The arena had barely calmed from the previous clash when the air shifted once again. A chilling silence smothered the atmosphere, like the calm before a storm. A dominating presence loomed, suppressing even the faintest murmur of the crowd.
All eyes turned upward.
Isaac Ifrey.
The silver-haired student of the special class descended the steps slowly, his movements calculated, his smirk arrogant. With his hands casually in his pockets, he radiated the kind of effortless power that didn't need to shout to be felt.
He stopped at the edge of the battlefield and locked eyes with Diopha.
"Impressive… Diopha Hitari, right?" he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Let's see if you can survive me."
Then he vanished in a gust of magic.
CLACK!
He reappeared right in front of Diopha, fist aimed squarely at his face—
But it never landed.
A gloved hand intercepted the blow effortlessly. One of the instructors had appeared out of thin air, his expression firm.
"You've broken the rules, Isaac. Attacking before the official start? One more slip and you're disqualified."
Diopha hadn't even flinched. Not a twitch. He met Isaac's gaze coolly, as if he had predicted the move.
"No need to interfere," Diopha said calmly. "I accept the duel."
High above, the academy director gave a subtle nod.
A spellcaster-instructor raised his hand and cast a time-reversal enchantment. Golden runes spun into the air. The arena was instantly restored: cracks vanished, dust settled, and the ground became smooth once more.
The two opponents now stood face to face.
The air itself seemed to pause.
"Begin!"
---
First Exchange: Word of Command
Isaac struck first.
"Immobile."
The word echoed like a divine law.
Diopha was paralyzed. His limbs froze under an invisible force that shackled his body. His muscles screamed, but would not move.
Isaac approached slowly, confidently.
"You see, Diopha? What I say becomes reality. Right now, you're not going anywhere."
He landed a brutal punch into Diopha's gut, followed by an uppercut to the chin.
Then: "Gravity ×30."
Diopha's body slammed into the ground with a thunderous crunch. The arena tiles cracked beneath the crushing weight.
Isaac chuckled. "Get up, golden boy."
With a grunt of effort, Diopha activated a strength boost. His veins glowed with system energy, bones creaking under the pressure—yet he rose to his feet.
Isaac narrowed his eyes.
"Gravity ×150."
This time the entire arena groaned. The ground beneath Diopha splintered like shattered glass. He collapsed, crushed by the invisible force.
But then—his system pulsed:
[System Overclock: Physical Boost x2 — Activated]
Through sheer will, Diopha stood once again, shaking but alive.
Isaac gave a devilish smirk.
"Reversed Gravity."
All the strength Diopha was using to remain upright was now turned inward—he was struck by his own force, multiplied. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Bones cracked.
Yet again—
[Passive Activated: Immortal Body — Full Recovery]
A brilliant white light enveloped him. Within moments, his body had healed.
He stood up—calm, centered, whole.
Then, he moved.
He rocketed toward Isaac, blazing with power. The shockwave from his dash shattered the protective barrier around the arena—a barrier engineered to withstand a nuclear bomb.
He collided with Isaac in a blinding explosion.
The dust settled.
Isaac remained standing. Unharmed.
Diopha stumbled back—and collapsed.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "You hit yourself. I said: Reflect damage ×4."
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
Only two students remained unmoved.
Milim and Douriel, playing Ludo on their smartphones in the stands.
"He hasn't even gotten serious yet," Milim said.
"He'll go off soon," Douriel replied casually.
---
Second Movement: Cosmic Collapse
Isaac sighed.
"Enough games. Dimensional Rift."
A swirling cosmic vortex opened above Diopha.
"...Tournament rules, right. Fine. Black hole from another galaxy."
A gravitational well yawned open beneath Diopha, sucking in light and matter alike.
And yet—he stood.
His hair was turning silver. His eyes now glowed with crimson fire.
[Skill Activated: Artemis Lv.2]
A celestial pressure exploded from Diopha's form. Space trembled with each of his steps.
Isaac began casting rapidly:
"Invisible!"
"Untouchable!"
"Speed ×5!"
"Atomic defense!"
None of it worked.
Diopha blitzed past the spells. His fists shattered barriers, his kicks warped space itself. Isaac struggled, backpedaling in disbelief.
---
Final Gambit: Nullification and Defiance
Isaac roared.
"Power Null!"
A black pulse detonated outward. Diopha's system shut down. No skills. No regeneration. Nothing.
Isaac turned to the referee.
"That's it. He's done."
Yet—Diopha still stood.
"You've never heard that saying? 'Don't count your wins before the opponent's on the ground.'"
A voice echoed in his mind.
— You're good to go, Padawan. —
Zenkai lounged above the arena, invisible to all but Diopha, sipping a cocktail with sunglasses on, laid out on a beach towel floating midair.
"Really?" Diopha groaned telepathically. "You're chilling during this?"
Zenkai shrugged. "You've got this. I'm just here to watch the show."
Diopha sighed. Then grinned.
"Let's end this."
Isaac scoffed. "You've got no powers left, idiot."
"You really are dense," Diopha replied.
He simply thought:
[Event Manipulation: Power Null Reversal — All Systems Reactivated]
An explosion of crimson lightning tore through the field.
Diopha stepped forward, eyes glowing, aura blazing.
To be continued…
SYSTEM FILE — Observed Abilities:
▶ Isaac Ifrey
Verba Absoluta: What he says or thinks becomes real. Can influence gravity, projections, physical or magical states, reflect damage, create rifts—making the impossible possible.
Limits: Mana consumption ranges from low to extreme depending on the level of use. Low chance of success against a far stronger opponent.
▶ Diopha Hitari
Passive – Immortal Body: Complete regeneration after reaching a critical threshold. Essential against self-reflected damage.
Artemis Lv.2: Extreme enhancement of power and reflexes; partial immunity to verbal alterations.
Event Manipulation: Cancels, alters, or rewrites any present, past, or probable event affecting Diopha before it can take effect.
Cost: Massive loss of lifespan.
▶ Support: Zenkai
Activation of Vital Consumption Reduction: Allows temporary use of powers without immediate death.