The silence that followed Livia's fall was sharp enough to cut through steel.
No one dared to breathe as she slowly pushed herself upright, brushing dust off her uniform. The faint trickle of blood at the corner of her lip only made her smile sharper.
Then—click.
She unclipped a small bead from the silver bracelet on her wrist and let it drop.
The moment it touched the ground, it shattered like glass, releasing a burst of pale blue light. Runes flared across the arena floor, spinning outward until a circular barrier sealed the students away from the main platform.
Mira slammed her palms against it. "What—!? Instructor! That's a Grade Four suppression ward!"
Livia didn't answer. Her grin widened, eyes gleaming like a storm. "Finally… no holding back."
And then she vanished.
A sharp gust whipped across the floor where she once stood. The next instant, she was behind Zane, her leg slicing through the air like a blade. The sound cracked—whip-like, sharp, and violent.
Zane barely tilted his head. The kick missed by inches, bursting the air beside him in a thunderclap of pressure.
Livia's eyes gleamed. "Good reflexes."
Then she vanished again.
Before Zane could fully turn, a sweep caught his legs. His body lifted from the ground, and just as he began to fall—she was already above him, leg raised high.
Her kick crashed down like a cannon.
Water spiraled from her boot, forming a torrent around the strike—pressure magic laced with fluid force.
BOOM!
Zane hit the ground, the impact echoing across the hall. Cracks spiderwebbed from where he landed. The shockwave made the nearby barriers flicker.
"Zane!!" Mira shouted. Luna's expression tightened. Even Celeste's calm faltered. But none of them could move—the glowing runes held them back, humming with power.
Livia landed lightly, exhaling. "Still conscious? I'm impressed."
For a moment, the arena was silent except for the faint drip of water from the broken spell.
Then Zane moved.
He sat up slowly, brushing the dirt from his hoodie. His expression didn't change, but his shadow pulsed once—deep and alive, stretching faintly along the floor.
He looked up at her, voice low and calm.
"Alright."
He cracked his neck.( That must have hurt)
"No holding back."