Chapter 204: Ash vs Ray (1)
I will not win in a sword fight...
Ash thought with quiet certainty, his gaze fixed on Ray. No one knew Ray’s abilities better than him, and because of that, he was fully aware there was no chance of defeating him with swords alone, at least... not yet.
Due to his trait and class, he can easily see through any sword art and exploit the weak points. Even though I have somehow managed to create a rough, clumsy sword art of my own, I will lose miserably if I rely on swordsmanship alone...
Because of this, he decided to maintain the act of pretending to be a mage. But that did not mean he was incapable of fighting up close. No, he will fight without any restrictions on himself, just he does not want to give Ray a chance to exploit his weakness right now.
He might read my sword, but let’s see how well he can handle my fists...
Instructor Leonard’s voice cut through the tense silence. "Start." He stepped outside the arena, his eyes glimmering with a sharp interest as if expecting something fierce to unfold.
Ash and Ray stood still, their gazes locked, both wearing the black combat uniforms of the academy. The suits clung to their forms, revealing the defined muscles and honed physiques they had built through relentless training.
Then a flash of lightning tore across the dark sky above, as if signaling the start of their clash.
Ray moved first. His body blurred, vanishing and reappearing right in front of Ash using Flicker Step.
Ash, prepared for such a sudden rush, shifted his stance with sharp precision. He stepped back and twisted, sending a spinning back kick toward Ray’s stomach, the strike cutting through the air with a violent hiss.
Ray twisted his body with an almost unnatural precision, his movements fluid yet sharp as he narrowly avoided the incoming strike. Without wasting even a fraction of a second, his sword shifted seamlessly, flashing toward Ash’s extended leg with the intent to cut off his momentum and exploit the opening.
But Ash’s body pulsed with a faint crimson glow for a brief second. With a smooth, almost unnatural twist of his hips, he shifted his weight onto his hands, flipping upside down on the ground. He swept his other leg in an arc, a second strike aiming directly at Ray’s head.
What kind of movement is this...?
Ray’s eyes widened, but his instincts pushed him to duck just in time. The red glow surrounding Ash’s body faded quickly after that single movement.
Ash had tapped into the second form of Dark Ash Martial Arts, which drew its strength from raw emotions, particularly rage. For a moment, memories related to fury and pain surged through his mind, feeding power into his muscles and reflexes. But as soon as he completed the motion, he cast those memories aside, regaining control.
This second form excelled at unnatural body control, breaking conventional fighting rhythms. Ash could not maintain it for long, but when used in short bursts, it was enough to throw his opponents off balance.
Ray, however, was only getting started. Even as he ducked, his blade flowed like water, aiming for Ash’s hands that were supporting him on the ground.
But Ash anticipated the attack. With explosive force, he propelled his body upward, soaring into the air like a coiled spring released. With his stats surpassing 400 and his perfect foundation, his body shot almost 12 to 15 feet high into the air.
Ray looked up, his eyes narrowing. He dodged my attack, even though I wasn’t using my full strength... but that won’t save him now.
Frustration edged into his thoughts. He had held back against Elysia, but this was different. With Ash, there was no need for restraint.
Let’s see you dodge this.
His blade glow shifted from brownish to a faint greenish hue as wind aura wrapped around it, sharp and cutting. With quick movements, he unleashed a flurry of slashes, sending multiple wind blades flying toward Ash, each one cutting through the air with deadly precision.
So he has already mastered transforming his aura...
Ash’s eyes narrowed slightly. Fighters who possessed multiple elemental affinities could shape their aura into different elemental forms, but it was a skill that only a few achieved at this stage. Ray’s growth was advancing faster than expected.
I don’t know how much my presence has changed his progress or how strong he is now... I must not get careless. After all, with his system shop, there’s no telling what tricks or weapons he could bring out at any moment.
Even as these thoughts ran through his mind, Ash’s focus did not waver. With Omni Thought, every detail was processed clearly and quickly. Still upside down in the air, watching the deadly wind blades approach, he whispered softly,
{Snake Lightning}
After fusing the Rune of Concealment with his soul tree, Ash had initially expected a symbol to appear on his body like with the Life and Knowledge runes, but nothing did.
Only later did he understand the true nature of this rune. The rune completely hid every trace of spell casting. No runic symbols, no mana strings — nothing. To an outside observer, it appeared as though he was instant-casting.
This was something he could control at will, allowing him to either hide or reveal the casting process whenever he wished. However, he preferred to keep it hidden, as he did not want anyone to discover that he was using Runic magic.
The Rune of Concealment had completely solved one of his biggest headaches. With this, he no longer had to go out of his way to mask his magic. If anyone questioned it, he could simply claim that he possessed exceptionally high mastery over the spell or that he had an instant-casting trait.
After all, once a mage trains in magic circle techniques and reaches the peak of mastery, instant casting becomes possible, though such a realm is one that only a rare few ever manage to achieve.
A crackle of lightning suddenly burst around his body, twisting and coiling like a living serpent. It tore through the air and met the incoming wind blades head-on.
-BOOM!!
-BOOM!!
-BOOM!!
-BOOM!!
Explosions roared one after another, filling the arena with smoke and bursts of blinding light. It looked as though a violent storm had descended right into the colosseum, the clashing elements resembling fireworks on the battlefield.
Although it felt like time had slowed, but all this chaos unfolded within the span of just a few seconds.
When the light and noise finally calmed, Ash was no longer where he had been. Using the chaos of the explosions as a perfect cover, he had already teleported behind Ray, his body twisting like a striking serpent as he sent a powerful fist toward Ray’s head.
But his fist passed straight through Ray’s figure, which shimmered like a mirage before vanishing completely.
Illusion Steps...? He already mastered this technique? That means he has reached Expert Rank...
Ash’s mind sharpened as realization struck. Illusion Steps was not something easily learned. It was a technique the God Slayer Sword personally taught Ray after regaining more of its memories. For Ray to have already reached this stage meant his growth was beyond what Ash had imagined.
Ash had believed he was ahead of Ray, but now it was clear that Ray, too, was moving forward with relentless determination.
The next instant, Ash felt a sudden shift in the air behind him. His instincts screamed danger, but his current positioning was terrible; there was no time to block or evade in the conventional way.
But even then... there is always another way.
{Lightning Bloom}
Lightning exploded around Ash’s body like a blossoming flower of raw energy, erupting in a violent shockwave that engulfed the arena, forcing both Ray and everything nearby to scatter backward.
What trickery is this?!
Ray’s thoughts darkened as confusion spread across his face. The unpredictability of Ash’s fighting style was throwing him off completely, and what shocked him even more was what he had just witnessed.
Instant casting...? Even Instructor Elva cannot do that... Damn it, how is he this strong? I’m already at Expert Rank, for heaven’s sake...
But he had no time to dwell on the thought. The swirling storm of lightning surged toward him like a living beast, its tendrils lashing unpredictably.
Without Aetheris in his hands, countering it head-on was not easy. The lightning was spreading in every direction, leaving no gaps to escape or teleport.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Ray shifted his aura from wind to space.
"Void Severance!"
With a sharp, cutting strike, the space around his sword trembled, splitting apart the mass of lightning and creating a narrow path. But it was not enough. The storm was alive and unpredictable, its bolts twisting like wild serpents, striking him across his body.
The protective layer of his dueling clothes burned and scorched in several places as the energy tore past him.
With gritted teeth, Ray charged forward, pushing through the storm while enduring the pain. When he finally emerged, his breathing was heavier, and his clothes were singed, but his expression remained cold and steady. There were no visible wounds, but the internal damage from Ash’s lightning was clear.
The moment he stepped out of the storm, he found himself surrounded by a dozen or more floating lightning spheres, each sparking ominously as if waiting for Ash’s command. The air was alive with electric tension, the faint hum of power echoing through the arena.
Ray’s expression hardened, all traces of his earlier carelessness vanishing. His violet aura burst forth like a tidal wave, wrapping around him with overwhelming intensity. However, the academy-issued sword in his hand, already weakened by his previous overcharged strike, crumbled into fragments under the sheer pressure of his power.
With no weapon left, Ray exhaled deeply and focused. His aura surged once more, condensing around his hands, forming a glowing violet blade of pure energy that extended outward like a weapon forged from his will. This feat was not something ordinary students could perform. Manifesting a weapon purely from aura required not just strength but a mastery over swordsmanship that even many trained knights took years to achieve.
But Ray was far from ordinary.
His body and blade moved as one, flowing like water yet striking with the precision of a storm. A breathtaking sword dance unfolded before the entire arena. His violet blade cut through the air with lethal grace, slashing and spinning, weaving arcs of light as he destroyed the lightning spheres one after another.
Each strike was seamless, merging offense and defense into a single rhythm, his movements faster and sharper than before.
And then, as if sensing the threat, the remaining lightning balls detonated all at once. Blinding flashes erupted, thunderous explosions rattling the arena floor. Yet, this time, Ray stood untouched.
He had already eliminated most of the orbs within his reach, and his violet aura shielded him from the few erratic strikes that remained. The arena floor sizzled, streaked with dancing lightning that writhed like serpents seeking prey.
But Ray did not wait.
Without hesitation, he dashed forward, his aura surging with renewed determination. The clash between him and Ash resumed, fiercer than before. Explosions shook the arena every time their attacks met, their movements blurring as if the two of them were shadows darting through storms of light. At times, Ash vanished and reappeared unpredictably, teleporting through the smoke and sparks of his own spells, while other moments saw the two colliding head-on, each impact sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
The audience could only watch with wide eyes and open mouths. Instructors and students alike were frozen in place, while Vice Principal Elva and Principal Nichole exchanged unreadable glances, their eyes fixed on the battle.
Even the Whisperer, who had been observing quietly from the start, leaned forward with interest. Among the students, Ethan, Melissa, Aurora, Irvin, and countless others had the same stunned expression, unable to look away.
Most of them were thinking the same thing.
What the hell is this power...?
The energy released by Ash and Ray was unlike anything they had seen from students. No, this wasn’t the level of students anymore. This was the power of monsters in human form, clashing with a force far beyond what their age or training should allow.
Some among the crowd whispered another thought.
What kind of freak is Ash, to cast spells instantly while trading blows with someone like Ray...
But the thought that echoed most among them all was a shared realization.
The fight is only beginning. What will these two monsters show us next...?
***
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