The time for the Sovereign Tournament semi-finals arrived the following day.

'As expected, the Sovereign Tournament's structure is nothing too impressive,' I mused. It was a simple setup compared to the grandeur of the Inter-Academy Festival that would take place next year.

But that made sense. This tournament, held annually for all six years, primarily served to reassess and update the rankings of students.

The first match in the semi-finals pitted the first and fourth seeds against each other—Lucifer Windward and Jin Ashbluff.

Everyone already knew how this fight would end.

As they stepped into the arena, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. Jin's dark, ominous aura contrasted starkly with Lucifer's calm and commanding presence. The crowd leaned in, intrigued, even though the outcome seemed certain. After all, it wasn't every day that the necromancy prodigy faced off against Lucifer, the undisputed genius.

Though the crowd wouldn't see much of Jin's necromancy in action today.

There are two key factors that determine the strength of Jin's summons.

First, the quality of the souls he controls—stronger souls in life lead to stronger summons in death.

Second, Jin's own power.

At present, Jin lacked access to high-quality souls. It was considered heretical to summon undead humans, and dark beasts couldn't be raised through necromancy, as they weren't creatures of mana. This meant Jin's current summons were weak—so weak, in fact, that they lost their original forms and reverted to mere skeleton warriors.

Against someone like Lucifer, those low-level summons were essentially useless.

That left Jin with one option: his signature spell, Shadow Armour. By binding the souls to his body, he enveloped himself in a shadowy armor, enhancing his strength and protection.

But in the end, none of that would really matter against Lucifer.

'If only I had taken first place in the battle royale and forced Lucifer to face Ren,' I sighed inwardly.

Not that it would have made much difference. Going all out would've revealed too much of my strength, and even then, defeating Lucifer wasn't within my reach at the time. He was a monster when it came to handling multiple opponents—far better than even me.

So, while this scenario wasn't ideal, it was the best I could manage with my current abilities.

I closed my eyes, tuning out the cheers of the crowd and the sharp clang of swords clashing between Lucifer and Jin.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Not interested in the battle?" Luna's voice echoed in my mind.

"Not particularly," I replied. "I don't need my eyes to know how it's going."

With my mana sense, I could easily follow the fight. Lucifer was effortlessly overwhelming Jin, the power of his Gift in full display.

Half of the arena was split between ice and fire, a testament to Lucifer's control. His sword, wrapped in ice-blue flames, swung with lethal precision. Every strike forced Jin back, his shadow armor barely holding on against the relentless assault.

I didn't need to analyze Lucifer's movements—after all, I knew them from the novel.

I had seen him fight against the Elder Dark Treant and had even sparred with him at the start of the year. Between that experience and what I'd gathered from the novel, I could predict his movements with near-perfect accuracy.

That was my greatest advantage against him.

'Jin's putting up a better fight than I did, though he's still being overwhelmed, even while using his Grade 6 art,' I thought.

It wasn't surprising. Lucifer was a full mana rank above Jin, giving him not only superior mana capacity but also far greater mana output. The gap between them was staggering—like a river against a stream.

Each clash of their swords sent shockwaves through the arena, but the outcome was inevitable. Lucifer's raw power and elemental mastery were overwhelming Jin's efforts, no matter how skilled his techniques were.

Jin gritted his teeth, his shadow armor flaring as he struggled to keep up with Lucifer's relentless assault. Every clash of their blades sent vibrations through the air, but the pressure was mounting. Lucifer's ice-blue flames coated his sword, each strike precise and devastating, pushing Jin back step by step.

Jin summoned every ounce of his power, his twin swords glowing with dark energy as he activated the final movement of Soulweaver's Sorrow, his Grade 6 art. Dark tendrils of necrotic mana flowed from his blades, reaching out like chains to ensnare Lucifer, aiming to slow him down or bind him in place.

But Lucifer barely faltered. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as he swung his sword upward, unleashing a crescent of icy fire that cleaved through the dark tendrils, burning them away in an instant. The sheer power behind the strike caused the air to crackle and the ground beneath them to scorch and freeze in alternating waves.

Jin tried to press the advantage, lunging forward with both swords, aiming for Lucifer's weak spots. But Lucifer was already moving, his body a blur of motion. He sidestepped Jin's attack with ease, his sword swinging in a low arc, knocking Jin off balance. The impact sent a shockwave through Jin's body, his feet skidding across the stage as he struggled to regain his footing.

Lucifer didn't give him a chance. With a fluid motion, he raised his hand, and a swirl of fire and ice converged in the air above him.

Five-circle spell: Twin Peaks of Ruin.

Two massive pillars of elemental energy erupted from the ground, one blazing with roaring flames, the other freezing the air around it. The sheer force of the spell overwhelmed Jin, his shadow armor cracking under the pressure as the spell closed in on him from both sides.

Jin summoned a desperate barrier of darkness, but it was too late. The Twin Peaks of Ruin crashed down, engulfing him in a torrent of flames and ice. For a brief moment, the arena was filled with a blinding light, and when it cleared, Jin was on his knees, his shadow armor shattered, his breath ragged.

Lucifer stood tall, sword still crackling with residual energy. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

Jin's gaze met Lucifer's for a moment before he lowered his head in defeat. He had given everything, but the gap between them was too great.

Valerie's voice rang out across the arena. "The victor of the first semi-final: Lucifer Windward!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, but the result had been expected. Lucifer stood at the top for a reason, and he had just shown the world why.