There were no pauses between battles. Barely ten minutes had passed since the last match—and now another was already upon them.
A fight that looked evenly matched—at least on paper.
The audience buzzed with chatter.
This one… had stirred up a lot of noise.
After all, both combatants were already well-known.
Many had heard about the incident between Seris and Frey in the past—
And naturally… Frey didn't have many supporters.
Still, he had shown incredible strength on the island, even securing third place—defeating several third-year students along the way.
Underestimating him would be a mistake.
The betting grounds lit up with conflicting wagers.
Lord Frey Starlight—the infamous troublemaker?
Or…
The only female finalist—Seris Moonlight?
The bets were closed, and the results went public:
Frey Starlight: 45% – Seris Moonlight: 55%.
This time, the odds favored Seris.
There was a lot riding on this match—
The hopes of these young warriors… and the money of a crowd eager to profit from the chaos.
Elsewhere, many eyes had been waiting for this moment—for Frey to appear.
Prince Aegon Valerion… Sansa… even Phoenix…
All of them had been waiting to see him—the one who had once shattered before their very eyes, yet still chose to show up and fight in this grand event.
And now… the time had come.
Frey Starlight and Seris Moonlight stepped into the arena.
All eyes turned, particularly to the girl who had captured the hearts of so many young men.
Clad in armor that elegantly outlined her form, with a face that could melt even the coldest hearts…
Seris Moonlight wasn't hailed as the fairest of them all for nothing.
As for her opponent… Frey Starlight—
He looked like a dark lord in that obsidian armor, white hair cascading around a face carved with shadow.
His grim expression alone had unsettled many.
There was a stark contrast between the two.
They stood, locked in a silent stare.
Once upon a time, Frey's body would tremble whenever he saw her.
Now, he didn't even blink.
Seris Moonlight was the first to speak.
With hesitation, she voiced the words she'd kept locked inside:
"I look forward to this battle… with you, Frey Starlight. Not as enemies… but as competitors standing on equal ground."
Frey raised an eyebrow the moment he heard those words.
Their conversation was inaudible to anyone else.
"What nonsense are you babbling?"
"I just… wanted to say that I don't see you as an enemy, Frey."
For a moment, Frey Starlight wondered just how much this girl—the heroine standing before him—had grown.
"I want to fight this battle free from the emotions that have driven me all these years… to finally put an end to this tangled relationship between us. Once and for all."
Simply put, she wanted to sever all ties with Frey… to return to square one, and maybe—just maybe—build a friendly relationship, at least as classmates.
But Frey's face darkened, his expression turning colder by the second.
"Classmates? emotions? I couldn't care less about that bullshit."
Seris frowned, sensing the killing intent radiating from Frey's body.
"You'd better come at me with the intent to destroy me. Hate me. Try to kill me in this fight—that would be better for you. Because I'm going to do the same."
To Frey, anyone standing in his path toward the Victoriad was an enemy to be erased.
He had no interest in emotional theatrics.
All he wanted… was victory, and to move forward.
From the stands, Ghost—who deliberately chose to watch this match—could feel the overwhelming bloodlust exuding from Frey.
Even Director Ivar, standing between them, was surprised by its intensity.
To emit such a threatening aura… it was clear Frey had already taken many lives.
But that, too, was part of battle.
Ivar briefly explained the rules, then raised his hand—
The signal to begin.
And the moment he did—
Frey drew his sword, gripping it tightly in his right hand.
His face darkened as he charged forward with savage intent.
"Ascension."
The Lord of Starlight activated his unique skill, his eyes flashing with a violet glow as he surged to the peak of his power.
He stormed Seris with ruthless force, aiming to slice her neck in the opening strike.
Seris responded by conjuring multiple ice barriers to block him—but Frey's blade tore through them all with a surge of dark aura.
"Ten Thousand Steps of Shadow: Black Meteor."
Within a streak of black light, Frey pressed the assault—again and again—each strike nearly severing one of Seris's limbs.
Against such ferocity… against that suffocating killing intent… Seris could barely defend herself.
She kept retreating, step by step, until she reached the edge of the arena—yet Frey didn't stop.
He thrust his sword at the exact spot her head had been a second ago.
Seris escaped just in time, dashing across the ring as Frey dragged his blade, demolishing the stone wall in pursuit.
And within moments, he had her trapped within a barrage of shadow-infused slashes.
Seris struck back when she could—but Frey dealt with her attacks effortlessly, without even trying.
Bit by bit, his blade carved into her—until blood began to flow freely from multiple wounds across her body.
The audience watched in silence as the brutal clash unfolded.
Seeing Frey Starlight unleash such savagery upon Seris… they didn't know how to react.
But elsewhere, some had been caught off guard by something entirely different…
Watching Frey Starlight fight with such power… and witnessing how efficiently he wielded his aura—
Phoenix Sunlight couldn't contain himself. His eyes widened to their limits.
Iris noticed his reaction and glanced back, curious about what was going through the young man's mind.
Phoenix felt… hollow.
"His aura pathways… healed?"
Impossible.
It was impossible—yet his eyes weren't deceiving him.
That young man before him had achieved the unthinkable. He'd crawled back from a place beyond recovery… and now stood tall before them all.
Without warning, a strange thrill washed over Phoenix.
Like father… like son.
They truly were the family of miracles.
The reactions of Frey's allies—Sansa and Ghost—weren't all that different.
But one person looked nothing like them. His expression darkened as he watched Frey fight.
"What… is going on here?"
How many more?
Aegon crushed the armrest of his chair, covering his face with one hand.
Just how many riddles would Frey Starlight throw his way?
Aegon Valerion no longer felt like he was watching a human being…
But something far stranger—something he couldn't understand.
"What kind of cursed obstacle are you to me, Frey Starlight?"
If he could achieve the impossible this easily… how was Aegon supposed to face him going forward?
A man untouched by logic? Immune to reason?
Lost in a storm of thoughts…
As the crowd sat frozen in stunned silence…
Frey Starlight continued his unrelenting assault on Seris Moonlight.
Having finally gotten into the rhythm of battle, Seris responded with all her might—
She conjured hundreds of massive ice blades, attempting to pierce her opponent, who zipped around her at impossible speeds.
His glowing violet eyes left streaks of light in the air with every move—making him look like a phantom.
Dark arrows slashed at her constantly from blind angles.
Perfectly timed—each time she left the smallest opening, he struck.
It didn't seem like he merely wanted to win.
It looked like he truly intended to kill her.
Seris focused hard and released her blood essence, forming a nest of thorny crimson vines.
If she wanted to win, she had to go all out.
And she did.
The vines crept like serpents, spreading across the battlefield, turning the arena into a frozen jungle.
She aimed to trap Frey, block off every escape route.
But Frey… wasn't even on the ground.
He soared high above her, as if he had predicted the attack entirely.
Seris instantly raised her hand, redirecting her magic upward—
But Frey gripped his sword tightly, wrapped in a cocoon of darkness.
He unleashed every ounce of aura he had gathered.
Descending in a black whirlwind, Frey collided with the icy vines in a violent crash—tearing through them one after another.
Like a dark spinning wheel, he rotated midair, slicing through everything that tried to touch him—closing the distance between him and Seris in the process.
With that final strike, he completely shattered Seris's defenses—and the relentless attacks didn't stop.
Slash after slash—he tore through her vines and shattered the ice around her.
Surrounded by a blazing aura of darkness, he kept cutting.
Slowly but surely, darkness began to overwhelm the frost.
And after a terrifying barrage of unending strikes…
The edge of Frey's sword—wreathed in darkness—appeared just inches from Seris's chest.
She couldn't block it. Not from that position.
The attack was aimed straight at her heart.
But before Frey could finish it…
Seris's defensive armor activated—releasing a shockwave that knocked her unconscious, her body collapsing at Frey's feet.
He looked down at her—at her body, now covered in countless wounds.
She looked like a shattered beauty.
Caught in the rush of battle, Frey raised his sword—
It looked like he was truly going to strike her down.
But then—
Ivar appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist.
"That's enough. Frey Starlight, the match is over."
Frey stared at the director standing before him.
He could feel the immense pressure pressing down on him—and so, he slowly stepped back, lowering his sword.
Once Ivar confirmed his compliance, he let go and turned to the crowd.
"Match Four… the winner is Frey Starlight."
At that declaration, a chilling silence swept across the arena.
What kind of spectacle had they just witnessed?