Inside the Combat Hall.
The spectator stands stretched outward in a circular, tiered fashion. At the center lay the combat platform—a flat stone slab a hundred meters in diameter, densely carved with protective runes that shimmered with a faint blue light under the magical lamps.
Students from the surrounding areas poured in like ants from a disturbed nest. The front-row seats were completely snatched up in less than two minutes, leaving those in the back with no choice but to stand on their tiptoes and peer over the shoulders of those in front of them.
Academic activities were nowhere near as interesting as watching a spectacle.
Countless students thought this way; their tedious school lives made them look forward to this duel with immense anticipation.
“Don't push! Don't push! Holy crap! Who stepped on my foot?!”
“I bet a hundred Golden Branch Coins that Senior Sevis ends the battle within three moves. Anyone want to take the bet?”
“Who would take that? That's just giving away free money.”
“You must have just got here. Senior Sevis is only testing whether Ain's magic is corrupted; they aren't actually dueling.”
“Besides, a Tier 4 against a Tier 1? Senior Sevis only needs to blow a gentle breath, and I bet Ain will be flat on the ground.”
A girl in the front row turned around and lowered her voice slightly, though it was still loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
“I just heard some news from the Interrogation Hall.”
“Word is that Ain slandered a member of the Prosecution Office. Senior Sevis couldn't stand it, so he dragged him onto the combat platform to teach him a lesson!”
One of the students put on a look of sudden realization.
“No wonder! Didn't you see Senior Sevis's expression in the Interrogation Hall? I honestly thought he was about to cast a spell!”
“Senior Sevis usually seems like such a steady person, yet he was angered to this point! He must have touched a sore spot!”
“I heard the person Ain slandered was actually the senior's sister.”
“Holy crap! Well, that explains it! If I were the senior, I would've blasted a Tier 4 spell right in his face!”
“So, how long do you think he can last?”
Someone pulled the topic back to the actual fight.
“If Senior Sevis uses a Tier 3 spell, maybe a minute?”
“You're seriously underestimating the senior!”
The person next to him sneered and held up three fingers.
“Three moves. One to test him, one to break his defense, and one to knock him down!”
Sitting in the back row, Marco recalled the primary author listed on the paper Violet had submitted in potion class. He opened his mouth to speak, but seeing the overwhelming consensus around him, he shut it again.
He didn't want to become an object of ridicule.
Beside Silas sat a mature woman. Her brow was slightly furrowed, her tone carrying a hint of skepticism.
“Is he the Ain you were talking about?”
“Yes.”
“You witnessed his strength yesterday. Who do you think will win?”
Silas remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “Probably Ain.”
The woman couldn't help but chuckle softly and questioned, “Is he really that strong? Even if he has Tier 3 strength, you must understand that the gap between Tier 3 and Tier 4 is not as small as the one between Tier 2 and Tier 3.”
Silas shrugged, looking as if none of this had anything to do with him.
“Professor, do you enjoy playing guessing games with no prizes that much?”
“Hehe~ Isn't it fun?”
“Well, if Ain wins, I'll return your spot for the outstanding student selection.”
“But if Sevis wins, you'll spend your break at my place, helping me process paperwork for a month.”
“What do you think?”
“Even if I don't bet with you, you'll still drag me off to do hard labor, won't you?”
“Hehe~”
Violet and Grimm entered the Combat Hall at that moment. Looking at the dense crowd, the two of them couldn't find a place to sit for a while.
Watching Ain stand on the combat platform, Violet couldn't help but say, “That Sevis is way too shameless!”
“Dragging a Tier 1 Mage into a fight? Does the Titan Prosecution Office always enjoy bullying people like this?”
Beside her, Grimm spoke thoughtfully, “Actually, it's not all bad.”
“If this makes him realize how shallow his achievements in magic are, perhaps he will instead feel fortunate for his talent in potion-making.”
Violet instantly understood Grimm's intention.
Once Ain was beaten black and blue by Sevis, Grimm would reach out to pull Ain from the mire, offering him a ray of hope.
This was a calculated move to win him over!
As if recalling something, Grimm shook his head and corrected himself.
“We'll see after the judgment results are out.”
No matter how talented Ain was, he had no intention of recruiting a wicked person into potion-making.
On the combat platform, Ain and Sevis locked eyes, their faces devoid of expression.
“Make your move. Attack me with your magic.”
“Any magic is fine?”
Ain blinked, a faint smile gracing the corners of his lips.
“Heh, of course. If you think those low-tier spells of yours can hurt me, you're welcome to hold back.”
Sevis let out a soft chuckle, his eyes filled with ridicule.
Back when they killed that demon knight, he had sensed that Ain was not a Tier 1 Mage.
A Tier 1 Mage couldn't possibly summon that kind of undead creature.
But so what? Even if he was Tier 3, in the eyes of a Tier 4, he was nothing more than a mere child.
Seeing Ain holding the black sphere in his hand and hesitating to strike, Sevis couldn't help but ask.
“What is that black sphere? I saw you holding it the entire time since you stepped out of the Prosecution Office.”
“If it's some powerful magical tool, feel free to use it however you like.”
Ain shook the black sphere in his hand, his smile widening.
“This?”
“This is my...”
“Proxy fighter!”
With that, Ain threw the black sphere hard toward Sevis.
“Mordred!”
The black sphere instantly expanded, transforming into a pitch-black magical wolf that rapidly lunged at Sevis.
【Contract Spirit: Mordred】
【HP: Healthy (Slowly recovering)】
【MP: 4,897/7,479 (Steadily increasing)】
Ever since leaving the Prosecution Office, Ain had summoned Mordred and continuously used low-tier healing spells to help it recover from its injuries.
After more than an hour of relentless effort, he had finally brought its status from unwell back to healthy.
“Tsk!”
Sevis's pupils shrank suddenly. He clearly hadn't expected the magical wolf to be so fast.
“Tero, pafilo, spiko! (Earth, Spear, Pierce!)”
Griping his staff tightly, Sevis rapidly constructed a brown magic circle. A massive earth spike violently erupted from beside his feet, shooting straight toward Mordred.
Accompanied by several flashes of purple lightning, the earth spike exploded instantly, shattering into countless clods of earth that scattered in all directions.
Tier 3! And peak Tier 3 at that!
Sevis was shocked.
How could he have such a Contract Spirit!
“Akvo! (Water!)”
“Drako, koleraj! (Dragon, Wrath!)”
A dragon formed from condensed water surged upward, biting Mordred just as it was about to pounce on Sevis, and the rushing torrent quickly swept it away.
A Tier 3 spell, Water Dragon.
Sensing rapid footsteps beside him, Sevis whipped his head to his right, the shock on his face no longer concealable.
Ain was rushing toward him at extreme speed.
This guy! He intends to engage in close combat!
“Senior.”
Ain chuckled softly as several magic circles flashed over his hand. A few seconds later, his right hand gripped an icy blue longsword.
“Hello.”
Oh no! I need to hurry!
“Glacio! (Ice!)”
The staff in Sevis's hand immediately manifested a matching blue magic circle, and a wall of ice instantly blocked his side.
But it was only a moderately thick wall of ice; Sevis had no time left to cast a higher-tier spell.
The ice sword struck the ice wall instantly, sending both the wall and Sevis flying backward.
“Ugh!”
Sevis groaned, rolling once on the ground before barely managing to scramble back to his feet.
The spectator stands fell into a dead silence.
Rate on N.U.
