Professor Sylvia dismissed the students.
And the crowd dispersed in small clusters, buzzing with talk of locations and danger.
But while most students were busy imagining their missions, one pair of eyes burned with sothing else entirely.
Edwin.
Edwin stopped a few paces away, the sound of his boots striking the ground louder than the whispers that followed.
"Kael!"
The na cracked like a whip.
Students halted mid-step and turned. A hush rolled across the field.
Kael exhaled softly and turned his head.
"What is it?" he asked with a bored sound.
Edwin’s jaw tightened.
"You think you can stand there and act innocent? After what happened in Blackstone Village?"
At the na, a ripple of unease passed through the watching students.
"Blackstone Village."
"The demon raid." soone murmured.
The rumors that Kael had sohow drawn the demons to the village.
Kael’s expression didn’t change. "You’ve been listening to gossip."
"Gossip?" Edwin stepped closer.
"You led them there. Because of you, people died. My teammates almost died."
"I also fought them like everyone else," Kael said evenly. "If you’re looking for soone to bla, try the demons."
"Don’t twist this!" Edwin’s voice rose.
"You were the one they followed! You—"
He stopped, breath trembling with fury.
"I am gonna teach you with your little attitude."
Gasps and murmurs spread among the crowd.
Sylvia was gone. No professor remained to stop it.
Kael tilted his head slightly, studying Edwin.
His eyes held no fear.
"Who? To ? What if I turn down?"
"Then you admit guilt," Edwin shot back.
"And I’ll still drag you down."
Kael sighed. "...Fine."
The students scrambled back, forming a wide circle. Excitent sparked in their eyes.
Edwin wasted no ti.
With a roar, he held his sword tightly and lunged forward in a blur of speed.
Clang!
Kael sidestepped and raised his own weapon just in ti.
The heavy impact sent a jolt up his arm, but his stance barely shifted.
The students gasped.
Edwin’s strikes were renowned for their crushing force. Yet Kael’s parry looked... effortless.
"You can block?" Edwin growled, twisting for a follow-up slash.
Kael ducked low, the blade slicing the air above his head.
His counter ca quickly—a sweeping kick aid at Edwin’s ankle.
Edwin hopped back, sparks scattering as his sword scraped against the stone floor.
"You’re quick,"
"But speed won’t save you."
He gathered mana into his blade. The air humd with energy.
"Flash Fang!"
The sword glowed white, and in a single breath Edwin unleashed a dazzling, lightning-fast thrust.
Kael pivoted sharply, steel eting steel.
CRACK!
The ground beneath Kael’s feet splintered, but he stood his ground.
"Not bad," Kael murmured.
Edwin gritted his teeth.
That quiet tone—that maddening calm—fueled his rage.
"Stop acting like you’re above this!" he roared.
The next monts were a storm.
Edwin struck again and again, each slash carrying the weight of his fury.
The clang of steel rang across the field like a furious symphony.
To the onlookers, it was clear: Edwin was winning in sheer aggression, but Kael... was not fighting seriously.
A heavy downward strike finally broke through Kael’s defense, forcing him back a step.
Edwin seized the mont and spun, delivering a brutal kick to Kael’s ribs.
Thud!
Kael staggered, skidding across the ground.
A murmur of excitent rippled through the crowd.
"Edwin’s got him!" soone whispered.
Kael coughed once, a faint trace of blood at his lip.
He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
"...Good hit."
Edwin’s chest heaved. "Stop holding back, Kael! If you have any pride—fight !"
Kael’s eyes flickered but then he lowered his sword slightly and smiled faintly.
"No."
Edwin’s brows furrowed. "What?"
"I don’t need to," Kael replied simply.
That single sentence struck like a slap.
"Arrogant—!" Edwin charged again, sword glowing brighter than before.
"Ruin Form: Valor Burst", Edwin shouted.
Kael raised his blade to et the storm.
Steel scread. Sparks flew.
For a mont, Kael’s knees bent under the pressure.
Then—clang!—his sword twisted sharply, knocking Edwin’s strike aside.
But instead of counterattacking, Kael simply stepped back.
The students buzzed in confusion.
"Why wasn’t he fighting back?"
Edwin roared and unleashed his strongest skill.
"Lionheart Cleave!"
His sword beca a blazing arc of silver light, descending with the force of a falling teor.
Kael braced, muscles tensing.
Their blades collided in a deafening crash.
(I know every skill you unleash and every move you make to release) Kael thought.
The shockwave kicked up dust and wind, forcing students to shield their eyes.
When the haze cleared, Kael stood crouched, his sword trembling—but still intact.
Edwin towered over him, blade pressed down with all his might.
Then, slowly, Kael’s strength faltered.
He lowered his sword.
The pressure forced him to one knee.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Edwin’s blade stopped just inches from Kael’s shoulder.
The duel was decided.
Edwin stepped back breathing hard and sweat glistened on his brow.
"You lost," he said.
(But he dodged almost all of my skills.... And how?) Edwin thought.
Kael stayed kneeling.
Then he exhaled softly and looked up.
His eyes glead—not with defeat, but with a quiet, chilling confidence.
"Is that all you’ve got?" Kael asked.
A ripple of unease spread through the spectators.
Even Edwin stiffened, the hairs on his neck rising.
From the sidelines, Elysia clutched her hands together.
She had watched Kael throughout the fight—his movents, his restraint.
She had seen the way he absorbed blows he could have avoided, the way he never used a
single skill and almost dodging almost all the strong skills.
And now, hearing those words...
A cold realization crept down her spine.
"He’s hiding his strength."
"If this was Kael while holding back...
...just how powerful was he when he truly fought?"
Edwin said nothing, only tightened his grip on his sword.
The crowd whispered, glancing nervously at Kael’s faint, almost mocking smile.
So victories, they realized, did not feel like victories at all.
He tightened his grip on his sword, staring at Kael—still kneeling.
For a long mont neither of them spoke.
Edwin’s jaw worked as if grinding invisible stone. He had won, yet it felt hollow—like striking a mountain and realizing it hadn’t moved at all.
Finally, he exhaled sharply and stepped back, sliding his sword into its sheath.
"...Tch." His voice was rough with frustration.
"Damn it, Kael... I don’t know what you’re hiding."
Kael slowly rose to his feet, brushing dust from his uniform but saying nothing.
Edwin looked away, shoulders tense.
"...I lost my temper," he admitted grudgingly.
"Sorry."
Kael tilted his head slightly, that faint smile still lingering.
"...Accepted."
Edwin turned abruptly, frustration and pride warring in his expression, and walked away from the ground.
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