Chapter 466: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: The Genius of Burnwick III

Immediately, the huge Light Blade closed in on Ravenor.

At the same time, his own Flame Alchemy was complete.

The compressed flames had turned into a ball of hot scarlet-red light, and the Flame Alchemy Circle surrounding it suddenly began to rotate rapidly. The rotation grew faster and faster until the flames inside the circle were pulled into a tight spiral.

Then, a scarlet-red flame beam shot out from the center of the ball toward the incoming huge Light Blade.

BOOOOOOOM!!!!

The two Alchemy attacks collided.

The moment they clashed, the entire fighting area was swallowed by a huge explosion.

Light and flame crashed into each other at the center of the platform, sending a violent wave of heat and wind across the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure, while dust and pieces of scorched earth were thrown into the air.

The flames produced by the clash spread outward and curled around the protective force field surrounding the audience. They struck the barrier with enough force to make it shimmer, but the protective field held firmly in place without allowing the flames to reach the spectators.

A few Non-Alchemists in the crowd still flinched backward when the immense flames rushed toward them.

Some even raised their arms to protect their faces.

Others, however, became even more excited.

The sight of two First-Year students clashing with that level of power made the entire Arena feel as if it had become a battlefield of its own.

Time passed as the smoke and flames slowly began to clear from the fighting platform.

The Medic Staffs were already stationed nearby, ready to move in as soon as a winner was confirmed or if either of the two fighters was still strong enough to continue.

Finally, the smoke cleared.

And, as many had already expected...

Ravenor was still standing.

However, he was no longer standing in the same place where he had remained throughout most of the fight.

He was now standing where the Prince laid.

A faint ball of flame surrounded him, forming a shield around both himself and the unconscious Prince, protecting them from the clash of their two Alchemy attacks.

The protective flame flickered quietly around Ravenor as the last traces of smoke passed over his body.

"Are you okay, Young Lord Burnwick?"

A Medic Staff asked as he approached Ravenor, while another Medic Staff quickly ran toward the unconscious Prince to check his condition.

"I’m fine."

Ravenor answered calmly.

He looked toward the unconscious Charles for only a moment before turning around.

Then he began walking away from the fighting platform.

He didn’t even wait for the announcement that he was the winner, nor did he wait for the crowd to properly cheer for him. His hands remained relaxed at his sides as he walked away from the battlefield as if the fight had been nothing more than another ordinary exercise.

"Ehn..."

Patrick blinked several times, still trying to pull himself back from the sight of the huge explosion.

His eyes searched across the fighting platform.

"Where is the Young Lord?"

He leaned forward slightly, looking around the stage for Ravenor.

"He’s already gone."

Liliana replied calmly.

Her emerald eyes remained focused on the fighting platform, where the damage caused by the two Alchemy attacks was slowly becoming visible beneath the remaining smoke.

The platform had been heavily damaged by the collision.

Parts of the ground were blackened, and several cracks ran across the surface where the force of the two attacks had struck.

Liliana’s gaze remained there as a thought passed through her mind.

He also used a Meister Rank Alchemy as an Adept Alchemist, yet he could still use another Alchemy that was similar to the Prince’s Light Shield.

An amazed smile slowly appeared on her face.

Ravenor Burnwick, is really a genius.

She couldn’t help feeling excited about the future final rounds of the competition.

If this was what Ravenor could accomplish while still remaining an Adept Alchemist, she couldn’t help wondering what kind of battle would happen once he finally became a Meister.

At the First-Year Stands...

"The flames have cleared already, Cherry."

Maxwell said calmly.

Cherry was still glued to his side, hiding her eyes against his shoulder so she wouldn’t have to look at the terrifying explosion.

"Really?"

She lifted her head slightly.

Her voice carried a little uncertainty because she wanted to make sure Maxwell wasn’t simply playing with her again, as he normally did.

"Yes."

Maxwell replied helplessly.

"Okay."

Cherry finally moved her face away from his shoulder and looked back toward the fighting platform.

The flames were gone, and the smoke was almost completely cleared.

The stage was already being repaired for the next match, while the crowd continued cheering Ravenor’s name loudly.

But...

"That clash was re—"

Cherry wanted to speak to Maxwell, but she suddenly stopped when she looked at his golden eyes.

They were sparkling with excitement as he watched the replays of the fight between Ravenor and Charles on the Holographic Screen.

The usual calmness in his expression had changed slightly.

"So, that’s the Flame Alchemy my master spoke of."

He muttered to himself.

His eyes remained fixed on the replay for another moment before he suddenly turned toward Ravenor, who had just walked back into the stands.

Ravenor’s hands were calmly inside his pockets.

"Wo... wo... wo... so cool."

Sasha said with a teasing smile as she looked at her step-brother.

"That was amazing, Young Lord."

Lavinia Burns stood up suddenly with an excited expression on her face as she praised the young lord of the Duke family that her Count House Burns was loyal to.

Ravenor didn’t reply.

He simply just walked over and took his seat.

"He’s so cool."

Lavinia’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she took her seat again, keeping her eyes fixed on Ravenor for a little longer.

Ravenor sat between Sasha and Cyrus.

Cyrus was busy moving his head slightly from side to side while listening to the music playing through his headset.

"Nice fight, brother."

Cyrus said calmly.

He didn’t even look at Ravenor when he spoke.

"Thank you."

Ravenor replied.

He folded his arms and crossed one leg over the other while calmly observing the crowd.

"Waaa..."

Veda glanced toward Ravenor.

There was a trace of nervousness in his eyes.

"He’s too strong."

He said quietly.

The thought of facing Ravenor had already begun weighing on him. If Veda managed to reach the Eighth Round, there was a possibility that Ravenor could be the person waiting for him there.

Just thinking about that possibility made his expression tense.

Ezra sat on his left side, looking toward the stage with his usual plain expression.

He didn’t say anything.

Inside, however, he was recollecting everything he had observed.

The philosophy behind Ravenor’s Flame Alchemy.

The way he had prepared his attacks.

The strange Instant Flame Burst that could be triggered beneath an opponent.

The wide-range Cognis he had used to detect the Prince’s Light Blades.

And, most importantly, Ravenor’s Alchemy strategy.

Ezra’s plain black eyes remained on the stage, which was now completely repaired and ready for the next fight.

At the Seats of the High Powers of Britannia...

"Hahaha... Your son really forced my son to go to his limit."

The Queen laughed calmly as she slowly tilted her head toward the Duke of Burnwick.

Her expression carried a mixture of amusement and concern as she glanced toward the fighting platform.

"The conviction of Prince Charles is worth speaking of, even though he lost."

The Duke of Burnwick replied calmly while looking back at the Queen.

"I know that..."

The Queen placed one hand against her cheek.

Her voice became more troubled as she looked toward the section of the stands where all the First-year students were seated.

"I’m just worried that all these children are putting themselves through a lot in this competition."

She paused.

"The girl who cut her arm off still comes to mind."

The Duchess of Derlis joined the conversation.

She looked toward the stage with a serious expression, watching the damaged platform being repaired by the Craft-Based Alchemist Staff.

"Don’t they realize how important taking care of your body is to an Alchemist and to people in general?"

She shook her head, clearly annoyed by the situation.

"If they can’t even push themselves to that level, then how do you expect the children to grow as Alchemists?"

Duchess Regina spoke calmly.

Her words carried the confidence of someone who believed that strength couldn’t be gained without taking risks.

"If only the adults of the Ashenlocke were any better than their children, life in the Military power would have been better."

The Duchess of Drakes suddenly chipped in casually.

"Excuse me?"

Regina turned toward the Duchess of Drakes.

Her expression immediately became irritated.

The atmosphere between the two women tightened for a moment.

"Calm down, Duchess Regina."

The First Duchess of Galehart spoke with an elegant smile on her face.

She lightly turned her attention toward the stage, where the preparations for the next battle were already nearing completion.

"The next match is about to start."

She said lightly.

"Tsk."

Duchess Regina clicked her tongue before turning her attention back toward the fighting platform.

Beside her, the Duchess of Drakes smiled with a faint, pleased expression.

"The next fighter!"

Patrick’s voice echoed through the whole Arena.

The crowd immediately became louder again as the spectators turned their attention toward the entrance of the Arena.

"Page Laverdale Vs. Phiora Casper!!!!!"

Professor Liliana’s voice echoed loudly throughout the Arena.

The crowd responded with the same loud and excited voices as the two ladies from different Count Houses, but who followed the same Alchemy Path, stepped onto the fighting platform.

The two of them walked toward their respective positions while the repaired surface of the stage remained beneath their feet.

The cheers gradually settled into an expectant roar.

Another battle was about to begin.