2 walked out, a smirk on his face, as his name was called alongside Victor.
I wonder what his magic is… I couldn't figure out the last guy's own, 2 thought as he entered the ring, holding Xelvicar.
"Ho ho ho, what do we have here?" the commentator exclaimed in surprise.
"A mage wielding a blade! Well, he is the son of the famous Luke Reginald, titled the strongest swordsman. It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume he inherited his father's genes. Let's see if his skill is as good as the smirk on his face."
The crowd roared in anticipation. 2 looked around and noticed Shaley entering with her family, notably her dad, her mother had already gone scouring for chairs.
She spotted him, blushed, and waved. 2 smiled and waved back.
"She said her father didn't want her coming because of unforeseen events. Maybe he changed his mind. Now… I think I'm going to make a scene." 2 thought, touching the necklace she had gifted him.
Victor entered the ring. He was slightly shorter than 2, around five-five, with black hair and brown eyes.
Six balls of a silver-like liquid hovered behind him.
"A swordsman with magic control like this? I can't wait for this fight! I'm already having goosebumps!" the commentator shouted.
2 glanced at the swordsmen's section and saw Kevin staring back at him.
Their eyes locked for a few seconds before Kevin's eyes curled into a small smile as he twisted his finger by his head.
2 gritted his teeth, as he understood the gesture immediately. "This guy just called me crazy."
"Ready on both sides," the official announced as the transparent barrier went down.
"Yes," Victor said.
"Sure. Let's do this." 2 swung his sword lazily.
"Fight!"
Victor wasted no time—he skated forward on the silver substance at high speed as twelve katanas formed behind him and shot toward 2.
2 stood still, one hand in his pocket, the other gripping Xelvicar firmly.
"Closer… closer… closer. Now—break."
The lines appeared for a moment and snapped.
A golden cyclone erupted around 2 and vanished just as fast. The force knocked Victor off his skate and blew away the flying katanas.
"What just happened?" 2 thought—until he looked at himself and his eyes widened.
His body was glowing slightly, his eyes shining with an ethereal gold, his hair drifting as if in a breeze. His clothes had changed—golden trousers, a white shirt, and a simple loose golden trench coat that moved with the faintest wind.
The stadium went from silent to explosive as 2 stood, majestically .
I had a feeling my mana output increased drastically—but I didn't know it changed clothes as well. I wonder how strong I'll be afterward when I come out of the chamber of time.
2 looked at Victor and began walking toward him. "Let's get this over with. I've got the morale of the mages on my shoulders right now."
Victor, red-faced with embarrassment at his early failure, threw out twelve more katana blades, but 2 parried them effortlessly with Xelvicar.
Teleporting behind Victor, he grabbed his cloak and tossed him aside.
Victor skidded and landed on his feet. The silver balls behind him twisted into spikes and shot toward 2.
"Mercury magic… and his control is crazy good for a swordsman. I can't get hit—this stuff could erase me. The longer this drags on, the higher the chance I get poofed by an attack. I have to end this fast". 2 thought, watching the incoming projectiles.
2 dodged easily, but the spikes curved and continued chasing him.
"They're homing? Hmm… how about this then."
He began teleporting rapidly around the stage, confusing the blades.
Where is he going to land? Victor tensed, gripping the sword he conjured, as he tried to figure out a pattern.
"I'm right here," 2 smiled, appearing behind Victor—just as the spikes targeted both of them.
"Stop!" Victor screamed as it was too late for him to control it.
At the last second, 2 hurled Victor aside and, before the spikes reached him, parried them away. He turned instantly, firing consecutive blasts of flame that melted the blades mid-air.
"Oh, you're still coming?" 2 grinned as a new barrage of spikes rushed him.
"Let's do this."
He lifted Xelvicar and entered his father's signature stance—standing straight, sword arm raised high.
He slashed continuously, deflecting spike after spike.
Sensing Victor behind him, he sighed. "This guy really isn't giving me a second to rest… well, I always wanted to try this."
The ground turned to quicksand beneath Victor, trapping him.
"Xelvicar Duplicate!" 2 commanded. The sword glowed blue and split into five—2 held one while the other four intercepted the remaining spikes.
"Simple Sword Technique: Quick Draw."
The quicksand shattered as Victor jumped free and lunged at 2, sweat dripping from the strain of overusing mana.
He struck once—2 redirected it with ease.
"Let's fight like swordsmen. Make this fun for me, after all we're both dual users." 2 smiled, their blades locked.
"Don't underestimate me!" Victor shouted, pushing 2's sword aside and slashing diagonally. 2 sidestepped gracefully.
They sprinted across the ring, exchanging rapid blows. On the other side, their magic attacks and the Xelvicar duplicates clashed fiercely.
Blurs of blue, gold, and silver danced across the ring. 2 found an opening and kicked Victor—forgetting to scale down his strength. Victor flew across the ring.
He crashed into the barrier and collapsed, blood dripping from his mouth as he clutched his ribs in pain.
"Just after one hit… how is that possible? I don't even know his magic yet. No… after all that training, I can't lose like this…"
"Oops, forgot to scale down. Hopefully he's not too hurt" 2 thought, approaching him with Xelvicar in hand.
"This match is over. I don't want to hurt you anymore," 2 said.
"No! I can't lose like this! The swordsmen have to win—I'm not done yet! Don't underestimate me, Jayden Reginald!" Victor roared.
"Aura Extension: Mercury Execution!"
2 jumped back instinctively.
All the mercury—spikes, droplets, and scattered traces—rose into the sky and rained downward in thousands of lethal points.
"Come to me, Xelvicar!"
The swords fused into one.
"From the Original user…" He looked up. "Aura Extension: Endless Winds."
The arena split into two colors—silver and green—as both techniques collided.
But unfortunately when it came to a contest of mana, the difference in power was too overwhelming.
Thousands of invisible air-slashes shredded every spike continuously.
"Is that the famous Endless Winds move the son just used?!" the commentator screamed, met with thunderous cheers.
Even the swordsmen were stunned at how cleanly he replicated his father's signature skill.
Victor hung his head, drained of mana, a rib r two likely cracked from the earlier kick.
2 prepared to finish the match—but then he heard murmurs.
"He didn't even land a solid hit. What a loser."
"Can't believe the swordsmen picked someone this weak. I was stronger than him at sixteen."
"These 'high-magic' moves probably aren't even damaging—just flashy visuals."
Victor trembled, frustrated. "It's a lie… I trained so hard for this amount of mana… and I'm losing this miserably…"
2 turned toward the crowd. His voice came out low—yet somehow echoed through the stadium.
"Who the actual fuck do you people think you are? You're criticizing him, but some of you wouldn't last a second against him. If you doubt it… I'd love to see you handle this."
He glanced at his father.
Luke sighed before nodded in approval.
"You might want to increase your mana skin," Luke warned the King and officials.
"Why?" the King asked, confused.
"Just watch," Luke replied with a small smile.
"Eyes of the Gods," 2 said, enraged.
A demonic voice echoed:
"You have angered the strongest one. Atone with your lives."
Darkness fell over the stadium. A crushing pressure descended on everyone except his colleagues, children without magic, Victor, and close friends.
The barrier shook violently under the force. Everyone was silent, struggling to breathe.
After a few seconds, the pressure vanished.
"Do you want to continue?" 2,tilting his head slightly, asked, voice calm but eyes burning.
"…No. You win," Victor replied in fear.
"Then this match is over," 2 said, still irritated, walking back to the Mage section.
The commentator was the first to recover. Holding the magic orb, he shouted:
"Jayden Reginald wins the second bout—a flawless victory for the mages!"