At this moment, the noonday sunlight poured through the wooden windows, spilling onto the dust-speckled floor in a dim shade of gold.
A gust of wind rattled the door panels of the arena, producing a series of long creaks.
On the left side, by a worn beam, lay an old training zone. At its center stood a large sparring platform. Weathered with time, it bore pits and cracks that spoke of countless battles past.
And on that platform—several fighters now faced off, their auras clashing like drawn blades.
“Though we’ll treat this duel seriously, I won’t stoop so low as to leap two whole ranks just to bully you.”
Zirvini pointed at Frey, her voice stern and righteous.
As one of the top third-year powerhouses, no matter how much she wanted victory, she would never disgrace herself by trampling a freshman of the first year. That would be utterly without honor.
Then—
She waved her hand, and a burly fighter stepped forward, his expression eager, as if he couldn’t wait to pummel Frey into the floor.
“He is our vice-minister, a second-year at fifth rank. Let him give you a proper lesson.”With that, Zirvini crossed her arms and retreated outside the dueling ground.
The empty arena lay shrouded in dim light, tension flowing like a rising tide.
Two fighters squared off—serious-faced, lightly bouncing on their toes, every landing a sharp sound against the ancient wood.
Their gazes locked, unwavering—as though the rest of the world had vanished, leaving only their opponent before them.
Observation—this was the first crucial step in close combat.
Frey loosened his coat, rolled his neck, stretched his shoulders. His expression was relaxed, calm, confident.
The rest withdrew to give them space, ensuring the ring was wide enough for the clash to come.
“Well then?”
Zirvini looked across the floor toward Lan Qi, asking if the duel might begin.
“Please, begin.”
Lan Qi inclined his head.
“Start!”
Zirvini’s voice echoed through the decaying hall.
And with her signal, the suffocating tension snapped—
The brawny fighter roared, a beast unleashed. His body blurred forward like a lightning bolt, every muscle surging with explosive power. His leg whipped up in a crushing kick that could shatter steel—intending to end Frey in one decisive blow!
But Frey—Frey was calm.
He stood as immovable as a mountain against storm winds, hands raised in guard, prepared for the strike long before it came.
Even the fighters watching from the back held their breath.
Victory or defeat might be decided in the blink of an eye.
And just as the two were about to clash—
In the next instant—
With a sharp motion, Frey’s right hand shot into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a crystal orb, glowing with Magitek light. Without hesitation, he hurled it at his opponent—then dropped flat to the ground in a veteran soldier’s defensive roll.
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion rocked the hall. The very building shuddered from the blast.
Smoke and sparks erupted in the air, time seeming to freeze—only the fiery embers leaping in suspended brilliance.
The burly fighter was hurled into the air by the explosion, his body tracing a pitiful arc before crashing down like a bird with broken wings.
He rolled several times before coming to rest in a corner—unconscious, his body charred black, eyes shut tight, mouth spilling dark smoke like a burnt squid.
The once tense hall was now utterly silent, every fighter staring wide-eyed in disbelief.
“…Lan Qi!”
Huperion hissed through clenched teeth at Lan Qi’s side.
This was bad. Very bad.
Even if those fighters hadn’t yet pieced it together, she knew exactly what Frey had just done—he had pulled out one of the student council’s demolition charges, a light bomb from the Magitek Department used for tearing down buildings. At point-blank range, it was more than enough to knock out a fifth-rank fighter.
But Lan Qi only smiled faintly, as if the problem were of little concern.
On the floor, Frey patted the dust from his clothes, then stood up without a scratch.
“I win.”
He shook his collar with casual ease, eyes glinting with light, his voice calm as he declared:
“The times have changed. The spirit of combat, too, must ride the winds of the era—aboard the great airships of Magitek.”
“You bastard!!”
As expected, the fighters erupted in fury.
Huperion felt their wrath like a volcano about to erupt—its heat swelling into a storm of rage.
She was terrified, yet at the same time amazed—this simple act of Frey’s seemed to have driven the entire group straight into Lan Qi the Great Poet of Love’s kill range!
But no—today was just a student dispute, to be settled peacefully. They absolutely could not allow Lan Qi to unleash chaos across the academy with Great Poet of Love!
“Frey!! You despicable bastard, how dare you speak of the spirit of combat?!”
“To use hidden weapons in a fair duel—when did the Knight Academy produce a disgrace like you?!”
The fighters were ready to leap at him—but fear held them back. What if he had more bombs?
Already, part of the roof beam had been shattered by that one blast. The hall trembled with every breath of the wind. Another explosion, and the whole building might collapse!
“Fair duel or not,” Frey frowned, “you never said I couldn’t use new weapons.”
“Shut up! No knightly duel allows bombs!”
It was true—though unwritten, the rule was clear. Everyone knew it.
And yet—no one had ever dared pull out a Magitek demolition bomb in a duel. Until now.
The two sides squared off, their dispute spiraling toward chaos.
At this rate, it might truly ignite into all-out battle.
And then—
Lan Qi, who until now had stood apart as if uninvolved, finally stepped forward. Passing by Frey, he met his gaze for a brief moment.
“Please, everyone, calm yourselves. Peace above all. I understand where the problem lies.”
Lan Qi turned to the gathered fighters, his voice steady, his manner composed.
“At the start, both sides misunderstood the rules. That is why things have come to this. Therefore, I propose this duel not be counted. Instead, we redo the match—and this time, before the fight begins, we’ll sign a contract. Every rule and condition written clearly. That way, win or lose, both sides will accept it without dispute.”
His words were rational, his bearing upright and fair.
To lead everyone toward a harmonious resolution—that was his duty.