The duel continued with razor-sharp intensity.

Magic clashed ferociously, each strike sending shockwaves through the air.

Their speed was beyond what the human eye could follow. The only visible remnants of their battle were the sparks left in the wake of their collisions and the faint flicker of shadows darting through the empty space.

Every now and then, the shockwaves struck the barriers surrounding the spectators, causing murmurs to ripple through the crowd.

“What the hell are we even watching…?”
“There’s no way to follow their movements with just our eyes.”
“I can’t even tell what they’re doing, let alone understand the strategies they’re using.”
“He’s supposed to be a student like us, right? How can there be such a massive difference in level?”
“You can feel the density of their mana even through the barrier…”

It was a battle that far exceeded the scope of what anyone had thought possible.

The students couldn’t begin to grasp what was unfolding before their eyes.

The disparity in level was simply too overwhelming for them to even try.

“What kind of power is that…?”

And it wasn’t just the students.

The professors, too, found themselves unnerved by the match.

Even from their higher perspective, the sheer intensity of the duel was enough to send chills down their spines.

“Is this really happening…?”
“This is absurd.”
“Even if he’s been retired for a while, Cardel was once at the peak of his field… Yet this student isn’t just holding his ground but fighting on equal footing.”
“Heh… It’s like watching a raw gem of a monster being polished.”

A collective murmur of astonishment spread through the crowd.

The scene unfolding before them was nothing short of extraordinary.

Everyone knew the boy was talented, but no one had ever truly grasped the extent of his abilities—until now.

There had simply been no prior opportunities for him to display his full strength.

Most of the reactions were the same: stunned silence.

Pure awe.

The crowd had no desire—or capacity—to try to understand what they were witnessing.

All they could do was marvel at the presence of a genius, a phenomenon that had never existed before.

The icy tension in the air seemed to grip everyone present.

“This can’t be real…”
“Do you think I know any better? And weren’t you the one who said he might put up a good fight?”
“I mean, I was half-joking! But this isn’t just holding his own—he’s almost evenly matched with the professor!”
“Do you think Cardel is holding back?”
“Does that look like holding back? Even the other professors are sitting there, stunned.”
“So, it’s really an even match…?”
“Let’s go!! My underdog bet is gonna hit!!”

No one could downplay what they were witnessing.

The once-unshakable image of a professor’s invincibility was beginning to crack.

The arena grew more intense by the second.

What had started as a fierce exchange had now reached its peak.

And then, with a sudden move, the snake seized an opportunity, driving his opponent into the ground.

The resounding impact echoed throughout the arena, leaving the professors murmuring among themselves.

“Has a student ever beaten a professor in a showdown before…?”
“Once.”

There was a precedent.

Just once, in the academy’s history, a student had surpassed a professor.

“The Crimson Swordmaster.”

A name spoken with reverence.

The man who was said to have reached the highest star.

The greatest hero of the empire, unparalleled in all of history.

It had been his record—set when he was just sixteen years old.

The professors shared a single thought.

Today.

History might be written again.

Heh.

The magical device broadcasting the match displayed the scene of dust swirling through the arena.

A shadow loomed over the stage.

The boy who had once walked through the air now stood firmly on the ground, his black coat billowing in the wind.

A sly smile played across his lips as he spoke.

“Do you wish to continue?”

His narrow eyes glinted with an ominous smile.

***

The Faculty Showdown.

Initially, I had intended to let it pass quietly.

I knew that stirring up trouble in such an event would only attract unnecessary attention.

There was no point in complicating my life over something trivial.

But—

"What could you possibly achieve with mere illusion magic?"

The words of disdain aimed at Selena, spoken in front of the students.

I didn’t like it.

She was someone who had helped me in many ways, and seeing her treated that way lit a fire in me.

Even if Selena herself didn’t seem particularly bothered, I couldn’t let it slide.

She had earned my respect.

In some ways, she reminded me of myself.

Not the person I was now, but the me from a time so distant I could barely recall it.

Perhaps it was nostalgia, or maybe a reflection.

“For whatever reason…”

I decided to return the insult in kind.

No matter how superficial our relationship as mentor and student might be, the name of my mentor had been tarnished.

And as her apprentice, it was only right that I repay the slight.

Just like this.

“Ugh, ah…”

Cardel knelt, his body trembling as he struggled to stay upright.

Each labored breath escaped as a low groan.

My coat fluttered in the wind as I spoke.

“Do you wish to continue?”

He didn’t respond for a long time.

Perhaps it was the lingering pain in his body, or maybe it was the humiliation of being bested by a mere student.

Likely, it was both.

“…Ha…”

He took a deep breath, regaining a shred of composure.

Though still disoriented, Cardel managed to lift his head.

Despite the clear frustration in his expression, his veteran instincts allowed him to adapt quickly.

Brushing the dust off his collar, he straightened himself.

The calm returned to his demeanor, but his eyes now held a cold, cutting edge.

“…I acknowledge it,” he said abruptly.

The oppressive weight of his mana surged, radiating outward.

His focused gaze locked onto me.

“I didn’t expect to be pushed this far… I’ve underestimated you.”

“I’m glad you’ve realized it now.”

“My dignity as a professor is in shambles. I intended to demonstrate an overwhelming difference in ability, yet I’ve only cast doubt on my own qualifications.”

The atmosphere grew deathly still.

Like the ominous calm before a violent storm.

As if on the verge of chaos, the tension in the air thickened.

Cardel assumed a new stance, this time his entire body emanating mana.

“By all accounts, I’ve already lost.”

“Hm?”

“A professor who struggles against a student is no longer victorious, regardless of the outcome. But since things have come to this, I’ll give it my all to crush you.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Let’s end this with everything we’ve got.”

“By all means.”

Cardel clasped his hands together, initiating a resonance of mana.

The density of his spellcasting surged, rapidly filling the arena.

His eyes gleamed with a brutal intensity.

Rumble!

The arena trembled under the force.

A resonating sound, like the cracking of the earth, filled the air.

Even the professors watching from the stands rose from their seats, their faces tense.

It was an overwhelming display of power.

“It’s coming.”

I knew this was the prelude.

The prelude to a disaster.

“I’ll try to keep the damage controlled,” Cardel said, his voice heavy.

With a resounding clap, his hands came together.

Immediately, a massive wave began to form, originating from where he stood.

The tidal surge consumed the entire arena, reaching heights of nearly 50 meters.

Foam-tipped waves towered ominously, ready to crash down with devastating force.

Cardel’s signature ocean magic technique: ‘Red Sea’.’

The wave, now stained blood-red, loomed overhead like a crimson apocalypse.

Even the spectators, despite the protective barriers, screamed in terror.

“What the hell is that?! Someone stop it!”
“How can anyone block that?”
“If he gets caught in that, he’s dead! He needs to forfeit now!”
“It’s too late; the barriers won’t let him escape!”

Panic spread through the crowd.

The sheer density of the magic was suffocating.

An ordinary student would have fainted by now, crushed under the oppressive mana.

But I stood firm.

Not retreating.

Stepping forward instead.

A smile spread across my face, dark and calm.

“Sea, heed my call,” I said, my voice laced with confidence.

I began to chant.

“The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
Why do you cry unto me?
Lift your rod, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it.
The children of sin shall pass through the sea on dry ground.”

Shadows swirled around me, forming a staff in my hand.

Raising it high, I struck it down with force.

Thud!

“Shatter.”

The towering crimson wave froze.

Then, impossibly, it began to split.

The enormous tidal surge that had threatened to engulf the arena was cleaved in two, revealing a clear path through its center.

The miracle stunned everyone.

The sea had parted.

No one could process what they were witnessing.

It was as if reality itself had fractured.

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of my footsteps echoed clearly as I walked through the divide.

Passing calmly between the obedient halves of the parted wave, I met Cardel’s gaze at the end of the path.

He was barely standing, his breathing ragged.

Exhaustion had overtaken him, leaving him trembling and hollow-eyed.

“Ha… ha…”

Cardel, drained of mana, could barely stay on his feet.

The once-brilliant light in his eyes was now clouded with disbelief.

He staggered, his lips trembling as he muttered,

“Th-this… monster…”

And then, with a final gasp, he collapsed.

“Hmm~ Does this mean I’ve won?” I asked, turning toward the magical broadcasting device.

The screen displayed only my smiling face.

“What do you think?”

A brief silence fell over the arena.

Then, the announcer’s voice rang out, trembling slightly.

“The… the match is over! Professor Cardel Evans has forfeited! The winner is Yuda Snakeus, top assistant!”

Shock.

Disbelief.

Then, gradually, the students’ expressions transformed—from fear, to astonishment, and finally, to thunderous applause.

“YES!!! The underdog wins! 200-to-1 odds, baby!!!”

One ecstatic student leapt up, waving a betting slip.

The rest of the crowd followed, erupting into wild cheers and applause.

Waaahhhhhh!

The Faculty Showdown had made history.

For the first time since the legendary Crimson Swordmaster, a student had decisively defeated a professor.

Standing in the center of it all, the snake grinned his mischievous smile, etching his name into history.