Windsor was able to release her Ice Cones quickly, but Luciel was even faster at dodging them.
Before the ice cone could reach Luciel's face, he had already moved five meters to the left of his original position.
All of the ice cones struck nothing but empty space.
"What?!"
For the first time, an expression of surprise appeared on Windsor's face.
The audience reacted with exclamations.
"Can he dodge it with instant magic?!"
"Luciel seems to know exactly where and when Windsor is going to cast her magic!"
"His speed is insane!"
Windsor's face darkened, and she raised her hand once more, summoning another group of ice cones.
This time, Luciel's movements were even more impressive. As the ice cones shot toward him, he swiftly turned sideways, allowing the dozens of ice cones to fly harmlessly over his body. In that instant, he charged toward Windsor.
Windsor stood frozen, shocked.
Instant magic has no effect on Luciel?
"How is he doing this?" Windsor wondered.
The audience also watched in stunned disbelief, particularly the experienced masters like Bern and Ferranstu, who were left full of questions.
Magicians typically lock onto their targets with mental power, but the mental lock of an apprentice magician is weak and can be shaken off quickly.
However, if a true magician locks on, it's almost impossible to break free unless the target possesses knight-level strength.
Moreover, Windsor was using instant magic. The Ice Cone spell appeared in an instant.
At this moment, Luciel should have only been able to block. Dodging seemed like an impossible feat.
But Luciel had avoided not just one, but multiple Ice Cone attacks. And it seemed as if he was certain he could continue to do so.
This is terrifying.
"His combat instincts are incredible!"
The only explanation for Luciel's movements was his exceptional combat intuition.
In fact…
"The best response: Three steps to the right."
Luciel narrowly avoided Windsor's third Ice Cone, and Windsor's face grew more serious.
The three uses of instant magic had already consumed nearly one-third of her magical power. Even a true magician would find it difficult to sustain such rapid casting without fatigue. Worse yet, all her efforts had been in vain.
Windsor realized the harsh truth: Luciel was capable of evading her magic.
There would be no more dodging.
A cold glint flashed in Windsor's eyes as she gathered more ice magic elements around her.
"The Art of Frozen."
She intended to use the same strategy that had worked against Byrne.
Luciel's expression hardened slightly. It seemed that this time, he would not be able to avoid her magic.
Luciel had managed to dodge Windsor's instant spells because he had studied her casting habits during the battle between her and Byrne. Even without needing to chant, there was a distinct hand gesture that accompanied the spell. Luciel's chip had helped him predict her moves with incredible accuracy, allowing him to avoid her attacks.
But now, Windsor was using a more powerful, area-based intermediate magic. Predicting this was no longer possible.
"Then I'll fight head-on," Luciel thought.
He charged directly at Windsor, ready for a direct confrontation.
The air around Windsor grew cold as her Frozen Art began to freeze the battlefield. Luciel's charge, though slower than his previous ghost-like movements, was filled with an undeniable, powerful aura. It was as if he was breaking through ice with every step, his presence exuding the strength of a knight.
"Only Luciel could master the charge to this level in just two days," murmured Julian, a veteran instructor in the audience, as he watched Luciel's intricate, yet controlled movements.
Windsor faltered for a moment, stunned by the raw energy Luciel was radiating. But she quickly regained her composure, backing away while continuing to summon her icy chill.
"Windsor has magic items inscribed with acceleration. As long as she wants, no one can approach her quickly enough to interrupt her Frozen Art," a voice in the audience commented.
"Magic items are an essential part of a magician's strength."
"Luciel is already exceptional, but against Windsor's power and her magic props... it's inevitable. He still has to lose."
"The magician-level power, magic props, and equipment bonuses—combined with Windsor's genius—make her nearly unbeatable. Even at the fifth grade, she is extraordinary. She is invincible now, and Luciel's defeat won't be shameful."
Many spectators were beginning to predict the outcome of the battle, their faces heavy with regret.
"The Art of Frozen!" Windsor shouted as she completed the incantation, unleashing a powerful beam of ice-blue magic aimed at Luciel.
Luciel raised his sword to block, but the cold magic froze both his sword and arms in a thick layer of ice.
But Windsor did not stop there. She quickly cast a low-level ice shield around herself, encasing her in a thick layer of ice like an eggshell, reinforced by her magic shield.
With her defenses solidified, Windsor took a step back, confident that she had sealed Luciel's fate.
"Boom!"
Luciel's ice-covered sword exploded in a burst of force. There was nothing left of the ice.
His eyes locked on Windsor as he accelerated, closing the distance between them with fierce determination.
"To be the dawn of the sword in the Knight Academy..." Windsor couldn't help but exclaim. "Only a knight who has mastered the nuances of micro-level swordsmanship could break my ice so thoroughly. I am far from your level. But... it's a pity."
Windsor glanced at her reinforced defenses and muttered to herself, already beginning to prepare a second Frozen Art.
The message was clear: Luciel could not break through her defenses, and once her next magic attack landed, the battle would be over.
The audience fell into an uneasy silence.
Windsor had said from the beginning that only a knight's swordsmanship at the third realm could break her magical shield. Now, with the added ice shield, she was virtually invincible.
"Ha!"
Luciel exhaled deeply, his gaze intense as he charged toward Windsor. The air crackled with cold, but Luciel pressed forward, the sword still shimmering in his grip.
His blade cut through the ice, drawing a perfect arc in the air, like a cross, almost like a flower blooming in motion.
With a single, powerful strike, he slashed directly at Windsor.
"Boom!"
A heavy, dull sound echoed across the battlefield.
The ice shield around Windsor shattered with a resounding crack. No one was surprised.
What happened next, however, left everyone stunned.
Luciel's sword was momentarily halted by the magic shield, but only for a split second. Then, there was a crisp sound.
The magic shield had broken.
Windsor's chant halted abruptly as Luciel's sword hovered just inches from her graceful swan-like neck.
With a calm voice, Luciel declared, "Sorry, but you've lost. My swordsmanship is not at the third stage."
A deathly silence fell over the arena.
Windsor's face turned pale. Her crystal-clear eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and disbelief.
The fourth realm...
Luciel's swordsmanship had reached the fourth stage!
Luciel had just defeated Windsor, the invincible magician-level genius.
The sword's dawn had eclipsed the magic moon.
In an instant, the audience erupted in wild cheers!