The forest stood silent.
Tension hung in the air like a drawn blade.
Luxe and Leonhardt faced each other, their eyes locked, neither willing to step back first.
"…You're stronger than I expected, but this level still isn't enough to satisfy me," Leonhardt said. "If this is everything you have, then this duel will end quickly."
Luxe remained calm, his sword lowered slightly, lightning flickering faintly around his hand.
"…If I revealed everything at the beginning, there would be no reason for this fight," he replied. "Understanding your limits first allows me to decide how much effort is actually necessary."
Leonhardt smirked.
"…So you've been holding back this entire time, even while exchanging blows directly with me," he said. "That confidence is either justified strength or dangerous arrogance."
Luxe's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…You can decide which one it is once the fight ends," he said. "There's no need to reach conclusions prematurely."
Leonhardt stepped forward.
"…Then stop talking and show me," he said.
He moved—
Fast.
CLANG—!!
Their swords collided again.
The impact sent a shockwave through the surrounding area.
Christy watched from a distance, her eyes focused and tense.
"…Their speed has increased significantly compared to the initial exchange, and the pressure between them is rising," she said. "If this continues, one decisive moment will determine the outcome."
Lumi stood beside her.
"…Yes, both of them are analyzing each other while fighting, which makes this duel more strategic than emotional," she said. "The first mistake will likely decide everything."
Back in the clash—
Leonhardt attacked again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Luxe dodged.
"Volt Acceleration."
Slash.
Leonhardt blocked—
Barely.
"…Your speed increased again, which means you were still limiting yourself earlier," he said. "That makes this far more interesting than I initially expected."
Luxe stepped back slightly.
"…I told you already," he replied. "Revealing everything at once would have ended this too quickly."
Leonhardt laughed softly.
"…Then let's see how long you can keep that confidence," he said.
He charged again.
Relentless.
Heavy strikes—
Luxe blocked—
Redirected—
Countered.
"…Your strength is straightforward, and your attacks rely on overwhelming pressure rather than variation," Luxe said. "That makes your style effective, but also predictable after repeated observation."
Leonhardt's eyes narrowed.
"…Then stop observing and start winning," he replied.
He swung again—
Stronger.
Luxe stepped forward instead of retreating.
"…Now."
Lightning surged.
"Thunder Lance."
CRACK—!!
Leonhardt blocked—
But—
The force pushed him back several steps.
Christy's eyes widened slightly.
"…That attack carried significantly more power than his previous ones," she said. "He is increasing output while maintaining control, which is extremely difficult to achieve."
Lumi nodded.
"…He is not simply increasing power, he is refining it with each exchange," she said. "That means he is adapting in real time during combat."
Leonhardt steadied himself.
"…Now that's more like it," he said. "This is the level I was expecting from you."
He raised his sword again.
"…But don't think I'm done yet."
He moved—
Even faster than before.
A powerful downward strike—
Luxe blocked—
But the ground cracked beneath him.
"…Good," Leonhardt said. "You didn't dodge that, which means you chose to test my strength directly."
Luxe's eyes remained calm.
"…Understanding your full output is necessary if I want to control this fight completely," he replied. "Avoiding it would only delay that understanding."
Leonhardt smirked.
"…Then you've seen it," he said. "Now let's see if you can surpass it."
They moved simultaneously.
CLANG—!!
CLANG—!!
CLANG—!!
Faster.
Sharper.
Then—
Luxe disappeared.
"Volt Acceleration."
Leonhardt's eyes widened slightly.
"…Too fast—"
Slash.
A clean strike across his side.
He stepped back.
Blood—
Lightly.
Silence.
Luxe lowered his sword.
"…This is enough," he said calmly. "Continuing further would only cause unnecessary damage without changing the outcome."
Leonhardt stood still.
Then—
He laughed.
"…You win," he said. "Not because I lack strength, but because you controlled the entire flow of the fight."
Luxe gave a faint nod.
"…Strength alone is not enough to win consistently," he replied. "Control determines whether strength can be used effectively."
Christy stepped forward slightly.
"…That duel was decided by precision and control rather than raw power," she said. "You didn't overpower him, you outmaneuvered him completely."
Luxe looked at her briefly.
"…That was the intention," he replied.
Leonhardt sheathed his sword.
"…Next time, I won't let you control the pace so easily," he said. "And I expect you to come at me with full strength when that happens."
Luxe nodded.
"…Then I'll be ready," he said.
Moments later—
A communication crystal activated.
"…Evaluation updated," a voice echoed. "Duel performance recorded. Ranking adjustments will be applied immediately."
Students nearby reacted.
"…A ranking update already?" one said. "That means the duel had significant impact on their evaluation."
"…Of course it did," another replied. "That level of combat is far beyond standard first-year expectations."
Luxe remained calm.
"…Rank is just a reflection of performance, not the goal itself," he said quietly. "Focusing on rank alone limits growth."
Meanwhile—
Kael stood silently.
Watching.
"…Interesting," he muttered quietly. "He controls the fight instead of chasing victory blindly."
He looked at his hand.
For a brief moment—
Dark energy flickered.
Then—
Disappeared.
"…Not yet," he whispered. "There's no need to reveal anything this early."
Lumi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Something about him feels off, but I cannot identify it clearly," she said quietly. "It is as if he is hiding something beneath a perfectly controlled surface."
Luxe glanced briefly at Kael.
"…I know," he replied. "Which is why we observe, not act."
Kael smiled faintly.
"…This is going to be interesting," he said quietly.
The forest fell silent again.
But this time—
Everything had changed.