"Here." Kael grinned, shoving a vial into Korgoth's hand.
"This is…?" Korgoth sniffed the vial's rim, his gaunt face brightening. "A Mana Restoration Potion! My thanks!" After draining it, color returned to his cheeks. His gaze softened. "Good luck against the Warrior Academy brutes."
"Count on it."
"Look at this camaraderie! Kael and Korgoth part as peers—such is the Grand Martial Assembly's spirit!" Vesper milked the moment.
The magic students erupted in jubilant chants. Ivy, who'd followed Kael's rise since his victory over Jack, screamed loudest.
"Kael! Kael!"
"Screw the Warrior Academy! We've got Dylan and Kael!"
"Who says magic lacks talent? The Golden Lions better watch out!"
Long overshadowed by warriors, the mages' morale soared. Kael's duel had redefined spellcraft's possibilities in their eyes.
"Blast it! Since when is Kael the crowd favorite? My dashing looks deserve some love too…" Finn grumbled theatrically, though pride glinted beneath the act.
"Spar with me sometime." Korgoth's smile strained his usual grimace, but sincerity hardened his tone.
"Anytime, you're welcome."
Kael didn't mind Korgoth either. After saluting the cheering crowd and supporters on stage, he leaped off the platform.
"Nice one, Kael!" Finn patted his shoulder. "But your luck's been awful. Even after beating Korgoth, don't let your guard down. If things go as expected, your next opponent will be 'Dark Knight Carlos'—last year's fifth-place finisher and a renowned ace from the Warrior Academy."
"I know. If Carlos wins his match, I'll likely face him." Kael nodded, checking the info on his crystal card.
"Not 'likely'—definitely," Finn said firmly. "Carlos has ranked in the Martial Magic Tournament's top ten for two straight years. Unless he's up against the Golden Lion, there's almost no chance he'll lose. And from what I've heard, his opponent is some little-known mage."
"It's starting." Finn pointed at the stage.
Kael looked over. On the platform stood Carlos, clad in black armor, and a mage in a pale green robe—the color denoting wind magic.
"Zero suspense. I've never even seen that guy around the Magic Academy," Finn scoffed.
"Next up: Carlos versus Cruy!" Vesper announced, sounding equally uninterested as she signaled the match's start.
"Let's go." Finn urged. A foregone conclusion wasn't worth watching.
"Alright." Kael agreed, eager to catch Amelia's upcoming match.
But they hadn't walked far when a roar erupted from the stage, followed by gasps from the crowd.
"What's happening?" Kael and Finn spun around.
On the stage, Carlos stood battered, his armor cracked in multiple places, his gaze stunned and disbelieving. Before Cruy, the wind mage, loomed a colossal green giant—over ten meters tall, woven entirely from raging wind elements. It radiated primal fury, its presence as imposing as an ancient titan.
"Holy crap, what is that green monstrosity?!" Finn blurted, jaw slack.
"Summoning magic," Kael murmured, his expression turning grave. This Cruy was no ordinary opponent.
Summoning magic—rare yet devastating—allowed mages to conjure elemental spirits with semi-sentient intelligence. Such magic was seldom seen, even in the Martial Magic Tournament. This year's competition truly had drawn hidden masters.
Compared to ordinary magic, summoning magic boasts greater power but carries two critical limitations. First, the caster must possess immense mental strength. Second, the incantations are notoriously lengthy and complex, leaving ample time for disruption—especially lethal in life-or-death combat, where casting opportunities are scarce.
This was precisely why Kael rarely used summoning magic, despite The Book of Immortalitydocumenting numerous formidable summoning spells.
"Dude, what's actually happening here?" Finn, noting Kael's solemn expression, turned to a nearby spectator.
"Carlos underestimated his opponent from the start," grumbled a warrior, frustration etched on his face. "Gave that mage time to summon that… thing. This year's Magic Academy contenders are no joke."
"Carlos is done for." Kael shook his head, doubting the knight's chances. Underestimating a summoning specialist until they conjure a high-tier elemental spirit? That's suicide.
Onstage, Cruy tapped his staff. The wind giant's emerald eyes locked onto Carlos, who froze under its glare. With an earth-shaking roar, the colossus hurled a punch. Howling gales erupted, churning storms across the arena.
The sheer pressure choked nearby spectators, leaving them gasping.
True to Kael's prediction, even Carlos' full-strength counterattacks crumbled. No mortal's combat aura could rival a primal elemental spirit—let alone the advanced wind giant summoned by Cruy.
Pummeled relentlessly, Carlos found no opening to breathe. Despair flickered in his eyes. After a desperate, fifteen-minute struggle, the wind giant's final blow sent him flying beyond the arena's edge—ending the match.
Last year's fifth-place finisher, the Dark Knight Carlos, had lost—defeated by Cruy, an unknown mage from the Magic Academy!
With a faint smirk, Cruy etched his name into everyone's memory. His commanding summoning magic had left the crowd awestruck.
The Magic Academy's section erupted into deafening cheers. For the first time in years, they held their heads high. Dylan, Kael, and now Cruy had become the academy's rising stars.
"Student Cruy has defeated the Dark Knight Carlos—the tournament's biggest upset yet! Congratulations, Cruy!"
Seasoned gamblers who'd bet on Cruy grinned ear to ear. His nine-to-one odds had paid off handsomely.
The Martial Magic Tournament had finally witnessed its first major upset: Cruy, a nobody at Yanhua Academy, had toppled the Dark Knight Carlos.
The unpredictability only amplified the tournament's thrill, leaving the crowd hungry for more.
"Kael, your next opponent is Cruy," Finn declared.
Kael nodded. Observing the rare summoning magic, he'd noted its strengths. Perhaps it was time to study The Book of Immortality's summoning spells for his own arsenal. With each battle, Kael grew sharper.
"Let's check out Amelia's match." Though Cruy was formidable, Kael brimmed with confidence.
"Oho, someone's getting awfully interested in Amelia," Finn teased in a singsong voice, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
"Am I?"
"Definitely! You treat her differently from every other girl. Spill it—"
"Finn, I've got a few combat aura recovery potions. Was going to give them to you, but… maybe you don't need them."
"Wait, no! Boss! Legend! I was wrong! You're the pinnacle of wisdom, charm, and handsomeness! Don't hold a grudge over jokes!" Finn backpedaled rapidly.
Laughing, the two headed toward Amelia's match in Zone 8.