From the waiting room with its wide windows, Vichel’s expression is lost in thought.
A timed battle—how could she win?
Silently, Heirian leans closer, watching her intently.
“Are you scared?”
Vichel startles, as if spoken to by a ghost, her mind still focused on the arena.
“Huh? Scared?”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m always kind to sweet girls. You can request later whether you want to be defeated by my sword or by the machine’s projectiles.”
“How about I request you to be my shield when those projectiles are fired?”
“Heh, my good intentions are being underestimated,” Heirian says, tilting his head with a condescending look. “Don’t blame me if your smooth skin gets burned by my flames.”
Vichel immediately retorts with an equally defiant glare. “My wind is strong enough to blow out any fire that’s out of place.”
“You’re like a little kid with a big head.”
“Not as big as yours.”
“Aaaaagh! Asking to be taken out early, huh?!” Heirian readies a fist, veins of irritation standing out.
“Go ahead, you’ll be disqualified, and I’ll move straight to the final.” Vichel smiles confidently this time, knowing from the committee that anyone who fights in the waiting room will be disqualified.
Heirian growls, suppressing his irritation. “Just you wait!”
The hot-headed young man storms off.
Vichel lowers her clenched fist with a satisfied expression. “Yes! I won the word battle with him!”
As if she’s just achieved a new milestone in her life.
.
In the battle arena, Tseryo and Zeff, both tall and imposing, are in combat-ready stances at their respective positions. Their elemental weapons have materialized: a long blue sword in Tseryo’s hand, and twin black daggers in Zeff’s.
For a brief moment, their gazes both shift toward the Executioner Machine at the top of the arena, set to activate ten minutes after the match begins.
The audience tenses in anticipation, as do Jacelin, Zoi, and Vichel in the waiting room. The question on everyone’s mind: after ten minutes of battle, who will become the target of the Executioner Machine?
The head of the faculty council steps forward to give instructions.
“Both participants are ready. The outcome of your match will be decided in a very short time. Make the most of every opportunity.”
Tseryo and Zeff take their stances, prepared to begin the fight.
The council head raises his right arm high, then brings it down forcefully.
“Begin!”
In a flash of electro, Zeff immediately steps forward at a speed too fast for ordinary eyes to track. He rockets across the left side of the arena toward Tseryo.
Tseryo’s eyes focus intently on his opponent’s movements, then he swiftly moves to the right side, seemingly trying to maintain distance from Zeff. Zeff draws ever closer to Tseryo’s back, his twin daggers poised to unleash the first attack.
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In an instant, Tseryo halts, spins, and unleashes a sharp water attack with a swing of his sword, aimed forcefully at his target.
Zeff, having closed in at high speed, is taken completely by surprise. His quick reflexes with the twin daggers manage to block the edge of Tseryo’s strike, but the force of the blow still sends Zeff flying backward, crashing into one of the rocky hills.
Zoi and the nearby spectators gasp in shock.
Tseryo gives no pause. He immediately steps forward, unleashing a second, even stronger strike with his fast-swinging blue sword.
Zeff has to push aside the pain and focus all his strength on evading. The rocky cliff he had just left shatters under the force of the water, sharpened by Tseryo into a high-speed blade-like strike.
A worried expression begins to appear on Zeff’s face as he gauges his opponent’s power.
“He’s that strong? No wonder Zoi worked so hard upgrading my orb.”
Tseryo may not move as fast as an electro user, but he wields a wide-reaching elemental water attack. On top of that, his swordsmanship is finely honed. Each swing is fast, stable, and powerful, producing high-speed elemental strikes that are extremely dangerous.
Zeff has to dodge again as Tseryo’s third attack comes barreling in. Even so, his protective sheath is still chipped away by residual blows he can no longer avoid.
Tseryo continues his assault, his gaze sharp and focused.
“The time given is short. Take every opportunity to strike as much as possible. Make the enemy think only of running and dodging, waiting for a chance that will never come.”
Outside the arena, two large magical screens display the status of the protective sheath for the two participants. Zeff’s protective sheath has already taken heavy damage, now down to 72%, and continues to drop each time Tseryo unleashes a dangerous wave of water attacks.
Zoi grows increasingly worried.
“Was the orb upgrade I did all for nothing? Does Zeff not have even the slightest chance of defeating Tseryo Lavrel?”
“I can’t let the Arzechlous orb I painstakingly forged fall into someone else’s hands!”
The teacher seated beside the Grand Master shows visible concern.
“Five minutes have passed, yet Zeff Lou Roan still hasn’t managed a counterattack.”
Even the Grand Master grows uneasy at the sight.
“Zeff Lou Roan’s attack speed is indeed remarkable, but Tseryo Lavrel has an extensive attack range. As long as Zeff Lou Roan can’t get close, his chances of winning are very slim.”
That is precisely what’s overwhelming Zeff in the arena. After more than six minutes, he has only managed to dodge Tseryo’s relentless waves of water attacks.
“How do I get close? When will his stamina run out?”
Jacelin watches anxiously as Zeff remains unable to strike back.
“I never realized Tseryo was this strong. If Zeff can only dodge, when time runs out, he’ll be the one targeted by the missiles.”
Bertan, sitting next to Jacelin, has a different perspective after watching Zeff and Tseryo’s fight.
“It seems we’ve been mesmerized by Tseryo’s powerful attacks. From what I’ve observed, Zeff is deliberately only dodging to make his opponent think he has no chance to strike back. To me, Zeff looks like he’s actually planning a strategy, conserving his energy for a big attack. Dodging isn’t difficult for an electro user.”
Jacelin quickly responds,
“But when will he launch that big attack? It’s already the seventh minute—if the Executioner Machine fires its projectiles, Zeff’s chance is gone!”
Bertan chuckles softly at Jacelin’s flustered reaction.
“Jacelin, isn’t Zeff the one you know, someone who can’t be predicted? Just wait for his surprise.”
Tseryo, upon observing Zeff’s movements more carefully, seems to think the same as Bertan.
“You’re deliberately dodging to conserve energy? If you think you still have time for a big attack, your time is up!”
Tseryo releases a fast, straight wave of water toward Zeff. Zeff’s eyes widen.
“A straight attack?!”
He immediately ducks to evade, then leaps onto the flowing water wave. With lightning speed, Zeff rockets forward, and in the blink of an eye, he’s right in front of Tseryo, ready to unleash a close-range electro dagger strike.
Jacelin’s smile widens, seeing Zeff finally getting the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
But Tseryo also greets Zeff’s approach with a calm, dangerous smile.
“Careless!”
Before Zeff’s twin electro daggers can strike, a powerful wave of water crashes down from above.
DASH!!!
Zeff’s body is violently thrown to the base of the rocky hill.
Jacelin watches in tense silence, as does Zoi, who seems to hold her breath seeing Zeff’s protective sheath drop drastically to 32%.
Vichel also tenses, watching from the waiting room.
The Grand Master sighs, his eyes dimming with disappointment.
Zeff has been struck by such a powerful attack that he can no longer move.
From the top of the rocky hill, Tseryo gazes coldly down at Zeff’s sprawled body.
“Pathetic. Risking everything for an uncertain chance. If only I could throw you out of the arena, like you did last year…”
The words escape him as Tseryo recalls watching Vichel being thrown out of the arena during her fight with Zeff last year.
He exhales heavily, trying to steady the emotions threatening to overflow.
“Your time is up, Zeff Lou Roan.”
