Seeing Enrico's power, someone who had been hiding seemed excited while occasionally glancing with a mix of amusement and fear at the ranking. This girl was Lira, who, like Victoria, had arrived witnessing Enrico's power — only she stayed farther away, watching with her ki magic.
'The third eye is a really good ability to see Enrico better than before.'
She had a magical third eye on her forehead, seeing everything with her eyes closed while fighting a few weak Nartheis that occasionally came her way.
'Overflowing Ki.'
Grabbing a Nartheis by the head, she began filling its body with poisonous ki, making the creature burst like a balloon. This was a technique that only worked on someone weaker — one circle below her — since those of equal level could block her mana from entering, and their bodies were more resistant.
'Hehehehe, I'm loving seeing him with those empty eyes.'
She blushed while putting her finger to her lips, thoughtful, because now that she was seeing her rival's level, she had to find a way to do the same.
'I have to keep up, after all, we're rivals.'
Moving, she took one last look and saw that Victoria seemed to have begun to truly become a prodigy, breaking through the barrier of fear.
'I hope she doesn't start thinking of Enrico as her rival like those two idiots, because I'm the real one.'
Looking for an opponent, she saw her team fighting three strong Nartheis while another one was watching from afar. Deciding on her move, she blushed again as her expression seemed to grow more and more cruel.
'I hope he keeps doing that to unworthy rivals in the future — anyone but me.'
Going to help her team, she arrived and surprised the Nartheis who was watching by landing a double kick to its face, sending it flying toward where her team was.
"A Nartheis? There was a fourth one with them?"
Sisaka looked at the Nartheis struggling to get up, confused — it was surprising since none of the four had felt anything.
"Friend Sisaka, we have to pay attention because now it seems we'll be facing three opponents."
Grakka and she were facing a Nartheis that could divide itself several times, weakening as it split but growing stronger again once its clones returned to it.
"Don't worry, the Nartheis that fell is mine."
"Friend Xuefeng!"
Floating, Lira watched the two relax a little upon her arrival, which made sense, since they had already been struggling with that endlessly dividing Nartheis.
"Just focus on your opponent while I deal with mine."
Moving closer to the Nartheis, she saw that both Aoi and Danyana were fighting their own opponents, perhaps thinking the same as her.
"Alright, Nartheis, give me a fight so I can evolve."
"Who… are… you?"
"That doesn't matter to someone I'm about to kill shortly."
Moving a few meters away from the Nartheis, she saw several spears embedded in its body, looking painful.
"You must be a Nartheis with spear magic and not much intelligence."
Name: Lizondri
Rank: Faizes, Level 2 High
Magic: Throwing
Unique Ability: Automatic Strike — the user's own mana automatically controls their magic for both defense and attack.
"Concentrated Ki Strike."
Approaching, she placed her palm on its stomach, pressing her magic to the limit and creating a hole in its body.
Lizondri created several spears of different shapes around Lira, blue lightning flashing from their tips as they shot toward her. Moving quickly, she began to dodge, some striking her back and shoulder. With a closed palm as she was hit, the spears shifted direction and flew straight toward her again.
"Ki Movement."
Copying one of Enrico's spells, she moved so fast she left afterimages around the spears, which hit only those illusions while the real Lira was already behind the Nartheis.
"Gale Spear."
From her hand emerged a spear covered in ancient Tianlong symbols, its blade splitting in two. Holding the spear, she thrust it forward, piercing the Nartheis's abdomen.
"Gale Spear — Full Damage."
Tightening her grip, she spun the spear, making the Nartheis explode into pieces as the wind burst from the impact.
"No, this one's still weak. I need to face one on Victoria's level."
Landing atop the remains of a house, she looked toward her team to see how they were doing. Aoi had managed to burn her opponent completely with barely any damage — only dust on her clothes — while Danyana was having fun cutting a Nartheis into five pieces with her wind-imbued claws.
"Wait, it's already dead? I wanted to have more fun! Damn it, when will I get to fight Enrico again?"
"The one who's going to fight him first is the true rival, Danyana."
"Lira? I didn't see you… Wait, I was defeated first, so I should fight him, you selfish woman!"
Danyana had a few minor injuries, but nothing compared to her expression of disappointment at facing a weak opponent — and someone trying to block her rematch with Enrico.
"Damn it, when I turn eighteen, I hope Enrico is my soulmate — that way, we can fight forever."
"In your dreams."
"Shut up, Lira! I just need to know if he is or not, then I can talk to Aoi, right Aoi?"
"Depending on the conditions, my dear."
Long ago, wolves could discover their destined mate the moment they met for the first time, but Danyana had been cursed at birth — she could only discover who it was when she turned eighteen. The worst part was that this curse came from her own overprotective mother, who feared her daughter might get pregnant and hinder her development.
'We're beasts — why should we care about that, or about taking what's mine? Stupid mother.'
Grakka and Sisaka destroyed the true Nartheis with a combined spell of spiritual constructs and strength. Lira, looking for a new opponent, for a moment noticed that Enrico seemed to be kneeling on the ground, hands pressed to the soil.
'What happened to my rival? I have to go see—'
Before she could go, she noticed Enrico had finished off Deymon — his head lay lifeless on the ground, as if it had been torn off by brute force. A dark aura surrounded Enrico as a twisted smile appeared on his face and his eyes began turning pitch black. When she wondered what it was, a mana explosion erupted from that very spot, creating an absurd pressure in the air even from that distance.
"Is that a Nartheis?"
"Wait, it feels like the presence of a newborn Nartheis — so why is it so strong?"
Lira, watching with her own eyes that dark aura and knowing where it came from, didn't feel the slightest trace of fear — in fact, her crazed smile looked worse than before.
'So that's it, Enrico… we're the same. You really are the best.'
In another area, Jago looked toward that location while surrounded by some well-known students and Enrico's friends — Rina, Yumeha, Seraphina, and Elaris — all injured on the ground.
"Looks like I didn't have to go too far to awaken even more rage in him. Still, I'd better kill all of you — that way, he'll unleash even more power."