The arena hadn't fully recovered from the shock of Ray's victory.
Whispers still echoed across the stands, students leaning toward each other, trying to process what they had just witnessed—fire, ice, and then… lightning.
It wasn't normal.
It couldn't be.
But before the noise could settle, a calm yet commanding voice cut through the air.
"Next match… Felix Ward vs Kio Mortis."
Silence.
Instant. Heavy. Suffocating.
Two figures stepped forward.
Kio Mortis moved first.
His expression was unreadable, his presence strangely quiet—but the moment he entered the arena, the air itself began to shift. A low current of wind circled around him, growing stronger with each step, as if responding to his very existence.
His eyes locked onto Felix.
"Don't blink," Kio said coldly. "You might miss everything."
Then—
He vanished.
A violent burst of wind exploded beneath his feet, cracking the ground as his figure blurred out of sight.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"So fast—!"
A sharp slicing sound cut through the air.
A compressed wind blade shot straight toward Felix's neck, invisible yet deadly.
But Felix didn't move.
Not even an inch.
At the last possible moment—
CLANG!
A transparent shimmer appeared in front of him, like glass forming out of thin air.
The blade struck it—
And bounced back.
Faster.
Sharper.
Kio's eyes narrowed as he twisted his body mid-air, barely dodging his own attack. The reflected blade sliced past him, grazing his cheek.
A thin trail of blood followed.
"…Reflection," he muttered.
Felix finally smiled.
A calm, almost bored smile.
"Took you long enough."
The crowd froze.
"He reflected it…!"
"And it got stronger—!"
Kio landed smoothly, wiping the blood from his cheek. For a moment, he stood still.
Then he exhaled.
"Fine," he said quietly. "Let's make this interesting."
The air around the arena began to tremble.
Wind currents collided, twisting and spiraling as pressure built rapidly. Dust lifted from the ground, swirling violently around Kio's body.
His presence changed.
He raised his hand.
"Storm Cage."
BOOOOOOM!
A massive vortex erupted, forming a rotating prison around Felix. Blades of compressed wind spun wildly, tearing through stone, carving deep marks into the arena floor.
Inside the storm—
Felix stood still.
Wind blades slashed toward him from every direction, faster and sharper with each passing second.
For the first time—
He moved.
Slowly, he raised his hand.
A ripple spread outward.
Clear.
Fragile-looking.
Like glass.
The blades struck.
CRACK—
And then—
They reversed.
Every single one.
The entire storm shifted direction.
Kio's eyes widened.
"…what?"
BOOOOM!
The vortex collapsed inward—toward him.
The same storm he created now turned against him, crashing into his body with brutal force.
He was thrown across the arena, skidding violently before slamming into the ground.
Dust exploded into the air.
The crowd went silent.
Completely.
After a few seconds—
Kio moved.
Slowly.
He pushed himself up, breathing heavier now. His calm expression had cracked slightly—but his eyes were sharper than ever.
"So that's how it works…" he said under his breath.
Felix stepped forward, unhurried.
"You attack," he said calmly.
"I decide where it goes."
A pause.
Then—
Kio smiled.
Not a normal smile.
A dangerous one.
"Then let's see," he said, "if you can handle everything at once."
He clenched his fist.
The entire arena began to shake.
Wind gathered from every direction—above, below, all sides. The air screamed as it compressed into a single point, growing denser, heavier, more violent with every second.
Students backed away in fear.
"This pressure… it's insane!"
"Is he trying to destroy the whole arena?!"
Kio raised both hands.
"Tempest Collapse."
The sky above twisted.
A colossal storm descended—an overwhelming mass of compressed wind crashing downward like a falling sky.
Everything beneath it began to break.
The ground shattered.
Cracks spread.
The sheer force was suffocating.
Even Felix's expression changed.
Slightly.
For a moment—
He closed his eyes.
Silence surrounded him, despite the raging storm.
Then—
A deeper shimmer appeared.
Not fragile.
Not thin.
But absolute.
"Perfect Reflection."
The storm hit.
And for a split second—
Time stopped.
The impact froze mid-air, like the world itself had paused.
Then—
It reversed.
Not just reflected.
Amplified.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The entire storm exploded backward with twice the force, crashing directly into Kio.
The impact was devastating.
The arena shook violently as the wind dispersed in all directions, tearing through everything before finally fading away.
Dust filled the battlefield.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
The dust began to settle.
A figure stood.
Felix.
Completely unharmed.
Not a single scratch.
Across from him—
Kio was on one knee.
Breathing heavily.
His body trembling slightly from the impact.
Silence filled the arena.
"…Match over," Professor Sophia's voice echoed.
"Winner—Felix Ward."
No cheers came.
Only shock.
Pure, overwhelming shock.
Felix turned his back without another word and began walking away, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.
Behind him—
Kio let out a quiet breath.
Then… he laughed softly.
"…interesting."
In the stands—
Ray watched everything.
His eyes sharp.
Focused.
"…he reflected even that," he muttered.
For the first time since his own victory—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Excitement.