The atmosphere in the arena was lively, filled with the cheers of the eagerly anticipated audience.
"SECOND BATTLE OF THE TOP 8!
ON THE EAST SIDE: RANK 17 — ELRIC DRAYMORE!"
Cheers erupted. Several students rose from their seats. In the stands, Tessa and Rin waved enthusiastically.
"AND FROM THE WEST SIDE: RANK 5 — BRAKTH RUNEBREAKER!"
The atmosphere suddenly changed. After a brief silence, the crowd suddenly fell silent, and then cheers erupted.
"These two students are the strongest in the school in terms of raw power, so this match will be a showdown of strength to determine who is the strongest in this school," the announcer announced.
Brakth walked slowly to the center of the arena. His large, sturdy frame seemed to create cracks in the floor with each step.
Meanwhile, Elric stood with a relaxed posture.
He bounced up and down on the spot, rolling up his sleeves and then cracking his neck from side to side. His face was full of excitement, showing no signs of tension.
But from the way his feet were planted, and the sharp look in his eyes...
Everyone knew he was ready.
"Start!"
The referee's voice was nearly drowned out by the cheers of the crowd, but Elric Blazekraal had already dashed forward before the echo of the words "start" faded. His massive body moved shockingly fast, and his fist shot forward, a layer of mana surrounding it.
Brakth didn't move.
Elric's fist slammed directly into his opponent's chest, hard and precise.
BOOM!
The impact created a shockwave that spread across the arena, sending dust and small stones flying. Some of the spectators in the front row were pushed back slightly by the air pressure. Elric was thrown back a few steps, his body swaying slightly.
"Wow... he's so strong," he muttered, half in awe, half in confusion.
Only then did Brakth raise his hand.
With a simple movement, Brakth bent his knees slightly and struck the ground with his palm. A violent tremor spread instantly.
The ground in front of Elric cracked, as if struck from below. Chunks of rock shot up and exploded into the air, creating an explosion that sent hard debris flying in all directions.
Elric's reflexes were sharp. He jumped to the side and formed a barrier from layers of mana in front of him. But the powerful blast of earth hit his shield anyway, breaking it in one loud bang, then throwing his body five meters back.
Elric rolled across the arena floor, small rocks scattered around him. But he immediately got up, even though his shoulder looked bruised.
He chuckled as he wiped the thin blood from the corner of his lips.
"This... will be fun," said Elric with a big smile.
"Okay. No style, here," he muttered, half annoyed, half excited.
Then he quickly darted to the right, then immediately to the left. His movements were lightning fast, circling Brakth in a zigzag pattern that steadily narrowed the distance. Each stomp of his foot left a small mark on the floor, which he used to jump and slide back with added propulsion.
The punch combo began, fast, relentless, precise. Elric unleashed attacks from multiple angles.
Brakth parried the first two blows, then let one strike directly into his chest.
But his body… didn't budge.
Not pushed. Not retreating.
Meanwhile, Elric's breathing grew heavy. His movements began to slow.
Brakth lowered his hand. Then, with a single slam of his palm against the ground, a massive tremor radiated from the point of impact.
Cracks quickly spread, forming a pattern of ruptures across the arena floor. The ground in five spots around Elric began to heave, then exploded upward simultaneously, like a string of mines triggered from beneath the surface.
Elric only realized it when the pressure was coming from all directions. He tried to jump, but an explosion erupted right beneath his feet.
BOOM!
His body was thrown high into the air, accompanied by a spray of dust and shattered stone that filled the air.
Zephyrus Arena – Exhibitor Stand
Among the roar of the crowd, one row of stands was filled with solemn faces. Damian, Liam, and Lucien sat side by side, their eyes fixed on the arena.
Elric had just been knocked into the air, and the magic dust hadn't completely dissipated.
Liam leaned forward, his voice low but firm. "He's holding on. But it can't continue like this."
Lucien opened his book and took quick notes, his eyes focused on Brakth's movements. "He has to seize the moment. Attack before the rune fully activates."
Damian clenched his fists on his knees. His face was calm, but his jaw was tight.
"I believe he can do it," Damian muttered softly.
The three of them fell silent again.
But beneath the silence, one thing was clear—they weren't just watching the fight.
They were cheering for one of their own.
Elric landed with a tumble, dust and rune fragments flying around him. His shoulders heaved as he gasped for breath. But amidst the wounds and exhaustion, he smiled.
"One more try. All in."
He leaned forward. Mana began to flow rapidly through his muscles, enveloping his entire body in a bright red aura. The air around him vibrated, and the dust began to clear, and the spectators could see their direction again.
"Look at that, Elric's body seems to be emitting some kind of power, and it looks like something is enveloping him," said one of the students in the audience.
Calmly and quietly, Elric said, "AURA BREAK…!"
Then the floor and the area around him began to crack. With a short roar, Elric shot up. His massive body transformed into a bolt of energy, heading straight for Brakth, who smiled at having found an opponent of such immense power that he could work so hard.
In an instant, Brakth punched the floor beneath him, and stone walls rose from the ground, blocking Elric's charge.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
But Elric continued to break through them all, then leaped high, then fell straight down toward Brakth from above like a human meteor.
One final blow.
All his strength gathered there.
Brakth raised both hands. Not resisting, blocking. Without counterattacking. He gathered all his mana and ground magic power to create a superhuman defense. Brakth's body remained in place. Not retreating a single step.
BOOOOMMMMMMM!
A wave of wind spread from the point of impact. Dust swirled around the arena. And Elric... fell backward, his body crashing down softly. His breath was gone. His eyes were fixed on the sky.
Brakth prostrated himself, but was still conscious, and his body was covered in wounds.
There was a moment of silence.
Instructor Van stood, his right hand raised high.
"Elric Draymore is eliminated. Brakth Runebreaker advances to the next round!"
Cheers rang out, but among his friends, there was only pride.
Because Elric hadn't given up.
He had given it his all.
After the fight was over.
In the competition stands, Damian, Lucien, Liam, Rin, and Tessa rose from their seats in unison. Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd, not just for the winner, but also for the courage and tenacity displayed.
Damian smiled slightly, his eyes fixed on the arena. "He fell," he said quietly, "but I'm sure Brakth will remember his name."
Down below, Elric began to rise to his feet on the edge of the arena, his steps slightly unsteady, but his smile remained broad. He raised a thumb toward the stands, his face full of enthusiasm despite his wounds.
Lucien suppressed a smile behind his book, his head nodding slowly. Rin clasped her arm, her face showing a hint of sadness but also admiration.
Meanwhile, Tessa, wordlessly, briefly held Damian's hand. The touch was brief, but enough to convey a sense of pride beyond words.
They all knew Elric had lost. But no one felt disappointed. Because today, he had fought with everything he had.
The next fight…
"THIRD BATTLE OF THE TOP 8!
ON THE EAST SIDE: RANK 4 — VELLIA DARKFANG!"
"AND ON THE WEST SIDE: RANK 12 — RAGNAR BRIMECLAW!"
Cheers rang out, but not as enthusiastically as before. Some students glanced at each other, wondering how these two quiet warriors would fare.
Then the atmosphere changed.
A dark aura began to surround Ragnar, unusual, unlike before. His footsteps were heavy as he walked to the center of the arena. Before crossing the magic boundary, he stopped.
From a small pouch at his waist, he pulled out a small bottle filled with a thick red liquid. Without hesitation, he gulped down its entire contents, then gripped the bottle until it cracked.
CLINK. The bottle was thrown to the ground.
His body began to tremble.
Mana began to surge out of him like high-pressure steam, spreading wildly around the arena.
"...What was that?" Tessa whispered from the stands, her eyes never leaving Ragnar.
Lucien answered quickly, his voice low. "Look, his mana is starting to flow uncontrollably from his body, and it's steadily increasing. But... this level... is too much."
Less than two minutes later, the effects took full effect.
Ragnar roared loudly. His eyes were bloodshot. His muscles bulged, veins popping from the skin of his arms and neck. Every step he took created tiny cracks in the arena floor, which was usually resistant to high pressure.
Vellia immediately retreated. She threw poison and illusions around, creating a dizzying blur.
But Ragnar broke through them all.
Like an unstoppable train, he crashed straight into Vellia. A powerful blow slammed into her body, sending her flying five meters. Dust billowed as Vellia hit the arena floor.
She tried to get up, but she couldn't.
Ragnar was already in front of her. One hand raised high, then slammed down.
BOOM!
The ground shook. Vellia lay motionless.
Instructor Van immediately stepped forward and raised his hand high.
"Vellia Darkfang is eliminated. Ragnar Brimeclaw advances to the next round!"
The crowd was silent for a few seconds before roaring again. But this time, it wasn't out of admiration.
It was out of a vague sense of dread.
Immediately after the fight ended, cheers didn't erupt as usual. Instead, a tense silence enveloped the arena, filled with questions.
Then a voice broke the silence.
"W... WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Several students stood up from their seats, their eyes wide, their mouths open.
"He... what did he just use?! That's no ordinary mana!"
A wave of spontaneous discussion spread through the stands. Even some of the seniors looked uneasy.
Among the crowd, Lucien stared silently at the arena. His lips moved slowly, as if speaking only to himself.
"An effect like that... only happens when someone uses a high-level mana pill that has been banned."
Damian stood not far from Lucien, his right hand clenched tightly.
His gaze was focused not only on Ragnar but also on the aura that hadn't yet fully dissipated around him.
"If he loses control any longer," Damian muttered, "he could explode."
The voice wasn't loud.
But it was enough to make his friends turn to look at each other.