As Ethan turned to leave the platform, Lloyd's voice, raw with frustration and hurt, cut through the silence. "Why, Ethan?" he called out, his voice unsteady. "Why did you abandon us? Why did you just… walk away?"
Ethan paused, glancing back over his shoulder, his expression unreadable but his eyes steady. He seed to weigh his response before speaking, his voice calm and resolute. "I ca to this Academy because of soone," he said, each word slow and deliberate, "and you aren't that person."
The answer hit Lloyd like a punch, his face paling as the reality of Ethan's words sank in. There was a flash of pain in his eyes, mixed with disbelief, as Ethan's indifference left him with no closure, only more questions. Without another word, Ethan strode off the platform and returned to his place among the top students, his deanor as composed as ever.
Kaelen and the others watched him in silence, sensing the unspoken weight of his words. Whatever connection Ethan had with his past regarding Lloyd, it seed he had firmly set his sights on his own path now—a path that wouldn't be swayed by unresolved ties.
And the person who knew precisely what's on Ethan's mind is none other than Morris who is observing him with a concerned look on his face as he thought.
'Are you sure this is the best path for you Ethan?'
Sylvester glanced over at Lloyd, his expression unreadable. "Lloyd, your duel is over. Please leave the platform," he instructed, voice firm.
Lloyd gave a reluctant nod, casting a lingering glance at Ethan before stepping off the platform, shoulders slumped in defeat. His emotions were palpable, his disappointnt evident as he rejoined the crowd. Sylvester's gaze lingered on Lloyd for a brief mont, a flicker of empathy in his eyes, before he turned back to the platform with renewed authority.
"Now," Sylvester announced, letting his voice carry across the arena, "the next challenger may step forward."
A figure erged from the crowd, walking with undeniable poise and self-assurance. The murmurs grew louder as she made her way onto the platform, gripping an intricately carved scepter that glowed with traces of elental energy. The girl known to her peers as "The Guru" had arrived.
Her reputation preceded her, as the crowd called out her title with a mixture of admiration and curiosity. She radiated confidence, twirling her scepter with a practiced flick of her wrist before pointing it toward Morris. "I, Celestine the guru, challenge you," she declared, her voice unwavering, as her eyes locked on his with a look of pure determination.
But in the stands, Kaelen and the others exchanged glances, their expressions wary. "Of all people…" Kaelen muttered, watching her with a sense of unease.
"She's just challenged the inheritor of the Elental God," Guinevere whispered, a grim smile on her face. "She doesn't know what she's up against."
Morris simply watched her with calm amusent, unfazed, as if her challenge was a re formality before the inevitable.
But after a while, Morris suddenly began to ascend the platform with a asured, almost casual stride, his gaze fixed on Celestine. As he drew close, he spoke in a calm but unyielding tone, voice resonating with the confidence of soone who understood the depths of his power far beyond any doubt. "You aren't my match," he warned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just surrender."
Celestine rely scoffed, raising her chin defiantly. "Oh, please," she retorted, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I don't buy into all the hype. How soone like you managed to make it to the top ten is beyond ."
Morris's eyes hardened, a spark of fury igniting in his gaze. He felt a chill creep into his expression as he clenched his fists, the weight of her insult stirring sothing fierce within him. It wasn't just that she doubted him—it was the way she did so with such dismissiveness, as if his position ant nothing.
"You want proof of my strength, Celestine?" he said, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "Fine. I'll make sure to imprint it into that thick skull of yours." A faint tremor of energy pulsed around him, the raw power contained within him stirring to life, responding to his anger.
'Why am I sensing an imnse mana from him?'
Celestine's confident expression wavered slightly, catching the first glimpse of the force she had provoked. Yet she stood her ground, gripping her scepter tightly as she prepared for the duel. But as Sylvester prepared to start the match, the crowd murmured in anticipation, sensing that the battle they were about to witness would be nothing short of unforgettable.
"Have a taste of my power!!"
The duel began with a brilliant flash as Celestine wasted no ti, her scepter flaring with radiant energy as she summoned the elents in a grand display. Earth surged up like a wave, fire roared alongside it, and water twisted between them, converging into a fierce, tri-elental assault aid straight at Morris. Gasps rippled through the crowd; even Sylvester's brows shot up, visibly impressed by her skill.
But for Morris, this was nothing more than an opportunity. He remained perfectly calm, his hands unmoving, his expression resolute as he watched the oncoming assault. Just as Celestine's combined elents approached him, Morris extended his aura, reaching into the very essence of her attack with chilling ease. The next mont, her earth, fire, and water all shifted, halting mid-flight and turning back with a swift, seamless grace. Morris had seized control, adding his own ice and wind to the mix. The transford mass of elental energy now roared back toward Celestine, more potent than ever before.
The crowd erupted in astonishnt, murmurs spreading as Morris wielded Celestine's own power against her with an overwhelming mastery. Up in the clouds, Vice Chancellor Reeves and the other academy leaders leaned forward, eyes wide. One of the Pillars, unable to contain their awe, breathed out in shock, "An all-elental prodigy… He's commanding every elent like it's second nature."
Celestine staggered back, visibly shaken as Morris's fusion of ice, wind, earth, fire, and water closed in. She struggled to maintain her balance, fighting back with a desperate counterattack, but Morris's strength was absolute. The weight of his command over the elents was far beyond anything she could withstand, forcing her to the edge of the platform.
Morris's gaze bore into her, a steady reminder of the warning she'd ignored. "I told you," he said coldly, his tone laced with the undeniable finality of his victory, "You were never my match."
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