Before preparing to join Grand Avalon Academy, the Zahara Clan descendants crafted a scheme to ruin Ezekiel as a potential heir and every opportunity to ever become a hero.
She became one of the pieces on their board to implement their scheme.
She couldn't refuse because this was part of repaying her debts.
To her, this was meant to be a simple task.
She studied Ezekiel's habits and routines.
She crafted a flawless strategy to ambush him. Frame him. Then, release a narrative that would crush his name forever.
That was the plan.
Then, the plan changed.
She had to beat him in a duel.
The odds were stacked against him.
No matter how Ezekiel Zahara responded - flee, fight or forfeit - she would win.
The duel was meant to end in seconds.
Then his name would be beyond redemption.
But what was this?
'Impossible,' Ivory's breath hitched.
He kept up with her. Blow for blow. Step by step.
The duel was different from what she had expected.
The fourth heir of the Zahara Clan, known as the Worst One, ranked 20th in their class Magical Swordsman Department rankings, could match her attacks only with his strength and aura.
She had superior techniques. She had the advantage of Mana Edge, a trait only Second Rank Magical Swordsmen could wield.
Yet, he was like a boulder that wouldn't break. He kept on advancing.
Ivory realised that to emerge victorious, she needed to deliver a winning blow that would cause the living beast in human skin before her to collapse.
So she steeled herself and activated her ace - Mountain Snow Dragon Art, a High-ranked Sacred Art of the Zahara Clan.
Defeating an heir of the Zahara Clan with his own clan's sacred art would humiliate him forever. A smear he could never wipe away.
But, just as her blade landed, carving a deep wound -
He vanished.
What?
Ivory's heart trembled.
His speed had dramatically increased again.
Her eyes darted around.
He reappeared before her in a blur, driving his blade deep into her shoulder.
SLASSHH!!
"ARRGGGHHHH!!" She screamed.
Still, she forced herself to retaliate. Pain was no excuse to fail her task.
She lunged forward.
He vanished once more.
Before she could understand what had happened, a powerful kick slammed into the side of her waist, with the force to shatter her pelvis in half.
The aura reinforced kick launched her out of the inner ring.
She landed face-first against the concrete ground of the outer ring.
BAMM!!
Blood filled her mouth.
Her body was covered in injuries. Pain surged from her shattered pelvis towards every fibre of her body. The pain coursing through her was more than anything she had ever felt, yet her mind was distant.
She was unable to grasp how all of this had happened. Until it hit her.
She had lost.
She held the top position in her class's Magical Swordsman ranking.
He was ranked in 20th position.
The Worst One.
The Unteachable.
The Servant Heir.
Ezekiel Zahara had won.
As her emotions continued to build, there was only one person who could provide a proper explanation. One person she could blame for the current situation.
EZZEKKIIELL!!!
Ivory screamed. She coughed out a mouthful of blood, but all that emerged from her lips were sharp guttural screams that did injustice to vocalise the sensation of the pain reeling through her at the moment.
EZEEKKIIEL!!!
She screamed again. Her voice failed to cooperate. Her screams of pain remained unchanged.
The injury in her shoulder flared, and the remnants of his aura in her body wreaked havoc from within.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
EZEKIEL!!!
....
In the outer ring, Fredric and Serafina were unable to believe the scene they had just witnessed.
Despite Ivory being a more competent Magical Swordsman than Ezekiel, he had managed to match her with his strength and aura.
Then, a shocking scene occurred.
Out of nowhere, he exploded with a terrifying surge of power. His strength, mana, and aura were improved to a frightening degree.
Using the opportunity, he delivered a knock-out blow that shattered Ivory's pelvis and kicked her out of the inner ring.
Ivory was unable to rise back to her feet.
She was brutally injured.
They were unable to ascertain if what they had just witnessed was an illusion or genuine.
Serafina snapped her head towards Fredric, her gaze burned with questions.
"Mr. Fredric, I thought you said that student Ezekiel Zahara has the least talent for the Magical Swordsman Path in your class," she said, her gaze filled with questions.
Yes, he remembered saying that. He had spoken the truth.
Ezekiel Zahara indeed possessed the most inferior talent among his classmates.
But at the moment, he doubted his own words.
"Can you please explain how he was able to explode with such terrifying power and secure victory?" She asked.
Rather than responding to Serafina's question, he vanished, flickering towards Ivory's position.
A huge shadow loomed over Ivory.
She weakly gazed upwards.
It was Instructor Fredric.
Fredric's expression was grave.
"How do you feel?" He asked, his voice quavering.
He cleared his throat, attempting to hide the nervousness in his tone.
Ivory tried to respond, but all that emerged from her parted lips were painful gasps.
Her eyes blurred as the tears rolling down her cheeks increased.
Fredric's grave expression deepened. He raised his head and narrowed his gaze at Ezekiel, who was sprawled unconscious in the inner ring.
.....
I awakened, my eyes fluttering open, as I heard someone call my name.
A groan escaped my lips as I tried to move my body and look at my surroundings. I noticed that I was in a familiar room.
The hospital ward.
"How are you feeling?" A voice asked beside me.
I turned my head to the side and saw a pale-skinned woman with bright blue eyes, blonde hair tied into a high ponytail. Dressed in a knee-length white dress with muted teal and silver-grey accents.
The dress had a high mandarin collar and subtle armoured padding over the chest and shoulders.
.....
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