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A bolt of lightning, unleashed by Charelei, hurtled towards me.

My mind raced, desperately searching for a solution, but none came.

My first thought was to defend myself using Samuel\'s thorns, but I immediately dismissed it as unwise.

And so,

"Stop."

[……!]

I halted Samuel, who was about to deploy his thorns to protect me.

If Samuel intervened, just like during the written exam, there would be consequences.

Instructor Hebram might not have noticed Samuel\'s assistance then, but Ares, Idea, and even the Headmaster were present now.

They would undoubtedly realize Samuel was helping me.

[…….]

Did he understand my intentions?

The thorns near my wrist trembled for a moment before receding.

*Thud-*

Charelei\'s lightning pierced my side, missing my vitals by a hair\'s breadth.

Excruciating pain, followed by a searing numbness, washed over me.

The lightning bolt hadn\'t just passed through me; it had left behind an electrical current that ravaged my insides.

*Cough-*

A mouthful of dark, metallic blood erupted from my lips.

Simultaneously, the black rose that had begun to unfurl from my hand successfully blocked the lightning bolts erupting from the ground.

The moment I confirmed this, I leaped away from Charelei.

As I looked up again, I saw her already preparing to cast another spell.

“…….”

She was a formidable opponent, far exceeding my initial expectations.

Had my focus on the Imperial Academy in the Human Realm blinded me?

I hadn\'t even considered the possibility of strong individuals existing in Sytan.

But,

‘It’s not over yet.’

*Clench-*

Clutching my bleeding side, I muttered to myself, my expression resolute.

I never anticipated an easy victory.

…In fact, Charelei\'s abilities countered mine perfectly.

My strength lay in closing the distance with my Position Exchange ability and delivering a swift strike.

However, approaching Charelei, who radiated electricity from her entire body, was no easy feat.

Even if I swapped positions with her accessories or clothes, it was clear I would be the one at a disadvantage.

Moreover, ‘dozens’ of protective barriers shimmered around her.

‘She came prepared.’

Just as she had declared before the duel, Charelei had undoubtedly prepared countermeasures against me.

To think she would go this far...

Perhaps, just like me, Charelei was also a student the Headmaster favored.

She wasn\'t a Child of the Seven Deadly Sins, making her an ideal pawn.

Regardless,

‘… I need to find a way.’

Her electricity was lethal even with the slightest touch.

I needed an ability that could bypass her defenses while evading her attacks.

Unfortunately, my arsenal lacked such a convenient tool.

Furthermore, I was burdened with the extreme penalty of my sealed abilities.

First, my primary Position Exchagne ability was sealed.

While I could potentially utilize it in this situation, it was not the right time.

Second, my Absolute Stealth remained sealed as well.

Using it here would undoubtedly raise suspicions among the observing students and instructors.

Besides, it was my trump card, best saved for dire situations.

And lastly,

‘The bleeding is getting worse… ’

Blood continued to flow from my wound at an alarming rate.

If this continued, I might genuinely die.

As I forced myself to maintain a stoic expression, Charelei spoke.

"How about surrendering? You look like you\'re struggling."

"Hmm, rather than that, how about you spare a cute junior? Ms. Charelai\'s reputation will follow you even among us first-years."

"Sorry, but I don\'t think that\'s going to happen."

“……That’s unfortunate.”

Charelei\'s response was curt and dismissive.

I clicked my tongue in disappointment but, in that instant, an idea struck me.

This might be my chance to fight Charelei from a distance.

But before I could act on this newfound hope,

"Lightning, swift as the wind."

A tattoo on Charelei\'s back flared to life, and five balls of electricity began to swirl around her.

*Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle-*

The lightning bolts shot towards me, leaving me no time to execute my new strategy. I had no choice but to focus on defending myself.

“Black Blade Rain.”

Each of Charelei’s lightning bolts possessed immense power, rendering five Black Blades insufficient.

Hence, I used Black Blade Rain, summoning dozens of black daggers to intercept the attack.

However,

It wasn’t enough.

*Bang—!*

*Bang—!*

*Bang—!*

Despite ten black daggers clashing against each lightning bolt, one managed to break through and hurtle towards me.

[Adel…!]

“I know!”

As Samuel cried out in alarm, I swiftly activated ‘Killing Intent.’

The moment my will to cut through space with Fang of Darkness took hold,

*Fwoosh—*

Killing Intent began to slice through the lightning bolt Charelei had unleashed.

However, unlike Fighting Spirit, my Killing Intent wasn’t yet perfected.

Furthermore, Charelei was a formidable mage who had surpassed her limits.

In terms of raw power, she was on par with Samuel, who had grown stronger through the book, or even the combat instructors.

Consequently, the severed lightning bolts scattered in all directions, and a few fragments struck my knee.

“……!”

*Thud—*

My legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground.

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain.

Damn it.

My lack of experience fighting mages had led me to this predicament.

If only I had learned more about countering magic from Samuel…

‘…There’s still a chance.’

It was too early to give up.

Fortunately, the Black Blades had weakened the lightning bolt, preventing it from piercing my knee entirely.

It was excruciating, but bearable.

I had to get up.

If I remained down, I would gain nothing from this defeat.

*Scoot—*

I quickly pushed myself back to my feet and focused my senses.

That\'s when I heard murmurs from the spectator stands.

“As expected, it seems like that was just luck.”

“…But some students fainted from that attack.”

“Well, he just had a flashy entrance, that’s all.”

The tide was turning.

The recent exchange had led some to doubt my abilities.

I glanced at the Headmaster, but her previous amusement was gone, replaced by an indifferent gaze.

Sigh…

Did she want to see more?

I certainly hoped this display had satisfied him.

Among the long-range techniques at my disposal, there was one that stood out as the most powerful.

…However, it was untested in actual combat, so its true potential remained unknown.

But I had no other choice.

It was do or die.

As I wiped the sweat from my brow, preparing to unleash my final attack, Charelei spoke, her voice laced with concern.

“Junior, are you sure you don’t want to surrender? You don’t look so good…”

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t think I’ll be losing just yet.”

“Hmm… Are you sure you’re alright?”

She easily brushed off my provocation.

I had expected some reaction, any reaction, but she remained unfazed.

She was an incredibly strong-willed woman.

It seemed those with a cheerful disposition and bright smiles were often the most formidable.

Charelei seemed convinced of her victory.

She likely believed that no matter what I tried, I couldn\'t overcome the gap in our abilities.

However,

“One strike is all I need.”

I pointed my index finger at Charelei and declared.

Indeed, a single attack was all it would take to defeat her.

Well, it was an ability I could only use once, but still.

Charelei, however, seemed skeptical.

“You think you can do that?”

“What’s stopping me? I’ll gladly show you.”

I responded to her question with a shrug and a confident smirk.

As I said, all I had to do was show her.

However,

If Charelei decided to attack me with magic right now, the duel would be over before it even began. And I would be the loser.

I needed her cooperation.

“How about we make a bet?”

“A bet? Now?”

Charelei’s brow furrowed in confusion.

It was understandable.

She had been toying with me this entire time, and now I was suddenly proposing a bet.

Seemingly amused by the turn of events, Idea chimed in.

“It seems our two contestants have stopped to have a little chat. And the topic seems quite intriguing! A wager, you say?!”

Idea’s words ignited a frenzy among the students.

“What kind of bet is it?”

“Charelei, just finish him off already!”

The crowd was divided.

Some urged Charelei to end the duel swiftly, while others were curious about the bet.

However, it seemed Charelei was already hooked.

I seized the opportunity and continued.

“Here are the conditions of our wager: From this point forward, I will only attack once. If that one attack manages to defeat you, I win. If you block it, I lose.”

“You think you can defeat me with a single attack? Do these Mana Shields look invisible to you?"

“I can see them perfectly.”

“Wait, hold on. You\'re saying you can break through dozens of Mana Shields with a single attack?”

“Precisely.”

“…..”

Charelei suddenly lowered her head.

Her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.

She was laughing.

“...Interesting. Very well, I accept. But if you swing your sword or attempt to attack more than once, I\'ll consider it an immediate forfeit.”

“Don\'t worry, that won\'t be necessary.”

I smiled, relieved that she had agreed.

Charelei seemed to have a cheerful personality.

For her to be so popular among the students, she couldn\'t possibly be a bad person.

Indeed, she had shown concern for me, her junior, throughout our exchange.

That\'s why I was confident she would accept my wager.

*Scoot—*

I smirked and raised Fang of Darkness above my head.

“Then, let’s begin.”

“Go ahead, I’m curious to see how you plan to defeat me with a single attack.”

Charelei’s bright smile revealed her genuine amusement.

Mirroring her smile, I replied,

*Thud—*

And plunged Fang of Darkness deep into my chest.

At that moment,

*Gulp—*

A torrent of crimson blood gushed from my mouth.

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