Princess Jina Joul, the second princess of the realm, suddenly realized the truth—her brother had turned his sights on Shion Lan. Once, he had wanted to recruit the young mage, but now his intentions had shifted toward vengeance. It was clear why: Shion had extracted the ring embedded in his body, and in doing so, had fallen from the rank of a Four-Circle Mage to a mere Three-Circle one. Her brother's pride could not bear such an affront.
Jina's anger burned fiercely. She longed to shield Shion from what was coming, but before she could intervene, the boy himself raised a calm hand and spoke in an unwavering voice:
> "I, Shion, will abstain from participating."
The declaration fell like a thunderclap. Mouths fell open across the grand hall. The legendary "Teacher Shion," who had trained prodigies like Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai, was, in truth, just a seventeen-year-old boy. Before anyone could recover from the shock, Feri Lucius, the water sorceress of the Lucius family, stepped forward with venom in her eyes.
> "Are you afraid, Teacher Shion?" she mocked. "After all, your disciples killed my daughter twice during the trials. You must pay for that."
But Shion's tone remained composed.
> "I am not afraid of you. However, our levels differ vastly. I am but a First Star, and you—a Fifth Circle mage. I have also drained much of my strength healing others."
His gaze flicked briefly toward the First Prince, Jaiden Joul, hinting that he had been among those he treated.
"I barely possess enough power to stand against you," he added quietly.
The First Prince, Jaiden, rose with a faint smile.
> "Indeed, you lack strength," he said. "You may withdraw if you wish. But still…"
He turned toward his sister, his eyes sharp.
> "You failed to teach your disciples proper manners—both in dueling and in respecting women. They killed Vione Lucius twice, barring her from entering the top three. It's only fair her mother seeks retribution."
> "Are you jesting, Prince Jaiden?!" Jina interjected sharply. "We all saw it. She was the one who tried to kill them first! They merely defended themselves. Had she honored the code of duelers, none of this would have happened."
> "Perhaps," Jaiden replied smoothly, "but slaying her twice, endangering such talent, and depriving the Academy of her brilliance—such disgrace cannot go unpunished. Their mentor must take responsibility."
The siblings' argument grew heated. Meanwhile, Dron Leon prayed silently that Shion would step away from the contest entirely—he feared the monster sleeping within that boy. Yet Petallin, beside him, was consumed by curiosity. She wanted to see what lay hidden behind Shion's calm façade.
As for Shion himself, fatigue gnawed at his body and mind, thought inwardly:
"Damn it… I'm at my limit. My body's torn, my mind exhausted. I've burned too much of my star energy, both in reality and within my spirit. What I need now is rest, not another fight, you bastard."
But before he could speak, Feri Lucius's magic flared.
> "Very well," she declared, her voice echoing through the arena. "I shall grant him the advantage he desires. He may strike ten times, and I will answer only once. Is that fair enough, boy?"
Shion barely reacted to her mockery. His attention was drawn instead to the aura surrounding her. His eyes widened slightly—there was something off about it.
"That… could it be?"
Before anyone could stop it, Shion said simply:
> "Very well. I accept your terms."
Without hesitation, he descended from the stands, his cloak fluttering. Drawing his blade, he plunged it into the ground, the metallic ring echoing through the silent arena. Fery followed, summoning her magic. As a Water-element sorceress, torrents rose beneath her feet, cascading around her like living rivers. She tossed a pouch of potions toward the judge, who passed them to Shion. The boy smiled faintly, confidence flickering in his eyes.
The rapid turn of events left the audience breathless. Jina, Sol, Baro, and Fiore could hardly grasp what was happening.
"Looks like he's grown tired of living," sneered Nell.
"I doubt he'd do something so reckless without a plan," Baro retorted firmly.
"Indeed," Fiore added, eyes gleaming. "Our teacher always surprises us."
"Or maybe," Nell shot back, "the surprise will be watching him faint after her first attack."
Anger boiled between the students as the duel began.
Shion drank one potion and closed his eyes.
"Let's recall the flow of aura in my mind before the confrontation."
He circulated his star energy, feeling it move smoothly through his body like flowing water. When he struck in his mind, it became violent and sharp. Opening his eyes, he gripped his sword.
Fery raised her hands, forming a dome of water around herself—a glistening sphere of defense. She waited for his ten attacks. Yet to her surprise, Shion took a defensive stance.
"Ladies first," he said calmly.
"You—!"
Fery bit back her words and summoned her spell. A great shark of water roared to life and lunged toward Shion.
"Shion!!" cried both Sol and Jina.
A massive surge of energy exploded from Shion's body, spiraling into a radiant vortex. When the light cleared, he still stood—bloodied, but unbroken. Gasps rippled through the arena.
A First-Star mage had withstood the full force of a Fifth-Circle sorceress.
"Impossible…" someone whispered.
Even Nell was struck speechless.
> "As expected of our teacher!" shouted Baro, his voice trembling with awe.
"He truly is the strongest!" added Fiore.
Jina's heart swelled with pride and relief. Yet Kin Light, who stood among the crowd, heard a whisper in his mind.
> "That boy… he's cunning."
It was the Moon Sorceress, wielder of the Art of the Master of Moon, speaking telepathically.
> "What do you mean?" Kin asked silently.
"Though Feri Lucius is a Five-Circle mage, her true power barely reaches the Fourth level. Her attack was filled with flaws—he exploited those weaknesses, reducing the damage. That's how he survived."
Indeed, Shion's thoughts mirrored hers.
"What made me accept this so-called suicidal duel," he mused, "was that woman's ring. Like the prince, she wears an artificial ring—one that amplifies strength but limits understanding. It carries the mind of its creator, not its wearer. When their wills conflict, cracks appear in the flow of power. The result? A hollow strength. Her shark spell may look fierce, but it's riddled with frailty. That's why I could block it."
He raised his sword once more.
"Now, it's my turn. Forgive me if I'm… impolite."
Taking a deep breath, Shion gathered the water and starlight around him. Feri reformed her watery dome, ready to defend.
"(Rain Drops) !" he called.
His blade cut through the air, sending droplets like silver arrows toward her barrier. A faint crack appeared on its surface.
"He's done it! Shion Lan has damaged the (Water Dome) of Feri Lucius despite the gap between them!"
The crowd erupted.
Dron and Petallin, however, exchanged glances. They sensed the truth—Shion's actual power lay on the Third level, not the First, while Fery's true strength rested on the Fourth. Still, the feat was astounding.
Shion's second strike came swiftly—a "(Water Bomb)"—and more cracks spread across the dome. Feri restored it, but Shion merged his techniques, combining destructive force and speed. His next blow widened the fractures further. He drank another potion, smiling ruefully.
> "I'll be bedridden for a week at least."
Feri mended her barrier again, trying to conceal its weaknesses, but Shion's keen eyes caught every detail. He summoned a vortex but instead of attacking, he dissolved it, redirecting its force into his previous techniques. The combined surge crashed forward, overwhelming her defenses. Cracks split the dome anew.
The audience fell silent. Among the top ten students, all near his age, none could deny their shame. A single-star mage was standing above them all.
Even Cole Leon, who once bragged about his near-second-level power, looked down in embarrassment. Baro and Fiore glowed with pride, while Princess Jina's admiration deepened.
Then Shion noticed something—the faint shift in Feri's energy. He smirked.
> "So… she's giving up that artificial ring."
The dome rose again, this time weaker in strength but far more stable.
"Annoying," Shion thought.
He struck again—only a faint scratch appeared.
"Shion Lan," Feri called, her voice steady. "I acknowledge your talent. But here is where you stop."
"Stop? I've barely begun. I've only taken five strikes. It's time for the remaining five."
His silver eyes flashed starry, and a powerful aura burst from him—the (Star Aura). The pressure filled the arena, forcing even the seasoned mages to tense. Countless eyes, ethereal and gleaming, opened within the mist around him.
"I may not break your defense," he said, voice echoing like thunder, "but I promise you'll remember this fight."
He moved.
"Star Drops!"
His first strike glittered like falling light.
"Star Bomb!"
The second detonated with dazzling force. Then he drank another potion, merging the techniques.
"Star Tide!" he roared.
A wave of blazing starlight crashed upon her dome, shaking it violently. Shion followed with (Star Vortex), twisting its momentum into his next blow. The dome splintered further, though not yet destroyed.
Raising his final potion, he smiled.
"Lady Lucius," he said politely, "there's a new technique I'd like to test—if you'll permit me."
He closed his eyes.
> "(Star Tide) was a wide strike," he thought. "But this time, I'll focus it—all in one point."
Channeling his energy into his veins, he altered the spin of his vortex—from horizontal to vertical—and merged it with (Star Bomb). He felt the lingering presence of Shion Lan, his inner teacher, guiding his flow.
Feri, sensing danger, shed her artificial ring and unleashed her true strength. But Shion's aura surged higher, luminous and fierce. The vortex took shape—a vertical storm of starlight aimed directly at her core.
He opened his eyes, silver light blazing within.
> "(Star Surge)!!"
The impact split the air with a roar. The arena trembled as the collision of stars and water birthed a storm of light. For a long moment, no one could see who stood victorious.