Hardly had the students recovered from the awe of the "Mana Trial" when Professor Jordan took his place in the center of the plaza. Beneath his feet, a massive circle was inscribed in a deep, blood-red hue.
He waved his hand, and a grey sphere of mana ascended into the air.
"The first trial is over," he declared. "We now move to the second phase: Physical Prowess. In this test, mana is strictly forbidden. Anyone who uses a single drop of their magical energy will be expelled immediately."
He scanned the crowd with a piercing gaze.
"I want to see what remains of you when we strip away your titles and your magic. The arena recognizes nothing but bone and blood."
"This randomized sphere will select the names," Jordan continued. "The match ends when one party surrenders, becomes incapacitated, or if I intervene. Is that understood?"
The names began to churn inside the sphere like a cyclone. It ground to a halt, revealing the first pair:
[Marcus of House Lawrence vs. Hashfield of House Lorenzo]
It was a brief and sickening duel. Marcus, who prided himself on his water mana, was utterly helpless. The fight ended with the unmistakable crack of Marcus's arm breaking. His screams filled the plaza, while Professor Jordan merely smiled coldly.
"Next!"
The Beast of Arcadia
The sphere spun again, and a heavy silence fell as the next names appeared:
[Casparian von Arcadia vs. Julian of House Mercury]
Julian, a slender youth, stood on trembling legs before a human beast. Casparian stepped into the red circle, shedding his formal tunic to reveal muscles that highlighted his massive chest and shoulders. He didn't need his lava magic to terrify his opponent; his physical presence was enough.
"Begin!"
Caspian didn't wait. He lunged like a raging bull, ramming his shoulder into Julian's chest. The impact was so violent it felt as though a horse-drawn carriage had slammed into him.
Before Julian could hit the ground, Casparian was upon him. He seized him by the collar, hoisting him up with one hand, and began delivering a barrage of blows—human clubs shattering everything they touched.
"Plead with me," Casparian whispered audibly, delivering a final blow that shattered Julian's nose. "Show me how your noble blood looks while you choke on it."
In a final act of cruelty, Casparian grabbed Julian's hand and twisted his wrist ruthlessly until the bones snapped. He then tossed him out of the circle like a bag of refuse.
Casparian returned to his spot, coolly wiping the blood from his knuckles.
"The fight is over," Jordan announced. "Medical team, come forward; I believe Julian has completely lost consciousness."
The message was unmistakable: in the world of raw physical strength, Casparian was king, and mercy was not in his vocabulary.
Adrian stood watching the scene without a single hair on his face twitching. While everyone else trembled at the brutality, Adrian's mind was a cold machine, dismantling the "monster" into mere vulnerabilities:
"Impulsive..."
"Relies on his excess weight on the right side..."
"Leaves his waist exposed during heavy lunges."
Suddenly, the mana sphere began to spin once more. Everyone held their breath, wondering: who would be the next victim in this marble slaughterhouse?
The sphere came to a halt, and the names appeared clearly:
[ Niko Vanit VS Ethan of House Hall ]
Ethan did not hail from the Great Houses like Arcadia or Platod, but House Hall was renowned for rigorous physical conditioning as infantry commanders. He was a muscular youth, short in stature, which gave him a low center of gravity and powerful stability on the ground.
Niko Vanit stepped forward with steady strides. His heart was racing, but his eyes were focused—exactly as Adrian had taught him.
"Begin!"
Ethan moved first. He was cautious, approaching Niko with lateral steps. Suddenly, he snapped a lightning-fast low kick toward Niko's leg.
Niko retreated with finesse, but Ethan immediately followed up with a straight jab toward his face. Niko raised his arm to parry with his elbow, feeling the sheer weight of the strike—this was no amateur's blow.
The two collided in a clinch, entering a struggle of pure raw strength:
Ethan shoved with his shoulder power.
Niko dug his feet into the marble, muscles like taut cables.
Ethan managed to drive a knee into Niko's thigh, breaking the clinch. Seizing the opening, he lunged with a rapid-fire sequence of punches.
Niko absorbed the pressure. He dodged the first, parried the second, but the third caught him hard on the side of his jaw.
Niko reeled. A whisper rippled through the stands: "He's going down!"
In that moment of dizziness, Niko remembered Igor's advice:
"When the opponent thinks he has won, he leaves himself exposed."
Ethan lunged for the knockout, shifting his weight into a wide right hook.
Instead of retreating, Niko expertly ducked low, letting the fist whistle through the air over his head. In that split second, Ethan's waist was left completely defenseless.
Niko spun with lightning speed. He seized Ethan's waist from behind, hoisted him off the ground, and slammed him down in a violent Suplex.
CRACK.
Ethan's back hit the floor, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Niko didn't stop; he quickly mounted him and locked his arm in a crushing chokehold.
Ethan's face turned crimson. He clawed at the ground, then finally...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Surrender!" Jordan announced.
Niko stood up slowly, panting deeply. Professor Jordan noted in his ledger:
"Niko Vanit... Technical Victory."
Niko returned to Adrian's side, clutching his bruised jaw.
"He was strong... I almost lost consciousness," he whispered.
Adrian gave a subtle nod:
"You did well. You made him believe he was in control, then chose the right moment. That is true fighting."
As Niko caught his breath, the mana sphere began to spin once more. The tension escalated; the turn was approaching for the "Pale Name" everyone was waiting to mock
-----------------
Please support me with your comments; they encourage me to upload more chapters 💙
----------------