108. End of the first semester (3)

The Colosseum’s audience seats were buzzing.

After the two people’s duel ended. The name of the victor, called by the professor in charge of judging, was Chloe.

“Young Lady Chloe…”

Fabian and his group, who had been watching the duel between the two, were also speechless.

It was truly a fierce battle that shook the Colosseum. But the person standing on the Colosseum stage without falling was Chloe.

‘It was truly a difference of a single sheet of paper.’

Both of them were geniuses representing their respective factions. As such, a high-level battle unfolded that was hard to believe was just a student-level duel.

Rosette, skillfully using the power of the Spirit King. She had accumulated plenty of practical experience in a short period, from the Mana War Games battle and the training in the primeval forest, to the fierce battle in the Imperial Palace.

‘Chloe doesn’t lack practical experience either, but still, Rosette has gone through more real battles.’

So, the victor I had predicted was Rosette. But in actual combat, Chloe was Rosette’s worthy rival.

Like Rosette, a true blood witch, Chloe didn’t have the blessings of lineage. But instead, Chloe was the heir to the continent’s best merchant guild, Aetern.

‘She probably used rare minerals without holding back.’

So, today’s Chloe was using a combat method that only she could do.

It was a method of investing large amounts of expensive research materials that ordinary mages or alchemists would hesitate to handle even once in their lifetime.

‘Even special alchemical materials that react more violently to demonic energy.’

When I obtained the Reverse Scale of the Ten Thousand Year Old Dragon, Chloe took all the remaining byproducts.

The remains of the Ancient Dragon, enough to become the foundation of Cieltea, were a very precious material in themselves. Chloe had probably been concentrating materials like the Ancient Dragon’s bones for months in preparation for a day like this.

‘Of course, for Chloe, who is so busy every day, to have done that work in parallel…’

It meant that Chloe had been working hard to a brutal extent as well. And an alchemist using materials and minerals suitable for their purpose to achieve victory is something that deserves praise.

So, for Rosette, who is too talented in many ways and doesn’t push herself to the limit, it will be a defeat that will be a new opportunity.

“Rosette seems quite upset too.”

As Fabian said. Rosette, who had collapsed after the duel, stood up again with the treatment of a medical faction professor.

Rosette, who had admitted defeat, was crying her eyes out, and Chloe was looking at her very triumphantly.

‘Well, I can’t let Chloe become too arrogant either.’

The student representative announcements and awards ceremony for the two factions continued.

“Now it’s the end of the semester ceremony.”

Fabian said. As he said. The Pantheon’s first semester ends with the combat faction’s duel.

President Sophia’s words echoed through the Colosseum.

“There will be a mock battle for the excellent second-year students of the combat faction!”

At her words, the atmosphere of the Colosseum, which had subsided for a moment, heated up again. The duel between Rosette and Chloe a little while ago was also great, but the flower of the duel is still the battle between swordsmen.

And on the Colosseum’s large screen, the students’ profiles and rankings within the faction appeared.

The five people gathered here were the top 5 in the combat faction. It was a battle between me, who had gained great fame for suppressing the Grius rebellion, and the other four.

I glanced at Lucia. Even during the duel between Rosette and Chloe, Lucia didn’t watch properly, and was meditating with her eyes closed.

She opened her eyes again at President Sophia’s words. And at that moment, our eyes met.

‘Her eyes are completely different from usual.’

To be exact, they are the same as usual. A cold expression with raised eyes, a female swordsman. The expression and eyes that Lucia makes in the combat faction were always like a sharp sword.

However, those eyes, which become round and gentle only when looking at me, were now extremely fierce.

‘That’s like Lucia.’

I had asked her to do her best. As it was my request. Lucia was the type to sincerely take on any task.

Soon, the five of the combat faction stood on the central stage of the Colosseum.

---

After President Sophia explained the rules of the duel. Finally, the combat faction’s duel began.

All five people on the stage are excellent swordsmen who are more than capable of entering the Empire’s top 3 knight orders.

[Yulian should be nervous too. Lucia-ssi has developed one step further from the duel in the underground temple.]

And the two people sitting together in the Colosseum’s audience seats. Aylin and Cecilia were listening to Erti’s words.

The Holy Sword Cieltea, held in Cecilia’s arms. Erti, the will of the Holy Sword, continued to speak.

[And the students Fabian, Leaf, and Eric who are there together also have very good basics. All three seem to be the type that grow through practical experience. If you look at their skills in the first year and now in the second year, they have improved so much that it’s surprising.]

At those words, Cecilia replied.

“First year? Ah, Erti-nim said you were sealed in the underground temple of Roia Hall. So, you were watching the combat faction’s students?”

[Of course. As a Holy Sword, watching a swordsman wield a sword is like… Heu-hum. It’s as enjoyable as peeking at erotic art.]

At those words, Cecilia was almost embarrassed for a moment. But since she already knew that Erti was a slightly crazy Holy Sword, she brushed off the words nonchalantly.

“The duel has started!”

The duel had already started a little while ago. But the four people surrounding Yulian were not moving.

Cecilia is ignorant about swordsmanship. But surely those five are very busy engaging in a probing battle.

And at the end of that probing battle, three students moved simultaneously.

“It’s dangerous!”

Aylin shouted. As she said. Three swordsmen, including Fabian, swung their swords at Yulian.

‘It seems like very elaborate swordsmanship.’

Even though she hasn’t learned swordsmanship, Cecilia is a dragon. And a master craftsman who handles weapons, so she thinks about how the weapon should move to be most ideal when making things.

All three of them are handling the new Imperial Swords made with her forging method well.

Even though it’s a newly made sword, they didn’t give Yulian a single opening with their fluent swordplay, as if they had been using the sword for a long time.

[Their skill in creating Aura is also decent. If a swordsman of that age can emit Aura, they would be praised for being talented. Everyone has practical experience, so their bodies are not swayed by Aura either.]

As Erti said. The radiant light of Aura created by the three people is constantly aiming at Yulian.

It’s already an Imperial Sword mixed with special minerals like Mana Light. Under that influence, they are stably maintaining Aura. So, its cutting power is enough to easily cut through a huge rock.

A fierce offensive and defensive battle continued.

Even though three people are swinging their swords at the same time, the swordplay could become tangled. But those three were maintaining a flowing combined attack as if one swordsman was attacking.

[And the remaining people are filling in the weaknesses that arise for a moment. All three know each other’s movements very well.]

Cecilia also felt that way. And those three were making good use of the rules of this duel.

‘Yulian-nim can’t use Aura, so…’

No matter how skilled a swordsman is. He can’t receive an Aura Sword, not a Mana Sword, with a normal sword that doesn’t have even a little bit of energy.

If it were a Holy Sword like Cieltea, it would be different. But what Yulian is holding now is an ordinary Imperial Sword. And due to the rules of the duel, it’s an iron sword that doesn’t even have special minerals mixed in.

So, Yulian was unable to easily be pushed into a defensive position and launch a counterattack. It seemed like there was no gap to break through those three’s continuous attacks.

But that was only part of the disadvantage that Yulian had. Yulian’s enemy was not three people, but four.

“What’s more dangerous than those three’s continuous attacks is…”

Cecilia’s words were cut off for a moment. Because Aylin shouted from the side.

“Lucia-nim’s figure is not visible!”

Aylin’s words were correct. Unlike the three who were constantly swinging their swords. From some point on, Lucia’s figure was not visible on the stage.

But Cecilia could tell. Lucia is still on the stage.

However, her movements were so fast that ordinary human dynamic visual acuity could not keep up with her movements.

[Heu-hum. Yulian will have a hard time with this. Lucia seems to be faster than when I saw her last time.]

And even Erti, who noticed those movements. Didn’t seem to be optimistic about Yulian’s victory.

‘No. Oraboni! You can’t lose like this…’

In that urgency. Cecilia clasped her hands tightly and watched the duel between the five.

---

The duel with the four was as fierce as expected.

‘Everyone prepared properly.’

Fabian, who had been joking around next to me until the duel started. But when the duel started, his eyes and momentum were completely different.

Leaf and Eric were the same. The three of them were swordsmen with their own strengths.

Fabian, as a swordsman from the South, had speed swords and variable swords. And Leaf is an excellent swordsman who can unfold the Imperial Swordsmanship in the most orthodox way.

And Eric, from Essenmund in the North. As a Northerner, he is a swordsman who knows how to show a powerful blow.

So, the three of them were constantly moving and complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The unique gap of speed swords and variable swords. Leaf’s sword, with good basics, is filling in that gap of Fabian. And the two’s continuous attacks are creating an opening for me, and Eric is stabbing into that gap with an Aura power attack.

‘Solid. All three have surpassed the student level.’

Of course, there are more flaws than the High Knights of the Royal Guard that I faced. But unlike the duel at that time, those three are using Aura.

Mana that has been purely refined into an aggressive purpose, very sharply, is Aura. As such, even I had to be prepared to have a part of my body cut off if I was careless.

On the other hand, I can’t use Aura. So, there is no way to aim for the gaps of those who have eliminated the gaps through combined attacks. Even the weapon is an ordinary iron sword. So, if it accidentally collides with that Aura, my Imperial Sword will be destroyed.

‘Fighting those three with my bare hands is impossible unless I fully release the power of the Demon Dragon.’

And I can’t openly use demonic energy in the middle of this Colosseum, where priests of the Six Gods are gathered. In many ways, it’s a dilemma.

But I was somehow enduring the three’s attacks well. In fact, I had properly experienced this kind of disadvantageous battle in real combat.

‘Right, in the fight against magical beasts.’

Battles with magical beasts. Especially battles in dungeons, are originally multi-to-one fights unless it’s a boss battle. Even in boss battles, there are subordinate monsters.

Roia’s trial. The Mana War Games, and even the fight in the Imperial Palace. The combat method of coping with multiple attacks and aiming for the only gap. Was already engraved in my bones.

Even the basic evasion movements. I took two or three more movements in anticipation of the next continuous attack.

‘For now, I just need to keep dodging like this. After all, I just need to buy time.’

So, the combat method I chose in this duel is an endurance battle.

Aura has a cutting power that is on a different level from ordinary Mana, so the consumption of Mana is also great. Avoiding the three’s combined attacks is not easy. But if I endure without taking effective hits. Surely time is on my side.

‘It’s a shame for those three. But my Mana Heart is a Dragon Heart.’

So, there is bound to be a difference in stamina compared to those who haven’t even reached the 6th Circle yet. Even the 6th Circle of my Dragon Heart is on a different level from the 6th Circle of high-level swordsmen.

So, while my body naturally avoided the three’s attacks. All my attention was actually directed towards Lucia.

‘If I show even a little gap, Lucia’s stab will fly in.’

As expected.

Shuuk-

A very precise speed sword aimed at only one point. It was completely different from Fabian’s speed sword based on variable swords. Lucia’s speed sword was a strong sword filled with the will to end it with a single sword, as well as being a speed sword.

‘The explosive power is completely different from before.’

From the start of the duel, Lucia was stepping on the sword path busily, mainly in my blind spots, to the point where it was difficult to grasp her position in real time.

Lucia’s reaction speed and mobility now. Seemed to be the result of strengthening her body through demonic energy.

‘She must be seeing the benefits of the duel with Erti in the underground temple and… the massage.’

Her sword was already flying towards my vitals. If I couldn’t deal with this sword, my defeat was certain.

‘But Lucia. You’re not the only one who knows how to use demonic energy.’

In the middle of the Holy Academy. And even if I can’t openly use demonic energy because there are so many priests in the Colosseum. There were plenty of ways to apply that demonic energy.

The 6th Circle’s shell, which had temporarily become a vacuum of Mana due to blocking the three’s combined attacks.

Demonic energy began to concentrate in that Dragon Heart.