The academy square had never been this quiet.
Hundreds of freshmen surrounded the circular dueling field, forming a wide ring around the two students standing at the center.
Lucien Blackwood.
Elena Frost.
No one had expected this matchup.
A noble failure versus the academy's second-ranked genius.
Most students already believed they knew the outcome.
"He's dead."
"Elena's ice magic is terrifying."
"Lucien won't last ten seconds."
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Lucien stood calmly at the center of the dueling field.
His hands rested loosely at his sides, as if he were simply waiting for a casual conversation rather than a magical battle.
Across from him, Elena Frost watched silently.
Her silver hair moved gently in the wind.
The temperature around her seemed to drop with every passing second.
Thin layers of frost began forming on the stone floor beneath her boots.
Lucien noticed it immediately.
Passive mana release, he thought.
Her control is already that strong.
Even without casting a spell, her mana was influencing the environment.
That level of control was rare among first-year students.
No wonder she ranked second.
A tall instructor stepped between them.
Professor Roland.
He glanced at both students.
"Dueling rules are simple," he said calmly.
"No lethal spells. No forbidden magic. The duel ends when one side surrenders or is unable to continue."
His eyes lingered briefly on Lucien.
"Understood?"
Lucien nodded.
Elena said nothing.
Professor Roland stepped back and raised his hand.
"Begin."
The moment his hand dropped—
Cold mana exploded.
Elena moved first.
A sharp blue magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
"Ice Spear."
Three long spears of condensed ice instantly formed in the air.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"Instant casting!"
"That's too fast!"
Without hesitation, the spears shot toward Lucien like arrows.
Lucien didn't move.
The crowd held their breath.
Arthur narrowed his eyes.
At the last possible moment—
Lucien raised one hand.
A faint golden magic circle appeared.
"Mana Shield."
CRACK.
The first ice spear shattered against the shield.
The second followed immediately.
Then the third.
Fragments of ice scattered across the dueling field.
Lucien remained standing in the same spot.
Completely unharmed.
The crowd fell silent.
Someone whispered,
"He blocked it…?"
Arthur's expression changed slightly.
Elena studied Lucien more carefully now.
"You're stronger than the rumors say."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Rumors are often wrong."
Elena lifted her hand again.
This time, her magic circle was far larger.
The air temperature dropped sharply.
Frost spread across the dueling field like a creeping tide.
Students at the edge of the arena shivered.
"Is she using that spell already?"
"That's a second-tier spell!"
Lucien's eyes sharpened.
Interesting.
The magic gathering around Elena grew denser.
"Frozen Chains."
From the ground beneath Lucien—
Ice burst upward.
Thick frozen chains shot toward him, attempting to wrap around his arms and legs.
Lucien reacted instantly.
He stepped forward instead of backward.
Mana surged through his body.
"Flash Step."
His figure blurred.
The chains closed around empty air.
The crowd gasped again.
"So fast!"
"Did he teleport?"
Lucien reappeared several meters away.
For the first time since the duel began, he began moving toward Elena.
Calmly.
Step by step.
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
Most opponents tried to keep their distance from her.
Lucien was doing the opposite.
He was approaching.
"You're confident," she said.
Lucien shrugged.
"Just curious."
"About what?"
"How strong the Ice Witch really is."
Several students gasped at the nickname.
Elena didn't seem offended.
Instead, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
It was the first expression she had shown since arriving.
"Then I won't disappoint you."
Her mana surged again.
This time the entire dueling field began freezing.
Cracks of frost spread across the ground.
The temperature dropped so quickly that even the instructors began watching more seriously.
Lucien stopped walking.
His expression finally turned focused.
This is getting interesting.
Elena raised both hands.
A massive magic circle formed behind her.
"Frost Domain."
The moment the spell activated—
A storm of ice erupted across the arena.
Sharp ice shards filled the air like blades.
The crowd panicked.
"That's a third-tier spell!"
"She's insane!"
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Even he hadn't expected Elena to go this far.
Inside the frozen storm—
Lucien stood completely still.
Ice shards rushed toward him from every direction.
Then—
He laughed softly.
"Well… I suppose I should take this seriously."
Mana surged violently from his body.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
A powerful magic circle appeared.
But it wasn't blue.
It wasn't red.
It was pure gold.
Arthur's pupils shrank.
"Wait…"
"That magic…"
Lucien raised his hand.
"Arcane Pulse."
BOOM.
A wave of raw mana exploded outward.
The frozen storm shattered instantly.
Ice shards disintegrated into mist.
Elena's Frost Domain collapsed in a single moment.
Silence filled the entire academy square.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Even the instructors stared in disbelief.
Lucien slowly lowered his hand.
The golden light around him faded.
Across the field—
Elena stood frozen.
Not by ice.
But by shock.
After a long moment, she asked quietly,
"What kind of magic was that?"
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"Something I learned recently."
Elena stared at him.
Then—
Unexpectedly—
She laughed.
A soft, genuine laugh.
"I see."
She raised her hands.
"I surrender."
The entire crowd exploded.
"What?!"
"She surrendered?!"
Arthur stared at Lucien with a completely different expression now.
Lucien Blackwood.
The so-called useless noble.
Had just defeated the second strongest freshman.
And he had done it
Without even breaking a sweat.
Professor Roland stepped forward slowly.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"The winner…"
He paused.
Then announced,
"Lucien Blackwood."
For the first time—
The entire academy began looking at Lucien differently.
And Lucien knew something important.
This was only the beginning.