The arena trembled with the first clash.
Lucian's icy spear slammed into Saruto's chain, sparks flying, the cold of the hall shuddering against Lucian's energy.
Lucian grinned maliciously.
"That's all you've got? Just rusty chains!"
He pressed down with such force that the ground cracked beneath his feet, and icy spikes erupted from the earth toward Saruto.
Saruto leaped nimbly, slashing his swords to deflect every blow, then suddenly shot himself forward, slamming into the ground with a blast that sent dust flying across the arena.
From the smoke, Saruto's calm, deep voice emerged:
"I've got you, you loser..."
He appeared behind Lucian with a swift step, his swords gleaming a deep purple, and charged.
But Lucian was alert. He formed a massive wall of ice that rose suddenly to block the blow, sending frozen shards flying in every direction.
A student in the audience shouted,
"Impossible! Their abilities aren't like any first-year student's!"
Lucian burst through the wall, his spear glowing with deadly cold, and attacked with a flurry of rapid thrusts that froze the air around them.
Saruto dodged with pinpoint accuracy, his violet eyes gleaming like an eagle's, and each time he escaped.
Then, suddenly, he stopped dodging.
He raised his hand, the chains, and gathered a dark energy in his swords, then hurled them at Lucian and began to move them like snakes, coiling around Lucian's spear.
Saruto yanked hard, and the spear, along with Lucian, was dragged to the ground.
"Damn it!" Lucian cried, trying to regain his balance, but Saruto was faster.
He drew his swords swiftly and delivered two blows like deadly scissors. He nearly sliced his opponent in two.
In a flash, Lucian unleashed his power, creating an icy blast from his body that deflected the two swords away, propelling him far and forcing Saruto backward.
Lucian breathed heavily, sweat beading on his forehead.
"I didn't expect... this commoner to be this good..."
But Saruto remained unfazed. He stood calmly, his voice echoing through the arena.
"Commoner? ... It doesn't matter what you think. The important thing is that you won't defeat me."
His swords blazed with even more energy around them, as if in response to his words.
Lucian raised his spear high, and a thick icy aura enveloped the arena, sending shivers down the students' spines.
One of the supervising professors whispered,
"This... isn't a normal fight... If we don't intervene in time, one of them will end up dead."
The two faced each other again, the ground trembling beneath their feet, their eyes burning with determination. Each of them knew: the next attack… could decide everything.
The fighting intensified, the arena no longer able to withstand the force of the clashes.
The audience fell silent, the students swallowing hard with every movement.
Suddenly… Lucian stopped, slowly raised his spear, and smiled smugly.
He spoke in a hoarse voice, as if emerging from the depths of winter:
"Don't blame me, for you have forced me to reveal the power of my family…"
An icy aura began to rise wildly from him, the air itself froze, and small pieces of ice began to fall into the enclosed hall.
His hair gradually changed color, becoming like solidified strands of ice; his eyes turned a cold, glowing blue; and his school uniform transformed into a royal robe covered in shimmering ice armor.
"The Awakening of the Emperor…! The legendary technique of the Lucian family!" one of the students exclaimed in astonishment.
Then he charged forward like a whirlwind, his footsteps leaving layers of ice in his wake, his spear gleaming with a deadly white flash.
Saruto took a half step back, feeling the pressure crush his chest.
"She's...so strong..." he muttered under his breath.
But at the crucial moment, his chains ignited anew, their color gradually changing until they were dark, almost black, as if mirroring their master.
He raised his head with a faint smile and said,
"Finally...I've reached her."
He slammed his fist into the ground, creating a cloud of dust that blanketed the entire hall. A dark aura blazed around him, like a swarm of living shadows, then his energy coiled around his body to form a complete shield, a dark armor overflowing with power. He declared, "I've done it."
The audience trembled at the energy emanating from Saruto, even the professors exchanged worried glances.
"This isn't normal...! What is that boy doing?"
The two charged simultaneously.
The Ice Emperor's spear pierced the air like a white lightning bolt, and Saruto swooped down with his swords, glowing like falling black stars. They used every last ounce of their strength in this attack.
The impact… was like the end of the world.
The entire hall shook, the glass shattered, the floor cracked, and the walls trembled so violently that everyone in the academy felt the building would collapse on top of them.
A thick cloud of smoke and fog filled the air, obscuring everything.
Everyone stood in deathly silence, waiting for the outcome.
Slowly… the fog began to lift.
A body lay motionless on the ground.
The students' voices rose:
"It's… Saruto!!"
"No, impossible…!"
But when the fog completely lifted, it became clear that the fallen body was Lucien, covered in blood and shattered ice.
As for Saruto… he stood, his dark armor gradually fading, his weapon aimed at his opponent, his eyes gleaming with indomitable determination.
"I… am the victor, the heir to ice." He said it in a calm voice, but it struck hearts like lightning.