Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 483 - 481- Pressed

’Picking the weapon was the best choice.’

It had only been half a minute since the battle began, and Aries was already grateful to her past self for abandoning dignity.

Wiping the blood from the corner of her lips, she stared at the man before her, who stood calmly, as if he hadn’t driven a brutal strike into her gut moments ago.

There was no denying it. Professor Adrian had grown stronger.

The smug confidence she carried from constant training vanished the moment they exchanged blows. While she believed the older man was buried in research and lectures, he clearly hadn’t neglected his training.

’Tough luck, huh?’ she smirked to herself, tightening her grip on the wooden weapon in her left hand as she took her stance once more.

"You’re taking far too long," Adrian said, lunging at her.

The raven-haired girl leaped back, instinct taking over as she swung her weapon in a wide arc, aiming to disrupt his advance.

But as if he had read her thoughts, he stomped down and leapt. The slash missed entirely. His left foot crashed into her shoulder, and his right struck her chin.

"Agh!" she cried, staggering backward but refusing to fall.

Adrian flipped through the air, an unnecessary move he immediately regretted. Still, he landed cleanly and fixed his gaze on her.

"That must have hurt." Allen winced, instinctively touching his own chin.

"Professor is probably pressed for time, given that he has several more students to examine," Sylvie added, noticing that the Professor was fighting in a way different from his usual style.

He always preferred taking his time during spars, but with Aries, he seemed to be in a hurry.

Olivia muttered, "Senior Aries really looks like a toddler in front of him... no chance of winning at all."

Back in the arena, Aries growled, "I hate to say it, sir, but this is getting annoying."

"Not being able to land a hit?" Adrian asked, tilting his head.

Aries grinned. "No. It’s because you’re underestimating me."

She charged forward, forcing Adrian into a defensive stance. Three steps in, she abruptly shifted direction and cut toward his left flank.

Adrian frowned and adjusted his footing in response.

Aries never moved in a straight line. Her path was erratic, constantly changing, circling without ever fully closing the distance.

Adrian knew he couldn’t afford to drag this out. Time was against him, so he chose to force the exchange.

"Brace yourself."

His feet blurred as he moved, covering the gap in an instant. His palm shot forward, aiming straight for her side.

But Aries was never rooted to one spot. The moment he struck, she twisted away and deflected the attack.

The hammer, gripped tightly by its neck, snapped upward.

Adrian leaned his head back just in time, the hammerhead grazing his chin. The brief obstruction of his vision was all Aries needed.

She seized his extended wrist and yanked him forward.

For a moment, Allen and the others held their breath. This was the first opening Aries had found.

Ariana narrowed her eyes as well, anticipating what Aries would do next.

However, unlike what Aries and the onlookers believed, Adrian was not exposed.

"Huh?"

Just as Aries clenched her fist and drove it forward, her vision suddenly shifted.

Her legs gave out, tangled with Adrian’s, and the two crashed onto the mat. Aries’s legs were completely locked, pinned firmly to the ground.

Aries was frustrated as she kicked Adrian’s thigh, breaking the lock on her legs.

She tried to get up, but Adrian was faster.

He rose first and lifted his leg.

As Aries grabbed her weapon and dropped to one knee—

DHAK

A heavy axe kick slammed into her shoulder, the dull thud echoing across the arena.

Even the audience heard it... and felt it.

Gilbert turned pale, while Elana grew visibly worried. That had surely hurt like hell.

Aries’s hands trembled, her knee weakened, and every fiber of her being screamed to collapse and give up.

Adrian spoke softly, "You have passed, Aries. I assure you of that. Why not stop resisting?"

A slow grin stretched across her lips as she mumbled, "Because... that’s not... what you taught me..." She fell onto her back, rolled, and sprang off the ground like a coiled spring.

Adrian was caught off guard by her sudden movement, but he still raised a cross-guard as she drove her fist forward.

DHAK

The impact jolted his bones.

Aries didn’t stop. She pulled up her left hand, the hammer still clenched, and jammed the handle against his arms as she pushed forward. "Gahhh!"

Adrian frowned. She was finally using mana.

If he had responded with mana as well, he wouldn’t have moved an inch.

But—

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

"Is she actually pushing him back?!"

"That mana... it’s so condensed. Incredible."

"My heart’s going to burst. Go, Senior!"

Most of the audience was no longer observing calmly.

Even those who didn’t know her, who had only seen her struggle, were cheering aloud. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Elana understood exactly what was happening, and yet for the first time, she found herself rooting not for Adrian, but for the one standing against him.

She pumped her fist and murmured under her breath, "Go, Aries."

The entire arena erupted in chants, voices roaring as they urged Aries on.

It was as if, it was a battle of Aries along with the whole academy against Adrian.

"Gaaah!" Aries pushed harder, pouring every last droplet of mana into reinforcing her body.

Adrian was astonished by the purity and ferocity of her magical presence. This was far beyond what he had expected from a student.

’I am very proud of you, Aries.’

A warm smile formed on his lips as Adrian finally halted.

A thin stream of mana flowed into his legs as he stopped, just an inch short of the dark line.

Aries looked up, tears welling in her eyes, not of pain, but of joy.

Her aura vanished instantly, the immense pressure he had been feeling dissipating completely.

Meeting his gaze, she muttered, "Told you not to underestimate me."

As those words faded, Aries fell to her knees, eyes closed and consciousness gone.

Adrian exhaled a sigh and signalled to the medic.

They soon came and escorted her away.

Looking at the burnt marks in the arena, he muttered under his breath, ’Well, that was quite a good start.’

Looking at the other waiting students, who instantly flinched under his gaze, he said, "I hope they are entertaining as well."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a review.