Chapter 135: A Commoner’s Victory

Alaric stood at the edge of the arena, his breath a bit hurried. With the restriction caused by the arena, his Originat had also been reduced.

All the attacks he had been releasing had taken a fraction of his Originat. And there was a limited time of ten minutes, or the match would end in a draw, which he didn’t want.

He had thought that even though Evan would be a problem, he could solve it with his wits and everything else. But this last attack from Evan had stomped on such thoughts.

He had to reevaluate Evan and think of a strategy to defeat him.

The timer above the arena flickered. Eight minutes left. The glowing numbers cast a faint red light over the stone, a constant reminder that time was slipping away.

He raised his saber as his gaze settled on Evan, who was at the center of the arena.

But Evan wasn’t done.

Alaric watched as a thunder circular rune, crackling with lightning, and a flaming circular rune appeared beside him, one at his left and one at his right.

The thunder rune hummed, arcs of purple lightning jumping from its surface and scorching the stone beneath it. The fire rune roared, orange and red flames twisting upward, filling the air with heat. The two runes pulsed in rhythm, like twin hearts beating together.

The students leaned forward, eyes wide.

Evan raised his academy sword between the two runes. His dark eyes were calm.

Then he brought them together.

The thunder rune and the fire rune didn’t just merge. They became one. Lightning and flame twisted into each other, fusing into a single, new element. The color shifted, turning a violent mix of purple and gold that pulsed like a living thing. The air screamed. The stone cracked. Waves of heat and static rolled across the arena, making the students flinch back.

Thunderfire.

It wasn’t thunder. It wasn’t fire. It was both, and it was neither. A new element born from destruction itself.

Evan pointed his sword at Alaric.

"Thunderfire Rampage."

The fused rune exploded.

A storm of thunderfire burst forth, rampaging across the arena. It wasn’t a beam or a blast. It was chaos given form. The purple-gold energy forked in every direction, leaving trails of molten stone and crackling air. The attack didn’t stay in one line. It spread, consuming everything in its path. The stone floor melted and shattered at the same time. The air itself seemed to burn and crackle.

The barrier around the arena flickered, its glow dimming under the strain.

Alaric’s eyes went wide. His heart dropped.

He had no time to think. He raised his saber and poured everything he had left into his magma rune. The rune flared bright red, pulsing with desperate heat.

"Magma Burst!"

A wave of molten rock erupted from the rune, roaring forward to meet the thunderfire.

The magma was powerful. It slammed into the thunderfire head-on, and for a few seconds, it held. The two forces clashed in the center of the arena, molten rock against purple-gold chaos. The air screamed. The stone cracked. Steam and smoke exploded outward, blinding everyone.

The students held their breath.

For a moment, it looked like the magma might actually push through.

But it was only for a moment.

The thunderfire tore straight through the magma. The molten rock hardened, cracked, and shattered in an instant. The thunderfire split it apart, melted what was left, and kept going. The magma didn’t even slow it down after those first few seconds.

Alaric stumbled back, raising his saber to block.

The thunderfire slammed into him.

He was thrown off his feet, his body spinning through the air. His saber flew from his grip and clattered somewhere across the arena. He hit the ground hard and rolled, coming to a stop near the edge of the arena.

Everywhere became silent at this turnaround, especially at the sight of the unleashing of the thunderfire skill.

Their gaze was on Alaric, who slowly began to stand up from where he had fallen. Such an attack had spelled out his defeat.

But Alaric didn’t accept it.

He pushed himself up, his arms trembling. His legs shook. His uniform was torn and scorched. Frost and burn marks covered his skin. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead. But he stood.

He raised his hand, calling his saber back. The weapon flew to his grip, its glow flickering weakly.

He wasn’t done.

Evan watched him, his dark eyes calm. He didn’t speak. He didn’t taunt. He just raised his academy sword.

Then he charged.

The distance between them closed in a heartbeat. Evan’s sword came alive with fire, not ordinary flames, but sword intent wrapped in fire. The blade burned bright orange and gold, the flames twisting along its edge like a living thing. The intent pressed down on the arena, heavy and sharp, making the students’ skin prickle.

Flame sword intent.

Alaric’s eyes widened. He raised his saber to block, but his arms were too slow. His Originat was nearly gone, his body was beaten.

Evan’s sword stopped an inch from his throat.

The flames licked at Alaric’s skin, hot but controlled. The intent pressed down on him, freezing him in place. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe.

Evan stared at him, his dark eyes calm.

"Yield." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

The word was quiet. Simple.

Alaric’s jaw tightened. His hands trembled. His saber shook in his grip.

For a long moment, he didn’t move.

Then his saber clattered to the ground.

"I yield," he said.

The Coliseum erupted as they were amazed by Evan defeating Alaric, and not just by luck but in an overwhelming manner.

A commoner had defeated them, having such talents.

"Winner: Evan Dusk."

Sylas announced as Evan returned the academy sword and walked to the corner of the Coliseum, a low-key person.

But everyone knew that was just a veil. He couldn’t be underestimated.

Especially the sword intent he had released. It had surpassed normal sword intent in terms of strength.

There are different types of concept. Fire intent, sword intent, water intent, and many more. But being able to fuse two or three more intents isn’t an easy feat.

It takes deep comprehension and control of the intent.

And Evan was the first person to release such intent, sparking battle intent in their hearts.

The students watched him as he walked. Their eyes followed his every step. Some leaned forward, trying to get a better look. Others whispered to each other, their voices low and urgent. The air in the Coliseum had shifted. It felt heavier, charged with something new.

Respect.

Lucien watched as Evan returned to his place. His gaze stayed on him for some moments before he retracted it.

This assessment was getting interesting.

"Wow, who would have expected him to win," Ryker muttered in a surprised voice.

Lucien shook his head. "The result was what I expected."

Ryker turned to him, his brow furrowed. "You knew? How?"

Lucien didn’t answer. He just smiled and leaned back in his seat, his eyes drifting to the arena where the next match would soon begin.

Evan sat down in his corner, quiet and still. He didn’t look at anyone. He didn’t celebrate. He just stared ahead, his dark eyes calm.

But the students couldn’t stop looking at him.

Another opponent added to their list.

The whispers continued. Some students glanced at Evan, then at each other, their expressions a mix of respect and wariness.

He was dangerous.

But two people in the stands weren’t looking at Evan with awe. They were looking at him with something else entirely.

Seraphina leaned closer to Lucien, her golden eyes fixed on Evan for a moment before she turned back to her darling. Her expression was calm, almost bored.

"He’s strong," she said quietly. "For a commoner."

Lucien nodded. "He is."

Seraphina’s lips curled into a small smile. She pressed closer to Lucien, her hand resting on his arm. "But he’s weak compared to you, darling."

Lucien glanced at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. He didn’t disagree.

On his other side, Lilith twirled a strand of her silver-white hair around her finger. Her crimson eyes were fixed on Evan, but there was no admiration in them. Just calculation.

"Interesting," she murmured. "He might be worth playing with."

She turned to Lucien, her expression shifting to something softer, more eager. She leaned in, her shoulder pressing against his. "But he’s nothing before you, darling. You could crush him without lifting a finger."

Lucien chuckled softly. He didn’t deny it.

Seraphina shot Lilith a sharp look. "I was here first. Don’t crowd him."

Lilith didn’t back off. She just smiled, sweet and sharp. "Sharing is caring, remember?"

Seraphina’s eye twitched. "You’re pushing it."

Lilith leaned closer to Lucien, her lips brushing his ear. "Darling, tell her to be nice."

Lucien sighed. He reached out and patted both of them on the head, one hand on Seraphina’s golden hair, the other on Lilith’s silver-white locks.

"Both of you, behave," he said.

Seraphina’s cheeks flushed. She leaned into his hand, her earlier irritation fading.

Lilith closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips.