Zev stared at Nord with cold, unflinching eyes. In his mind, this moment felt all too familiar. It reminded him of the time when Nord had invited him to a mock battle. Back then, Zev had been badly injured because Nord kept attacking even after he had surrendered.
At first, Zev believed Nord was simply trying to push him, like a brother would. But over time, he realized that Nord was enjoying it. Eventually, Nord began to hurt other students who were in similar situations, turning what should have been friendly sparring into something far more brutal.
Meanwhile, Willie watched them with a hint of hesitation. It was clear to him that Nord was far stronger than Zev Quellen. Then he paused for a moment, his eyes widening slightly as he took in Zev's full name. Now he understood. Zev was Lucan's son.
Of course, Willie was also aware of Zev's assessment score. The other professors had been discussing it, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Do you accept the invitation, Zev?" Willie asked, a broad smile spreading across his face.
This guy... Zev smirked, noting the excitement in Willie's expression. He gave a small nod. "Do I even have a choice?"
"Come over here."
Nord and Zev stepped into the center of the arena, where Willie positioned himself between them, keeping them apart.
"Once again, show us what you've got. The match will end the moment one of you surrenders."
The moment Willie finished speaking, Nord immediately took his stance, ready to charge. Zev, on the other hand, stood still with a relaxed posture, looking as if he had no interest in the fight at all.
"You..."
Because of that, Nord felt deeply disrespected. Zev wasn't even paying attention to their fight, and it enraged him.
Without a second thought, Nord charged straight at him. As soon as he closed the distance, he leapt into the air and brought down both fists, aiming to deal serious damage.
Bang!
Nord froze for a moment. His attack hadn't connected—it had only struck the ground. Confused, he quickly looked around and spotted Zev standing nearby, completely unscathed and seemingly uninterested.
Grinding his teeth in frustration, Nord rushed in again. He launched a flurry of powerful kicks and punches, throwing everything he had at Zev. This continued for nearly five minutes, yet not a single blow landed. Zev hadn't even moved to attack—he had simply avoided every strike without breaking a sweat.
At this point, everyone could clearly see the frustration on Nord's face—it was written all over him.
"What are you doing, Nord? End the battle already!"
"Yeah, we believe in you!"
"Use your power! Finish it quickly!"
Voices from his friends echoed through the arena, urging him on.
Suddenly, a confident smile spread across Nord's face. He knew that once he used his power, the match would end quickly.
"Just so you know, I was giving this boy a chance," he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "But since you're all in such a hurry, I'll end it now."
The truth was, Nord hadn't been fighting at full strength. But even so, something didn't feel right. Despite that uneasy feeling, he finally managed to land a hit—just one.
Meanwhile, spiritual energy began to materialize around Nord. Unlike Zev's calm and controlled aura, Nord's energy surged violently, wild and unstable. It was clear he hadn't mastered it yet.
His appearance started to shift, becoming more ogre-like—an expected transformation, considering the nature of his gene.
Bam!
Zev's eyes widened as Nord closed the distance in the blink of an eye. If he had reacted even a moment later, the strike could have been fatal. While Zev had the skill and experience, his body was still developing. He wasn't at his peak—not yet.
He quickly moved to the side, avoiding the attack. But even though he was only two steps away, Nord was already preparing to strike again.
In that moment, Zev realized something important: Nord was no longer holding back. This was no longer a mock battle. He was serious now.
Nevertheless, Zev continued to avoid every attack without any trouble. Four minutes had passed, and he had done nothing but dodge. This alone was enough to impress the crowd. In their minds, if they had been in Zev's position, they would already be lying on the ground.
"I think that's enough," Zev said as he turned to Nord with a cold, unwavering gaze.
Willie sensed something change. A strange pressure began to fill the air, making him uneasy. He could feel the aura coming from Zev, and for a moment, he thought about stepping in to stop the fight.
"What is this?" Willie asked himself, watching the boy who remained calm and unshaken.
In a blink, Zev began to channel his spiritual energy. It flowed through his body, enhancing his physical strength. Unlike Nord, whose energy was wild and unstable, Zev displayed an extraordinary level of control, especially for someone his age.
Everyone understood that when a person possessed great control over spiritual energy, it would always be reflected in both effectiveness and efficiency.
Swoosh!
Nord was caught off guard. He looked to his left, then to his right—Zev had completely vanished from his line of sight. The only clue to his location came when a wooden sword struck the back of his neck.
Bam!
The force behind the strike sent Nord crashing to the ground. He nearly lost consciousness, saved only by his physical resilience.
His vision began to blur, and a sharp pain spread through his neck. He could no longer move his head to locate Zev. For the first time, panic settled in.
"What's going on? Did I really fall from a single attack?" he whispered, overwhelmed by confusion and disbelief.
Thud!
Argh!
Nord groaned in agony as the wooden sword struck his shoulder, shattering it. The pain was clearly written on his face.
"So this is what it feels like," Zev said, his voice low and steady. "To target someone weaker than you. It's disgusting." He struggled to keep his emotions in check. "You should surrender."
With that, Zev turned away, ready to leave the arena. The rules of the match were simple: the fight would end either by a voluntary surrender or when one opponent could no longer continue.
As he walked, Zev let out a quiet sigh. He could feel spiritual energy rising behind him.
"So, in the end, you've chosen not to surrender," he said, without even needing to look back.
Earlier, Zev had tried to suppress his emotions, but each attempt only brought a flood of painful memories. They surfaced so strongly that he felt sick to his stomach. Life had already been difficult for him back then, and Nord was one of the people who made it even worse. If it were entirely up to him, he would have wanted to kill Nord—though he knew that would only create bigger problems for himself.
Crack!
In an instant, Zev appeared right in front of Nord, his body wrapped in spiritual energy. He moved so quickly that most of the students couldn't even follow his movements. With a powerful downward swing, he shattered Nord's leg.
But it didn't stop there.
Zev spun his body in a sharp one-eighty, then brought the wooden sword across, aiming directly for Nord's neck.
Bam!
At that moment, the wooden sword stopped just inches from Nord. Had it landed, the damage would have been far worse. Fortunately, William had stepped in just in time, catching the weapon with his bare hand.
"That's enough. Are you trying to kill him?" Willie asked, his voice stern.
Hearing those words, Zev blinked, his expression tightening. He had been lost in the flood of his past, unaware that his emotions had taken full control. Slowly, he lowered the sword and looked at Willie.
"No, sir. We were just having a duel," Zev replied calmly. "The rules are clear. You win if your opponent surrenders or can no longer fight. And as you saw, he tried to strike me."
Willie let out a long sigh. "Take Nord to the infirmary. And you, Zev. Come with me."
"Yes, sir," Zev said, following without hesitation.