[18th June]
Just as Raviel stepped backwards to evade the wide arc slash—
Rey finally revealed the first real surprise he had prepared for him.
From the very beginning of the battle, while exchanging attacks and forcing Raviel to adapt to his rhythm, Rey had secretly been circulating the mana flow path inside his body.
Again.
And again.
Each cycle pushed his body a little further.
First circulation.
Second.
Third.
Until the Ninth Set.
The enhancement wasn't explosive at first.
It was gradual.
Subtle.
Enough to avoid drawing attention too early.
But the moment the Tenth Set circulation activated—
Everything changed.
A surge of power exploded through Rey's legs.
His muscles tightened violently.
The air beneath his feet cracked apart.
BOOM!
His speed skyrocketed instantly.
Far beyond Raviel's previous calculations.
Raviel's pupils contracted.
Too fast.
Rey vanished from his original position almost like a phantom.
Then appeared directly before him.
His dagger thrust forward mercilessly toward Raviel's chest.
Even while shocked, Raviel's instincts reacted immediately.
His body twisted sideways at the last second.
The fatal strike missed.
But not completely.
SHHK!
A deep cut tore across Raviel's neck.
Fresh blood splashed into the air.
The entire stadium gasped collectively.
Because for the very first time—
Raviel had bled.
Not a tiny scratch.
Not a superficial wound.
An actual injury.
Blood slowly flowed down his collar, staining the fabric of his clothes crimson.
Silence swallowed the arena.
Rey slid backwards smoothly and flicked the blood off his dagger casually.
The exact same way Raviel used to do after overwhelming his opponents.
The mockery behind that action was obvious.
The audience instantly exploded into chaos.
"HE HIT HIM!"
"RAVIEL IS BLEEDING!"
"How did his speed suddenly increase?!"
Even the nobles in the upper stands lost their calm composure.
Meanwhile, Raviel remained motionless.
His fingers slowly touched the wound on his neck.
Warm blood stained his fingertips.
The injury wasn't life-threatening.
It had narrowly missed the major veins.
But that wasn't what shook him.
What truly disturbed him...
Was the fact that Rey had actually managed to touch him.
No—
Injure him.
A cold glint flashed through Raviel's eyes.
He wiped the blood from his neck calmly before raising his gaze toward the timer above.
[01:17]
More than a full minute still remained.
Meanwhile—
Rey had already moved again.
BOOM!
He rushed forward without hesitation.
The Tenth Set circulation continued operating inside his body relentlessly.
His speed now vastly surpassed what he had shown earlier.
Even Raviel needed complete focus to deal with him now.
Their weapons collided repeatedly.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks erupted nonstop.
Rey's movements became increasingly faster with every passing second.
And what terrified the older martial artists observing the battle...
Was that he was still accelerating.
"He hasn't reached his limit yet..."
One of the veteran nobles muttered unconsciously.
Even they couldn't determine where Rey's speed would stop climbing.
Because speed wasn't like strength.
It couldn't be measured directly.
It only revealed itself when unleashed.
And Rey kept unleashing more.
Eleventh Set.
Twelfth.
Thirteenth.
The pressure around his body intensified continuously.
His muscles screamed from the burden.
Veins bulged across his arms.
Yet his attacks only became sharper.
Faster.
More ruthless.
Raviel's expression gradually darkened.
At first, he had treated the battle casually.
But now—
He was genuinely being forced backwards.
Not because Rey was stronger.
But because his growth rate during combat was absurd.
Rey himself could feel his body reaching dangerous territory.
The strain from the circulation technique was becoming heavier with every activation.
But he ignored it completely.
Because this was the only opportunity he would ever get.
His circulation climbed further.
Fifteenth Set.
Seventeenth.
Nineteenth.
His vision blurred slightly from the pressure.
Yet at the same time—
His body felt lighter than ever before.
The world around him seemed slower.
Raviel's movements clearer.
Predictable.
The timer continued ticking down.
[00:29]
Only twenty-nine seconds remained.
Rey attacked relentlessly.
Every strike aimed to wound.
To scar.
To force Raviel into remembering this battle forever.
His stamina was draining rapidly.
Sweat covered his body.
His muscles burned.
But he didn't stop.
And then—
The Twentieth Set activated.
A violent surge exploded through his body.
His speed ascended to yet another level.
The ground beneath his feet shattered instantly.
Even several martial artists in the stands lost track of him momentarily.
Rey adapted to the circulation quickly despite the burden threatening to tear his body apart.
Then—
He prepared his final gamble.
To the audience...
His speed looked nearly identical to before.
But Raviel noticed it instantly.
Something had changed again.
And that single moment of distraction—
Was exactly what Rey had been waiting for.
He launched another feint slash toward Raviel's shoulder.
Raviel instinctively raised his arm to block it.
At that exact instant—
Rey's empty hand shot forward and grabbed Raviel's wrist tightly.
Raviel's eyes widened.
Because the grip strength locking him down...
Was far stronger than expected.
A savage grin spread across Rey's face.
Like a hunter finally finding the perfect opening.
And then—
His dagger moved.
SHHK! SHHK! SHHK!
The blade blurred completely.
Even several trained martial artists could barely follow the movement.
The dagger arcs looked like overlapping crescents flashing through the air.
Yet despite having the opening to deliver a killing blow—
Rey deliberately avoided fatal points.
Because he knew.
If he killed Raviel here—
Neither he nor his family would survive the consequences.
So instead...
He chose humiliation.
The dagger pierced through Raviel's chest armour repeatedly.
Stage-2 defensive armour that ordinary warriors struggled to damage—
Was being torn apart like paper.
SHHK!
Another slash.
SHHK!
Another.
The metal cracked apart violently.
Fragments scattered across the battlefield.
Blood splashed repeatedly as the blade grazed Raviel's skin again and again.
The upper portion of Raviel's armour was rapidly being shredded apart under Rey's monstrous attack speed.
The entire stadium had fallen deathly silent.
Nobody could comprehend what they were witnessing.
The invincible Raviel...
Was being overwhelmed.
And for the first time since the tournament began—
A dangerous feeling finally rose inside Raviel's chest.
Threat.
Real threat.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
Without hesitation—
His free hand finally moved.
CLANG!
Raviel unsheathed his short sword in a flash and slashed directly toward the arm Rey was using to restrain him.
Rey's arm was just inches away from being severed by Raviel's counterattack.
Yet instead of panic—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The next second, he released Raviel's wrist and instantly retreated backwards.
SHHHK!
The short sword cut through empty air.
Raviel's sharp eyes immediately caught that small smile on Rey's face.
His brows furrowed.
Something was wrong.
The stadium had gone strangely silent.
Nobody was cheering anymore.
Nobody was shouting.
Everyone was simply staring at him.
Confused, Raviel glanced around instinctively before his gaze landed on the short sword in his hand.
Then realisation struck him.
His pupils contracted sharply.
His head snapped toward the timer above the arena.
[00:06]
Six seconds.
The timer had stopped exactly at the moment he pulled out his weapon.
Which meant—
He had broken the condition himself.
Crunch.
His teeth ground together violently.
The veins on his forehead bulged slightly from frustration.
He had been dragged so deeply into Rey's rhythm that he completely forgot about the timer.
Meanwhile, Rey stood several meters away, breathing heavily.
Outwardly, he looked dazed.
But internally—
A completely different scene was happening.
A notification window floated before his eyes.
[Repeated combat synchronisation detected...]
[Host has learned the skill: ⟪Assault Link⟫]
[⟪Assault Link (C-) ⟫
Description: An active combat skill that synchronises the user's movements and attacks with a chosen target or ally through a temporary battle link. The connection sharpens reaction timing, improves offensive coordination, and slightly increases attack speed and accuracy during continuous combat.]
Rey's eyes flickered slightly.
'A new skill...?'
He quickly skimmed through the description.
Then immediately understood.
The reason he had gradually started adapting to Raviel's movements...
The reason his attacks had begun flowing more naturally during close combat...
Was because his body had unconsciously started syncing to Raviel's rhythm.
A dangerous skill.
Especially for prolonged battles.
Rey closed the panel instantly as his focus returned to reality.
The moment he looked up—
He met Raviel's terrifying glare.
The killing intent in those eyes was no longer hidden.
It looked as though Raviel wanted to tear him apart piece by piece.
And honestly...
His current appearance wasn't helping maintain his usual untouchable image either.
Blood still stained his neck.
His upper chest armour had been shredded apart almost completely.
Several cuts covered his body.
His dignified appearance from earlier had vanished entirely.
Right now—
He looked more like the one who had been pushed into a corner.
And for the first time since the tournament began...
People were no longer fully certain of Raviel's victory.
Those three minutes had shaken everyone's confidence.
Even the nobles watching from above had fallen silent.
Because Rey had done something nobody thought possible.
He made Raviel struggle.
But Rey himself wasn't relaxed even for a moment.
Because he knew very clearly—
The real battle was only beginning now.
Raviel slowly raised his head.
His expression had become frighteningly calm.
The type of calm that appeared only when rage reached its extreme.
"Great..."
"You managed to push me this far."
"I'll admit it."
"You are stronger than I expected."
His voice echoed coldly across the battlefield.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But that's where it ends."
The temperature around him seemed to drop instantly.
"Now..."
"Disappear."
BOOM!
A violent surge of spiritual energy erupted from Raviel's body.
The four daggers floating behind him instantly rose into the air.
At the same time, both short swords appeared in his hands.
His hair fluttered wildly as a spiritual force wrapped around him like a storm.
At that moment—
He finally looked like the true heir of the Duke family.
An existence standing above the younger generation.
The pressure alone made several weaker contestants in the audience struggle to breathe.
Yet despite facing such an overwhelming presence—
Fear never appeared in Rey's eyes.
He tightened his grip around his dagger and steadied his breathing.
His objective was simple now.
Drag the fight.
Survive.
Make Raviel remember this battle forever.
SHHHK!
The floating daggers suddenly shot toward him like hunting beasts.
Their speed was absurdly fast.
Each dagger curved through the air from different angles simultaneously.
But Rey reacted instantly.
CLANG!
One dagger was knocked away.
He sidestepped another.
A third barely grazed past his shoulder.
All while keeping his eyes locked onto Raviel, who was slowly advancing toward him while controlling the daggers remotely.
The pressure was immense.
Yet strangely—
Rey wasn't overwhelmed.
Because compared to Victor's White Room training...
This was still manageable.
Back then, he had been forced to fight against multiple simulated opponents simultaneously.
Five Jacobs attacking together without pause.
Compared to that nightmare—
Raviel's current coordination still had flaws.
The dagger attacks were powerful.
Precise.
But not perfect.
Rey's enhanced speed allowed him to keep up.
Mana coated his dagger continuously to prevent it from shattering during collisions.
Because the difference in weapon quality was massive.
Raviel's daggers were all Stage-2 weapons.
Meanwhile, Rey's dagger was only Peak Stage-1.
One bad collision could destroy it instantly.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The exchange intensified rapidly.
The crowd could barely keep up anymore.
Meanwhile, Raviel's irritation only continued growing.
The timer kept moving.
The battle kept dragging.
And Rey was somehow still standing.
This was already the longest anyone had survived against him in direct combat.
Raviel's eyes turned colder.
Then suddenly—
All four daggers halted midair above Rey simultaneously.
Rey's instincts screamed instantly.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
'What is he trying to—'
Before the thought could finish—
A crushing pressure suddenly descended upon Rey's body.
BOOM!
It felt as though invisible hands had grabbed him from every direction at once.
His body slowed violently.
Even breathing became difficult.
Rey's eyes widened.
'Telekinesis...!'
He immediately understood.
Raviel wasn't simply controlling weapons.
He was directly using his spiritual force to suppress him physically.
Rey struggled to move.
His muscles trembled violently.
'Move...!'
'MOVE!'
But the pressure kept increasing.
And the next second—
The daggers above him descended.
SHHHHK!
"ARGHHH!"
A sharp cry echoed throughout the stadium.
Several people stood up instantly from their seats.
Because the battle—
Had just taken another terrifying turn.
And among everyone present—
The most anxious person was undoubtedly Hosric.
His fists had clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
Because now...
Even he no longer knew what was going to happen next.