I Surrender

After just one exchange, Ryan realized that trying to defeat Yarr through physical combat would be extremely difficult. He was about to ask Silver Moon for advice, but the coldness of Silver Moon's attitude made him quickly abandon that idea.

Now, with little other choice, Ryan decided to go all in. He rushed toward Yarr once more, his mind made up.

In a blur of motion, the two clashed dozens of times. Neither of them could overpower the other in terms of speed, and so, they gave up on using techniques or fancy footwork. Instead, they exchanged blow after blow, like two street thugs brawling without any form or finesse. It was a test of endurance, and neither seemed to gain an advantage.

Just as the crowd thought the match might end in a battle of stamina, Yarr suddenly changed tactics. Instead of continuing to exchange blows, he began using the fire element to dodge, each movement leaving a faint trace of fire on the ground.

Ryan noticed the change but couldn't figure out what Yarr was up to. He just kept chasing after him, determined to catch him.

Meanwhile, Silver Moon couldn't help but smirk slightly, watching Ryan's every move with quiet amusement.

Ryan, frustrated and on the brink of cursing, realized every attack seemed to land on air, as if Yarr was always one step ahead. He was becoming increasingly annoyed.

Before he could react further, Yarr paused. A smug grin spread across his face as he said, "Heh! You've lost, kid."

Before Ryan could even react, Yarr slammed his palms into the ground and shouted, "Sulfur Fire Cage, close!"

Immediately, red light surged from his hands, and flames erupted all over the arena. Fire pillars shot up from the ground, surrounding Ryan and rapidly closing in on him.

Ryan's heart sank. He attempted to use Phantom Step to slip through the gaps in the fire, but the intense heat forced him back each time.

The sudden change in the fight caught everyone's attention. Even Annis, watching from the sidelines, nodded approvingly and muttered to herself, "Yarr really is something. While using the fire element to escape, he left subtle fire marks at each spot. Such a sneaky move—almost tricked me as well. Impressive!"

Her approval was tinged with a smile of satisfaction. No matter what happened, as long as Yarr won, the reputation of Norton Academy would be preserved.

Meanwhile, Leah, deeply concerned, furrowed her brow. She knew all too well the power of Yarr's Sulfur Fire Cage. She had witnessed it firsthand and barely escaped with the help of Snow Condenses' extreme cold. When the cage closed fully, it would explode, and even if Ryan didn't die, he'd be severely injured.

Leah clenched her fists, ready to rush to Ryan's aid. But before she could move, Ryan's loud laughter rang out from within the fire cage.

"Ha ha! You think this little trick can trap me?" he shouted confidently.

Without hesitation, Ryan started forming complex hand seals, chanting a few words. He raised his voice and commanded, "Break for me!"

The fire cage, which had been closing in on him, stopped abruptly a few inches away and then vanished completely.

The crowd was stunned into silence, and murmurs of disbelief spread. Everyone was trying to understand how this disheveled boy had managed to break free so effortlessly.

Even Yarr, completely taken aback, stammered, "Wh-what... how is this possible?" His most powerful move, the one he prided himself on, had been effortlessly neutralized.

As Yarr stood there, dumbfounded, Ryan didn't waste a second. He used Phantom Step to move behind the disoriented Yarr in the blink of an eye, delivering three quick punches and kicks that knocked him to the ground.

Before Yarr even realized what had happened, Ryan sent him flying out of the ring with a swift kick.

Although the match was over, everyone was still in shock. The same question echoed in everyone's mind: Where did this prodigious young man come from? After all, he was so young, and no one could imagine how terrifying he would become in the future.

Defeating Disqi was impressive, showing Ryan's skill among his peers, but defeating Yarr was something else entirely. It wasn't just excellence—it was genius, pure and simple.

At this point, no one dared to underestimate the seemingly shabby youth. It seemed that true talent was like him—too focused on training to care about appearances.

In a world where strength ruled, people would overlook any flaws if you had the power to back it up.

As the crowd marveled at Ryan's extraordinary talent, some began questioning the abilities of the teachers at Norton Academy. Annis, too, wore a conflicted expression. If the match ended here, Norton Academy would undoubtedly become a laughingstock, and it would be hard for the academy to hold its ground in the future.

Had Yarr not been defeated, the academy could still claim that their strongest fighter hadn't entered the fray yet. But with the second-most powerful genius now defeated, things had become difficult to salvage.

Annis desperately hoped for a victory to redeem the academy's reputation.

With that in mind, she summoned Gent, and after a brief discussion, they reached a consensus.

Annis turned to Ryan, who was visibly exhausted, and asked with a smile, "Young man, do you have the strength for another round?"

"I said I'd accept a continuous battle. Send someone in," Ryan replied nonchalantly, pretending not to care.

Ryan had already made up his mind. Whoever came next, he would either defeat them or surrender. He had earned enough gold for the day, and he wasn't about to overextend himself. If he couldn't win, he'd take the money and leave.

"Alright, let's continue," Annis said with a slight smile and a nod, not wasting any more time.

When Ryan saw his next opponent, he was completely stunned. He never expected it to be his sister, Leah. It made sense, though—by now, the only person left for the academy to send into the ring was Leah.

Ryan swallowed nervously and thought, "What's the point of even fighting?"

However, he couldn't simply forfeit, because from the beginning, Annis had asked about his relationship with House Stark. If he gave up immediately upon facing someone from his own family, people would start suspecting things.

Leah, seeing that Ryan had remained silent, took the initiative to speak. "I have one question for you. Why did we fight at Blade's Edge Cliff?"

Her question caused an uproar in the audience. "Did they already fight each other before?" people murmured, speculating about the outcome.

Among everyone present, only Ryan understood the true meaning behind Leah's words. She was asking him to prove his identity. No wonder Leah would think this way—his sudden transformation had been so drastic that anyone would have a hard time accepting it.

For a moment, Ryan couldn't think of a proper way to respond. He couldn't exactly pull out his pendant and show it to her, could he?

After a brief pause, Leah, seeing that Ryan still wasn't answering, frowned in irritation. With a light huff, her long dark hair began turning white, and she conjured a silver spear—Snow Condenses.

The cold energy emanating from her made Ryan snap out of his thoughts. This was the first time he had seen Leah wield Snow Condenses, and he had to admit, the overwhelming aura she released was enough to put him on edge.

Silver Moon, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but let out a small exclamation. "What a formidable weapon! Kid, your sister is no joke. You don't stand a chance; you should run."

Ryan knew Silver Moon was teasing him, but the comment was still somewhat accurate. Facing Leah now, Ryan had no real chance, especially with Snow Condenses, which was far beyond an ordinary weapon.

Ryan ignored Silver Moon. He wasn't planning to fight Leah, but he was still trying to figure out how to prove his identity.

Then, in a flash of inspiration, Ryan yelled, "Take this!" A droplet of water elemental energy gathered in his palm, transforming into a stream of water that shot toward Leah's face. While Ryan wasn't yet skilled in elemental combat, using such a basic technique was no challenge for him.

Seeing him make a move, Leah's stern expression softened into a slight smile. Just as the water stream was about to reach her, she sidestepped easily, evading the attack.

To everyone's surprise, her white hair gradually returned to its natural color, and Snow Condenses had disappeared without him noticing.

Leah now fully believed that the disheveled young man before her was, without a doubt, Ryan. The elemental water strike was the same one that had once knocked over his soup bowl, sparking his awareness of elemental magic. A person's appearance might change, but their memories never do.

Leah smiled lightly and shook her head. "I concede."

This caused a ripple of confusion through the crowd. "What? She's conceding before even fighting?"

Leah ignored the murmurs and spoke calmly. "A few days ago, I fought him, and I lost. Now, after several rounds of combat, even if I were to win by some miracle, it wouldn't be a fair victory. When we fought before, neither of us used our elemental powers, but in just a few days, he's already learned to use basic water magic. Given our age and strength differences, continuing to fight would be pointless. So, I must concede."

Leah's explanation was a bit of a stretch, but it worked—everyone seemed to buy it. Ryan, too, was momentarily stunned. He had no idea his sister was such a smooth talker.

After finishing her statement, Leah gave a slight bow to Annis as an apology before turning and walking off the stage.

Annis couldn't help but smile wryly. She glanced at Leah for a moment but said nothing. Instead, she slowly walked up to Ryan and said, "Young man, since Leah has voluntarily conceded, I suppose the academy must also admit defeat. I'd like to apologize for our academy's behavior earlier."

With a wave of her left hand, three pouches of gold appeared before Ryan.

"A bet is a bet. We don't believe in handing out gifts. Our academy lost, and with Yarr's two thousand gold added to the pot, that makes a total of five thousand gold. Please accept it."

Ryan scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "Alright, I'll graciously accept, then."

With that, Ryan made a single wave of his hand, and the five pouches vanished into thin air. The crowd fell silent, stunned by his ability to carry such an item—someone who could casually use a space storage item was clearly no ordinary person.

Ryan didn't pay much attention to the curious gazes around him. With a polite bow to Annis, he turned and walked away, his steps firm and purposeful.

As he walked further away, a soft voice came from beside Annis. "Director, are we really just letting him go like that?"

Annis turned to look at Grent, her tone a little sharp. "What do you think? Do you think you could teach such a talented student? If we mess with him, we might as well be asking for trouble."

Grent considered her words and, though reluctant, realized she was right. If they provoked someone so powerful, the consequences would be far more than a few thousand gold coins. With a deep sigh, he dropped the matter.

With Ryan's departure, the so-called "report battle" was effectively over. There was no point in continuing, and the event came to a swift and anticlimactic conclusion.