Seraphine Vale had never misjudged an opponent.
Not because she was arrogant.
But because ice never lied.
Ice only followed laws.
Temperature.
Energy.
Movement.
Causality.
And all of that just now—
made no sense.
Her crystals should have hit Xavier.
Not almost.
Not maybe.
Should have.
And the word should—
was something that had never failed her.
Until now.
---
Xavier was still standing.
Slightly hunched.
Like someone who had survived an accident.
"…That was close."
he muttered.
He wasn't acting.
He genuinely didn't know what had happened.
And that—
made it more disturbing.
Seraphine raised her hand again.
This time—
without hesitation.
The air dropped by dozens of degrees.
Cold mist spread.
The ground began to freeze.
Frost Arcanum.
A basic form—
Zone Control.
If earlier was a direct attack—
this was area domination.
No room for luck.
No room for error.
Everything within range—
would freeze.
Including—
Xavier.
---
The spectators held their breath.
"She's serious now…"
"Xavier is done…"
"No way he dodges again…"
---
The ice crept forward.
Fast.
Like patient death.
Toward Xavier's feet.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Two meters.
One—
CRACK.
The ground—
collapsed.
Not because of the ice.
But because—
the stone beneath—
gave way.
Xavier's foot dropped one level lower.
His body followed—
slightly.
Very slightly.
But—
enough.
The ice passed his previous position.
Freezing empty air.
Not him.
Silence.
Again.
---
Seraphine stopped.
Her eyes widened.
"…What."
She looked at the ground.
This arena was reinforced.
It couldn't collapse.
Not without tremendous force.
And Xavier—
had no force.
So—
why?
---
Xavier himself panicked.
"HEY—"
He almost fell.
Almost twisted his ankle.
Almost—
but didn't.
He managed to stabilize himself.
Standing again.
Survived again.
"…I hate today."
he muttered.
---
Outside the arena—
the instructor was now serious.
He checked the barrier.
No damage.
No interference.
No other Arcanum.
Technically—
all of this—
was coincidence.
But—
twice?
In one match?
That wasn't statistics.
That was—
an anomaly.
---
Caelum Argentis remained silent.
But now—
fully focused.
His eyes followed Xavier.
Every small movement.
Every moment.
And he saw it again.
Not physically.
But—
conceptually.
As if—
the world—
was avoiding a certain result.
As if—
reality—
refused the possibility of Xavier's death.
And that—
was impossible.
Because only two types of Arcanum could do that.
Causality.
Or—
something rarer.
Something that—
should not exist.
---
In the arena—
Seraphine lowered her hand.
The cold mist vanished.
She stared at Xavier.
For a long time.
"…You don't have Arcanum."
she said.
Not asking.
Stating.
Xavier shrugged.
"If I had one, I'd have shown it off yesterday."
Silence.
The wind blew softly.
Seraphine studied his face.
No deception.
No control.
No awareness.
Meaning—
all of this was happening—
without his knowledge.
That—
was more dangerous.
---
Seraphine raised her hand again.
But this time—
slower.
A single ice crystal formed.
Small.
Simple.
She threw it.
Not fast.
Not lethal.
Just—
a test.
The crystal flew straight.
Toward Xavier's shoulder.
Impossible to miss.
No interference.
No collapse.
No—
CRACK.
The crystal—
cracked.
In midair.
Without cause.
Then—
fell.
Shattered.
Before touching him.
Total silence.
---
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because now—
everyone knew.
This—
was not coincidence.
---
Seraphine lowered her hand.
Slowly.
"…I surrender."
she said.
The arena exploded with noise.
"What?!"
"She surrendered?!"
"Why?!"
Even the instructor was shocked.
"Seraphine, explain your decision."
She looked at Xavier.
Her gaze deep.
Serious.
"…Because I can't win."
she said.
And for the first time in her life—
she admitted something she could not understand.
---
Xavier pointed at himself.
"…Huh?"
He didn't even attack.
Didn't do anything.
And—
he won.
For the first time.
In his life.
---
Deep inside him—
something—
remained still.
But now—
it was awake.
Not active.
Not conscious.
But—
awake.
And the world—
had already begun
to adjust.
---
Caelum Argentis turned away.
He had seen enough.
"…So that's how it is."
he muttered.
Softly.
And for the first time—
he had found something—
he could not predict.
Xavier L'Amour.