The International Tournament; an event held every three years, bringing together all academies and educational facilities on the planet. Due to its massive scale, organizers begin requesting participation responses more than a year before the start. During this long waiting period, the Colosseum of the Great "Akran" Academy ignites with a preliminary competition, where fighters of all categories participate without exception.
While Archduke Dominic was exchanging conversation with Helena in the private box, Lucian sat beside Marco amidst the roaring stands. Marco wore his hood and wrapped his scarf around his face, trying to hide the signs of distress that clouded his features.
Marco: "Lucian... that young man the Temple is hunting... he looks so much like us. Are you sure that's just a coincidence?"
Lucian frowned before replying coldly: "It can't be anything but a coincidence. If it were what you suspect, how could you not have known your entire life?"
Marco sighed deeply, looking ahead, sadness still coating his tone: "Yes, you're right. By the way, are you participating in the duels?"
Lucian: "Of course, I am the most important young knight in the Temple, as you know. Why didn't you participate?"
Marco: "Participate? Many would think I am that wanted person. Besides, you are the one representing the Temple, so they excluded me. As for my family... I don't know, I haven't been there in six months, but Helena told me we won't participate now; perhaps we'll wait for the Grand Tournament."
Lucian laughed lightly: "Yes, yes, admit that you're still a child."
Marco ignored the sarcasm as his heart felt heavy, while Lucian thought to himself: 'I'm sorry, Marco. You're only seventeen, and that kind heart of yours won't withstand the absurdity drowning this continent.'
Marco: "Where is Volt? Isn't the next fight his?"
Lucian: "He and his opponent will move to a remote location; they can't fight here within the walls."
Marco: "I know he's strong, but... why all this caution?"
Lucian fell silent for a moment then said: "Do you know that character he's imitating? Damn it, he copies his hairstyle, his clothes, even his tone of voice and behavior."
Marco: "Hmm, yes. I read comic books from Earth a lot, so I know him. He's called (Gojo). But what does that have to do with his power?"
At that moment, the current duel ended, and the giant magic screen in the Colosseum lit up with Volt's image. He wore his baggy pants, his usual shirt, and his full blindfold covering his sight as always.
Lucian: "Marco... do you think there's someone who can watch a fight in a comic book, and then derive real techniques from it?"
Marco: "Ha? What nonsense? Stop being ridiculous."
Lucian: "Ridiculous? That idiot Volt managed to invent techniques that work with the same mechanism as the character, just by contemplating the images."
Marco looked at him sarcastically: "Do you really believe him?"
Lucian replied seriously: "If you could do similar things... you would believe too."
Marco's eyes widened in surprise: "Wait... what do you mean?"
At the remote combat site, Volt was warming up coldly, addressing the one standing before him: "I'm sorry, friend, but remind me... who are you?"
The young man replied sharply: "It's okay, I heard you like to provoke people. I am William Ashford." The opponent was strongly built despite being a mage.
Volt: "Why do you have a staff? Are you a traditional mage?"
William: "Yes, but as an elemental mage, I've managed to approximate the combat mage style."
Volt: "And what is your element?"
The opponent replied: "Fire and Wind."
Volt looked at the drones filming him and smiled mischievously: "This... is going to be fun!"
The fight began. Volt lunged with incredible speed, as if he had pierced through the distance in the blink of an eye to reach his opponent. He clenched his fist tightly, but the mage realized the situation and cast his spell quickly: [Magic Shield – Fifth Circle].
Volt punched the shield, and a surge of energy shattered the protection completely, throwing William back into the trees, breaking two before falling at the third, gasping in shock: "Ha? What is this? They said he was strong, but he isn't even a combat mage... he moves exactly like a dualist!"
The mage rose quickly and teleported from his spot before a mana projectile hit his location and detonated. William began responding violently: [Fireball – Fifth Circle] merged with [Wind Whirlwind – Fifth Circle].
Volt dodged the combined attack smoothly, watching with concentration, then said in a provocative tone: "Good, really... but is that all you've got?"
The exchange continued, and so did the provocation. The opponent did not hold back, but Volt matched him as if playing with a child. In the stands, Marco commented: "He's strong, but not to the degree you described."
Lucian laughed: "Man, just wait a bit."
Suddenly, Volt stopped moving and said boredly: "Hey, they said you were one of the best talents, and all that nonsense... but you're really boring. You've wasted my time."
The opponent flared with rage, but before he could move, Volt had leapt onto a nearby tree and then jumped high into the air. He raised his hand, and a giant fireball formed, but in fractions of a second, the ball began to shrink at a terrifying speed.
William realized something was wrong: "How is it shrinking like that? And why is he so proficient in fire at this level?"
The atmosphere didn't change, and it took no more than five seconds in the air until the ball had shrunk to the size of a tennis ball. Shock dominated the opponent's face as he screamed: "Wait! That's not just shrinking! That energy... it's dozens of fireballs merged into this space!"
Volt smiled, suspended in the sky, and spoke calmly: "Flame Bomb – Fusion."
In a single second, the tiny ball struck the ground.
A massive explosion!
A terrifying heatwave erupted, scorching everything in the vicinity, turning a circle with a diameter of 82 meters into a raging inferno. Volt descended calmly, while the smoke cleared to reveal William kneeling in terror, protected by one of the Academy professors with a magical dome at the last moment.
The stands roared with shouting and amazement, while Marco froze in his place: "Lucian... what kind of nonsense is this? I have never in my life seen a technique like that!"
Lucian replied with a mysterious smile: "Didn't I tell you? It's enough for him to see a few pictures... to invent a technique that shatters logic."