Ashan looked down at the broken piece of sword resting in his palm and let out a deep sigh.
"Shit…" he muttered. "I never thought Chidori would destroy it. Looks like this sword just wasn't durable enough to handle that kind of power."
He lifted his gaze and spotted Nevil in the crowd, secretly sobbing as if he had just lost a family member.
Ashan felt a guilt in his chest.
'Sorry, bud. This is on me. I'll buy you a better sword, something way better.'
Seeren, meanwhile, dropped the shattered remains of his sword onto the ground. The metallic clatter echoed faintly as he calmly pulled out a wand from his coat.
Ashan blinked. "Are you going to continue the fight? I thought it was already over."
Seeren's eyes burned with anger as he pointed the wand straight at Ashan.
"Don't you remember?" he said coldly. "I'm a battle mage. I can use spells too. This isn't over yet. From now on, I'm not holding back."
He aimed his wand. "Prepare yourself."
In a flash, an illusory white magic circle expanded at the tip of the wand. The temperature dropped sharply as countless ice needles formed in midair and shot toward Ashan.
Ashan reacted instantly, jumping aside and narrowly dodging the first wave. But Seeren didn't stop. Ice needles fired relentlessly, like a machine gun, chasing Ashan wherever he landed.
'This guy… he's really serious now,' Ashan thought as he twisted midair to avoid another barrage. '
'What should I do? I can't use mana-based skills because of the system. Fire would be perfect to counter ice, but..'
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
A smirk appeared on his face.
'Haha… there's something I can use. But first, I need to corner him.'
Ashan kept leaping and weaving through the storm of ice, inch by inch closing the distance between himself and Seeren.
A mage's greatest weakness, close combat.
Seeran understood Ashan's intentions, panic flickered across his face.
'Why is he getting closer? He's planning something. I need more power.'
He stepped back hurriedly and poured more mana into his spell. The ice needles grew larger, sharper, and deadlier.
The crowd grew restless.
"Isn't this going too far?"
"Is he trying to kill him?"
"Shouldn't someone stop this already?"
Maren watched the duel closely, her brows knitting together.
'They're really pushing it,' she thought. 'But no one is injured yet. I can't interfere.'
'Still… both of them are far too strong for B-rankers.'
Ashan continued dodging, his movements sharp and controlled, until he was dangerously close. When Seeren saw Ashan smirking, rage overtook him.
'He's laughing at me? Do I look like a joke to him? I'll make you regret this!'
In a sudden burst of speed, Ashan closed the gap. Before Seeren could react, Ashan clapped his hands together and formed a series of hand seals.
[Fire Style - Fireball technique]
A massive fireball erupted from Ashan's mouth, roaring toward Seeren.
"Eeeek… what the hell is that?!" Seeren screamed.
He tried to dodge sideways, but it was too late. At the very last second, he jumped backward with all his strength, crossing the boundary of the duel ground.
The fireball surged past him, scorching the air where he had stood.
For several seconds, the stadium was dead silent.
"HOLY SHIT!"
The crowd exploded.
"He shot a fireball from his mouth! Is he a dragon or something?!"
"Did you see the size of that thing?! If he hadn't jumped back, he'd be ashes!"
"What kind of spell is that?!"
"A spell?" someone yelled back. "What spell lets you spit fireballs out of your mouth? That's definitely a skill, a unique one!"
"That was so damn cool!"
Cheers erupted, echoing throughout the stadium as people began chanting Ashan's name.
Every high-ranking awakener watching the duel was stunned.
"What kind of skill is that?" someone muttered. "How did he create a fireball inside his mouth without blowing his face apart?"
Magnar turned to Draven with a baffled expression.
"Hey… can you do something like that? You know, using your mouth?"
Draven shook his head immediately. "Impossible. If I tried that, my head would explode. Even if I survived, shaping it into a ball like that is insane. That level of mana control is absurd."
Rowan watched Ashan step out of the duel ground, his expression complicated. His own shattered sword flashed in his memory.
'Tch… another weapon breaker. That lunatic destroyed two swords already. He should've used that fire skill from the start.'
Dessa narrowed her eyes slightly, studying Ashan.
'His body is unnaturally calm, she thought. And he's barely emitting mana… There's something wrong.
Sensing something off, she glanced at Morven.
Morven stood frozen, eyes wide, his entire body stiff. Unlike the others, he was experiencing something far more unsettling. His special eyes, imbued with cosmic authority, allowed him to perceive the names of techniques themselves.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
'C-Chidori… Fireball Technique?'
'Those are techniques, not skills?'
'Something… something is missing.'
'What does Chidori even mean? I've never felt anything like this before…'
On the balcony, Silas and Garrick sat in silence for several long seconds.
Finally, Garrick turned sharply toward his secretary. The man hurried over.
"I want everything," Garrick said firmly. "Every detail about that boy. What was his name again… Ashan. Bring it to me as soon as possible."
Silas leaned over. "Same for me. Once you're done, send the information my way too."
Garrick shot him an incredulous look. "Go to hell. He's my secretary. Why would he work for you? If you want information, find it yourself."
Silas smirked lazily. "Why waste effort when you're already doing the work? You're the best at digging things up anyway. I'll save my time."
"Tch… fine," Garrick grumbled. "But why are you even interested?"
Silas rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming. "Same reason as you. I've never seen techniques like that before. Is it wrong to be curious about someone like him?"
Garrick looked back at the duel ground, his expression turning serious.
"Silas, remember the rules. We absolutely cannot interfere with academy students. Offers are fine. Forcing them is forbidden. You got that?"
Silas nodded casually. "Yeah, yeah. Relax. Who said I'm going to disturb him? I'm just curious."
Garrick sighed. "Hmph… as long as you protect your dignity."
Below them, Ashan stood calmly amid the roaring cheers, unaware that he had just shaken the entire hierarchy watching from above.