The Faculty Showdown.

As one of the academy’s regularly scheduled events, it was one of the top three most popular spectacles each year.

It was a rare opportunity to witness the professors’ skills firsthand.

For internal students, it served as motivation, and for external spectators, it showcased the faculty’s unparalleled competence.

In essence, it was a stage to prove who truly held the title of the best.

The event was particularly cherished, sparking heated discussions among the students.

Everyone at Galimar felt their blood boil with excitement.

“This year’s going to be fun, don’t you think?”
“The practical exams were tough, but I held on just to see this.”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch battles on a completely different level. You won’t find this anywhere else on the continent!”
“Just watching them will teach us something new.”
“I wish it would start already!”
“By the way… did you hear? Some first-year caused a huge scene this time.”
“Everyone’s been talking about him lately.”

This year, the atmosphere was particularly intense.

The first-year top student who issued a challenge to a professor—this unexpected clash had created a dynamic that captured everyone’s attention.

The students couldn’t stop talking about it.

“You are the challenger.”

The snake who had made that bold declaration to a professor.

After the provocation, the academy’s response was largely divided into two camps.

One side found the audacity refreshing and exciting, while the other saw it as overstepping and inappropriate.

Given the intensity of the statement, backlash was inevitable.

“He’s underestimating the professor way too much.”
“This’ll be a good opportunity for him to get put in his place.”
“Still, I like his guts. It’s better than backing down—he’s got fire.”
“If you like him so much, why don’t you bet on that fool in this round?”
“Of course not. That’d be absurd.”

Predictions about the outcome were overwhelmingly one-sided.

Most believed the snake would lose.

And honestly, it was the natural conclusion.

Up until now, his opponents had been students, but this time he was facing a faculty member—an entirely different playing field.

After all, the academy’s professors were some of the most renowned figures on the continent.

No matter how talented a student was, defeating a professor, a master who stood at the pinnacle, was unthinkable.

From skill to experience, the gap was insurmountable.

“And it’s not just any professor—it’s Professor Cardel.”

Cardel Evans.

A legend who had reached the pinnacle of magic at the youngest age in history, only to step down out of boredom and take a teaching position.

Now, he was one of the academy’s most influential figures.

“Of all the professors, how could he think to challenge him?”
“Maybe he’ll at least land a scratch.”
“Do you think a professor’s title is something trivial? One gesture, and he’ll be pinned to the ground.”
“Is this the end of his undefeated streak? Honestly, I saw this coming when he kept stirring up trouble everywhere.”
“Well, let him face reality for once. He needs to learn where the walls are.”
“Ugh, he always had too many girls flocking around him anyway. I hated that.”
“Jealous, much?”

Some students saw this as an opportunity to criticize the snake.

After months of building an impressive track record, he had garnered a fair share of envy within the academy.

Their voices mingled, adding fuel to the already heated atmosphere.

However, not all opinions were negative.

In fact, those who outright mocked him were in the minority.

Most were simply curious observers.

After all, exceptional talent naturally attracted admiration.

Many students, impressed by his previous feats, began cheering for him.

“At the very least, I don’t think he’ll go down without a fight.”
“He crushed the second-year top student with a single gesture last time, remember? He might not win, but he can probably hold his ground.”
“He’s already far beyond what any student can hope to reach.”
“He’s a little eccentric, sure, but you can’t deny he’s entertaining.”
“I’m rooting for him this time. I even bet my entire month’s allowance on him.”
“You’re insane.”

Conversations buzzed all around.

The spotlight, which had been drifting aimlessly after the practical exams, was now squarely fixed on this event.

“We will now begin the match!”

Amidst the intense attention, the showdown commenced.

From the very start, the clash of their magic was explosive.

One side wielded a blade forged from sharpened shadows, while the other launched an arrow of water compressed to its limit.

The ferocious collision sent shockwaves rippling through the arena’s barrier.

Boom!

A battle far beyond the usual standard.

The protective barriers around the spectator stands trembled dangerously.

The sheer intensity of the match was enough to elicit cheers from the audience.

The duel unfolded with unrelenting momentum.

Contrary to most predictions, the match maintained a palpable tension, the balance between the two unbroken.

Each clash rang out with violent noise.

Clang! Crack!

“He’s holding his own?”
“How is that just holding on? He’s not giving an inch against a professor!”
“They’re moving so fast I can barely keep up with my eyes…”

From all around came sounds of admiration.

The students were captivated by the match.

On the stage that devoured even the searing heat of their excitement, a golden boa constrictor wielded shadows with a grin.

Before it stood the elephant, visibly rattled.

***

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

An arrow flew straight toward me, swift and precise.

It was a calculated strike aimed to exploit the brief moment my stance wavered, but I calmly rotated my wrist.

The tip of my shadow-forged blade traced a clean arc, deflecting the projectile with precision.

Clang!

The arrow scraped harshly along the flat of the blade, leaving a jarring impact that tingled through my palm.

As I shook off the residual sting, another wave of projectiles rained down, this time more relentless.

Shadows expanded overhead, forming a barrier to intercept the assault.

Thud-thud-thud!

The sound of the sharp strikes against the shield resembled a summer downpour.

But this was no refreshing rain—it was a barrage of slicing lines that sought to cut through everything in their path.

“This is starting to get… bothersome,” I murmured.

Ten minutes had passed since the start of the match.

The battle was a fierce exchange.

Despite the torrential storm of attacks cascading from above, I remained composed, methodically navigating the situation.

Adjusting the nicks in my blade, I spoke casually.

“You seem quite intent on being aggressive, Professor. Don’t you think this is a bit much?”

Through the streams of shimmering rain, I caught sight of Cardel hovering in midair.

He stood on thin platforms of water, meticulously compressed, allowing him to tread the skies as though walking on solid ground.

His brows furrowed slightly, as if something about the situation irked him.

“This is unexpected. I didn’t think you’d last ten minutes,” he said.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“By all means.”

Despite his words, Cardel unleashed another barrage of arrows.

I dodged nimbly, stepping with elegant precision as if dancing.

As the razor-sharp lines narrowly missed me, I swung my blade, weaving shadows into a counterattack.

Clang!

The collision of shadow and water created a gap in the unrelenting storm.

Not wasting the opportunity, I launched a jet-black projectile straight at my opponent.

Thwack!

“Ugh?!”

The bullet struck Cardel square on the forehead.

Though he had hastily summoned a barrier, the timing had been too late to fully block the impact.

A bright red mark now adorned his brow.

“Heh… Feeling more awake now, Professor?”

My teasing tone was deliberately provocative.

Cardel scowled, his pride clearly wounded.

“You needed a little excitement, didn’t you?”

“Hah.”

He scoffed, but his irritation was evident.

Struggling against a student was bad enough, but enduring my taunts must have been infuriating.

Cardel’s naturally haughty demeanor couldn’t tolerate being belittled.

Finally, the mana he had been gathering erupted violently from his hands.

“You little brat…!”

BOOM!

A deafening roar of magic filled the arena.

The real match was about to begin.

The professor unleashed a torrent of enhanced magic, and I quickly shifted to defend myself, my blade absorbing the brunt of the overwhelming force.

The already tenuous balance of the fight began to crack.

‘As expected, he’s strong,’ I thought, steadying myself.

Cardel was, after all, one of the academy’s most formidable professors.

He was the strongest opponent I’d faced in recent memory.

‘He might even rival Lena.’

By continental standards, he was a remarkable force.

An average student wouldn’t have lasted three seconds against him.

For a fleeting moment, I even entertained the idea of recruiting him into my own organization.

Perhaps his overbearing personality wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

Cardel swatted away the shadows I sent his way and brushed the charred marks off his sleeve with visible irritation.

“Impressive… no, quite remarkable.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s see if you can handle this!”

With a dramatic motion, Cardel summoned a surge of water that flooded the arena floor, shaping it into razor-sharp waves that surged toward me.

I quickly crafted a shadow plank and leapt onto it, riding the waves like a surfer.

As I glided through the tumult, I muttered softly.

“This time, it’s my turn.”

Thud!

Using the momentum of the wave, I propelled myself upward, closing the distance between us in an instant.

If hitting him from the ground was challenging, then I would meet him in the air.

My black blade pointed directly at him, hurtling forward like an arrow.

The wind whistled around me as I drew within mere spans of him.

Just as I swung my blade—

“Your trajectory is too predictable,” Cardel muttered.

With a subtle flick of his finger, a stream of water lashed out from the side, striking me with tremendous force.

Wham!

“Ugh…!”

The impact sent me hurtling backward, slamming into the arena floor with a thud.

Dust rose in the aftermath as Cardel looked down at me with a smirk, his mana flaring in his hands.

“Did you really think such a simplistic attack would work?”

“Is that so?”

But the figure on the ground was nothing more than an illusion.

The real me was already behind him.

“What about this, then?”

“...?!”

Cardel’s eyes widened in shock as he realized too late.

My hand was pressed firmly against his back.

By the time he turned, the game was over.

Mana surged to my fingertips.

“Shatter.”

The single word reversed the flow of magic around us.

In an instant, the protective barrier dissolved, and the water platform beneath Cardel’s feet broke apart.

Deprived of his footing, the professor plummeted toward the ground.

“Time for you to come down,” I said, giving him a gentle shove for good measure.

“You little—!”

Cardel’s shout was cut short as he crashed into the arena floor with a deafening BOOM!

The force of his fall, amplified by a touch of mischief, left him sprawled on the ground, unable to rise.

“Ugh… ngh…”

“Hmph.”

I landed gracefully, adjusting the hem of my coat.

With my unscathed body, I looked down at the professor.

“Would you care to continue?”

The arena was dead silent.

The spectators, frozen in shock, stared at the scene before them with wide eyes.