Lorin, who had been hanging his head just moments before, saw that his charge was complete and decided it was time to stop stalling with Dongli.
“Mana Burst——!!!”
He gathered all his magic power, amplified by Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, into a golden comet in front of his chest and slammed it into the unprepared Dongli.
BOOM!!
The deafening explosion, mixed with billowing dust and flying rubble, swallowed the Iron Knight’s triumphant laugh.
“Uwaaahh!!”
With a scream like a pig being slaughtered, the heavily armored knight, who had been mocking Lorin moments before, was hurled backward like a cannonball, sent flying by the terrifying force.
“What? How is that possible?!”
Bale, who had been lounging with his legs crossed, ready to watch the show, stared with eyes as wide as a fish that had been dead for three days. His feigned gentle demeanor completely shattered, barely holding together.
What the hell?! That knight was a genuine Transcendent-level expert! How could Lorin, a worthless failure, just casually blast him away like that?!
“Oh my god, Young Master Lorin is amazing!”
“Could he have been hiding his true strength all these years?”
“Maybe Brother Dongli skipped breakfast today and ran out of energy?”
The examinees below the stage gaped, letting out a series of incredulous gasps.
Meanwhile, Lorin was silently cackling on the stage.
‘Hehehe! You trash, Bale. From the moment you called me up, I’ve been secretly charging my ultimate move!
Why do you think I pretended to be a coward and blabbered on?
Launching a devastating attack at full power right from the start feels fucking amazing! Perfect for me to look cool! My move just now must have been badass!’
But as satisfying as it was, there was a problem. Lorin had completely drained his Mana Pool from the very beginning of the fight. What was he supposed to do next?
‘Hehehe, but that’s no longer this villainous young master’s concern.’
Because his Mana Burst had precisely knocked the dizzy heavy knight straight toward Lucia!
‘You like beautiful women, right? I’m sending you over!’
‘Go for it! Main Heroine! It’s time to show them the power of our “Double Battle”!’
Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, the raging Iron Knight Xige, like a fully enraged demon bear, was swinging his hammer-like fists fiercely at Lucia.
Initially, seeing the elf-like Miss Fairy, beautiful as a moonlit spirit, Xige had thought about going easy on her, playing the gentleman—
After all, in front of such a stunning beauty, what man wouldn’t want to show off his strength and charm to win her heart?
But he never expected reality to slap him so hard across the face!
All his proud attacks were easily dissolved mid-air by the green wind element, vanishing like pebbles dropped into the sea, not even touching the hem of the girl’s white coat.
“Huff—puff—, huff—puff—!”
Xige bent over, gasping for air. Beads of sweat as big as beans rolled down his flushed, coarse face and dripped onto the stage.
‘Damn it, what the hell? She’s just a newly adult girl! How can the gap between us be this huge?!’
Even though he was drenched in sweat and his chest heaved like an old bellows, his pathetic pride drove him to stubbornly straighten up.
“How can I… lose to a woman?!”
With a beastly roar, he poured every last drop of his remaining magic power into his fist. Finally, with all his strength, he threw a punch faster, fiercer, and stronger than before, loaded with resentment and rage, straight at Lucia!
The fist wind howled like a tiger descending a mountain!
But just before his full-powered strike could touch the girl’s delicate form—
A sudden gust of green wind erupted, catching him off guard from his side and hurling him completely backward!
“Impossible! No way! How are you this strong?!”
Xige’s pupils dilated, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and his rough face was filled with disbelief.
From the start of the fight till now, the girl had stood there gracefully like an elegant moonlit lily.
No matter how violently he attacked, he couldn’t even touch her—not even the hem of her white coat!
Compared to Xige’s utter mess, Lucia’s pretty face showed no trace of anxiety. Her dazzling golden eyes were calm, as if this fight was just a trivial after-dinner pastime.
In fact, facing Xige’s storm-like heavy punches, she didn’t even use much of her magic power.
She moved like a butterfly dancing through his fist wind—graceful and composed. Her long, slender legs glided across the stage with light steps, each one perfectly avoiding his rock-shattering attacks.
This eerie scene made Xige feel like he was trapped in an endless marsh. A heavy sense of powerlessness surged over him like a tide.
As time passed, his movements grew slower and heavier. Every punch, which should have been able to shatter boulders, landed feebly on empty air. The frustration of having no way to exert his strength drove him nearly mad with irritation!
‘Damn it!! How is this fucking possible?! She’s just a commoner! How can she be this strong?!
‘Damn it! Why am I so unlucky to get stuck with this Valkyrie-like monster?!’
Xige’s heart burned with resentment.
‘God fucking damn it—if I’d known this platinum-haired fairy was this freaky, I should have taken the chance to teach that worthless, notorious villainous young master a lesson!’
“Xige! Stop fucking around like a brainless clown with that little girl! Get your ass over here and help me corner Lorin!”
Speak of the devil. Just then, another furious roar exploded from not far away.
Dongli, still dizzy from Lorin’s Mana Burst, pushed aside the rubble piled on him and struggled to his feet from the ruined ground.
He was nothing like the arrogant, superior man from before.
His proud steel armor was covered in unsightly scorch marks and cracks. The chest plate in the center was deeply dented, with wisps of smoke still rising from the edges.
His face, once somewhat resolute, was now patchy black and white. His hair was a mess like a bird’s nest. Covered in dust and shame from Lorin’s attack, his eyes were blood-red as he glared at the black-haired boy not far away, grinning smugly. Hatred surged in his gaze.
“Lorin, I’m going to kill you!”