The stadium was packed. Cheers echoed.
Two opponents stood across from each other on the battlefield.
Joshua smirked confidently.
"Oh ho... Zack. We finally get our chance, huh?"
Zack said nothing—his gaze focused, silent, unwavering.
Ding!
A bell rang.
The signal was given.
> "FIGHT!"
Joshua didn't waste a second.
His staff lit up.
> "Fire Explosion!"
A blast of searing fire rushed toward Zack.
But Zack moved swiftly, his eyes locked onto the incoming wave.
He dodged effortlessly, gliding past the blast like it was nothing.
Joshua narrowed his eyes.
"Nice dodge, Zack... But let's see how you handle this!"
He raised his staff high, chanting rapidly.
A massive fireball formed above the field, crackling with violent energy, growing larger every second.
The heat scorched the air.
Joshua smirked and summoned a protective barrier around himself.
Then—
BOOM!
The fireball hurled down, engulfing the entire battlefield.
The audience gasped.
But in the center of the inferno...
Zack was still standing. Unmoved. Unshaken.
He slowly drew his sword.
His blade shimmered, wrapped in a glowing blue aura.
"Argon's Swordmanship… Fifth Form…"
"Lion Roar!"
With a deafening slash, Zack unleashed a colossal arc of energy.
A roaring surge of power tore through the fireball, split it apart, and slammed directly into Joshua's barrier.
CRACK!
The barrier shattered—
Joshua was thrown clear out of the ring.
Silence fell.
The entire arena sat frozen in shock.
"W-What... was that?"
"That's... Argon's Swordmanship. Fifth form."
No one had expected it.
Zack didn't just win.
He dominated.
The crowd that once mocked him... was now silent.
Their expectations were shattered.
The crowd was stunned.
Ash from Joshua's explosion still floated in the air...
But only one figure stood tall on the battlefield.
Zack.
Joshua had been blasted out of the battle arena.
His barrier shattered.
His pride — broken.
The referee, still speechless, finally raised his hand.
"VICTORY — ZACK!"
The announcement echoed through the stadium.
Gasps turned into murmurs...
Murmurs turned into roars...
> "Zack won?!"
"He actually beat Joshua!"
"That attack… what even was that?!"
Even the instructors were shocked.
Argon smiled proudly, crossing his arms.
Headmaster Realai nodded with approval.
Mr. Rafel, watching from the upper stands, simply whispered:
"Not bad... Albert O'Leo."
Zack sheathed his sword calmly and walked off the field —
Not a scratch on him.
He didn't raise his arms.
He didn't smile.
He didn't need to.
The silence and shock in the crowd…
That was enough.
To be continue...