Chapter 21: The Ice Mage Duel

Ryo ran toward Oscar and Lisha, his face lit up with excitement. The fight he had just witnessed was nothing short of incredible, and he couldn't help but want to experience Oscar's power firsthand.

"You guys were amazing!" Ryo said, stopping just in front of them. "Oscar, I gotta fight you. I have never seen ice magic like that before"

Oscar was surprised to see the new face , his expression calm as ever. Lisha, on the other hand, laughed, folding her arms.

"Oh? And what makes you think you can handle him?" she asked with an amused smirk. "Don't get too full of yourself just because you managed to take on Kyle."

Ryo grinned, unfazed. "It's not about pride. I just want to see how I match up against someone like him. Win or lose, I'll learn something."

Oscar studied Ryo for a moment before giving a small nod. "Alright. Let's fight. Let's do it."

Before they could start, Lyon came running in, panting heavily as he was being stranded talking to himself.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled, clearly exasperated. "You left me stranded back there!"

Ryo chuckled nervously. "My bad. Got a little distracted."

Lyon's expression turned serious as he looked at Oscar. "Ryo, don't get your hopes up. Oscar might not act like it, but he's one of the top students in the academy. You sure you want to do this?"

Ryo cracked his knuckles, stepping into the training field. "Of course. Let's go."

Oscar simply nodded, summoning his icy blue sword from thin air.

The Battle Began

Ryo didn't hesitate. He activated his magic tattoos symbols which appeared glowing, converting the air around him into a cybernetic exosuit. Within seconds, his right hand shifted into a rocket-sized energy cannon, and his left arm transformed into a high-speed machine gun.

Lisha's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh, he's serious."

The moment the transformation was complete, Ryo unleashed a barrage of energy bullets, each one aimed at Oscar.

Oscar's expression didn't change. With precise footwork, he dodged every shot, moving so swiftly that his movements left behind faint traces of cold mist. He raised his hand, forming a thick ice barrier, blocking the remaining bullets.

Ryo didn't let up. He flew into the air, aiming his cannon downward.

Oscar responded instantly. His sword grew to twice its original size, and with one powerful swing, he sent a howling gust of freezing wind in Ryo's direction.

The shockwave hit Ryo mid-air, forcing him to counter by firing his cannon at the gust. The explosion neutralized some of the force, but Ryo still felt the chill seeping into his suit.

"Damn, that's cold!" he muttered.

Oscar wasn't done. He raised his hand again, sending multiple ice bullets toward Ryo with rapid-fire precision.

Ryo tried to dodge mid-air, but the temperature around him was dropping rapidly. His cyber suit's flight system began malfunctioning due to the unstable frozen air currents.

Lyon winced from the sidelines. "This is bad."

Ryo gritted his teeth, switching tactics. If the air was too unstable to fly, he'd have to adjust his approach.

He fired his cannon at the ground, using the recoil to propel himself sideways before launching a powerful energy shot straight at Oscar's position.

Oscar sidestepped, but the explosion sent ice shards flying everywhere, momentarily obscuring his vision.

Ryo saw his chance. He landed on the ground, converting his left-hand machine gun into a massive energy sword, its blade humming with stored power.

He rushed in, swinging at Oscar with full force.

Oscar met his attack head-on, raising his frozen greatsword to block. The impact sent a shockwave through the field, cracking the ground beneath them.

For the first time, Oscar's expression shifted—a flicker of acknowledgment.

"You're not bad," he admitted.

Ryo grinned. "I know."

Oscar suddenly stepped forward, pressing harder, forcing Ryo to slide backward on the icy ground.

Realizing that staying in close combat wouldn't work, Ryo jumped back, switching tactics again.

This time, his exosuit began shifting, forming two massive jet thrusters on his back.

Lyon's eyes widened. "Oh, he's really going for it."

Ryo blasted forward at high speed, zigzagging unpredictably, making it harder for Oscar to track him.

He launched a flurry of attacks, swinging his energy sword and firing quick bursts from his shoulder cannons.

Oscar, however, remained calm.

Just as Ryo closed the gap, Oscar stabbed his sword into the ground.

In an instant, ice erupted beneath Ryo, encasing his legs in solid frost.

"What—?!" Ryo struggled, realizing too late that Oscar had set a trap.

Before he could react, Oscar brought his massive sword down in a decisive strike.

Ryo barely raised his energy sword in time, the impact sending him skidding backward, ice forming over his entire exosuit.

His magic energy began to deplete.

Lyon clenched his teeth. "Damn it… that's Oscar's real strength. The longer the fight drags on, the more he takes control of the battlefield."

Ryo tried to break free, but his movements were sluggish.

Oscar approached, his breath visible in the freezing air.

"This is the end," he said calmly, raising his sword.

With a final powerful swing, he shattered Ryo's exosuit armor, sending him crashing onto the frozen ground.

Silence fell over the field.

Lisha exhaled. "Well, that was expected."

Lyon rushed over as Ryo groaned, slowly sitting up.

"Okay," Ryo coughed, rubbing his head. "That was… brutal."

Oscar offered his hand. "You fought well."

Ryo accepting the handshake.

Lyon sighed. "Now do you see why I told you not to get too cocky?"

Ryo grinned weakly. "Yeah, yeah… But hey, at least now I know what I need to improve."

Oscar nodded. "Your adaptability is impressive. If you refine your techniques, you could become even stronger."

Ryo grinned. "That's the plan."

Ryo couldn't stop smiling and thinking about the rush of excitement from the battle battle.

Oscar's ice magic wasn't just about raw power—it was about control, strategy, and patience.

If Ryo wanted to reach that level, he'd have to upgrade his magic tech even further.

"I guess I have to find a way to use my tech suit in the cold" he said to himself