NOVPUBHe wiped the sweat from his face, his previous panic now replaced with smug confidence.
"Ah-ha-ha! You stupid fool!" Zephyr tugged at his clothing just enough to reveal the shimmer of enchanted light armor beneath.
"Did you really think I'd come unprepared?"
Zephyr's laughter grew louder, his arrogance swelling.
Luka, unimpressed, simply shrugged. "Meh, I'll handle it."
He wasn't one for pointless banter during a fight.
And so, without another word, he shot forward again, his speed unhindered.
"You will try… But you will fail!" Zephyr shed his earlier anxiety.
He no longer worried about such attacks and confidently raised his staff once more.
This time, instead of firing directly forward, he unleashed [Fireball] around himself, creating a protective circle of flames.
The fire crackled hungrily, forming a makeshift barrier.
"Have fun getting to me without burning yourself!" Zephyr taunted.
But he wasn't done.
He immediately followed up by activating [Rock] once again, launching a fresh swarm of stone projectiles.
Luka, weaving through them with ease, rolled his eyes internally.
'What does he think this weak shit will do?'
Then, he activated [Phantom Step] once more.
"Stupid!" This time, Zephyr was ready.
Or so he thought.
Expecting Luka to appear behind him again, he whirled around mid-cast, a triumphant smirk forming on his lips.
"Got you, bitch—"
But Luka wasn't there.
"Huh!?" Zephyr's expression twisted in confusion for a split second before—
Slash!
Luka reappeared from a completely different angle, his dagger already in motion.
This time, instead of a single cut, he slashed repeatedly at the same point he had targeted before.
Strike after strike, his dagger clashed against the magic light armor, sparks flying with each impact.
Zephyr stood his ground, unmoving, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You really are an idiot. Do you actually think a low-level weapon can break through my armor—"
His words cut off abruptly.
A cold chill ran down his spine as he felt it—his armor, the once-reliable magical defense, was weakening under the relentless assault.
His smirk vanished, replaced by a growing sense of dread.
"Impossible!?" Zephyr shouted.
Panic flashed across his face as he raised his staff, preparing to strike down before things got worse.
But before he could bring it down—
Luka chuckled.
[Phantom Step]
Then—whoosh!
He disappeared.
The staff hit nothing but air.
Luka reappeared in an instant, this time at the other leg, resuming his rapid attacks.
His dagger flashed, striking over and over, pushing the weakened armor to its limits.
But Luka knew he couldn't keep this up forever.
His stamina was draining fast, and the exhaustion was creeping up on him.
He needed to end this now.
"DIE!" Zephyr, desperate and enraged, swung his staff down once more, but this time—
Luka caught it.
With his free hand, he gripped the staff tightly, halting its momentum in place.
"What!?" Zephyr's eyes widened in disbelief as he struggled to pull it free.
Luka's grip was ironclad.
"Damn you! Let go! Do you know who I am!?" Zephyr roared, his voice laced with frustration and fear.
"Don't care." Luka's response was curt, uninterested.
Then, in one final, decisive slash—his dagger tore through what remained of the magic light armor.
The once-glowing barrier flickered before shattering completely.
Steel met flesh.
Zephyr screamed.
Bright red blood splattered onto the platform as Luka's blade carved into his opponent's leg.
The pain was instant, raw, and inescapable.
Zephyr's system notifications flooded his mind, the robotic voice echoing mercilessly.
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 9 / 10!]
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 8 / 10!]
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 7 / 10!]
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 6 / 10!]
Each slash drained his health further, and with his balance lost, Zephyr collapsed forward onto his knees.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
His once-proud arrogance crumbled in an instant.
His breaths came in ragged gasps as his body trembled.
"I surrender! I give up! Stop! Please, I beg you!" Zephyr cried, his voice breaking.
Snot dripped from his nose as he let go of his staff and clutched his wounded leg, the reality of defeat hitting him like a ton of bricks.
Luka, unfazed, simply stopped his assault, as he simply threw the staff to the side.
A second later, the platform beneath them shifted color, changing from stark white to a calm green—signaling the official end of the match.
"GG," Luka muttered, straightening up.
He turned without giving a glance, already walking away as medical staff rushed in to tend to his opponent.
Stepping off the platform, Luka took a quick glance around.
He was the first to finish his one-on-one fight. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
The other matches were still in full swing, the sounds of clashing weapons and bursts of magic skills still filling the air.
Not caring about the ongoing battles, Luka made his way toward the weapon stash.
He gripped the long dagger, now slick with blood, and carefully placed it in the used pile.
As he turned, he caught the eyes of several teachers watching him intently.
Their expressions were unreadable.
With a small nod, Luka headed back to his seat.
All the while, the teachers began talking amongst eachother.
"That level of fluidity… It wasn't just instinct. His movements were deliberate, precise. He didn't waste a single motion.."
"Indeed. What intrigues me most is his efficiency. He took the least amount of time to dismantle an opponent considered a genius mage. Such a feat isn't achieved through raw talent alone."
"That level of combat awareness is rare. Either he's undergone rigorous training far beyond what we offer here, or he possesses a natural talent that outshines even geniuses."
"What troubles me is how unnervingly composed he was. Even prodigies show excitement, arrogance, or hesitation in their youth—but him? He fought like a battle-hardened warrior…"
Some more talking…
Suddenly, the Headmaster approached, stroking his long white beard, couldn't suppress a low chuckle as he interrupted the eager discussion.
"It seems you all have your sights set on that young man," he said with a teasing smile.
"Unfortunately for the lot of you— he's a Ranger."
A knowing smirk tugged at the Headmaster's lips as he glanced over at a certain Ranger teacher.
Her devilish smile stretched wide as she licked her lips, eyes gleaming with excitement. "It would be my honor~."
The Headmaster gave a small nod as he turned around and began walking away.
"Guess he's all yours. Enjoy. And, uh… try not to get him killed, will you?"
