The arena of Verlyn Academy.

  The final battle between Zeff and Vichel rages on. Zeff, master of high-speed electro power, finds his attacks matched by Vichel, who seems able to read exactly where each strike will come from.

  “She’s already stronger than last year. There’s no reason to hold back anymore.”

  Zeff admits Vichel’s improvement.

  “In terms of raw power, she’s still not on Tseryo Lavrel’s level. But her intuition is razor-sharp. No matter what strategy I use, it won’t work if she can read every move I make.”

  Zeff realizes he can no longer defeat Vichel with the same tactics he used last year.

  With his upgraded orb, Zeff shoots forward at high speed, moving in random patterns too fast for the naked eye to follow. Vichel seems trapped in the middle of electro flashes that appear one after another in chaotic sequences.

  Jacelin, watching from the sidelines, grows anxious—an attack could come at Vichel from any direction. But Vichel keeps her breathing calm, then closes her eyes and tightens her grip on the white sword in her right hand.

  “Listen carefully… to the direction of the strike.”

  Tseryo’s words echo in her mind.

  “Follow your intuition. You’re very good at that.”

  A dagger thrusts in from behind, faster than lightning.

  Clang!

  Vichel’s white sword blocks it. Zeff’s face hardens—once again, his attack has been read. A blast of wind forces him back, making him retreat to keep his distance.

  “An absolutely even match between Zeff Lou Roan and Vichella Arleith!” the announcer calls out. “Mages of the electro element are known for their incredible speed, but Vichella Arleith seems able to read every strike that comes her way. This must be a huge obstacle for Zeff Lou Roan.”

  Once again, Zeff and Vichel clash with elemental force in the arena. The audience and the Faculty Council watch with excitement as their duel unfolds. The drop in both of their protective sheath is also evenly matched, the numbers staying close to one another.

  Tseryo smiles in admiration at Vichel’s ability to hold her ground against Zeff.

  Bertan and Jacelin don’t want to look away from the arena for even a second.

  “Interesting! Who do you think will win, Jacelin?”

  “If it were up to me, I’d want them both to win.”

  “That wouldn’t be much of a match, would it? But if things stay this balanced, the outcome will eventually be decided by stamina. And in terms of endurance, Zeff is sure to have the advantage.”

  Jacelin quickly cuts in with a rebuttal.

  “Senior, don’t think Vichel is weak just because she has a small frame. She’s strong. I’ve been her friend since we were kids, so I know for sure. Vichel has a hidden power inside her—but it only comes out when she’s angry.”

  “Really?” Bertan finds it hard to believe.

  But Jacelin doesn’t look like she’s exaggerating. “Zeff had better be careful not to trigger Vichel’s emotions.”

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  In the arena, Zeff finally abandons his strategy of striking from unpredictable angles. The young man stands upright, facing Vichel head-on with unwavering focus.

  “Is it because I panic when she reads my attacks that my thoughts become so tangled?”

  Instead of rushing forward, Zeff pauses for a moment, as if steadying his mind. Vichel remains on guard, her sword at the ready.

  “Why does facing her feel like solving a difficult puzzle? The answer should be simple.”

  Zeff narrows his gaze, twin electro daggers sparking in his hands.

  “If no strategy works against her, then all I have to do is charge straight in and attack head-on!”

  Zeff bursts forward at full speed, dashing directly at Vichel as his twin daggers flash with crackling electro sparks. Vichel’s white sword moves swiftly to parry, and the two finalists are drawn into a fierce close-quarters clash.

  “Whoa! What’s this? Both finalists have decided to fight up close with weapons? This is incredible!”

  The excitement of the crowd rises even higher.

  Zeff’s twin daggers strike with incredible speed and deadly precision, each thrust aimed at a vital point. But Vichel is no stranger to close-quarters combat. More than once, she forces Zeff to retreat, the longer reach of her white sword keeping his daggers at bay.

  “Vichella Arleith’s movements are light and efficient. A fighting style like that saves a great deal of stamina,” one of the council members remarks.

  “At first, I was certain Zeff Lou Roan would win easily. But now… the outcome is impossible to predict.”

  Zeff keeps pressing forward, his twin daggers flashing in relentless thrusts, each strike sparking with electro. Yet for Vichel, it is not too difficult to call upon the wind, using it to quicken her movements and slip past the deadly combination.

  Zeff quickly analyzes her movements.

  “She’s dodging more often with this pattern? Then all I need is a single hit. If just one strike lands, her focus will break.”

  Once again, the movement-enhancing orb activates. With force, Zeff hurls the dagger in his left hand, sending it streaking forward in a trail of electro sparks, aimed at Vichel’s left side.

  With sharp focus, in the split second after releasing the left dagger, Zeff watches closely. The moment he sees Vichel begin to move as if to block the strike from the left, he instantly matches its speed, launching a direct attack from the right.

  The left-side strike is only a distraction—the true attack comes from the right, his electro dagger thrusting toward Vichel’s shoulder, the tip already frighteningly close.

  But what Zeff sees is not Vichel moving to parry the left strike. Instead, she dips low to avoid it, then immediately unleashes a powerful blast of wind straight ahead—taking advantage of the wide opening in Zeff’s guard at that very moment.

  DASH!!

  Zeff is blown far back by the gust of wind that slams into him head-on. His protective sheath drops to 61%.

  “Whoa! Zeff Lou Roan just took a direct hit from the front! A rare sight for a high-speed electro battlemage!”

  The announcer’s sharp remark stirs a wave of reactions from the Faculty Council and the spectators.

  Tseryo smiles with satisfaction.

  “For someone who prides himself on speed, taking a frontal strike is nothing short of humiliating.”

  Zoi watches anxiously. “Why is she harder to defeat than Tseryo Lavrel?”

  Relief washes over Vichel’s face as she sees her attack successfully push Zeff back.

  “That was a dangerous gamble. If I hadn’t trusted my intuition, I would’ve fallen into his two-pronged assault.”

  Zeff quickly rises, wiping the trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes lock sharply onto Vichel.

  “Her intuition… it’s unbelievably sharp!”

  The calm on Zeff’s face vanishes, replaced by burning emotion.

  He leaps straight toward Vichel, unleashing a surge of electro power with all his strength. The direction of the attack is clear, but with such overwhelming force, the blast is bound to cover a wide area. Vichel immediately calls upon the wind, darting away as fast as she can.

  The electro wave crashes outward, spreading violently from where Vichel had been standing just moments before.

  She lands safely on the other side, but as she turns—Zeff is already upon her, lightning-fast, his electro daggers slashing toward her.

  “Is this what you want?!!”

  The eruption of emotion is plain on Zeff’s face. Even though Vichel manages to parry the strike, she cannot hide her surprise—never had she imagined that the usually calm Zeff could be driven to such anger.

  Unsatisfied that his strike has once again been parried, Zeff unleashes another dagger, this one blazing with overwhelming electro power.

  “What more do I have to do to push you back?!!”

  “Zeff… out of control?” Jacelin can hardly believe it. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen him like this. It’s not the Zeff I know.”

  Bertan is left astonished.

  “He finally found something that can push him to the edge of his patience.”

  Tseryo smirks coldly.

  “Keep losing control… and you’ll dig your own path to defeat.”