Chapter 219: Madness (III)

A few more challengers entered the arena, but none of them forced Gray to actually use a sword or sustain a serious injury.

Finally, by the twenty-fourth battle…

“I wonder who will challenge Gray now…” “He has defeated every second-year who stepped into the arena.”

“Yeah, and third-years seem too afraid to go in, as none have dared.”

Clang!

Just as the audience murmured among themselves, a crimson-haired youth suddenly stepped into the arena, wielding a longsword.

Seeing him, Gray finally showed a flicker of interest.

’Jasmine?’

[Yup. His body has divinity, but it doesn’t come from an actual god. It might come from some direct inheritance he received.]

’Does that mean you can absorb it directly from him?’

[As long as you touch him, yes.]

’Good. Wait for my signal, then absorb all of his divinity.’

[Okay.]

Twinkle, twinkle…

Spinning his daggers into a reverse grip, Gray lowered his stance slightly, locking his gaze onto the crimson-haired youth.

“[Spirit Eyes]”

[Ding!]

[The Spirit Eye’s proficiency has advanced to the Advanced Stage!]

’Oh…?’

Over his twenty fights, the Spirit Eye had clearly advanced beyond the Intermediate level, allowing him to see mana in the air and detect areas of higher mana concentration.

Now that it had reached the Advanced Stage, his vision improved again. But instead of gaining a new ability, it enhanced his existing ones.

“OHHHH! THAT’S ETHAN, THE NUMBER ONE STUDENT IN THE 2ND YEAR!”

“THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING FIGHT SINCE ETHAN’S POWER IS SAID TO BE ABOVE FIFTY PERCENT OF THE THIRD YEARS!”

“GO, GRAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! FUCK HIM UPPPPPP!”

“…The fuck are you talking about?! Obviously, Ethan is going to win!”

“Huh?! Gray is the one who’s going to win!”

“Pfttt, dream more, you son of a bitch. This barstard’s streak is ending now!”

“TAKE THAT BACK, YOU SMALL DICK FUCKER!”

Fwump! Swish!

Suddenly, the shouts from the audience were interrupted by Ethan making the first move.

He directly attacked from above, his sword wrapped in golden flames that appeared at the corner of Gray’s vision as he watched the crimson-haired youth smile widely and swing his sword above his head.

Gray looked at the sword for two seconds.

“Nullification.”

[-3 Soul Energy!]

Swish!

The flames on the youth’s sword disappeared, causing his eyes to widen. Gray quickly sidestepped the incoming blade and spun his body, delivering a spinning backfist to the youth’s face.

THUD!

“KARGHH!”

The crimson-haired opponent was sent flying, but while in mid-air, he quickly regained his composure and stabbed his sword into the ground.

Kkrrr…

“Ugh…”

He rubbed his injured cheek, then his eyes filled with killing intent again as he coated his sword in golden flames and shouted loudly:

“Flaming Sword Meteor!”

Suddenly, he soared into the air.

In that moment, a circle of golden flames encircled him, transforming him into a blazing orb of fire before this “ball of fire” surged toward Gray.

“KRAAAAHH!”

The crimson-haired roared madly, as the ball of fire appeared before Gray in a single second.

“[✧Swap✧]”

But just at that moment, Gray switched positions with Ethan himself, appearing above him with a faint yet cold smile.

“AHA, GOT YOU!”

Ethan shouted loudly as the ball suddenly flipped positions in an instant, heading towards Gray directly.

But just before it could meet Gray’s body…

[✧ Dream Mist ✧]

His body turned into a dark mist that was propelled throughout the whole arena, not letting him see at all.

“Fuck!”

Ethan instantly panicked.

He slashed wildly, sword cutting through smoke and nothing else, flames roaring as he spun in place, trying to force clarity through violence.

Swish…!

He spun around with a snarl, sword flashing up just as the mist thinned enough to show Gray a few steps away, looking at him with a small smile.

“STOP HIDING!”

Golden flames erupted again, this time flooding his entire body. Runes burned along his arms as mana surged outward in violent pulses.

“Solar Cleave!”

He swung his sword.

Instantly, a wide and heavy crescent of condensed fire tore through the arena, the heat warping stone as it rushed toward Gray.

Gray stepped once to the side.

The attack screamed past him and detonated against the far wall, turning stone to slag.

“WHAT?!”

Ethan did not wait.

“Radiant Step!”

His body burst forward in a flash of gold, reappearing right in front of Gray. The longsword stabbed straight for Gray’s throat, point steady, movement sharp and trained.

Gray tilted his head.

“Nullification.”

[-3 Soul Energy]

The glow vanished mid-thrust.

Ethan’s pupils shrank, and Gray didn’t waste any time and struck Ethan’s wrist with the palm of his hand

CRACK!

The sword flew from his hand, spinning end over end before clattering uselessly across the arena floor. Gray followed with a knee to the stomach.

THUD!

“Kurgh!” Ethan gagged, air exploding from his lungs as he stumbled backward.

Snarling, he slammed both hands together.

“Divine Brand Burst!”

Golden chains of light erupted from the ground, snapping toward Gray from every direction, moving fast, snapping shut like traps.

Gray moved through them.

He slipped between one chain, stepped over another, twisted his shoulder aside as a third brushed past his cheek close enough to singe skin.

“Nullification.”

[-3 Soul Energy]

The chains shattered into harmless sparks.

The crowd had gone quiet again.

Not shocked… but strangely uncomfortable as they noticed that… Gray was still hiding a portion of his power.

Ethan’s breathing turned ragged. Sweat poured down his face, eyes wide now, darting, searching for an opening that refused to exist.

He roared and raised both arms.

“Golden Judgment Descent!”

Light gathered above him, condensing into multiple blazing spears that rained down in a brutal storm, each one screaming with destructive force.

Gray looked up and sighed.

“You don’t learn, do you?”

His body turned into mist as each incoming spear missed by margins so small they scraped the fabric of his clothes.

Until the final one came straight down on his head.

Gray lifted a finger.

“Nullification.”

[-6 Soul Energy]

The spear dissolved inches from his face.

Ethan froze in shock, and when he blinked, Gray was suddenly in front of him.

A punch slammed into Ethan’s ribs.

THUD!

Another into his jaw.

CRACK!

A sweep took his legs out from under him, followed by a stomp that stopped short of his throat by less than a finger’s width.

Ethan lay on his back, breathing heavily with shaky eyes as the golden flames flickered weakly around his skin.

Gray looked down at him with a bored expression.

“Your techniques are loud,” he said quietly. “Predictable. You rely on power because you never learned how to fight someone who does not fear it.”

He turned his foot slightly, pressure increasing just enough to steal breath.

“Yield.”

“Pfftt… AHAHAHAHA!!!”

Ethan suddenly laughed at his words as he slammed his palm against the ground and forced himself upright, legs trembling, back hunched, swordless and bleeding.

“I am not done,” he growled, voice hoarse yet burning.

“I did not climb to the top of my year just to lie down.”

Fwooom…

A powerful golden light flared again.

The flames pulled inward, wrapping his body tight, clinging to muscle and bone instead of exploding outward.

His breathing slowed as he lowered his fighting stance. For the first time, he stopped trying to overwhelm and started trying to endure.

The crowd instantly felt the change.

“HE’S STILL STANDING?!”

“COME ON, ETHAN!”

“SHOW HIM WHY YOU’RE NUMBER ONE!”

“GET UP! GET UP!”

Ethan wiped blood from his mouth and smiled, his eyes sharp with stubborn pride.

“You can be stronger than me…”

Step.

“But I am still here.”

Step.

“And as long as I stand, I will continue fighting!”

FWOOOOOOM!

Mana surged.

The ground beneath his feet cracked as he lunged forward, bare-handed, fist blazing gold. No technique name.

He chained the strike into another, then another, body moving faster than before, forcing exchanges, forcing closeness.

Gray raised an eyebrow in surprise, but that’s it as he started dodging his attacks,

A shoulder turn.

A half step.

A tilt of the spine.

Every blow missed by nothing at all, and surprisingly, even that golden light barely touched the edges of Gray’s clothes.

But that turn back, actually got the crowd excited.

“HE’S PUSHING HIM!”

“GRAY IS BACKING UP!”

“THIS IS IT!”

Ethan leapt, twisting midair, channeling everything left into one final strike, golden light roaring so loud the arena shook.

“For my victory!”

“For my rank!”

“For myself!”

He came down like a falling star.

Gray looked at him with bored eyes.

’Jasmine. Now.’

[On it.]

Gray coated his right fist with mana as he stepped in, tilting his head sideways to the left, avoiding Ethan’s punch.

An easy… opportunity.

So, he drove his fist right into Ethan’s stomach, pure force reinforced by dark mana, packed tight and unforgiving.

THOOM!

The punch buried itself into Ethan’s stomach.

Time stopped.

Ethan’s body folded around the impact, eyes bulging as all air left him in a violent burst.

The golden light shattered like glass. Sound caught up a heartbeat later as his body rocketed backward.

The crowd screamed.

“WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!!!”

Ethan flew across the arena, skipping once, twice, then slamming into the boundary wall hard enough to crack it.

He did not stop, as his body tipped over the edge of the arena and vanished from sight.

The crowd went silent after that.

RIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGG!

Until the bell finally rang.

The crowd stared at the empty edge of the arena.

Then chaos erupted.

“WHAT?! ALL OF THAT DETERMINATION JUST TO GET ONE SHOT?!”

“AAAH! COME ON, I WAS ABOUT TO BET TWENTY GOLD COINS ON YOUR VICTORY!”

“WHAT DID I TELL YOU, COCKSUCKER?! GRAY EASILY WON!”

“…That’s not fair at all!!!”

“JUST SUCK IT LIKE GOOD BOY!!!”

Back in the arena, Gray turned away, uninterested, already stepping back toward the center.

’…Was it enough?’

[YES! I FINALLY HAVE MY DIVINE EYES BACK!]

Jasmine exclaimed happily.

Gray also smiled at his, after all, if Jasmine got stronger, so did he.

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