Chapter 422

Book 1 Chapter 422

422.

-Greetings to all the students and the esteemed visitors who have gathered at Lumen! I am Runba Tess, and it is my absolute pleasure to serve as your commentator for this exciting tournament!

Runba’s energetic voice rang out across the venue.

-Furthermore, a very special companion joins us today. Please welcome the esteemed professor overseeing the sophomore Magic Department! Professor Len!

-It is a pleasure to be here. I am Len Hors.

Len presented himself, looking impeccably neat and composed.

-Professor, how do you view the competition so far?

-I am observing these matches with immense curiosity. The first-year class has navigated a completely unique curriculum this season. Every student completed their initial term’s final evaluations, and through the implementation of the mentorship program, they are gaining invaluable guidance from the second-year pupils… Seeing everyone flourish despite these adjustments brings me great joy. I highly commend the framework established by our newly appointed principal, Professor Liina.

-Indeed, that explains the widespread fascination with Lumen’s updated scholastic approach. On that note, Professor Len, what is your perspective on the complete absence of Magic Department contenders in this final Top 4 bracket?

Aiming solely to inject some dramatic tension into his broadcast style, Runba deliberately raised a topic that was bound to provoke Len.

The moment those words left Runba’s mouth, an immediate uproar broke out from the seating section dedicated to the Magic Department.

Hallind’s eye began to twitch with irritation.

-And considering your position as a faculty member of the Magic Department, your decision to step forward to commentate on a duel featuring exclusively freshman Knight Department competitors did come as quite a shock…

-Who gave you the impression that magic scholars are absent from the Top 4?

-Excuse me?

-And on what basis are you labeling this an exclusive battle between members of the Knight Department?

-Well, you see, I mean…

Len questioned Runba, his tone turning incredibly dark and menacing.

Locking eyes with Len, Runba immediately realized he had stepped into a dangerous conversational minefield.

-Luke Elda is actually enrolled in a dual-track curriculum! He is scheduled to officially switch over to the Magic Department when the next semester begins! On top of that, Luke has been receiving direct, individual magic instruction from me throughout the entire first term… Bzzzt-!

-We deeply regret that sudden technical disruption in our transmission.

Yura rapidly intervened, her voice carrying across the stadium through a voice-magnifying enchantment.

While it is entirely permissible for the educators at Lumen to offer private mentorship to individual pupils, proclaiming such arrangements in a grand public setting was an easy way to spark unfavorable rumors and suspicion.

Consequently, Len’s passionate rant was swiftly cut short as other members of the faculty stepped in.

Ain effectively muffled Len by covering his mouth and began hauling him away from the platform.

“Mmmph!” Hallind gave a swift nod of his head toward the resisting instructor, prompting Ain to give a sharp twist to Len’s neck, rendering him instantly unconscious and limp.

Stepping up to the microphone to fill the sudden vacancy left by Len was Mel, an educator for the freshman Magic Department.

-Hello everyone, I’m Mel! I look forward to spending this time with you all.

A wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the student body as Mel offered a brilliant, charming grin.

Upon hearing Mel’s voice, Ar’s cat ears gave a sharp twitch.

“Hey, that Lumen faculty member’s speech pattern… doesn’t it sound incredibly close to the Dragon Lord’s?”

“Come to think of it, you’re right.”

“Mhm. The resemblance is definitely there.”

Lunia and Driana both cocked their heads to the side, acknowledging Ar’s perceptive observation.

“It’s probably just a random coincidence, right?”

“Of course. It makes no sense for the Dragon Lord to be spending their time working as an ordinary instructor at Lumen.”

With that, their curiosity quickly faded.

Logically speaking, such a scenario was far too absurd to consider.

In the meantime, Runba resumed his broadcasting duties.

-Moving forward, allow me to present our first contender! He held the absolute lowest position in his class rankings for the entire duration of the first semester, yet he has pulled off the staggering achievement of claiming a spot in the Top 4 during these final practical evaluations! The star of an incredible underdog story! Luke Elda!

An immense wall of sound and roaring cheers echoed through the stadium.

While the first- and second-year students watched Luke with highly conflicted expressions, this miraculous dark horse had completely captured the attention of the third-years and the older student body.

Furthermore, because Lumen was populated by fiercely proud hero prospects, Luke’s unassuming and gentle demeanor made him quite a favorite among the upperclassmen.

Feeling the weight of the older students’ thunderous applause, Luke blushed slightly and offered a timid, self-conscious smile.

Catching sight of his pure and unpretentious reaction, the upperclassmen who favored Luke screamed with even greater enthusiasm.

-Wow! Student Luke, your fanbase is absolutely massive! Moving right along, our next competitor is none other than the most widely discussed blade prodigy among this year’s incoming class! Aina Vaydna!

The moment Aina entered the fighting ring, she was greeted by an uproar that rivaled the intensity of Luke’s reception.

Just the previous year, the Sword Saint had performed a legendary feat, pushing his aging body to its absolute limits to hold off the monstrous queen until the Hero of Beginnings and the Progenitor of the Nebula arrived on the scene.

Had it not been for that heroic stand, a massive portion of the students gathered here today would likely have perished.

As his great-granddaughter, Aina had been the center of immense public fascination ever since she enrolled, with everyone holding the memory of his noble martyrdom close to their hearts.

Amidst the deafening praise echoing around them, Luke and Aina took up positions directly opposing one another in the center of the ring.

“You managed to make it all the way here.”

“That’s right, Aina-ssi.”

Luke exhaled a long, steadying breath.

“In this match, I intend to give it everything I have so that I won’t disgrace myself in your presence, Aina-ssi.”

“Luke Elda.”

“Yes?”

Luke blinked in mild astonishment, given that this marked the very first instance where Aina had addressed him by his full name.

“What was your reason for coming to Lumen?”

Caught off guard by the abrupt inquiry, Luke looked momentarily bewildered.

Nevertheless, he offered a prompt reply.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always looked up to heroes.”

A gentle expression crossed Luke’s face as he explained himself.

“Heroes are just truly magnificent people, aren’t they? I wanted to grow up to be just like those incredible individuals.”

She gazed intently at Luke as he spoke with such humility.

His motivations weren’t driven by grand, complex desires.

It was a simple, pure aspiration nurtured since his youth.

Extending a helping hand to those in need didn’t require an elaborate justification.

It was carried out simply because it was the honorable thing to do.

Luke had always rushed to assist others without a second thought.

Aina vividly remembered how Luke had come to her aid back during the entrance trials.

Reflecting on her duel against Juen, Aina finally took a proper look at her environment for the first time since her arrival at the academy.

And a sharp realization struck her.

Every single one of her peers possessed personal ambitions they were actively chasing.

‘They are fundamentally distinct from me.’

Aina’s gaze darkened significantly.

‘Every one of them nurtures high principles and strives to become a true hero.’

The path of a hero was never something she cared about.

Her sole focus was refining her swordsmanship, and she had only come to Lumen to secure her vengeance against Tartaros.

Unlike the rest of her classmates who idolized Leo Flov and wished to follow in his footsteps, she merely viewed him as a convenient tool to achieve her ends.

‘Luke Elda and I… no, it isn’t just him. I stand completely apart from the rest of these students. And that is exactly why I failed to test my own boundaries.’

Throughout the initial term, Aina had never once pushed herself to her absolute limits.

During the initial entrance evaluations and the subsequent mentor selections, the moment she sensed failure was inevitable, she chose to simply walk away.

Even in her clash with Juen just days prior, she surrendered the moment she encountered her own limitations.

In stark contrast to her own choices, Juen had desperately attempted to shatter her boundaries in order to claim victory.

‘Luke Elda operates on that exact same principle.’

Aina had been aware of Luke’s existence prior to their enrollment.

At the time, his capabilities were laughably inferior when compared to her own.

She had honestly believed he was a student who lacked the right to be at Lumen.

And yet…

‘This boy is more deserving of a place at Lumen than anyone else here.’

By relentlessly breaking through his own walls, he had managed to climb high enough to stand right in front of her in an incredibly short span of time.

‘Looking at it that way, it makes perfect sense that Senior Leo recognized this boy’s worth.’

Until this very moment, Aina could not comprehend why Leo had chosen to take Luke under his wing as a mentee instead of her.

But the pieces finally clicked together.

‘I am simply unworthy of being considered a candidate for heroism.’

Following the instructions delivered by the supervising referee, both competitors retreated to their starting marks.

Unsheathing his blade, Luke locked his eyes onto Aina, his posture taut with anticipation.

Aina merely kept her gaze fixed silently upon the ground beneath her feet.

Tink-!

A coin was tossed high into the air, signaling the imminent commencement of the battle.

Clatter!

The metal piece struck the stone floor.

In that exact instant, Luke transformed into a streak of silver light, launching a fierce assault straight toward Aina.

“She seems completely dispirited.”

Leo remarked quietly while keeping his eyes trained on Aina, before shifting his glance toward Celia.

“What do you think brought that on?”

“How should I know?”

Celia replied, her tone carrying a slightly sharp edge.

“Aina certainly hasn’t made any attempt to seek your guidance.”

“She was never the type of person who required my assistance to begin with.”

Celia let out a brief, weary sigh.

“Aina is fully capable of growing powerful entirely on her own.”

“Be that as it may, given how much you enjoy looking after people, I naturally assumed you would have provided her with plenty of direction.”

“That’s true. There was an inherent instability to her. As her assigned mentor, I genuinely wanted to help her correct that flaw.”

A look of regret settled onto Celia’s features.

“But perhaps because I failed to be an effective mentor, I ultimately fell short of giving her what she truly needed.”

“Taking on too much personal blame is a flaw in itself.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You performed your duties as a mentor perfectly fine. Aina’s internal turmoil runs far deeper than you realize.”

Leo remained uncertain as to why Aina had been so desperate for his personal validation.

Regardless of her underlying motives, Leo recognized that to Aina, everything around her was merely a stepping stone.

Leo had encountered countless individuals over the years who, much like Aina, were entirely consumed by a burning desire for retribution against Tartaros.

‘Such motivation isn’t inherently flawed. To a certain extent, it can serve as an incredibly powerful catalyst.’

However, pure malice will inevitably erode a person from the inside out.

For that exact reason, Leo had refrained from choosing Aina, despite possessing the capacity to grant her everything she sought.

Had Leo accepted Aina as his direct student, she would have merely channeled that connection into fueling her deeply rooted animosity.

‘Had that occurred, she would have become entirely unmanageable. What that girl required wasn’t an adult who would simply accept and coddle her every emotion, but rather a peer—a sibling figure of similar age—who would strive to comprehend her while constantly pushing back against her.’

“Even if you didn’t realize it at the time… you held onto Aina’s hand tightly enough to prevent her from losing her way or breaking down completely.”

“Is that really how it was?”

Celia mused, crossing her arms and tilting her head inquisitively.

“If she decides to approach you once this duel concludes, make sure you give her a proper piece of your mind.”

“I fully intend to do so. I wouldn’t feel right letting it slide without saying my piece.”

Celia let out a soft scoff, sweeping her hair back over her shoulder.

“Setting that aside, Leo, what is your assessment of this upcoming duel?”

“Evaluating them strictly on raw capabilities, Aina holds the definitive upper hand.”

“Agreed. Yet with her current state of mind, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for her to maintain control against the way Luke fights right now.”

“I have a different view on that.”

“Oh?”

“An individual of Aina’s caliber is entirely capable of unleashing 100% of her combat prowess, even if her mental foundation has completely crumbled.”

“In that case, Luke is going to have an incredibly tough time securing a win.”

“Precisely.”

Leo offered a calm smile.

Celia stared at Leo, her expression filled with curiosity.

“You seem entirely unbothered. Are you truly content with him merely reaching this stage of the competition?”

“Not at all.”

Leo shook his head in denial.

“Luke is going to serve as an excellent catalyst for Aina’s growth. It’s highly possible that Aina might just shatter her own boundaries as a result.”

“But wouldn’t that make it even more impossible for him to win?”

“That is true. However, Luke isn’t the type of person who shatters easily. Just as Luke will push Aina to new heights, Aina will similarly push Luke to surpass his own limits.”

Clang-!

Luke’s blade, radiating a vibrant silver energy, collided heavily with Aina’s weapon, which burned with a brilliant golden aura.

Screeech-!

Their weapons locked together tightly as they entered a fierce contest of pure physical power.

A split second later.

A burst of golden light erupted.

Luminous golden trajectories carved through the empty air.

Clang-clang-clang-!

Yet every single one of those golden trajectories was systematically intercepted by the swift movements of the silver blade.

‘Incredible.’

Luke’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

This marked his absolute first time engaging in a direct duel against Aina.

Within the Knight Department, practice matches were continuously organized among peers of the same year.

However, for someone like Luke, who had consistently lingered at the absolute bottom of the rankings, Aina was an opponent far beyond his reach.

Consequently, he had never once possessed the privilege of trading blows with her until today.

Previously, Luke could only observe the precision of Aina’s swordsmanship from a distance.

He was fully aware that, on a technical level, her mastery of the blade was so immensely advanced that any comparison to his own skills was utterly meaningless.

Yet experiencing the force of her strikes firsthand was an entirely different reality from merely watching her fight.

‘There isn’t a single shred of feeling behind it.’

It was a blade devoid of any human sentiment, moving solely to cut down targets with absolute precision.

Because of this, her style was exceptionally lethal and cold.

And due to the complete absence of emotion, her movements were utterly impossible to read.

‘As I thought, Aina-ssi is truly magnificent! How can someone possess this level of skill?’

Struggling under the immense pressure to deflect Aina’s relentless assault, Luke scrambled backward to create some distance.

As she kept her eyes locked on Luke, Aina found herself deep in thought.

‘A style of swordsmanship where every single emotion is laid completely bare.’

Luke’s internal state resonated vividly through every swing of his weapon.

From the very beginning of her training, Aina had been strictly taught to entirely suppress her feelings while wielding a sword.

That was a fundamental rule ingrained in any proper knight.

Allowing passion to take over only serves to cloud one’s tactical awareness.

Furthermore, an exceptional combatant can easily read an adversary’s emotional state to anticipate the trajectory of their next move.

Evaluating it through that lens, Luke’s methodology made his incoming strikes incredibly obvious.

It was, quite literally, riddled with massive vulnerabilities.

And yet…

‘The sheer volume of emotion behind it is overwhelming.’

Paradoxically, because his intentions were displayed with such absolute clarity, they became oddly difficult to accurately counter.

‘How is a style like this even functional?’