At that moment, the midday sunlight slanted through the wooden windows, casting a dim golden glow across the dusty floor.
A gust of wind blew past, rattling the venue's doors with repeated creaks.
Beside a pillar on the left side of the hall lay a somewhat worn practice area featuring a large sparring platform. Weathered by the years, the platform looked distinctly aged, marked by pits and cracks that bore witness to the passage of time.
Standing atop this practice area were several pugilists, their auras clashing sharply.
"Though we take this duel seriously, there's no need for me to cross two tiers to bully you,"
Cervini said self-righteously, pointing at Frey.
As one of the top third-year powerhouses, no matter how badly she wanted to win, she would never stoop to something so unchivalrous as bullying a newly enrolled first-year freshman.
Then,
Cervini beckoned with her hand. A burly pugilist stepped forward from behind her, his expression making it clear he could hardly wait to thrash Frey.
"He is our vice-captain, a Tier 5 second-year. Let him teach you a lesson."
With that, Cervini crossed her arms and stepped back beyond the dueling grounds.
In the quiet clearing, under the dim, dusky light, the tense air circulated rapidly.
The two opposing martial artists wore solemn expressions as they carried out their preliminary warm-ups.
Simple, short hops produced faint thuds upon landing.
Their gazes were resolute, as though only the opponent before them remained in the entire world.
Observation was a vital step in close-quarters combat.
Frey unbuttoned his coat, twisted his neck, and loosened his shoulders with a relaxed demeanor, facing his opponent with calm confidence.
Everyone else gradually backed away,
ensuring ample combat space for the two.
"What do you say?"
Cervini glanced toward Lanqi on the opposite side, asking whether they could begin.
"Please, go ahead,"
Lanqi nodded.
"Begin!"
Cervini's voice echoed through the dilapidated hall.
The moment her words fell, the atmosphere, which had been stifled to its absolute limit, shattered its restraints.
The burly man's roar tore through the silence as he charged at Frey like a savage beast!
His figure turned into a bolt of lightning, his muscles unleashing tremendous power in motion, seemingly aiming to fly straight across and end Frey with his strongest kick!
Frey appeared far calmer. He quietly watched the charging man, standing motionless like a silent mountain enduring a tempest.
His hand, raised before his chest in a parrying stance, seemed fully prepared to meet the sudden strike.
Even the pugilists in the rear held their breath, every eye fixed on this single moment.
Victory and defeat might well be decided in the blink of an eye!
Just as their silhouettes were about to cross and trade blows,
the very next instant—
With a whoosh, Frey's right hand whipped a sphere gleaming with the luster of magic crystal from inside his coat pocket and hurled it with vicious force, while he threw himself to the ground in a veteran's defensive prone posture.
A thunderous explosion erupted within the hall, shaking the entire building slightly.
Smoke and sparks scattered into the air as the ear-splitting blast seemed to freeze time for a heartbeat, leaving only searing sparks dancing through the air.
The massive explosion abruptly hurled the burly pugilist upward. His body traced a wide arc through the air before slamming to the floor like a bird with broken wings.
He tumbled several times before coming to a stop in a corner of the hall.
Lying unconscious on the floor, the pugilist was charred black all over. His eyes were clamped shut, and puffs of black smoke spilled from his mouth like an inkfish.
The dilapidated hall, which had been wrapped in tense silence moments ago, now fell into a stunned, dead hush!
All the pugilists stared with wide eyes, completely baffled by the sudden turn of events.
"...Lanqi!"
Hyperion lowered her voice, muttering through gritted teeth beside Lanqi.
She felt disaster looming!
Even if those pugilists had not yet fully grasped what had happened, Hyperion recognized it. What Frey had pulled out was a light demolition bomb from the School of Magic Engineering, brought along from the student council. Blasted right in the face, knocking out a Tier 5 pugilist was no trouble at all!
Lanqi offered her an almost imperceptible smile, seemingly thinking it was no big deal.
At the edge of the grounds, Frey patted the soot from his clothes and stood up completely unharmed.
"I win."
Frey casually shook his collar, his eyes gleaming brightly as he said in a calm voice,
"Times have changed. Even the martial soul must ride the wind of the era and board the great airship called Magic Engineering."
"You bastard!"
Naturally, the remaining pugilists erupted into sheer fury.
Hyperion could feel their terrifying surge of rage, gathering power like an erupting volcano.
Though she felt a twinge of fear, she was equally astonished that Frey's simple maneuver seemed on the verge of driving this entire group straight into the kill range of Lanqi's Poet of Great Love!
Yet in a campus dispute resolution like today's, Lanqi absolutely could not be allowed to unleash the Poet of Great Love and cause massive chaos across the school!
"Frey! You despicable coward, how dare you speak of the martial soul?!"
"Using concealed weapons in a fair duel! How did the School of Knights end up with scum like you?!"
The crowd looked ready to rush forward and beat Frey to a pulp, yet they hesitated, fearing he might pull out several more bombs.
More importantly, Frey's blast had damaged one of the wooden cottage's crossbeams, leaving the building teetering precariously.
The fighters worried that if Frey continued running rampant under the pretext of self-defense, the entire venue might be reduced to rubble!
Facing their accusations, Frey frowned.
"However, you never stated that modern weapons were forbidden in a fair duel."
"Shut up! Bombs are not allowed in knight duels!"
Although knight duels followed unwritten rules with no formal clauses to point to, relying mostly on tacit understanding,
no one had ever crossed the line so egregiously as to whip out a building-demolition bomb from the School of Magic Engineering!
Both sides maintained their distance, locked in a fierce dispute.
If this continued, anger might ultimately swallow their reason and ignite an all-out brawl!
Right then,
Lanqi, who had been watching everything from the back as though uninvolved, finally stepped forward. He walked past Frey, exchanging a brief glance with him.
"Please, everyone, calm down. Harmony is paramount. I understand the crux of your dispute and where the issue lies,"
Lanqi said calmly and composedly, looking at everyone across from them.
"At the outset, both sides held differing interpretations of the rules, which led to the current situation. Therefore, I propose that this round not count, and we hold a rematch. Furthermore, before the contest begins, we will sign a contract laying out all specific terms and conditions. That way, regardless of who wins or loses, everyone will be thoroughly convinced."
His voice was rational, his expression open and fair.
Guiding everyone toward an amicable resolution seemed to be his sole duty.
Chapter 99