Chapter 8: Duel – Part 3 (Finale).
12:14 AM — Arena Duel Ground
The arena was no longer a place of learning.
It had become a battlefield.
Cracks spread across the stone floor like spiderwebs, fragments floating midair under distorted Thawai pressure. The barrier surrounding the duel ground flickered violently, struggling to keep the overflowing energy contained.
At the center of it all stood Sorel Yaipokpa.
The shadows beneath his feet twisted unnaturally, stretching far beyond the reach of torchlight. His Extension Technique — Shadow Moment had fully manifested. Dark tendrils crawled across the arena floor, binding Nemchand Nongthapham and his Sagoi Uchek, Ta Ngu, in thick, living restraints.
Nemchand gritted his teeth.
His spear — forged from Lairen Bone — trembled violently as electricity surged through it, sparks snapping against the shadow bindings. Ta Ngu roared, its massive turtle-humanoid body glowing faintly blue as freezing mist poured from its shell.
"Don't think this is over," Nemchand growled.
Yaipokpa smiled faintly.
"That's good," he replied. "I'd be disappointed if it was."
The shadows tightened.
Nemchand felt pressure crush down on his limbs, as if the darkness itself weighed several tons. His muscles screamed, veins bulging as he forced Thawai energy through his body.
Ta Ngu reacted instantly.
The Sagoi Uchek slammed its massive fists into the ground.
BOOM.
A shockwave erupted outward, ice spreading across the arena floor in jagged patterns. The sudden temperature drop caused several shadow bindings to crack and freeze, slowing their movement.
Nemchand seized the moment.
"Now!" he shouted.
Ta Ngu roared again, activating its Buffing Barrier to maximum output. A translucent, icy aura enveloped Nemchand, dramatically increasing his strength and reaction speed.
With a roar of defiance, Nemchand tore free from the shadows.
The crowd gasped.
High above, Lanthaba clenched the railing unconsciously.
"He broke out… just by force?"
Yaikhomba swallowed. "That Sagoi isn't normal."
Nemchand vanished.
In the next instant, he reappeared directly in front of Yaipokpa, spear thrusting forward with terrifying speed. The air screamed as the weapon pierced through multiple layers of shadow defense.
Yaipokpa barely tilted his head.
The spear grazed his cheek.
Blood dripped.
Nemchand didn't stop.
He twisted the spear, lightning exploding outward in a wide arc. The electric discharge shredded shadows, temporarily dispersing Yaipokpa's control zone.
"You rely too much on tricks!" Nemchand roared. "This is a duel between sorcerers, not puppeteers!"
He drove his knee into Yaipokpa's ribs.
CRACK.
Yaipokpa was launched backward, skidding across the arena floor before flipping upright mid-slide.
The audience erupted.
"That hit connected!"
"Is Yaipokpa losing?!"
Nemchand didn't give him time to recover.
He raised his spear skyward.
"Sagoi Art — Frost Descent!"
Ta Ngu slammed its shell shut, releasing an avalanche of freezing Thawai energy. The sky above the arena darkened as massive shards of ice formed and rained downward like meteors.
Yaipokpa exhaled slowly.
"So you want to overwhelm me."
His shadow expanded.
The falling ice collided with shadow walls that rose instantly from the ground. Explosions echoed repeatedly as ice shattered against darkness, steam and frost flooding the arena.
Yaipokpa stepped forward calmly, ignoring the chaos.
"Shadow Moment isn't just binding," he said. "It's domination."
Suddenly, the shadows beneath Nemchand's feet surged upward again — this time forming humanoid figures.
Shadow puppets.
They attacked from all directions.
Nemchand spun his spear with brutal precision, smashing through several puppets, but each destroyed shadow reformed instantly behind him.
Ta Ngu intervened, slamming its massive body into the ground, creating a dome of ice that shattered incoming shadows.
Nemchand's breathing grew heavier.
"So that's it," he muttered. "Endless control."
Yaipokpa's eyes sharpened.
"No," he corrected. "Calculated control."
He appeared directly behind Nemchand.
Before Nemchand could react—
BAM.
Yaipokpa's fist slammed into Nemchand's stomach.
The impact was monstrous.
The sound echoed like a drum being struck by a god.
Nemchand's eyes widened.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was launched across the arena, crashing into the barrier wall with bone-shaking force.
The arena went silent.
Ta Ngu roared in fury.
"That punch…" Yaikhomba whispered. "It ignored the barrier."
Lanthaba stared, stunned.
"That wasn't raw strength," he realized. "That was technique."
Nemchand's Resolve
Nemchand collapsed to one knee.
His vision blurred.
Ta Ngu moved protectively in front of him, its shell cracked, steam pouring from its body.
"You really waited all these years," Nemchand coughed, smiling weakly. "Just to hit me like that."
Yaipokpa walked forward slowly.
"I told you," he said. "You've always relied on power. I waited to refine control."
Nemchand laughed.
"Then don't blink."
He slammed his spear into the ground.
"Sagoi Contract — Absolute Resonance!"
Ta Ngu's body glowed violently.
Ice and lightning fused together, forming jagged armor around Nemchand's body. His presence skyrocketed, forcing even Yaipokpa to pause.
The ground cracked under Nemchand's feet as he stood.
"This ends now."
Nemchand charged.
Their collision detonated the arena.
Shadow and ice clashed repeatedly, shockwaves tearing chunks of stone into the air. Each strike shook the barrier harder than before.
Yaipokpa was pushed back.
For the first time, his smile faded.
"So you can still grow," he admitted.
Nemchand raised his spear overhead.
"Enough talking!"
Just as Nemchand prepared the final strike—
The entire arena froze.
Not from ice.
From fear.
An overwhelming pressure descended from above, crushing all Thawai energy instantly. Shadows vanished. Ice shattered. Lightning dispersed.
A single voice echoed.
"ARE YOU DONE YET?"
Everyone turned upward.
A tall figure floated above the arena, arms crossed.
Principal Ougnh Rangwa.
His eyes burned with authority.
The duel ended in silence.
He descended slowly, boots touching the cracked arena floor.
He looked at Nemchand.
Then Yaipokpa.
Then the ruined arena.
"You turned a university training ground into a war zone," he said coldly. "Impressive. Idiotic."
Neither sorcerer spoke.
"For reckless dueling and destruction of university property," the principal continued, "Nemchand Nongthapham and Sorel Yaipokpa will clean the entire university for one week."
Gasps and laughter erupted.
The principal turned to the juniors.
"Tomorrow," he announced, "you will receive your first mission in the Assessment Room."
His gaze briefly passed over Lanthaba.
"Prepare yourselves."
With that, he vanished.
Aftermath
Later that night, Lanthaba and Yaikhomba sat quietly in their room.
"That's what real sorcerers look like," Yaikhomba said softly.
Lanthaba clenched his fist.
"And tomorrow… we take our first step."
Outside, the moon shone brightly.
The University Study Arc had ended.
A far deadlier path was about to begin.