"Next match."
"Zhao Chen — Starfall Tenth Academy." "Wei Jin — Starfall Tenth Academy."
The reaction was immediate this time. Not confusion—anticipation.
Students leaned forward. Teachers straightened. Even instructors from other academies shifted their attention fully to the platform.
Two from the same academy.
Both still standing.
The display flared to life.
---
Student Profile Display
Wei Jin
Academy: Starfall Tenth Academy
Primary Monster Gene: — Undisclosed
Elemental Affinity: Lightning, Water
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [High] — Estimated
Zhao Chen
Academy: Starfall Tenth Academy
Primary Monster Gene: Bladetooth Lynx
Elemental Affinity: Wind — Mid
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [Mid]
---
A ripple ran through the crowd.
"Estimated?"
"They still don't have full data on him?"
Chen glanced sideways. "Didn't think we'd be doing this here."
Jin's lips curved faintly. "Better than never."
Chen huffed a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Guess so."
They took two steps back, turning to face each other properly.
Around them, the barrier rose.
The signal rang.
Chen moved first—not rushing, not circling. Straight in.
[ Windstep Burst ]
Air snapped beneath his feet as he closed the distance, blade coming in from a low diagonal meant to test Jin's timing.
Jin shifted half a step, lightning flickering briefly along his forearm as he parried. The impact cracked sharply, wind and static scattering outward.
"Still fast," Jin said.
Chen didn't slow. "You're slower than last time."
He pivoted, blade snapping upward.
[ Razor Drift ]
The wind sharpened the edge, slicing toward Jin's shoulder. Jin twisted away, the cut grazing his sleeve, cloth tearing cleanly.
Water surged under his feet.
[ Ripple Guard ]
The surface of the platform shimmered as a thin layer of water spread and hardened under pressure, absorbing Chen's next strike with a dull thud.
Chen clicked his tongue. "That's new."
Jin stepped forward through the fading water, lightning flashing briefly through the mist.
"You're not the only one who trains."
They clashed again, closer now.
Chen fought like he always did—tight movements, precise angles, never wasting motion. His lynx gene showed in the way he shifted directions mid-step, strikes coming from places they shouldn't.
Jin met him head-on.
No wasted movement. No flourish. Every counter carried weight, lightning and water weaving together in short, controlled bursts that forced Chen to give ground inch by inch.
The crowd's noise rose steadily.
"They're not holding back."
"This feels like a final, not top sixteen."
Chen ducked under a strike and slashed upward.
[ Crosswind Carve ]
Jin blocked late. The force knocked him back a step, boots skidding.
Chen pressed immediately, blade flashing again.
Jin felt it that time—a shallow cut along his side.
He exhaled slowly.
Lightning crawled higher along his arm.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Guess we're past warm-up."
The air pressure shifted.
Water lifted from the platform in thin streams, hovering unnaturally around Jin's legs.
Chen noticed and adjusted instantly, dropping his stance.
"So that's how it is," he muttered.
He moved anyway.
[ Split Gale Rush ]
Wind compressed around him as he surged forward, attacks chaining together—fast, overlapping, meant to overwhelm before Jin could fully set up.
Jin took two hits. Blocked a third. Then stepped in.
Too close.
Lightning snapped outward at point-blank range.
Chen's vision flashed white as the shock hit his guard and ran through his arms. He was thrown back hard, skidding across the platform before rolling to a stop on one knee.
The arena gasped.
Chen coughed once, steadying himself with his sword.
Jin didn't advance immediately.
"Still with me?" he asked.
Chen laughed under his breath, pushing himself up. "You're really annoying when you act calm."
Wind gathered again around Chen's legs, thinner this time, tighter.
He raised his sword.
"Don't think I'm done."
Chen's breathing was heavier now. His stance wasn't as light.
But his eyes were clear.
Focused.
Unwilling to fall.
Jin watched him closely, grip tightening just a fraction.
Chen's fingers dug into the platform.
For a breath, it looked like he wouldn't move.
Then he laughed—low, rough, almost breathless—and forced himself upright.
Wind flared violently around him, sharper than before, uneven but aggressive, like a blade swung without restraint.
"So that's it," Chen said hoarsely. "You've been holding back."
He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his sword again, stance looser now, less precise—and far more dangerous.
"I don't care," he continued. "I'm not stopping here."
The signal barrier hummed as Chen moved.
This time, he didn't test. He charged.
[ Stormrend Rush ]
Wind exploded outward as he closed the distance, sword carving a relentless path meant to overwhelm through sheer pressure. One strike became two. Two became five. The platform groaned under the force as Chen drove Jin back step by step.
"He's forcing it!"
"He doesn't care about stamina anymore!"
Jin blocked, retreated, redirected—but the pace was climbing fast.
Chen slipped inside Jin's guard, shoulder slamming into him, blade sweeping toward Jin's neck.
Jin twisted aside, but the wind still tore across his arm, blood spraying lightly.
Chen didn't slow.
"You feel it, right?" Chen said, breathing hard, eyes burning. "If I stop, I lose."
Wind gathered again, thicker, denser.
[ Gale Breaker ]
The attack came straight down, heavy and brutal, meant to crush through defense rather than cut.
Jin caught it—barely.
The impact drove his knee into the platform.
Cracks spread beneath them.
For the first time, Jin's expression tightened.
If this keeps going… I won't get another opening.
He exhaled slowly.
Lightning crept along his arm.
Not exploding.
Not forming.
Just there—controlled, familiar.
"I didn't want to use this," Jin said quietly, voice steady despite the strain. "But you're not giving me a choice."
Chen's eyes flicked to the lightning.
A heartbeat of hesitation.
That was enough.
Jin stepped in.
[ Lightning Claw ]
His hand drove forward, lightning concentrated and lethal, tearing straight through the wind layer around Chen's chest. The impact was clean, brutal, and final.
Chen was lifted off his feet.
The wind shattered.
He crashed to the platform and didn't rise.
The arena went dead silent.
Then—
"…That was a unique skill."
"No—he already had it."
"From Starfall Tenth?"
On the judges' platform, several officials stood outright.
"A confirmed unique combat skill." "At his age?"
Lu Shen's smile widened, sharp and excited. So that's your level.
Lin Hao's gaze locked onto Jin, interest burning now instead of contempt. Looks like we all misjudged him.
Shen Lian's eyes narrowed slightly. "That wasn't desperation. That was control."
Han Yue finally looked away from the platform, expression unreadable.
Jin stood over Chen, lightning fading from his hand, breathing heavy but even.
The medic barrier flared.
[ Match Ended ]
Winner: Wei Jin — Starfall Tenth Academy
Only then did the noise explode.
Cheers. Shouts. Disbelief.
The lightning faded.
Chen lay still for a moment, chest rising unevenly.
Jin stepped forward and crouched, gripping Chen's arm. With a firm pull, he helped him sit up, then hauled him to his feet before the medics could rush in.
"You pushed me harder than anyone here," Jin said quietly. "You did well."
Chen laughed weakly, wincing as he steadied himself. "Don't say that like it's over."
He looked Jin straight in the eyes.
"If you're the one who beat me," Chen continued, "then don't you dare lose next."
Jin's lips curved into a small smile—not loud, not dramatic.
"Don't worry," he said. "We're winning this."
Chen snorted. "Good. Then I lost to the right guy."
The medic barrier fully activated, and Chen was guided off the platform.
Jin remained where he was for a second longer, breathing settling, before turning toward the stands—toward Starfall Tenth.
This time, the cheers felt earned.