My opponent was Cecilia Eldristan.
Fuck. Of all people… why her? This was the worst possible matchup.
In her hands, just like mine, was a third-rank artifact sword. Water element. I noticed it instantly—the flow of aura around the blade was smooth, almost too calm, like a surface hiding depth.
There was no helping it.
I had already decided I would hide my magic. But my swordsmanship? That I wouldn't suppress. Not here.
The judge announced the start of the match.
I moved immediately—Twelve (Nine) Steps of the Storm, combined with Storm Stride. By now, I had drilled that movement into my body so deeply it felt automatic, like breathing.
I struck.
Every single attack was parried effortlessly.
Of course it was.
I didn't expect anything less from her.
I tried a thrust.
Missed.
Not only was she stronger than me, but she was also a terrible matchup—calm, precise, reactive. The kind of opponent who doesn't give you openings… only punishes yours.
We exchanged blows, steel clashing rhythmically, controlled, measured.
As I fought, I thought.
How do I land even a single hit?
She wasn't attacking first. Only countering. Waiting. Watching.
And I couldn't afford to recklessly expose myself—I still had two matches after this.
Gradually, I was being pushed back.
Step by step.
Pressure.
I stopped attacking.
If she wouldn't give me an opening… I'd have to create one.
Cecilia moved.
Her strike came smoothly, almost beautifully—like flowing water. But that elegance didn't make it any slower. If anything, it made it harder to read.
I understood in that instant—
If I failed here, I wouldn't just lose. I'd get a worse evaluation than I deserved.
Time seemed to slow.
A single moment stretched.
Then—
I moved.
I parried using the Twelve (Nine) Steps of the Storm.
Even though it was an offensive technique, using it this way let me build momentum instantly.
I transitioned into a counterattack.
Because she hadn't expected it, her parries were just slightly off—barely noticeable, but enough.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
I pushed harder.
By the eighth strike, I finally managed to wound her leg.
The ninth strike failed.
Silence fell over the arena.
"I surrender."
My voice cut through it cleanly.
The judge looked at me.
"Are you sure?"
"I've shown everything I can. There's no way for me to win beyond this point."
My tone was calm. Flat.
No emotion.
The judge declared Cecilia's victory.
Healers quickly moved to her side, treating the wound.
After that, Cecilia approached me.
"Why did you surrender?" she asked, her voice cold.
"In any case, I can't beat you. That trick won't work twice. I showed enough. There's no reason to waste more energy."
She looked at me for a moment.
"I see…"
She turned and walked away.
I didn't stop her.
Instead, I returned to my seat and continued watching the matches, carefully studying the fighting styles of my future classmates.
I focused on the strongest ones.
The weaker ones didn't interest me—not that there were truly weak people here.
Still, priorities mattered.
Then—
Finally, a match worth watching.
Leon Luminaris versus Eleris Valmir.
Light mage versus a battle mage with that distinctive red lightning.
Of course, I knew what made red lightning special.
Destructive power.
Raw, overwhelming destruction.
I knew Eleris's strength.
Leon's, however—I didn't.
But he was a light mage.
That alone made him valuable.
Someone like that… was worth keeping alive.
Leon drew two curved blades, each about forty centimeters long.
I raised an eyebrow.
A battle mage too.
Interesting.
Eleris, on the other hand, simply wore gauntlets.
As expected.
She preferred close combat.
The judge signaled the start.
Eleris exploded forward, releasing a lightning attack immediately.
Leon blocked it without difficulty using a defensive spell.
He moved well—dodging her strikes and spells with precision. When he couldn't dodge, he blocked.
Strong.
Just as I thought.
Leon retaliated with arrows of light.
Eleris dodged them all effortlessly.
Even if they were light arrows, they weren't moving at the speed of actual light.
Leon rushed in.
His movement technique was solid for a mage—around 4★. Light affinity helped with movement guidance.
Eleris kept up easily.
Their exchange intensified.
Blow after blow.
Spell after spell.
A full minute passed like that.
Leon had a crazed grin on his face.
Eleris too.
Fucking battle maniacs.
The fight continued, spells flying almost every second.
Neither managed to land a decisive hit.
But then—
Leon started falling behind.
I noticed it immediately.
He made a decision.
He deliberately took a hit.
Risky.
He got struck—but in return, he wounded her shoulder.
His ribs are broken, I noted instantly.
Leon laughed like a lunatic, clearly enjoying the fight.
Eleris remained calm.
At least she's not completely insane.
The judge stepped in almost immediately and declared Eleris the winner.
Priests rushed forward, beginning treatment for both fighters.
Leon looked disappointed.
I couldn't hear what he said to Eleris, but judging by their expressions, it was something like:
"I won't lose next time."
Or maybe he just asked for a rematch.
Not my concern.