The Final Strike and Its Ripples

The crowd held its breath.

Jackson Hasting, one of the Academy's most talented duelists, was on the defensive, his great sword trembling in his grip. His aura flickered, and sweat dripped down his forehead.

Across from him, Ethan Baron stood calmly, his posture relaxed—but his eyes sharp.

Everyone could feel it.

Ethan had control of the fight.

But would he end it now? Or drag it out?

Jackson's Last Stand

Leonard gritted his teeth.

"I won't lose like this."

He pushed forward, igniting the last of his aura. His muscles screamed, but he forced himself to move, raising his great sword for one final, all-or-nothing strike.

His sword glowed with raw mana, a technique meant to overpower any opponent with sheer force.

"Take this!"

The colosseum trembled as he swung.

Ethan's Answer

But in that moment—

Ethan disappeared.

Not dodging. Not evading.

He was simply… gone.

And then—

"You're too slow."

Jackson's eyes widened as he felt a ghostly touch on his exposed flank.

BAM!

A shockwave exploded from Ethan's strike—not a punch, not a kick, but a perfectly placed palm strike infused with condensed internal energy.

Jackson was lifted off his feet.

The noble was sent flying across the stage, his body spinning through the air like a ragdoll.

Then—

CRASH!

Jackson slammed into the stone floor.

Silence.

A few heartbeats passed before he groaned, barely conscious.

The fight was over.

The Aftermath

The instructor stepped forward, raising his hand.

"Winner—Ethan Baron!"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then—

The arena erupted in chaos.

"What just happened!?""Did you see that speed!?""He didn't even use a weapon!"

Ethan exhaled slowly, calming his internal energy.

"It's over."

He turned and began walking away—as if the fight was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Up in the Student Council balcony, a golden-haired young man leaned forward, intrigued.

"That technique wasn't ordinary," Gabriel Aurelius, the Student Council President, murmured.

"No, it was beyond ordinary," said another council member. "It was something else entirely."

Gabriel's piercing golden eyes followed Ethan's every movement.

"We'll need to keep an eye on him."

He smiled slightly.

"He's far more dangerous than I expected."

Lying on the ground, Jackson stared at the sky, his breathing ragged.

"I lost…"

His hands trembled as he pushed himself up, his body screaming in pain.

But when he looked at Ethan—he didn't see an enemy.

He saw a wall. A wall so high that he could barely comprehend how far behind he was.

For the first time in his life—Leonard felt weak.

"I can't accept this," he muttered.

He clenched his fists. He would get stronger.

No matter what.

As he left the arena, Ethan's thoughts were calm.

"It was a decent fight."

He hadn't even gone all out. There was so much more he could have done.

But that would come later.

Right now—he had other matters to focus on.

Because this fight was just the beginning.