Based on the direction that the figure was shooting towards, it should be Aeon.
Suri Samo crashed, but he quickly readjusted himself and skidded on the ground, kneeling. He was pushed 20 meters back from a single attack!
This guy! He's not just fast. He's really fast!
Suri replayed that moment in his head.
When he was about to hit Aeon with his broadsword, he noticed that the latter had no intention of blocking it with his dagger. Instead, he rushed faster and got behind him before his broadsword hit the ground.
He didn't know if he was hit by a kick or a punch. It happened too fast and he didn't even have time to react. But something was weird, if that was a kick, how come he didn't see Aeon cast a spell on his boots? That couldn't have been a punch either because he had no gloves to enchant.
Suri looked towards the mushroom cloud that had yet to disperse, his opponent was already in pursuit. He told himself to focus and calibrate the opponent's abilities first before engaging in a chaotic fight.
Suri braced himself for the next clash.
Contrary to his expectations, Aeon stopped 10 meters in front of him. Aeon casually played with the knife on his right hand while asking, "Yo bro, how long can you keep that spell up? It's really dangerous."
At first, Suri was confused about what Aeon had said. Then, realization dawned on him.
He noticed!
Suri panicked. Based on the situation, the opponent would not give him any more time to observe his fighting style. Suri had to take the initiative! He charged towards Aeon, who then assumed a fighting stance.
….
Meanwhile, in the judges' platform.
While watching Aeon expertly dodge Suri's attacks, the second judge, a silver-haired man, suddenly commented, "he's exploiting Suri's weakness."
The elderly judge smiled, "That's right, Klaus. He's investing all his energy in his speed to wear out Suri Samo. Good choice against someone who invests a lot on power."
The third judge, Montis, a black-haired man with pointy eyebrows also commented, "he's also doing a pretty good job. Suri is, in fact, pretty fast for his size but he's easily keeping up."
"And that kick," the silver-haired judge, Klaus, said, "it was pretty strong for a teenager."
….
After 20 seconds, the broadsword's enchantment finally started to wear off. The bright red glow dimmed down and, after a few more seconds, disappeared.
"Bro, it's finally my turn," Aeon said with a smile.
Suri gritted his teeth. He needed to cast the spell on the broadsword one more time. He slashed towards the ground to cause a tiny explosion. He needed to obstruct the opponent's vision while he casted as they were too close. Unlike before when they were separated by 50 meters at the start of the match, he didn't have that benefit now.
Suri jumped back from the plume of dust to avoid getting hit by a random attack. He started casting his spell, his broadsword in front of him.
"Spirit of fire, heed my ca-"
Ding!
A dagger hit the broadsword, pushing it aside and shattering Suri's concentration. His spell was interrupted and failed to manifest. Aeon was now in front of him, holding his dagger. An eerie grin was plastered on his face. Obviously, he was enjoying the fight.
Shit!
"Sorry bro, I won't let you," Aeon said with a wild grin.
Aeon arrived like a ghost. If he was a bit earlier, he would have been able to stab Suri as the latter casted a spell. The dust really did delay him.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The dagger continuously struck the broadsword.
Aeon's strikes arrived like a storm, and Suri was forced into a passive state. He could only block the dagger and couldn't find the chance to swing his broadsword. Moreover, those swift dagger strikes... not only were they fast, but they were also powerful too!
Suri had to engage without an enchanted weapon!
But was that the limit of his abilities?
It was not!
Suri suddenly stopped blocking, he leaned sideways in order to avoid Aeon's slash. In the process, he passed the broadsword to his left hand while his right hand formed a fist and swung towards Aeon.
Aeon had no choice but to stop his offense and jump back! It was outside his calculation that his opponent would use his right fist in order to attack. This opponent... Aeon was still underestimating him.
....
Chance!
The moment Suri saw an opportunity, he immediately started casting another spell. This time, he didn't imbue it with Explosion. He needed to cast a shorter spell!
But things didn't go as he expected.
The moment he started casting another spell, a dagger came flying towards his face.
He finished the incantations for his spell but it didn't take effect because his concentration was directed towards the projectile. He had to block the knife!
Suri placed the broadsword in front of his face.
Ding!
The dagger was successfully blocked.
Cast another spell!
Suri started another incantation. Not even a second passed, his sword already glowed red.
However, the moment he moved his sword away from his face, a fist suddenly appeared.
Boom!
Suri was hit by Aeon's right hook, straight on his jaw!
....
Aeon was actually hoping for him to block the attack and start casting, rather than dodging the dagger. While Suri's broadsword covered his face, Aeon used his top speed to close in.
Suri staggered from the punch. It was apparent that the punch was controlled so the enemy wouldn't be pushed away. Otherwise, with the speed that Aeon was charging, that punch would've sent Suri flying once more.
The crowd gaped. This was actually a one-sided fight! A situation no one had predicted! But wait. Aeon had no dagger anymore. He should be at a disadvantage now, right?
Aeon disappointed the crowd.
After Suri staggered, Aeon landed on the ground and grabbed Suri's right wrist. He pulled Suri above his shoulders and threw him hard on the ground!
Boom!
Another mushroom cloud formed.
Clearly, it was a very strong shoulder throw.
The crowd was stunned, they didn't realize that they had been standing this entire time. They stared at the area where Aeon and Suri clashed and waited for the dust to settle.
When it finally did, it revealed the victor of the match.
The broadsword was lying on the ground, still glowing.
Suri was trapped in a cross arm lock. He couldn't fight back anymore.
The administrator arrived on the scene and gently tapped Aeon's right shoulder and said, "Enough. You win."
Aeon smiled then loosened his grip. He got up, did a few stretches, then gave the judges a thumbs up.
At that moment, Aeon heard Suri groan. He hurriedly helped him up.
….
The elderly judge broke out in laughter.
The other two judges watched as Aeon drag the worn-out Suri towards the administrator's seat.
"This kid isn't even out of breath yet," Montis said emotionlessly. He wrote a few words on his paper then slid the paper on the table towards the elderly judge.
Though the first judge was already old, he had extremely good eyesight. He saw Aeon look at him straight in the eyes earlier.
"It was a spectacular fight, hoho. Both of them pass," he chuckled.
Klaus and Montis did not voice out any oppositions. Suri Samo may have looked weak due to Aeon Morgan's beating, but none of them doubted his ability. His judgment in combat was also superb. His only mistake was blocking that dagger instead of dodging.
….
Near the tunnel, Suri sat on the administrator's seat.
"Yo bro, you're very strong!" Aeon said while continuously patting Suri's right shoulder, forgetting about the fact that he was still injured. The latter grimaced in pain.
At that moment, a booming voice came from the judges' platform.
"Aeon Morgan... passed. Suri Samo... passed. Proceed to the bleachers. A medic will treat your wounds in a moment. As for the rest, you may all leave. That would be the last match for today."
Aeon looked towards the platform and smiled while noting that his enemy's name was not Sorrelyano after all.
It was Suri Samo.
He was happy that Suri Samo passed as well because he was also strong.
"Hear that, bro? The two of us passed!"
Suri stared at him, "You are very strong. I didn't see what type of magic you used. What element do you practice?"
"Hm?" Aeon was puzzled by the question. It took him a moment to realize what Suri was asking about.
Smiling, but with sadness on his eyes, he answered, "I don't have one yet."
….
Montis rubbed his chin, "It's quite surprising that another mage would not use magic in combat. Was he holding back? Or was he belittling his opponent?"
Klaus was also puzzled by this, so he asked for an assistant to bring him Aeon's application form and personal record.
While skimming over Aeon's record, he casually replied, "I don't think so. Although he was always smiling, he was extremely focused. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to dodge those swift slashes from Su—"
Klaus suddenly stopped talking. His eyes widened and he started reading faster.
He was now skimming on Aeon's personal records. The boy wasn't from the Florentine Empire, the empire where Sera City belonged to. Aeon was actually from the Meredith Empire.
Then he found something even more interesting.
Bang!
Klaus slammed the table with both of his hands.
Surprisingly, the elderly judge didn't even flinch and kept on smiling. It appears he was in a really good mood and nothing would faze it. Only Montis was startled.
"That kid is Marshall Morgan's son!" Klaus said with anger on his voice.
Montis' eyebrows shot up. However, his expression died down immediately. He rearranged the papers scattered by Klaus' act. "Marshall Morgan, eh. What a pity."
Montis was still sympathizing with the kid when he noticed that the table was shaking. He looked at Klaus' trembling hands then recalled that Marshall Morgan was Klaus' sore spot.
He glared at Klaus and said, "Control yourself. Do not seek revenge on the kid."
Klaus looked at Aeon who was being treated by the medics. As he gazed at the young man, his breathing became coarse and his hands continued to tremble.
I must calm down, he silently told himself as he ground his teeth.
….
Aeon sensed a strange pressure. He looked around and his gaze fell on the judges' platform. A silver-haired man—apparently one of the judges—was staring at him intently.
He had no idea why the man was staring at him, so he just smiled. After that, the judge sat down and the pressure he felt was gone.
Aeon finished his treatment sooner than Suri. He bid the guy farewell and walked towards the emergency exit they were told to use.
He left in an extremely good mood. The administrator told him to come back in five days for the next part of the exam, so he headed straight home.
….