It was an unexpected result.

Desmond Adhira was a person who was given the nickname "The Useless One" among his peers due to his inferior magic talent compared to his siblings.

Even his own teacher had no faith and trust in him.

But for the black sheep of the Adhira family to best Eralia Winter, who was known to be one of the top ranking students of Elderwinn, it was truly unbelievable.

It was almost as if he___

"CHEATED! DESMOND ADHIRA, YOU CHEATED!'

One of Eralia's fans screamed at the top of her lungs, directing all attention towards Desmond.

Desmond held his head lowered and stared as the audience all started murmuring and talking with one another.

Did he really cheated?

It doesn't look like it?

Maybe he used an underhanded method to threaten Eralia?

It may be true. There's no way some nobody could get this strong in just a month's time.

They should investigate this.

As the murmuring continues, Desmond looks up, trying to find a way to explain, only to be met with juices all over his face.

Someone threw their cup of drinks and shouted:

"Get off! You cheater. There's no way Eralia would lose to the likes of you."

Soon, the crows started joining in, throwing items at Desmond and booing him and jeering him.

Once again, Demond's head held down again as he couldn't reply anything since what they said was true. It was impossible to change someone like him to what he is now. The only one who can explain is not here.

Irene stood up mad, trying to protect her brother, only for Gerald to grab her sleeve and shake his head.

"You are only going to make things worse."

As that was happening, among the audience, someone spoke again. This time, the insults were not as harsh as the rest.

"His sister probably cheated or used her family's influence to reach Sage rank."

Though the insult was not as bad. But this was the one he heard clearly. And this was one insult he couldn't let slide.

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The mana flow around him started colliding with one another as the slowly crackling of thunder could be heard around around him. The sky turned dark and deep blue lightning clad around his body as his hair started to stand and the ground he was standing on cracked.

"I dare you to say it again." He taunted the person who made the remark as the audience immediately shut their mouth upon seeing how the lighting weaved around his body, and some of it was charged in his greaves and gauntlets.

"Say it, one more TIME!" As he finishes speaking, lightning strikes exactly right next to the person who made the comment, scaring him so badly that he relieved himself on the spot.

It was until someone grabbed his shoulder and spoke to him that he would calm down.

The person was none other than his grandfather.

With Desmond calmed down, it was time for the next match. Another one that was highly anticipated.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome Zenith and Vargas"

Standing opposite each other was the two childhood rivals. Among the audience was Emily, who was cheering gleefully for her partner as well as her childhood friend.

It was ironic that she didn't know this rivalry happened because of her.

Vargas drew his sword from the sheathe, raising the handle up to his head while the blade aimed at Zenith's direction.The sword itself was placed in a hanging right position.

"As expected of a royal knight candidate. His posture and stance have a very strong foundation."

Professor Larz, who is teaching those who sought to be a Sword Magus, commented.

Zenith placed his fist up as he removed his magic robe, revealing what he was hiding.

It was another pair of gauntlets. However, compared to Desmond's one, his was bulkier and larger.

But the air he gave was a lot different from what he used to portray. There, he stood calmly as he continued doing strange movement around the stage. Bopping his head left and right, shuffling his leg repeatedly and doing a sort of squats while twisting his head left and right. It was all very peculiar. On top of that, he started randomly punching the air while making weird sound after every punch he threw. He basically looks like a fool to everyone, but Jade.

"..."

Jade kept quiet once again upon seeing something familiar yet again.

"I see you have been playing around, wasting your own time yet again."

"..."

"To pull some stupid stunt like this in an important event, you really have not matured." Vargas continued throwing insults on Zenith while staying on his guard.

The old Zenith would have raged over 3000 times and rushed in like a dumb cow running to its own death. But the new Zenith... on the other hand, have a different thought:

'I went through hell back and forth. Nothing really fazed me anymore. Other than the monster.'

Zenith thought to himself while crying internally, proud that he even survived the past month. He was not paying a single attention to Vargas at all.

Vargas immediately took this chance to end the match, hoping to end this relationship he had with Zenith forever.

He immediately dahsed towards Zenith, with flames clad around the blade of the sword as he swung the sword horizontally and said:

"Don't waste my tim___"

On to be interrupted by two fingers, that was holding the tip of the blade.

"Wha?!"

"Huh?" Zenith spoke out loud with confusion as well as he removed his finger, released the blade.

"Lucky shot. How about this!"

Retrieving his sword, Vargas charged his attack and shot out a sword thrust towards Zenith again. It misses, but that didn't stop Vargas. From there, he changes the trajectory of the sword and aims for a diagonal upward slash.

Zenith stepped in and weaved, avoiding the attack perfectly while thinking in his head:

'That feels like an uppercut.'

Vargas once again swung his sword, this time horizontally straight at Zenith's body. However, with the help of the wind magic, jumping a huge stepped back to avoid the attack was no problem.

*Huff*

"Looks like... *Huff*... It's not a waste of time, after all." Vargas said while resuming a sword stance.

Zenith looked at his fist and thought to himself.

'Why were his attack so f*cking slow?"

Before, he had to fight for his life every day. His so-called teacher smashed him using just a wooden sword, and everything he did trying to land a single attack on him was useless.

Now, the person he wanted to beat for so long turned out to be so weak? It was embarrassing how he lost to a guy like this for years.

'There really are a lot of fishes in the sea.'

Giving a sigh of regret and relief, he started warming up a little and got on his stance. His face up and staring at Vargas.

"Let's just end this."

"Huh? What are yo___"

Zenith immediately stepped into his left at an extraordinary speed, reaching exactly at a distance where his fist could land.

With one last look at his childhood rivals, he smiles warmly and replies:

"Clench your teeth."

[Wind-Boosted: Left Hook]

The blow landed directly at Vargas's ribs, smashing the damage crystals to smitterings. The attack was so strong that it might have broken a couple of Vargas's ribs as it also formed a whirlwind, sending Vargas flying off in the air

As he landed on the ground, the referee, without looking at Vargas even once, immediately called the match off.

WINNER: Zenith.

"Let's stop this stupid rivalry. You already won sometime ago."

Zenith said to Vargas as he laid down on the ground, holding his ribs. He smiled, catching the sight of Emily, looking worried for her boyfriend.

"Take care of her, will you?"

"What do you think I have been doing then, haha."

Vargas forced a smile despite his injury. With that, the long rivalry between the 2 ended and onward to the next match.

Next up, Eve Vs. Grace.