After a soft chant, four icy frozen spears instantly materialized at Angelica's side, emanating a chilling aura.
Each spear was three to four meters long, as thick as an average person's wrist, with exceptionally sharp tips. The transparent crystalline surface was adorned with elegant vine-like patterns, emitting a faint blue glow.
With a gentle wave of Angelica's hand, the four spears, as if receiving a command, sliced through the air at an imperceptible speed, shooting towards Char's position!
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—"
Amidst the slightly astonished gasps from the audience, the sound of the spears piercing through the air reverberated throughout the arena.
Char lifted his head, calmly gazing at the sharp spearheads closing in rapidly. He picked up a slightly decayed knight's long spear with a composed expression.
At the same time, his gaze locked onto the trajectory of each ice vine spear as it advanced. He flicked the tips of his own spear!
"Clang—"
"Clang, clang, clang—"
Accompanied by a series of crisp collisions, the spear tips, transformed into several afterimages, emitted a mournful groan under the strain.
However, as a result, the trajectories of the four ice vine spears, which had been shooting like arrows, **changed. They deeply pierced into the ground behind Char, their trailing ends trembling, and cracks slowly spread on the icy long spears.
They... were blocked?
Clearly, this outcome was beyond the expectations of all the spectators.
The ice vine spears were considered a powerful magic, and facing such speed and intensity, an ordinary low-ranking quasi-knight would be unable to withstand them.
It's not over yet!
In the blink of an eye, before anyone could react, Char bent deeply, his black hair fluttering. His entire body resembled a taut bow. Taking a step forward, he twisted his body and hurled the broken spear in his hand!
"Swoosh—!!!"
The spear seemed like a shooting star streaking across the sky, disappearing from its original position. Then, accompanied by a glint of cold light, it instantaneously appeared in front of Angelica as if it had teleported!
Where the lance passed, a fierce gust of wind was stirred, compressing the air to its limits before bursting open with a resounding boom, far more shocking than before!
Generally, the individual defense of a mage is much weaker than that of a knight, so once a weapon gets close, it's easy to be instantly defeated by the opponent.
However, Angelica merely furrowed her brow slightly, seemingly surprised by the strength displayed by Char, but that was all.
The rainbow-colored gem flashed once again.
In front of everyone's gaze, Angelica's graceful figure shattered like a bubble, transforming into a sparkling blue mist. It then recondensed at another location, her goddess-like form untainted by a speck of dust.
"Thud!!!"
The spear struck empty air, causing no harm. Then, with a muffled sound, it plunged into the stone wall at the distant boundary. The spear's trailing end trembled wildly amidst the spiderweb-like cracks, and debris scattered all around.
The burdened knight's long spear had finally fulfilled its duty. Cracks covered its shaft, gently breaking apart.
Angelica turned her head, glanced casually, and withdrew her gaze.
"So, this is your reliance?"
Char didn't answer. He picked up a broadsword and swung it, once again facing Angelica on the arena platform.
In that case, as the previous sword shattered, he would be able to draw out the next sword in the shortest amount of time for a counterattack.
"No need for any more probing," he repeated the action while lifting his head. "For both of us, a battle that doesn't cause pain or itchiness is just a waste of time."
Upon hearing this, Angelica's gaze slowly darkened, and a cruel smile appeared on her face.
To her, Char's words seemed to place them on equal footing.
Just because you managed to handle the most basic magic, do you think you're worthy?
A mere aspiring knight!
"As you wish."
Angelica's arrogant voice resounded.
She raised her hand high, and the loose mage robe slid gently off her arms, revealing a section of delicate, milky-white forearm. At her wrist, the [Sigh of the Glacier] was slowly glowing.
"Eternal Frost · Ice Spear · Torrential Rain!!!"
The incantation resounded.
In that instant, all the students present suddenly felt the surrounding temperature drop significantly.
A series of shimmering blue lights quickly emerged, not only around Angelica but even in the air behind her. Gradually, incredibly sharp ice vine spears began to condense, adorned with exquisite patterns.
With the immense power of magic at work, this time, the formed ice vine spears were not only enhanced in size and strength but their numbers also began to escalate!
Ten spears.
Twenty spears.
Fifty spears.
One hundred spears.
Two hundred spears.
The ice spears seemed to emerge endlessly, emphasize with an extremely arrogant attitude to everyone present just how terrifyingly vast her total amount of magic power was.
The ice spears seemed to emerge endlessly, driving home with an extremely arrogant attitude to everyone present just how terrifyingly vast her total amount of magic power was.
Clearly, it was just a first-level magic spell, yet, with her extravagant expenditure of magic power, it had evolved into a devastating AOE damage.
Of course, a significant contribution to this was attributed to the [Sigh of the Glacier].
It was evident that everyone present understood one thing.
Angelica had started to take it seriously.
"Oh."
On the other side, Char lifted his head and gazed at the densely packed shimmering blue spearheads in the sky, his expression unchanged.
Under his calm gaze, the hundreds of ice vine spears trembled slightly, resembling an impending downpour. The spearheads twisted, as if imbued with sentience, aligning themselves in unison towards Char's position, ready to strike with pent-up force.
There was no escape!
"Descend!"
Accompanied by a shrill command, the multitude of ice spears buzzed through the air, resembling a swarm of bees returning to their hive or a torrential downpour from dark clouds, swiftly descending upon Char!
This quantity was enough to plow the entire arena from one end to the other.
"So powerful!"
"This quantity is terrifying!"
"Sister, you can do it!!!"
"If he can withstand this, I'll eat all these ice spears!"
"Just admit defeat, you countryside brat. Go home crying to your mommy! Hahaha!"
At the same time, the stands erupted with bursts of loud gasps of astonishment and mocking laughter.
For ordinary students, this was a miraculous existence!
While others were just starting, it represented the progress they would need to chase after for over a decade.
It's over.
This was the thought in the minds of everyone present.
...
"Angelica's magical power has strengthened again," Nia calmly remarked, her pupils reflecting countless shimmering blue spears.
Mevis rested her chin on her hand, calmly observing the scene in the arena without saying a word.
After a moment, she mumbled to herself, "Even a one-star or so Grand Knight would have a hard time safely withstanding all the Ice Vine Spears if they were to face them head-on... I didn't expect Angelica to dislike your brother so much."
"This is where it ends."
Nia, standing by her side, had an indifferent expression, as if she were a doll standing there quietly.
However, in a place invisible to Mevis, a hint of confusion and anxiety flashed in Nia's eyes. There was an inexplicable urge brewing within her, continuously suppressed by her cold rationality.
She didn't even notice it herself.
...
"Ah!"
Seeing her sister getting serious, Sylvasta nervously covered her mouth.
She instinctively glanced at Dahlia and realized that she had the same anxious expression, gripping the fabric of her long dress tightly.
"W-Will he willingly admit defeat? If he doesn't, facing this kind of magic, Char won't be able to survive!"
Sylvasta stood up, anxiously speaking to Dahlia.
Dahlia glanced at her with a slightly pale complexion.
Clearly, from the very beginning of this battle, it had already exceeded the imagination of a mere maid. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even have a chance to react and would be turned into minced meat by the barrage of spears.
"I... believe in the young master."
In the end, Dahlia clenched her lips tightly and whispered softly.
...
"Hehehe, truly a rare magical genius in the Althia family, even I, an old man from the past, would have to admit my slight inferiority,"
At the highest point of the stands, a white-bearded old man in a gray wizard robe sat, his gaze fixed on the dense barrage of Ice Spears. He quietly commented to a robed clergyman sitting beside him.
The white-bearded old man was named Lucius Darren, the fourth headmaster of the prestigious Norton Royal Academy of Arcane Studies.
The clergyman sitting next to him was a middle-aged man with a kind face, wearing a black robe bestowed by the Church, symbolizing his status as an archbishop.
He was the Archbishop Edmund, the one mentioned in the conversation between Sitar and Rode.
"Miss Angelica's talent is truly outstanding. It's a pity that her affinity for the Light element is relatively weak. Otherwise, the Augustus Church might have extended an olive branch to her," Edmund replied with a gentle smile. "However, this new student is not bad either. "
"Unfortunately, there is a slight age difference between the two sides, and their realms don't match up," Lucius nodded, gently stroking his white beard. "If he truly becomes overwhelmed later, I will make a move to save him."
"Then you must be careful of that lady. It seems like she has been covertly watching you," Edmund kindly pointed out, gesturing towards Mevis and her disciples sitting across.
"Hmph, just a youngling who recently advanced to a Archmage," Lucius snorted, paying no attention to that gaze.
It seemed like there was some old grudge involved.
...
The barrage of Ice Vine Spears filled the sky, shooting towards the location where Char was positioned, resembling a torrential storm. It stirred up gusts of powerful winds, causing his black hair to sway in the breeze.
In his eyes, reflections of shimmering blue lights could be seen. He swiftly drew two slightly lightweight knight swords from the thicket of swords in front of him, gripping them in his hands.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
With imperceptible afterimages, the first wave of Ice Vine Spears fiercely arrived, completely sealing off all directions in front of Char. Even the space for evasion was compressed to the extreme.
However, in his field of view, the once lightning-fast ice spears now moved as slow as a turtle, their speed reduced to the utmost. The advantage of his dynamic vision was fully utilized, and he saw through all the trajectories.
Time seemed to slow down in this moment.
Char's gaze pierced through the dense array of long spears, looking towards Anjelica who stood in place. Their eyes met.
Seeing her condescending demeanor, he let out a gentle laugh and lowered his head, focusing on the long sword in his hand.
On the rusty blade, his current reflection was faintly reflected.
Despite his smile, his expression clearly held a trace of helplessness and sadness.
"Actually, it didn't have to come to this," Char shook his head and softly spoke, "Nia is my only family in this world. If she truly wanted this title, why didn't you discuss it with me first? As her older brother, how could I refuse?"
"But it seems like from the very beginning, you never earnestly sought my opinion. You treated me like a ball, kicking me around, thinking you could just take from me as you pleased."
"Not only did you want to hurt me, but you even wanted to harm Dahlia, causing me to sever ties with Nia in anger."
"You've never cared... about what I truly think."
The sharp spearheads reflected in his eyes, close at hand.
Char lifted his head, gazing into the distance. He raised the two long swords, his voice slightly elevated, and a hint of ferocity gradually appeared on his handsome face.
"My parents and the villagers of our territory died under the hooves of the invaders, and the Empire has yet to uncover the true identities of those bastards... And you, a self-proclaimed noble bitch, repeatedly attempt to seize the last things they left for me."
"Why?!"
"On what grounds?!"
"Based on your so-called extraordinary talent?!"
"That kind of thing... I have it too!!!!!!"
Accompanied by a roar—
He bent his body and drew his swords.
"Clang!!!"
Two intersecting and sharp sword lights sliced through the air, intercepting a spear of Ice Vine that was approaching him, cutting it in half at the waist, and turning it into scattered specks of ice debris exploding in the air.
But this was only the beginning.
The second sword light followed closely.
"Clang, clang!!!"
Two more Ice Vine Spears charging towards him shattered.
The third one.
Shattered.
The fourth one.
Shattered.
The fifth one.
Shattered.
Shattered, shattered, shattered, shattered, shattered...
The speed gradually increased.
Until, in the end, it became so fast that the pauses between each sword swing were imperceptible!
With each swing of Char's sword, the sword light bloomed like a cold radiance of the moon, fiercely combating the onslaught of ice spears. He relentlessly shattered them, cutting them into ice fragments.
The crisp sound of shattering continued, echoing throughout the entire arena.
"!!"
An unimaginable scene unfolded before Angelica's eyes, like something out of a fairy tale.
Her pupils slowly widened.
How is this possible?!
Faced with such a massive onslaught of Ice Vine Spears, he should have been pierced through instantly!
Why, why can he withstand it?!
At that moment, Angelica was startled, as if suddenly snapping out of a daze. Her gaze was filled with disbelief as she looked at the young man.
He's not... a quasi-knight?
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—"
The sound of each strike responded to the perplexity in Angelica's heart.
Arcs of light!
Nothing but icy arcs of light!
The two long swords acted as cold reaping machines, unleashing powerful shockwaves between their blades. Centered around Char, a fierce wind swept outwards, invisible yet chilling, filling the arena.
"How is this possible?!"
"This is Char?"
"Are you kidding? A newcomer?"
"How could a country bumpkin like him?!!"
All the students in the spectator stands witnessed this scene, screaming in disbelief as if they had seen a ghost.
Soon, their shouts were drowned out by the intense gusts of wind, and the sword winds tousled their hair, obscuring their vision.
The dazzling and frenzied onslaught transformed into one sword light after another, forming a protective shield with a radius of five meters around Char, completely shielding him from any wind.
The black-haired youth appeared like a sword saint, intercepting all the incoming Ice Vine Spears with precise angles and an incomprehensible speed that the naked eye couldn't capture!
For Char in this moment, the sword techniques he trained in were thrown out the window. There were no set forms, only the freedom to unleash strikes as he pleased.
The bursting ice pillars turned into shimmering dust, scattering around Char like beautiful stars, adding a touch of serene and watery coolness to this young knight in his attire.
However, his movements clearly contained the most violent sense of beauty!
"Ping—"
The long sword in his hand couldn't bear the strain and instantly burst apart.
Unfazed, he calmly pulled out another long sword from the ground in front of him, parrying a spear of Ice Vine aimed at his right shoulder, and then swung his sword once again.
In such an intense clash, even long swords made of fine steel would not hold up for long, let alone these worn-out and almost unusable blades.
But Char paid no heed and continued relentlessly. As one blade shattered, he instantly drew out another to join the battle.
The entire process flowed smoothly, without the slightest pause.
The preparations Char had made earlier were playing out perfectly.
In this moment, he seemed to transform into a dancer, unleashing a dazzling sword dance. Countless sword lights converged before Char, resembling a slowly blooming flower of death.
All the strikes flashed by in an instant, yet they left an indelible impression in the eyes of the students in the spectator stands.
This was a scene that they would remember for the rest of their lives.
Some of them, instinctively, stood up from their seats.
On that afternoon, in the spacious arena of the academy, the country boy who was disregarded by everyone faced the onslaught of ice spears unleashed by Althia's once-in-a-century magical prodigy. Fearlessly, he swung his own sword.
It was as if he let out a soulful cry, directed at everyone.
He had no prestigious noble background, no guidance from a sorcerer, no convenient magical tools, and no applause from the audience.
But none of that mattered.
"You always think that a noble background is a form of power. You look down on those who work hard, believing they can never reach the same heights, always looking up to them."
Char's voice rang out loudly.
The defensive circle formed by the condensed sword light continued to expand gradually.
The Ice Vine Spears, which had descended like the arrival of the Grim Reaper just moments ago, now became the moths drawn to the flame. They surged forward one after another, into the grinding machine formed by the two long swords, exploding and shattering!
Char, immersed in the exhilaration of swift swordplay, at last, tilted his head back and let out a roar!
"My talent, just like you, is a power that you can never reach!!!"
"Clang—!!!"
At some point, the sky, which had been covered in a dense cloud-like shadow, was now left with only a few remnants of the shimmering blue Ice Vine Spears.