The enormous blue flames came rushing towards Mason.
He stood firmly in place, his father's katana held in his right hand. His eyes remained fixed on the approaching attack as the flames rapidly closed the distance between them.
Just as the attack was about to reach him, Mason shifted to his right.
The blue flames missed him by inches.
BOOOOOOM!
The attack crashed into the ground, erupting into a massive explosion. A towering wave of blue flames surged into the air, while the tremendous force sent powerful gusts of wind crashing throughout the coliseum.
Dust and debris rose from the battlefield, spreading across the arena and temporarily concealing everything within it.
The spectators shielded their faces as the wind swept through the stands.
For a moment, nobody could see what had happened.
Then, gradually, the dust began to settle.
A figure emerged from the thickening smoke.
Caleb.
He stood in the middle of the battlefield, his hands resting casually at his sides. After looking towards the area where Mason had been standing, a small smirk appeared on his face.
"It's over."
His words were followed by an eruption of cheers.
"YEAH! CALEB!"
"THAT'S OUR CALEB!"
"YOU DID IT!"
The crowd erupted with excitement, many spectators rising from their seats to celebrate what they believed was Caleb's victory.
Janelle, however, wasn't celebrating.
Her eyes searched the battlefield.
"Mason…"
She called his name, looking from one side of the arena to the other.
But she couldn't see him.
Duke watched the battlefield with a thoughtful expression.
"So, this is how you plan to go down?" he muttered. "I suppose our rivalry wasn't much of a rivalry after all."
The Great Elder stared at the battlefield, visibly stunned.
"Mason… You can't go down like this"
His gaze remained fixed on the smoke-covered arena.
"Your father wouldn't want this to be the end. Get up."
Ackman, who had also been watching the battle, shook his head.
"So, Chad couldn't train his son to become as strong as he was after all. What a shame."
Lady Nerissa sighed.
"Oh, what a poor boy. I hope he can still make it into the academy."
Kelvin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the battlefield.
"Damn…" he muttered. "I don't even know what to say anymore. This is amusing."
However, Bruno's attention remained entirely on the battlefield.
Then, a faint smirk appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, Caleb stood confidently, both hands now returning to his pockets.
He looked towards the smoke-covered area where Mason had disappeared.
"What a shame," he said with a smile. "You aren't going to make it into the academy after all, Mason."
He was just about to take a step forward when—
A voice came from behind him.
"Hey you."
His expression changed.
Before he could properly turn around, a figure emerged from the smoke.
It was Mason.
His father's katana rested in his right hand, held close to his head, with the blade positioned almost horizontally at shoulder level.
He wasn't charging recklessly.
He had simply appeared behind Caleb, standing within striking distance.
Caleb slowly turned his head.
"What the—"
Mason immediately stretched his blade forward, bringing its handle towards Caleb.
Caleb's eyes widened.
"How?!"
He quickly pulled his right hand out of his pocket, attempting to strike Mason before he could complete his movement.
But Mason was already moving.
He shifted his body, allowing Caleb's punch to pass by him.
Then, tightening his grip around the katana, Mason moved in a flash.
THUD!
Using the handle of his father's Katana, he struck Caleb on the side of his head.
Caleb's eyes rolled upwards for a brief moment.
Blood escaped Caleb's mouth as he staggered backward.
Before Caleb could recover, Mason lowered his body.
Both hands reached towards the ground as he shifted his weight and swept one leg across Caleb's feet.
Caleb lost his footing.
His body came crashing down onto the battlefield.
BOOM!
Silence.
For a moment, the entire coliseum seemed to stop breathing.
Caleb remained on the ground, unable to get back up. A ringing sensation filled his ears as his vision became blurred.
What… just happened?
His thoughts were scattered.
He couldn't understand how things had changed so quickly.
Only moments earlier, he had been certain that he had won.
Now, he couldn't even stand.
Bruno's smirk widened.
The Great Elder leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Mason.
"This Mason boy…" Bruno muttered. "He has some skills."
Across the stands, spectators stared at the battlefield in disbelief.
"Wait…"
"Did Caleb just lose?"
"Is he unconscious?"
"Caleb has lost?!"
"No way!"
The murmurs quickly spread throughout the coliseum.
Bruno calmly observed Mason.
"Quite an impressive move, I must say."
His voice remained composed as he continued watching.
"Before the attack reached him, Mason didn't attempt to overpower it with his blade. He simply avoided it."
He paused.
"He used the explosion to create a distraction. The smoke concealed his movements, and while everyone was focused on Caleb, Mason repositioned himself."
Bruno's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He didn't need to overpower his opponent. He only needed an opportunity to win."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"That boy has potential, I say."
The Great Elder looked towards Bruno for a moment before returning his attention to the battlefield.
Then he lowered his head slightly.
"He's surprised me," he said quietly. "I'll give him that."
Not everyone shared their reaction.
Ackman sat frozen, struggling to accept what had just happened.
"A royal had lost."
And not to another royal, but to someone he considered a peasant.
His expression twisted with frustration.
"Caleb…" he muttered.
He clenched his fist.
"Are you really that weak? You lost to someone like him?"
His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
"You're a disgrace."
Kelvin, on the other hand, could barely contain his excitement.
He slammed his hand against the armrest of his chair.
"DAMN, MASON! THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE!"
His sudden outburst attracted the attention of several spectators.
Nerissa turned towards him, surprised by his reaction.
She then covered her mouth, a slight blush appearing on her face.
Kelvin didn't seem to notice.
He was still staring at the battlefield with a wide smile.
Janelle also watched Mason in disbelief.
"Wow…"
She hadn't expected the fight to end that way.
Meanwhile, Mason slowly rose from his crouched position.
His breathing was heavy.
His shoulders moved with every breath as he stood upright, holding his father's katana in his right hand.
He looked towards Caleb, who remained on the ground.
Then, a small smile appeared on his face.
Duke's eyes narrowed with interest.
"Seems like I get to stay in this rivalry a little longer"
He paused, his eyes fixed on Mason
"you really do have potential. And I want to see what you can do with it."
He leaned back slightly.
Back on the battlefield, Mason stood straight.
Nobody cheered.
Nobody applauded.
The entire coliseum remained strangely quiet.
The spectators seemed unwilling to accept what had just happened. A royal had been defeated by an apprentice they had barely considered worthy of standing on the same battlefield.
Mason looked around.
He could hear the whispers.
He could see the expressions on their faces.
But he didn't care.
"I won…"
His voice was barely audible.
He looked down at the katana in his right hand before raising his eyes towards the stands.
"I beat Caleb."
His breathing remained heavy.
Then, as he looked towards the sky, tears began to fall from his eyes.
He clenched his fist tightly around the handle of the katana.
"I won…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"I finally won."
He looked upwards, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Dad… I did it."
He clenched his teeth.
"Watch me as I make you proud, Dad."
For a few seconds, he remained standing beneath the open sky.
Then he lowered his head and began walking.
The whispers grew louder as he moved towards the exit.
"Did you see that?"
"There's no way he defeated Caleb fairly."
"That was witchcraft!"
"He's a witch! He must have used some kind of witchcraft!"
"There's no way someone like him could defeat a royal!"
Mason heard every word.
Yet he didn't respond.
He didn't argue.
He didn't even turn around.
He simply continued walking, his father's katana firmly held in his right hand.
He passed the spectators seated around the lower sections of the coliseum, eventually approaching the area where the apprentices were gathered.
Janelle noticed him first.
"Mason…"
She watched him walk past, still trying to process his victory.
Duke, however, wore a small smile.
"Let's see what you're really capable of."
As Mason passed their seats, he briefly raised his head and looked in Duke's direction.
Their eyes met.
Mason gave him a faint smile.
Then he continued walking.
He passed the apprentice section and entered the tunnel leading away from the battlefield.
The noise of the crowd gradually faded behind him.
He eventually reached the waiting area where the apprentices were gathered before entering the arena.
There, he finally stopped.
Mason lowered himself onto the ground, raising one knee and resting an arm upon it. He placed his father's katana beside him, carefully laying it on the ground.
His breathing was still heavy.
"I did it…"
He exhaled slowly.
"I beat Caleb."
His eyes moved towards the katana.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then he looked down at his free hand and clenched his fist.
"But it's not over."
His expression became serious.
"I'm not done yet. The tournament isn't over."
He looked towards the entrance leading back into the coliseum.
There were still battles to come.
There were still opponents to face.
And there was still a goal he had yet to achieve.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'm going to make you proud…"
He lowered his head slightly.
"Dad… Mom… Becca…Gem… Rohan… all of you."
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
"I promise that I'll make all of you proud. And I'll achieve my goal."
He took another breath.
"I'll become the Great Elder."
For a moment, he remained seated in silence.
His expression carried exhaustion, but beneath it was an unmistakable determination.
He wasn't finished.
Not even close.
Back in the coliseum, the announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena.
"And now, moving on to our next match!"
The spectators gradually turned their attention towards the battlefield.
"We have Greg Hawthorne…."
She paused briefly, checking the names on her list.
"…versus Duke Mighty!"
The crowd immediately erupted.
"DUKE!"
"GET HIM, DUKE!"
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
"SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"
While the spectators celebrated the announcement, academy personnel began moving onto the battlefield.
Several apprentices and staff members entered the arena to attend to Caleb and restore the damaged ground.
The massive explosion had left the battlefield in terrible condition. The surface needed to be repaired before the next match could begin.
Caleb was carefully carried out of the coliseum by members of the academy.
Meanwhile, the next two competitors were preparing to enter.
Duke was the first to stand.
He rose from his seat, casually placing his left hand inside his pocket.
"Wish me luck, Janelle."
Janelle turned towards him.
"Tsk."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I suppose you're mocking me."
Duke gave her a small smile.
"Perhaps."
He turned around and began walking away.
Janelle watched him leave.
"It's difficult to read you, Duke."
Her eyes followed his figure as he made his way towards the entrance.
"One moment, he seems like one person. The next, he behaves like someone completely different."
She crossed her arms.
"Even though we've been friends since childhood, I still find it difficult to understand him."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"Duke Mighty… I wonder what you're really thinking."
Duke descended the stairs leading towards the battlefield.
His left hand remained inside his pocket as he walked casually, seemingly unaffected by the excitement surrounding him.
When he finally stepped onto the arena, the wind swept across the battlefield, causing his clothing to flutter.
He looked towards the opposite entrance.
A moment later, another figure appeared.
The newcomer walked into the coliseum without making a sound.
Unlike the other apprentices, his Legion Academy uniform was almost entirely concealed.
He wore a dark hoodie that covered his head, with a face covering hiding his nose and mouth. Only his academy trousers and parts of his clothing were visible beneath the dark outerwear.
As he raised his head slightly, a pair of green eyes became visible.
They weren't unusually bright.
They were simply green.
His dark hair remained partially concealed beneath the hood.
He walked towards his position without acknowledging the crowd.
Several spectators began whispering.
"Who is that?"
"I've never heard of him before."
"Is he even popular?"
"I don't think so. I've never seen him fight."
The mysterious apprentice didn't respond.
He simply stood in position.
Across from him, Duke barely seemed interested in the whispers.
His left hand remained inside his pocket while the wind continued to move his clothing.
He lowered his head slightly, allowing some of his dark hair to fall across his forehead.
Then he raised his dark eyes towards his opponent.
"I wonder how this is going to turn out."
His expression remained calm.
The mysterious apprentice adjusted his stance.
His left hand stretched forward slightly, while his right hand stayed close to his body.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't make any unnecessary movements.
He simply waited.
From the stands, Janelle watched closely.
Her attention was entirely on Duke.
"Duke Mighty…"
She leaned forward slightly.
The last time I saw you fight was when you faced off against that Head bandit"
Her thoughts drifted back to the battle she had witnessed a month earlier .
Her expression became more serious.
"I wonder how much stronger you've become since then."
"It's been a month. I know you well enough to understand that you haven't been wasting your time."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Let's see how strong you've become.
Back on the battlefield, Duke remained in his relaxed position.
His left hand was still inside his pocket.
The mysterious apprentice stood opposite him, his left hand extended and his right hand positioned close to his body.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then the hooded apprentice finally spoke.
"You ready?"
Duke lowered his body slightly.
His left hand remained inside his pocket.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah."
The wind swept across the battlefield.
And the next match was about to begin.