The arena surrounding the two transformed into a coliseum. The stands remained empty, and the only spectator was the referee, who watched the fight from an elevated position, ready to intervene if anything got out of control.
As he prepared his magic, Liang remembered a meeting that had taken place shortly before the qualifiers. The director of Shengtian Academy had summoned the institution's ten most important students to deliver an order on behalf of the empress.
"Enrico Solcren Ferreira. That's the name you need to remember. Our empress wants you to test his abilities."
"Why, Director?"
"Don't ask questions, Liang. Just carry out the mission and keep Enrico under observation whenever you have the opportunity to meet him."
At that time, none of the students had understood the reason for the empress's interest. The only thing they knew was that they had to carry out the order, and those who were loyal to the crown intended to follow it to the letter.
Unfortunately, the academy's fifth- and third-ranked students seemed to have completely forgotten their responsibilities.
Liang, on the other hand, had no intention of making the same mistake.
'Even if this is just a test, that doesn't mean I want to lose. I'll give it everything I've got!'
Two jade dragons appeared around his body, circling him like guardians. One of them merged with Liang's right arm, covering it with a layer of green jade, while the other remained by his side, gradually increasing in size to protect him.
Enrico had no intention of falling behind.
He activated an ability granted by his contract with Lunaris, which could temporarily enhance his physical capabilities by transforming his blood into a kind of liquid mana.
'Mana Veins.'
Although part of his blood had been transformed into mana, it continued to perform its function normally, being pumped by his heart and circulating throughout his body. From the outside, no changes were visible, but internally, his blood had acquired a vibrant red hue, carrying magical energy to every part of his organism.
"Elemental Clone!"
A fire clone appeared beside Enrico, and the battle began when he was the first to advance.
The jade dragon protecting Liang immediately placed itself in his path, opening its jaws to devour the clone. However, as soon as its teeth closed, the copy's body dissolved into flames, allowing the attack to pass through its form without causing any damage.
The clone reformed shortly afterward and continued advancing, forcing Liang to react.
"Jade Explosion!"
Raising his right arm, now merged with the dragon, Liang concentrated mana in the palm of his hand and unleashed a powerful blast of green energy. The attack pierced through the fire clone and continued directly toward Enrico.
'It seems he has improved that attack.'
Enrico switched places with the clone, which had reformed behind Liang. Taking advantage of the opening, he created a bow of fire and fired a Flaming Shot at his opponent's back.
The arrow hit its target, but instead of taking the impact, Liang shattered into pieces of jade.
'I know this technique.'
It was Jade Glass, a magic that allowed Liang to mark a specific point on the battlefield with his gaze. If he was attacked, he could transfer his body to the marked location, leaving behind jade fragments that simulated his presence.
However, the technique had an important limitation: at that moment, Liang could only use it once.
'Then the place he marked is behind me.'
Enrico raised his hand and blocked a jade spear that appeared in his direction. Liang had reappeared exactly where his opponent had predicted.
The strategy was good, but there was one detail Enrico had noticed while watching the previous broadcasts.
To mark a location, Liang needed to keep his eyes fixed on it for approximately one second. That brief interval was enough for an attentive person to identify the chosen position.
Liang gripped his spear with a smile on his face.
"It seems I wasn't the only one watching the broadcasts."
Enrico returned the smile.
"If I hadn't watched them, I'd be an idiot."
Liang acknowledged that Enrico had predicted his movement. In the future, he would certainly be able to improve that technique and reduce its limitations, but at that moment, his movements could still be anticipated.
Enrico grabbed the spear tightly and pulled Liang closer before throwing him to the ground.
'Now!'
As soon as Liang fell, a third jade dragon, which had remained hidden beneath the earth, burst out of the surface and bit Enrico's arm.
The bite opened a wound in his skin. The damage wasn't very deep thanks to the young man's physical resilience, but the attack still managed to injure him, demonstrating that Liang had prepared more traps than Enrico had imagined.
"Charged Impulse!"
Enrico reacted immediately, delivering a kick to the dragon holding him. The creature shattered under the impact, scattering jade fragments across the ground.
Before he could regain his position, another spear appeared in his direction. Enrico twisted his body and dodged the attack by a narrow margin, avoiding being impaled.
Liang had already expected his first attempt to fail. Therefore, he had attacked using only one arm, while the other, still merged with the second dragon, remained ready for a counterattack.
Raising his hand, he released a large amount of magic. The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a green blast toward Enrico.
The young man was partially struck and had to take a few steps backward to regain his balance. Realizing that his opponent was becoming more dangerous, he activated the fire ring, further increasing his combat capabilities.
Then, he stomped hard on the ground and spread lines of flame across the arena's surface. The fiery threads crossed in multiple directions, forming a web that extended around Liang.
The Shengtian student realized the danger and immediately tried to escape, but he felt unexpected resistance as he moved his legs. Lowering his head, he discovered that his feet were trapped by several lines of fire that had wrapped around them.
'He had already trapped me?'
Exactly. As soon as Liang launched his attack, Enrico had already summoned several lines of fire near the Shengtian student's feet.
Enrico clenched his fist.
"Line Explosion!"
At that very moment, the entire fiery web exploded, releasing a wave of energy that sent Liang flying into the air. The impact shook the battlefield and scattered jade fragments across the arena.
'Strong. Very strong... And intelligent, too.'
Liang could feel his injuries accumulating, but the smile on his face didn't disappear. Enrico, for his part, was also smiling.
The battle was becoming increasingly interesting, and both seemed satisfied with the fight.
Liang respected Enrico, especially after observing the calm way he had handled the previous day's incident. Jun was a close friend, and Liang had been deeply disappointed to discover that he had participated in an attempt to cheat.
'It's a good thing Enrico was the one who caught him.'
Landing on the ground, Liang raised his free arm and summoned another jade dragon. The creature merged with the limb, covering it with a layer of green energy.
At that moment, he felt something different.
The mana circulated through his body with increasing intensity, as if it were about to break through a barrier that had kept him limited until then. Liang didn't know exactly what would happen if he continued fighting, but he had a feeling that something new would emerge if he persevered.
[His magic is increasing.]
'It must be because he's about to unlock his unique ability.'
[That's not good.]
'Definitely. But that only makes me even more excited, especially if I can adapt to this change.'
Enrico's smile widened. Instead of retreating in the face of the growing danger, he charged directly at Liang, eager to discover what would happen when his opponent finally unleashed his new power.
The energy surrounding Liang's body began to change, taking on a dark green hue. The magical pressure increased, making the air around him seem heavier.
Liang opened his eyes and realized that something had changed in his body.
[Unique Ability: Jade Warrior.
First Ability: Jade Skin. A layer of jade forms over the user's body, hardening it and increasing their resistance.
Second Ability: Magical Reflection. Offensive spells with a lower amount of mana than the user's are reflected.]
[That's powerful!]
Enrico didn't have time to fully analyze the newly awakened ability. Liang advanced and received the young man's punch directly in the palm of his hand, blocking the attack without showing any signs of pain.
Then, he closed his other hand and concentrated a large amount of green mana into a compact sphere. The energy accumulated rapidly, compressing until it formed a brilliant core.
Liang pointed the sphere at Enrico and released it.
An explosion of mana engulfed the two of them, destroying the surrounding terrain and raising an enormous cloud of dust. The impact was so intense that part of the arena's structure became covered in cracks, while rock fragments were hurled in every direction.
When the explosion finally lost its force, Enrico had already moved away, landing on one of the elevated platforms of the empty coliseum.
Three jade dragons appeared above him and charged forward with their jaws open, attempting to devour him. Enrico activated Fire Steps and dodged the first attack, but the other two forced him to change direction repeatedly.
Even with his speed, escaping those attacks was becoming increasingly difficult.
'Since I already know I can't use offensive magic against him, I'll have to settle this with my fists.'
Another green blast rushed toward him. This time, the attack was less than half a meter away when Enrico realized he wouldn't be able to dodge in time.
With no other choice, he concentrated mana around his body to protect himself and took the impact.
The force of the explosion sent him backward, making him slide across the platform before regaining his balance. The blow had been powerful, but his physical resilience and magical protection prevented him from suffering serious injuries.
Liang didn't waste the opportunity. As soon as he realized Enrico had been pushed away, he charged after him, determined to take advantage of the situation.
"You're quite strong, but I'll win."
"Ha! As if I'd let you!"
Enrico had to improvise.
As he retreated, he created several lines of fire approximately three meters behind him. When he noticed his speed decreasing, he stomped hard on the ground and activated Charged Impulse, using the full force of the movement to strike the lines.
The fiery threads stretched under the impact and returned the accumulated force, propelling Enrico in the opposite direction.
The unexpected movement sent him charging toward Liang again at a surprising speed.
His opponent's eyes widened when he realized Enrico was coming straight at him, but it was already too late to retreat. The golden-haired boy was already standing in front of him.
"I think you can withstand this. So I won't hold back."
Enrico clenched his right fist and tightened the muscles in his arm, concentrating all the physical strength he could gather at that moment. His mana circulated through his body, reinforcing his muscular structure and increasing the power of the blow.
Then, with all his strength, he delivered a direct punch to Liang's chest.
The layer of jade covering the student's body began to crack, and numerous fissures spread across the green surface, threatening to shatter the newly awakened defense.
Liang felt the impact penetrate his protection, but he still tried to resist.
"Not yet!"
Enrico gave him no time to regain his balance. He lowered his body, assumed a combat stance, and kept his fists positioned above his waist.
Then, he began unleashing a series of Zero Impacts, this time without using offensive magic. Each punch struck the jade layer, exploiting the cracks that had appeared during the previous blow.
The impacts accumulated rapidly. Liang's defense began to crumble, and fragments of jade detached from his body until the protection finally shattered completely.
The final blow struck Liang before he could react.
For a moment, the student remained standing, looking at Enrico with a satisfied smile. Despite his defeat, he had managed to awaken his own evolution during the battle, surpassing a barrier that had previously seemed impossible to overcome.
"Impressive."
Shortly afterward, his legs lost their strength, and he collapsed unconscious to the ground.
Enrico crouched down, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The battle had demanded far more from him than he had expected.
"Huff... Huff... That was dangerous."
The referee, who had watched the entire fight from his elevated position, raised his hand and announced the result.
"Winner of the battle: Enrico Solcren Ferreira!"