Trainer Thors: “Since Fred is the winner, your next opponent will be Master Lucian. Remember, Fred, Master Lucian will fight against Arslan Wintergate from the Red Snowflake. You must challenge him with all your might.”

Fred bowed with great respect and responded, “Yes, sir.”

As Lucian entered the duel arena with heavy steps, Fred watched him closely. They locked eyes and began sizing each other up. The sun was about to set, casting the sky in enchanting shades of orange and purple. These colors reflected on the two fighters, stretching their shadows. A light breeze blew, tossing Lucian’s long hair in the wind. The dust in the arena was lifted by the breeze, hitting the faces of the fighters.

Fred smiled lightly and spoke in a calm tone, “Don’t worry, Master Lucian, I won’t harm you.”

Lucian replied with a glimmer of mockery in his eyes. Fixing his gaze on Fred and raising the corner of his mouth, he responded, “Oh, is that so? I can’t say the same. My master Sagar is a bit crazy, and I can’t always control the spells he taught me. So, if you die from a massive fireball, please don’t blame me.”

Fred laughed heartily, “Of course, I wouldn’t blame you, sir!”

In the background, birds were chirping. Soldiers among the spectators whispered excitedly about the fight.

Trainer Thors raised his hands and shouted in a tense voice, “If both of you are ready… LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!”

Fred launched a quick attack toward Lucian, swinging his sword, and Lucian dodged with the same movement he used to avoid direct punches in boxing, leaning to the left. The wind stirred the dust in the air as Fred’s sword sliced through. Lucian’s nimble movements, under the setting sun’s light, looked almost like a dance.

Fred, with a surprised smile, said, “You’re incredibly agile for a mage. So, shall we really begin?”

Fred’s voice echoed through the stone walls of the arena. Trainer Thors focused intently on the fight, his gaze tense. Suddenly, Fred increased his speed and charged faster toward Lucian.

Lucian calmly watched Fred’s moves and whispered to himself, “A shield that covers my whole body wouldn’t withstand an attack at this speed. So…”

He channeled aura into his brain to speed up his thoughts, calculating exactly where Fred’s sword would land, and created a small magical shield. The attack met the shield exactly where he had predicted, stopping Fred’s sword mid-air.

Fred spoke in admiration, “A wordless spell? And you predicted the exact spot of my attack?”

Lucian responded with a sly smile, “Of course. I’ve got a few tricks of my own.” He then used his left hand to release a wind spell he had prepared, blasting it toward Fred’s chest. While not damaging, the spell had a strong pushing force, enough to throw Fred into a trap Lucian had set up. Lucian pointed his hand to where Fred was being pushed and shouted, “QUICKSAND!” turning the spot Fred was about to fall into into a mire.

Just as Fred was about to fall into the quicksand, he jumped and filled his sword with aura, swinging it with all his strength toward the mud. The powerful aura energy emitted from the sword created an effect that launched him in the opposite direction, freeing him from the mud.

Lucian, watching Fred’s movements with excitement, said, “Attacking to defend? That’s exactly my style!”

While Fred escaped the mud, Lucian had already prepared several fireball spells. As soon as Fred turned toward him, the fireballs began raining down.

Fred, running to avoid the fireballs, shouted, “Very well, sir, punish me for underestimating your power.” He was rushing toward Lucian. Despite the burn marks covering his body, he refused to give up.

Lucian, with his eyes gleaming, said, “Yes, yes! Push yourself a little harder… Then we’ll see!”

Lucian channeled more aura into his brain, pushing the limits of his mind. This allowed him, for a short time, to achieve dual thinking and cast two spells simultaneously. He applied a speed spell to the fireballs he had already thrown, making them hit even faster. Fred could barely avoid them, and his body was covered in burns, but he had managed to reach Lucian.

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Lucian said, “Congratulations on getting here. But this was a big mistake,” raising his hand.

Trainer Thors, in a panic, shouted, “Master Lucian, stop! You’ll kill him!”

Lucian, with a dark smile, said his final words: “See you in the next life, Fred.”

Throughout the time Fred had approached him, Lucian had been preparing a massive spell. Just as Fred stood before him, the spell was complete. Lucian coldly whispered his spell, “Fireball.”

A massive fireball was hurled toward Fred. The explosion shook the arena, covering everything in dust and smoke. No one could see anything.

Trainer Thors shouted in despair, “FRED!”

Lucian stood amidst the dust and smoke, whispering to himself, “Come on, Fred… I know you can do it…”

When the smoke cleared, a figure emerged. The soldiers looked at each other in astonishment.

“I-is that Fred?”

The dust had completely settled. Fred stood tall, though his body was covered in bruises and wounds.

Trainer Thors, holding his breath, said, “Fred, could it be that you…”

Fred was radiating a powerful aura as he looked at Lucian. Trainer Thors shouted in shock, “Have you… become a 6-Star?!”

Lucian, feeling Fred’s aura, smiled with delight. “I knew you’d do it!”

Fred, with a look of surprise and gratitude, said, “So you pushed me to reach the same level as Arslan? Did you know I was on the verge of becoming a 6-Star? I’ve been stuck at this limit for two years, but you… forced me to choose between life and death.”

Lucian chuckled softly, “Sorry. Are you mad?”

Fred smiled gratefully, “No. Thank you. But this time, you’d better be careful. Because from here on, things won’t be easy for you.”

Fred dashed toward Lucian at an incredible speed. As he swung his sword, Lucian infused aura into his leg muscles, narrowly dodging at the last moment. The fight continued at full speed.

Lucian shouted with excitement, “Alright, let the battle begin!”

Lucian fixed his gaze on Fred’s fallen body. Smiling slightly, he called out, “Hey big guy, are you done?”

Fred wiped the blood trickling from his nose, took a raspy breath, and then stood up. “I can’t believe you still have tricks up your sleeve,” he said. “Alright then, let’s finish this!” The determination in his eyes was stronger than ever. Gathering all his aura, he launched another attack at Lucian.

Lucian barely dodged Fred’s attacks, swearing under his breath, “Damn it, if one of those sword strikes hits me, I’ll lose at least a limb!” He felt the killing intent in Fred’s eyes; it was completely different from before.

Each sword strike tore through the air, and Lucian found it hard even to breathe. “My aura control technique is more efficient than regular aura users… But still… This guy is strong!” While dodging Fred’s attacks, Lucian pumped aura into his entire body. He channeled it into his brain to think faster, into his muscles for more resilience, and into his lungs to strengthen his breathing. His mana core acted as a catalyst to spread his aura throughout his body even faster.

Lucian’s speed and strength suddenly increased. Fred was surprised but shouted excitedly, “What else do you have, Lucian!? Show me everything you’ve got!”

The two warriors clashed at unbelievable speed in the arena. Lucian was trying to find an opening amid Fred’s fierce attacks, while Fred was determined to corner Lucian completely. With every sword swing, Fred’s attacks became faster, and Lucian was struggling to stay on his feet by dodging. Each of Fred’s strikes made the stone floor tremble, and every dodge by Lucian left cracks in the ground.

Trainer Thors warned the soldiers to pull back. “If you don’t want to get caught in the fight, step back!” he shouted.

Lucian kept dodging but could feel himself gradually growing tired. It looked like Fred had taken control. Fred’s mocking voice echoed. “Tired, little master?”

Lucian’s mind was ringing with alarm. “My body can’t hold out much longer… Damn it, if only I were a few years older! But… I still have one last chance. I’ll pour everything I have into this final attack!”

Fred raised his sword to the sky, challenging Lucian. “This is the end of the line, Lucian!” he shouted, and in a lightning-fast move, he brought his sword down on Lucian. Lucian focused all his aura into a single punch and swung it toward the sword with incredible force.

The soldiers held their breath. “W-What just happened?” they murmured. The sword was split in two by the power of Lucian’s punch. One half of the sword flew past Lucian and embedded itself in the ground. Lucian, unsteady from the force, stumbled and fell. The battle was over. Lucian had successfully blocked Fred’s lethal attack.

The soldiers looked at each other in shock. “The sword broke!” one of them shouted. “So, does that mean Lucian won?” another added.

Fred and Lucian, both drenched in sweat, stared at each other, both panting. Fred glanced at his broken sword, then bowed slightly toward Lucian. “It was a good fight, Lucian. Without my sword, I can’t fight you anymore. The victory is yours,” he said, accepting defeat.

Lucian lifted his head and smiled at Fred. “No, Fred. You’re the winner. Congratulations…” he said, with a tone of pride and acceptance.

The soldiers were stunned. “D-Did Fred win?” one of them stammered.

Trainer Thors, with a wide smile, shouted, “The winner is FRED!”

The soldiers erupted in cheers. “FRED WON, FRED WON!” They lifted Fred onto their shoulders, tossing him into the air and catching him as they continued cheering. His teammates were proud of their comrade’s victory.

Lucian, sitting on the ground, watched Fred and burst into laughter. “You really are strong, Fred... You may have won this match, but I won too. At last… I’ve reached the 4th Star…” he whispered to himself, a new glimmer of power shining in his eyes.