The instant Professor Veyra gave the signal, golden light surged around the edges of the arena once more.

The moment the barrier fully formed, both fighters moved.

Null struck first.

He closed the distance with frightening speed, his wooden blade cutting straight toward Eselin’s shoulder in a clean, precise slash. There was no hesitation behind it, no wasted movement. It looked less like a student attacking and more like someone who had repeated the same motion thousands of times.

Eselin reacted instantly.

Their swords collided with a sharp crack that echoed through the arena.

She twisted her wrist and redirected his blade sideways before stepping inward, aiming a quick slash toward his ribs. Null leaned back just enough to avoid it, then countered immediately with a thrust aimed at her stomach.

Eselin pivoted around it smoothly. The tip of his sword barely brushed the edge of her uniform.

The crowd erupted into cheers almost immediately.

"Damn," Ken muttered beside me. "They’re fast."

Fast was an understatement. Neither of them fought like the earlier students.

Null advanced again, pushing forward with short, efficient strikes meant to force Eselin backward. His sword moved in tight arcs, each slash flowing directly into the next. He attacked high, then low, then suddenly shifted his stance and thrust toward her throat.

Eselin knocked the blade aside and slid backward across the floor, boots scraping lightly against the arena.

Then she smiled faintly.

And attacked.

She exploded forward with a speed that actually surprised me.

Her sword cut downward toward Null’s shoulder before changing direction halfway through the swing. The strike curved sharply toward his side instead, forcing him to block at the last second. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Wood slammed against wood again. Eselin pressed harder immediately after. One strike. Then another. Then a third so fast I almost lost track of it. Null blocked each hit, but unlike before, he was now the one being pushed backward.

The sound of clashing wooden blades echoed nonstop through the courtyard.

Eselin fought aggressively, but not recklessly. Every movement flowed into the next with frightening precision. She constantly shifted her footing, attacking from different angles while forcing Null to stay defensive.

Then Null suddenly changed rhythm. Instead of retreating again, he stepped directly into her next swing.

His shoulder slammed into her chest hard enough to force Eselin back a step. The impact echoed across the arena floor, and before she could fully recover her balance, Null’s wooden sword came slicing upward toward her jaw.

Eselin twisted her head to the side just in time.

Instead of striking her face, the blade slammed against her shoulder with a loud crack. The hit still looked painful enough to leave a bruise.

Several students gasped from the seats.

Null did not waste the opening.

The moment Eselin staggered, he pressed forward again. His attacks became noticeably faster now, his calm expression never changing as he swung low toward her legs before reversing the strike into a sharp thrust aimed at her chest.

Eselin blocked the first strike and narrowly avoided the second, but the pressure behind Null’s attacks forced her farther toward the edge of the arena.

"He’s cornering her," Mio said quietly beside me.

Null lunged again, his sword aimed directly for her center.

This time, Eselin stopped retreating.

She sidestepped at the last second, letting the blade pass inches from her body, then immediately slammed the pommel of her sword into Null’s wrist.

The strike disrupted his grip for half a second.

That was enough.

Eselin spun sharply and swept her blade toward his ribs.

Null barely raised his sword in time to block it. Even then, the force behind the strike shoved him sideways across the arena floor, his boots scraping loudly against the stone.

The crowd erupted with cheers.

Queen Mia leaned forward slightly on her throne now, clearly interested in the fight. Even Yua watched with narrowed eyes, her attention fixed entirely on the arena.

Null steadied himself and immediately retaliated.

A faint gray glow suddenly spread around his sword.

The temperature around the arena seemed to drop slightly as dark mist gathered around the blade. Several students shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Null moved again.

This time, his speed increased dramatically.

He appeared in front of Eselin almost instantly and unleashed a rapid series of strikes that forced her entirely onto the defensive. Their wooden swords collided over and over, sharp cracks echoing through the courtyard with every impact.

Eselin blocked high.

Low.

Then twisted sideways to avoid another thrust aimed at her stomach.

Null suddenly extended his free hand. Dark energy burst outward in thin black streaks that shot across the arena floor toward her feet.

Eselin reacted instantly. Golden light flared around her body.

The dark streaks missed her by inches as she dashed sideways with unnatural speed, her blonde hair whipping behind her. The students erupted into louder cheers at the sudden burst of movement.

"She boosted herself," Mio said.

Eselin did not stop moving.

Golden energy gathered faintly around her sword as she rushed straight toward Null again. This time, her attacks became overwhelming.

A slash toward his shoulder. A thrust toward his chest. A spinning strike aimed at his side.

Null blocked each one with disciplined precision, but Eselin’s momentum kept building. Every clash forced him farther backward across the arena.

Then she suddenly kicked toward his knee.

Null managed to shift away, but the hit still disrupted his footing for a moment.

That single mistake changed everything.

Eselin surged forward immediately.

Null tried to counter with a downward strike aimed at her head, dark mist swirling around his blade once more. Eselin stepped directly inside his range before the strike could fully descend.

Her shoulder slammed hard into his chest.

At the same moment, her sword twisted upward beneath his guard in one clean motion.

The wooden blade stopped directly against his throat.

Null froze.

The entire arena fell silent.

Then Null slowly exhaled and lowered his sword. "I yield."

Professor Veyra immediately raised her arm.

"Winner: Eselin Vaelcrest!"