Elijah's eyes widened, his entire body frozen in disbelief.
"F-f-fast…" he stammered, his voice barely escaping as a whisper.
His throat constricted, his chest heaved, and in that moment a grim realization struck him — if Azel had truly intended to kill, then Elijah would already be lying lifeless on the ground.
The thought alone drained the blood from his face.
His instincts screamed at him, louder than any pride he had as a student, louder than the burning humiliation clawing at his stomach.
Raising both trembling hands, he forced the words out. "I surrender!"
Azel lowered his hand with a faint sigh, his expression calm but faintly disappointed.
"At least your brain is functioning properly." He was not mocking the young man but rather telling the truth. "I expected you to throw yourself into another futile attack even knowing the outcome."
He tilted his head slightly. "But if you can admit defeat, then you're not completely hopeless. Now—"
He didn't finish.
