Esdeath's eyes burned with unrelenting fury as she charged toward Ethan. "Ethannn... You're dead!" she screamed, her voice echoing across the battlefield. Her speed was blinding, and before Ethan could react, she launched a barrage of devastating martial arts techniques.

First, her knees flew up, smashing into Ethan's ribs with the deadly precision of *Muay Thai*. His breath hitched as the blows connected, but before he could even stagger back, her legs swung around in a flurry of *Taekwondo* kicks. The sheer force of her spinning strikes sent him reeling, his arms barely blocking in time to stop his face from being hit.

With brutal efficiency, Esdeath shifted into *Kyokushin Karate*, her fists striking with the intent to crush. She pounded into Ethan's body like a sledgehammer, each punch landing with bone-rattling force. Ethan grunted with each blow, trying to strike back, but every punch he delivered was met with three more from Esdeath. His arms were trembling, bruises rapidly forming, but he refused to back down.

Ethan gritted his teeth and swung a punch at Esdeath's jaw, but she leaned back with ease, using *Jeet Kune Do* to fluidly redirect his momentum. Her open-palm strike hit him squarely in the chest, sending shockwaves through his body. Esdeath followed up with a brutal *boxing* combo, jabs, and hooks landing with pinpoint accuracy on Ethan's face and torso, drawing blood with every strike.

Desperately, Ethan reached out to grab her arm and counter with *Judo*, but Esdeath anticipated it. She twisted her body like a snake, using *Systema* techniques to throw him off balance, her elbow crashing into his temple. Ethan's vision blurred, but somehow, he was still standing.

Bones cracked under Esdeath's relentless assault. Ethan's legs wobbled as his body bore the brunt of the damage, blood dripping from his mouth and his muscles screaming in agony. Every breath he took hurt, yet his body kept healing, slowly knitting his wounds together thanks to his skill: *Righteous (B)*. His bones realigned themselves, and his bruises faded, but the healing wasn't fast enough to keep up with Esdeath's onslaught.

Ethan struck back, his fists colliding with Esdeath's ribs and arms, landing blow after blow, but Esdeath barely flinched. Her body was marked with bruises and cuts, her face smeared with blood, but she remained as terrifying as ever, her smile only widening with each punch. She was enjoying this.

"Is this all you've got, Ethan?" Esdeath taunted, a wicked grin on her face. " Her fists pummeled him, cracking his ribs further. "Where's your strength?"

Ethan growled, spitting blood from his mouth. "I'm not done yet!" He threw another punch, his arm trembling with effort, but Esdeath easily dodged it, laughing.

The onlookers—the students, the teachers—watched in awe and horror. This wasn't just a fight anymore; it was a brutal display of Esdeath's mastery over countless martial arts. Every move she made was precise, calculated, and devastating. Her ability to switch between styles so seamlessly left the crowd speechless.

"She's... She's using countless different techniques", one student gasped in disbelief.

"How can Ethan still be standing after that?" another whispered, his voice filled with admiration and fear.

Even the teachers were stunned. "That girl...," one of them muttered, shaking his head. "*Her control, her power... it's on another level."

Meanwhile, Emma and Violet, who had been watching from the sidelines after their own defeat, could only stare in shock. Emma clutched her side in pain but couldn't tear her eyes away from the fight. "Is she even human?" she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

But Ethan, though his body was trembling, refused to fall. His willpower was unbreakable, "I won't lose!" he roared, charging at Esdeath again despite the odds.

Ethan's body trembled, but it wasn't just the skill *Righteous (B)* that kept him standing. He wasn't some ordinary teenage boy. In his previous life, before the regression, he had been a general in the army, a battle-hardened warrior who had faced countless enemies and brutal encounters. He knew the pain of being beaten within an inch of his life yet continuing to fight, pushing through exhaustion, hunger, and thirst. His experience made him resilient, and no matter how much Esdeath tried to break him, his body and spirit refused to give in.

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Esdeath had tried to land a fatal blow, but Ethan's slow regeneration kept him in the fight. Her strikes couldn't render him unconscious. His past experiences had prepared him for this moment, and his skill gave him enough of an edge to keep moving.

Suddenly, Ethan charged forward again, and the air around the arena tensed. Everyone's eyes widened, not expecting what happened next.

* Systema,Boxing, then Judo...*

Without hesitation, Ethan unleashed a precise boxing combo, quickly transitioning into a Judo throw, catching Esdeath off guard for the first time in the fight.

*Jeet Kune Do, Aikido, and Kyokushin Karate...*

Ethan fluidly mimicked all of Esdeath's previous techniques with stunning accuracy. His movements were almost identical to hers—strikes, blocks, counters—every motion was a mirror image of what Esdeath had done to him.

"Did... did he just copied her techniques?!" one second-year student exclaimed in disbelief as he watched the screen. At that point, no one even bothered to look at other students in the forest.

Esdeath, for the first time, took a few steps back, retreating slightly as she assessed the situation. Ethan stood tall, his breath ragged but a confident smirk stretched across his face.

"You might have noticed it by now," he said, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "Yes! Since childhood, I've had this special ability. For some reason, I can copy any technique, any sword skill, just by seeing it once!" His words carried the pride of someone who had just uncovered a major advantage.

Esdeath rolled her eyes, her expression shifting to one of boredom. "I already know that, you idiot," she thought to herself, unimpressed.

Ethan chuckled, feeling the energy course through his body. "Why bother learning when you can copy!" he roared, rushing toward Esdeath once again, his fists ready to land the final blow.

But Esdeath wasn't the least bit intimidated. A menacing smile curled on her lips as she stood her ground. Just before Ethan could land his punch, Esdeath's fist moved like lightning, connecting squarely with Ethan's face. The force of the blow was so intense, it felt like her punch had gone straight through him.

"Dumb fuck!" Esdeath taunted, her voice cold and mocking. "Why copy when you know it all?"

Ethan stumbled back, blood dripping from his face as he struggled to recover. But Esdeath wasn't done. She lunged forward, continuing their fight with an unrelenting barrage of punches and kicks, each one landing with bone-crushing force.

The teachers exchanged worried glances, their faces tight with concern as they watched the fight spiral further out of control. "Should we stop the competition?" one whispered, fear evident in their tone. "They might end up killing each other…"

Just as it seemed that the two might actually fight to the death, a loud voice echoed from the bushes, completely unexpected.

"Faaabbbllleeeeeee!"

A girl's scream cut through the tension like a knife. It was frantic, desperate, and oddly comical. Esdeath's eyes widened, recognizing the voice instantly. She snapped out of her rage and glanced back toward the bushes, where the voice had come from.

The bushes rustled violently, and then Maruti came barreling out, running at full speed. Her expression was frantic, and she flailed her arms as she shouted, "A silver buffalo is after me! Save meee!"

Her panic was enough to shock everyone in the arena, even Emma and Violet, who immediately grew concerned. "Now there are two of them," they thought, both alarmed. Ethan was already barely holding on, and now with Maruti and Esdeath together, he was severely outnumbered. But neither of them had any idea who this "silver buffalo" could be.

Their confusion didn't last long, though. Behind Maruti, sprinting toward her with an angry expression, was Kaelith Maranthia, her silver hair flowing behind her like a comet. "You dare to call me a buffalo?!" she roared, her eyes blazing with fury as she chased Maruti.

Esdeath let out a deep sigh and slapped her forehead, clearly exasperated. "Of all the people, why does it have to be her?"she thought grimly. Kaelith Maranthia, the strongest competitor in the entire tournament. The one person Esdeath had hoped to avoid at all costs. And now, here she was, furious and ready to fight.

Maruti finally reached Esdeath, leaning against her as she caught her breath. "Phew… I finally made it!" she panted, clutching Esdeath's shoulder for support.

Kaelith, still fuming, skidded to a halt when she saw the group gathered around Esdeath. She crossed her arms and glared. "Now I'm pissed. You all are going to get beaten until I calm down," she declared, her voice cold and threatening.

Her words sent a shockwave of fear through the others. Violet and Emma nearly had heart attacks at the thought of facing Kaelith. "She's the greatest threat here," they realized in an instant. It didn't matter how much damage Esdeath and Ethan had done to each other—Kaelith was on a completely different level. If they didn't work together, they stood no chance.

Esdeath seemed to come to the same conclusion, glancing toward Ethan with a serious expression. "Look, I don't like you," she began, her tone blunt but filled with urgency. "But Kaelith's the biggest threat here. We need to team up if we want to survive this."

Ethan stood silent for a moment, thinking over her words. "She's right," he thought. "Kaelith is the real danger. I can't defeat her by myself, but if we work together…" His eyes drifted toward Kaelith, who stood tall, her presence almost radiating power. "She might have a few screws loose, and she gets angry over the smallest things… but she's actually a good person, More like a tsundere type person. In my previous life, her arrogance was her downfall. She got herself killed because of it. But if I can guide her properly, she could be one of my greatest allies."

He calculated carefully. "But first, we need to show her that she can be defeated."

His mind made up, Ethan turned back to Esdeath. "Fine. I'll join forces with you, but first, I need to know one thing." His tone was serious, almost accusatory as he asked, "Did you… did you kill your parents?"

Esdeath blinked in confusion, raising an eyebrow. "What? my parents are alive," she replied casually, as if the question was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

Ethan felt his face flush with embarrassment. He had clearly made a fool of himself. "Was Master Gareth wrong?" he thought to himself, mentally kicking himself for asking such a dumb question. "Did he make a mistake? Or maybe someone else in the academy is pretending to be Esdeath?"He quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Right now, that didn't matter. What mattered was defeating Kaelith.

Esdeath, Maruti, and Ethan stood side by side, all focused on Kaelith, who was still glaring at them with fiery eyes. The three exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them.

"Ready?" Esdeath asked, holding up her hand.

Ethan nodded and smirked. "Let's do this."

Maruti, still panting from her run, grinned nervously. "Yeah, let's not die."

With that, the three slapped their hands together in a high-five, their spirits rising as they prepared to face Kaelith as a team.