done.
With a cry, she poured every ounce of mana into her dragon, commanding it to unleash a torrent of fire. Eric countered with a sweeping gale, and the two forces collided violently.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the hall. Smoke billowed, swallowing the stage.
Seizing the mont, Scarlet dashed through the haze, flas wreathing her fists. She erged behind Eric and struck his face with a fiery punch, sending him tumbling.
A thin trickle of blood ran down his cheek.
"One minute, fifty seconds. Pass," Eric groaned.
The assessnt continued.
Selene entered the fray and barely scraped a win, staggering off the platform with trembling limbs.
Vince followed, his tal Magic clashing violently with Eric's. He was nearly defeated—but with a desperate burst of energy in the final second, he landed a clean strike.
He collapsed after, bloodied and bruised. Sweat poured down his face. Cuts and scrapes layered him like a warrior's armor.
At last, the assessnt drew to a close.
Of the twenty-five students who participated, five failed, including Grey.
The remaining twenty would advance to the intra-academy tournant, scheduled to take place in two weeks.
The duel hall fell into an exhausted hush. The battle-scarred students dragged their feet back to the dorms—bodies aching, minds buzzing with both triumph and frustration.
The storm of combat had ended… but the real war was just around the corner.
___
{A/N}
Now! I had said I wanted to say sothing here... Well, guess what guys! Today is my dad's birthday ?? and because it's a joyous occasion here, I'm dropping a seven chapters mass release today that will also mark the start of a new month!
My dad already knows that I'm an author and all that so with his blessings, I'm doing this?? so be expecting 5 more chapters along with these two I uploaded earlier... Enjoy guys!????
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