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Clang!
Nubes' shield deflected Evan Brooks' sword.
30 minutes.
The longest match of all 64 preliminary rounds.
Evan, Bastian, and Perrendo were now struggling to even hold their swords upright.
But Nubes and Luna still moved with vigor.
'Impressive, Nubes, Luna.'
Davian wasn't even bothering with support magic anymore.
At first, he had to provide support intermittently, but as the opponents began to tire, Nubes alone was enough.
"We have no choice! Target Luna!"
The three hadn't wanted to attack Luna first, as she looked small and frail and didn't seem capable of much offense.
But now they had no choice.
"I'll go around back!"
Two students engaged Nubes while Perrendo circled around to target Luna.
"Luna!"
Nubes frantically tried to turn around, but the two students in front of him were formidable opponents.
They quickly attacked his lower body to distract him while the other thrust his sword forward.
As the two squeezed out the last of their energy to create a final opportunity.
Perrendo circled around and aimed for Luna's back.
'That won't do.'
Davian was about to prepare a wind elemental magic spell when.
"Eek!"
Luna, terrified and shrinking her shoulders, stretched out both arms.
"Huh?"
As telekinesis activated.
Perrendo Aaron's body floated into the air and flew backward.
The three's last attempt ended in vain.
The match went to Davian, Nubes, and Luna's team.
"Good job, Nubes. You're definitely the best."
"Me? I'm the best? Heh heh."
"Yeah. At tanking."
"Ah..."
"Luna, you worked hard too."
"Yeah! Thanks, Davian."
The round of 32 against the 63rd team, which advanced by default, ended anticlimactically.
The opposing team consisted of four students, including the one who drew the number 0.
But they couldn't withstand Davian, who had begun to actively participate in the matches, for even 5 minutes.
Next was the round of 16.
In the round of 16, they would face the team that drew ball number 57.
The team that included Bonita Fortis.
"Davian's coming out. Let's have a sword fight for old time's sake. How about it?"
"Sounds good."
The remaining four students were left to duel 2 on 2.
Davian and Bonita faced each other head-on in a sword fight.
The students who were eliminated in the round of 32 and those who weren't scheduled to fight gathered to watch the round of 16 match between teams 62 and 57.
"How much has the gap between us widened in the past year?"
"Can you even receive Bonita's sword?"
"You can see it, but you can't block it."
"What about Davian's sword?"
"You can't even see it."
Clang!
Davian and Bonita's swords met.
"You're fast, but I can see you, Davian."
"I haven't even reached my full speed yet."
Clang!
"You're too weak, Bonita."
"I haven't put all my strength into it yet."
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Sometimes strong, sometimes weak.
Their swords clashed countless times.
The more they dueled, the more surprised Davian became.
She came in drawing a large circle.
Then came a sharp, straight thrust.
When he thought he could block head-on by applying just the right amount of force, a heavy attack suddenly pushed in.
When he thought he had to deflect an attack that seemed to be carrying force and tilted his sword, he felt the faintest touch, like a petal brushing against the tip of his sword.
A complete swordsmanship and a perfect sword path.
This was the level of Bonita that Davian already knew.
But.
There was something new added on top of that.
The power to make the flow her own.
Not just reading the opponent's flow, but taking control of the flow of the duel itself.
Even though the opponent was a swordsman with 7-star inner energy, she wasn't being led around at all.
Davian was several levels above in terms of power and speed.
Their swordsmanship skills were similar.
But.
Davian couldn't seem to bring the duel to his own pace.
'Amazing, Bonita Fortis. She's completely perfected another different kind of swordsmanship.'
He thought she had changed a little after defeating Duke Harrington.
But when he actually crossed swords with her, it wasn't just a small change.
Clang!
"It's more manageable than I thought? Davian."
"I'm going easy on you, Bonita."
Bonita smirked and took her sword away.
"Bullshit."
Davian was about to retort, but instead of answering, he swung his sword.
'Bullshit...'
It wasn't wrong.
Because Davian was facing Bonita with all his sincerity right now.
Of course, if he used the 'Shadow Assimilation' skill here, the outcome would be decided in an instant.
But there was no need to use a skill for a duel with a friend.
More than that.
Seeing Bonita, who was creating her own flow and pushing Davian, made him feel something.
Admiration? Pride?
Satisfaction for having a more excellent force?
It was hard to define exactly.
What was certain was.
He wasn't upset at all about being pushed back by Bonita right now.
Then.
"Surrender!"
Someone from Bonita's team surrendered.
Anyone who judged that they could no longer fight could shout surrender, and then had to immediately leave the arena.
"Aw man... I surrender too!"
As one person hastily left the arena, the remaining person also shouted surrender and turned their back.
"Looks like Nubes and Luna won over there?"
Bonita turned her head and smirked.
"Nubes has grown a lot."
"Nubes was always big."
Swish!
Bonita's sword moved quickly toward Davian.
The tip of Bonita's sword pointed at Davian's Adam's apple, and Davian smoothly stepped back to move out of range.
An outstretched arm, an outstretched sword.
In that position, Bonita opened the hand holding the sword.
Clang.
The sword fell to the ground.
"I surrender too."
Davian, startled, asked.
"Like this? Bonita Fortis gives up like this? Weren't you someone who didn't care whether it was 3 on 1 or 30 on 1?"
"You. You weren't using your full power either. I'm going. If you don't win, you're dead."
Bonita Fortis also left the arena.
The round of 16 ended like that.
Round of 8, Match 2.
Match between team 22 and team 30.
Team 22 included Latia and Karin.
The remaining member was Martin, the ace of the Department of Integrated Martial Arts from the Western Battle Tribe.
Latia had already been on the same team as him during the first semester's midterm dungeon exploration assessment.
"Latia, I am honored to continue mixing bodies with you..."
"I told you to shut that mouth."
"Ah, I am sorry. That is not what I meant. I meant, I am honored to continue dueling together. It is an expression of our tribe..."
"I know, I know. So just shut up."
"...Understood."
Martin turned his head to look at Karin.
"Karin, you are also a wizard with a burning heart. I respect..."
Karin's cold gaze reached Martin.
"Ah, I made a mistake again. I am sorry. In our tribe, it is a word that means a wizard with strong magical power. A-anyway, I am honored to be with you. Let us go all the way to victory."
Latia and Karin answered at the same time.
"Just shut up."
"I, I am sorry. The words of our tribe, it is difficult to fix."
The match began.
Martin stood at the very front, stretching out his thick arms in a grappling stance.
Behind him, Latia and Karin stood side by side.
The opposing team consisted of a wizard, an archer, and a swordsman.
Similarly, the swordsman stood at the very front, with the wizard and archer behind him.
With the start of the match.
Latia opened her mouth.
"Let's go as planned."
"Understood."
"Yeah!"
Martin lowered his stance and glared at the other team.
Karin began to summon pillars of fire.
Latia prepared defense magic.
Whoosh!
The first attack came from the other side.
A sharp arrow shot by the archer targeted Karin, who was creating the pillars of fire.
Crack!
Latia erected a wall of ice between the arrow and Karin.
Thwack!
The arrow was deeply embedded in the ice wall, but it could not penetrate it.
Rumble.
At the same time as the ice wall melted.
Boom!
Pillars of fire poured out from Karin's hands.
The opposing swordsman coated his sword in aura.
Swish!
He cut down Karin's pillars of fire.
"Now!"
Latia and Karin quickly spread out to either side.
It's easier to coordinate and defend as a party when together, but.
The two wizards split apart, creating distance.
Instead.
Martin, from the Department of Integrated Martial Arts, ran forward.
The three maintained an isosceles triangle shape, gradually spreading out.
If the swordsman dashed to one side, one of the wizards, Latia or Karin, would be in a 1:1 situation against the fast-moving swordsman.
A 1:1 duel between a swordsman and a wizard at close range is too disadvantageous for the wizard.
The swordsman looked back and forth between Latia and Karin to decide which side to dash toward, not wanting to miss this opportunity.
But.
Martin rushed forward, reducing the angle for the swordsman to dash out.
No matter which side, Latia or Karin, he tried to target, he would inevitably encounter Martin in the middle.
"Smart move! Good, I'll face Martin instead!"
The opponent was the undisputed ace of the Department of Integrated Martial Arts.
But the swordsman was confident.
No matter how much of an ace he was, the opponent was unarmed.
He was holding a long, two-handed longsword.
Attack range, weapon sharpness, destructive power from a long swing radius.
He was more advantageous in all aspects.
As long as he didn't allow the distance to be closed by Martin, who was running at him flailing his thick, short arms.
He could easily win.
'I'll catch Martin and immediately catch Karin!'
No matter how good Latia was, she wouldn't be able to handle a 3:1 situation.
The plan was perfect.
The swordsman's lips curled up at the thought of making them regret standing so widely apart for the sake of offense.
Thwack!
The swordsman, raising his sword overhead, kicked off the ground.
The swordsman quickly approached Martin.
When he arrived at a distance that was permissible for him but impossibly far for Martin.
Swish!
He swung the long, two-handed longsword.
'Try rolling around to dodge that. I'll inflict a fatal wound before you can even get up.'
It seemed like he was just wildly swinging the sword, but.
He had faithfully applied what he had learned to swing the sword along a path that would force the opponent to roll to avoid it.
It was also a sword path that allowed him to immediately strike the opponent rolling on the ground by bending his arm.
But.
Martin did not slow down, nor did he roll on the ground.
He raised his left arm over his head and charged straight at the longsword.
The swordsman was so surprised that he almost retracted his sword.
He had swung the aura-clad sword with all his might with the intention of making him roll to dodge.
At this rate, he might cut Martin's body in half.
However.
The swordsman, having made up his mind, did not retract his sword.
'You're the one who charged in, Martin. But you're the ace of the Department of Integrated Martial Arts, you won't die, right.'
As long as he didn't die, Ms. Medium Frill, the school nurse, would somehow save him.
'Oh well, whatever!'
The distance between the blade of the longsword and Martin was getting closer and closer.
Martin's left arm, raised over his head, turned a deep ink color.
Just before Martin's left arm and the blade touched.
The swordsman unknowingly closed his eyes.
He couldn't bear to see his classmate's arm being cut off like this.
No, it would be a good thing if only his arm was cut off.
'He won't die, right...'
At that moment.
Along with a tingling sensation in his wrist.
An unbelievable sound reached the ears of the closed-eyed swordsman.
Thud!
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