"Is this your strategy?"
Angelica supported herself with both hands, appearing quite weak as she hunched over on the ground. Her platinum-colored hair was tainted with a bit of dust, making her look rather disheveled.
However, her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of playfulness as she gazed at the slender figure before her.
Under the assault of the mountainous giant's attack just now, except for this area, the entire arena seemed to have been devastated as if by falling meteorites.
And Char once again utilized, "Veil of Concealment," to stealthily move to a safe location, which happened to be the small portion of the arena where Angelica was. He now stood not far from her, with his back turned.
"?"
Char turned his head and gave her a look as if she were an idiot, not understanding what she was saying.
"Don't tell me you were thinking that if you stood near the summoner's main body, you could make her fear the consequences?" Angelica sneered, slowly lifting her body with both hands. "You're free to give it a try and see if the mountainous giant will attack this area."
"I will never disgrace the Althia surname."
In Angelica's view, Char's current actions were aimed at exploiting the mountainous giant's area attacks and uncontrollability to force Angelica to terminate the summoning.
Otherwise, in her current immobilized and weakened state, both of them would meet their demise under the giant's fist.
Seeing her self-indulgent and climax-like appearance, Char didn't even look back. "You're thinking too much."
Still being stubborn.
From earlier until now, Char hadn't made a single effective attack, which just happened to prove that he had no strategy left for the current situation.
Angelica thought confidently.
Although the entire process had been somewhat rocky, and she had shown a side of herself that lacked composure, after today, she would still be the high and mighty young lady.
And Char would shamefully slink back to City, spending the rest of his life in that dilapidated countryside.
Perhaps one day in the future, when she casually passed by there as the heir of the Althia family, she might even pay a visit to the young man who had once caused her defeat in the arena.
But in the end, this world was controlled by the ultimate victor.
Thinking of this, Angelica's sneer grew even wider.
"Surrender." She reached out and brushed away the dust from her hair, gazing at Char's figure. "This is just a duel. Are you willing to bet your life against me?"
"Boom..."
Accompanied by consecutive loud noises and tremors, the mountainous giant turned around and slowly walked towards Char and Angelica's location.
With its red-glowing lone eye, it once again locked onto its targets.
A profound shadow descended from the sky, engulfing Char, like the indelible shadow of death looming over him.
"Bet my life?" Char chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. "Forgive me for being blunt, but you're not worthy."
If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't reveal the miracle of his resurrection in front of a large audience, Char would have long scraped this mountainous giant to its demise.
Upon hearing his words, Angelica's face darkened, but before she could retort, Char interrupted her with another statement.
"Also, until the battle is over, keep your mouth shut. From earlier until now, I have a hundred ways to deal with you, you wretched woman. The only reason I haven't done so is to put a perfect ending to this duel."
"I want to achieve an indisputable victory, to make you, to make all of you... admit defeat with both your hearts and mouths."
Char whispered softly as he stared at the approaching mountainous.
The disproportionate difference in their bodies made him appear as tiny as an ant.
Just at that moment...
"You brat, listen up!"
"The mountainous giant's fatal weakness is its lone eye, provided you can inflict damage comparable to that of a transcendent knight!"
Char, standing at the edge of the arena, clearly heard the shout from his mentor, Sitar. He fell silent for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
The awaited opportunity had finally arrived.
He raised his right hand high and forcefully gave a thumbs-up gesture.
Then, Char started moving his limbs and joints while slightly crouching his body.
It was as if he was warming up for something.
"What a lunatic!" Angelica widened her eyes, looking at Char's figure in disbelief. Then, she couldn't help but reveal an undisguised mockery. "Do you actually think you can inflict a fatal blow on a transcendent knight-level mountainous giant?"
"This is the funniest joke I've ever heard!"
However, Char paid no attention to her mockery. He continued to move his body while activating the system.
The stamina value displayed on the screen reached a staggering 109 points.
As mentioned before, even if the power of three-star and four-star knights were quantified into numerical values, it would only be around 80 points. Char far exceeded this range.
According to his estimation, even a five-star knight would have a stamina value of around 100 at most, pushing the limits.
Although Char's current level hadn't reached the standard, his abilities and transformations unique to transcendent knights couldn't be reflected in him yet. However, as long as his experience points were sufficient, he had a high probability of directly advancing.
So... power comparable to a transcendent knight?
It wasn't impossible.
Just that, in order to inflict a fatal blow on the mountainous giant, he needed to add fuel to the fire.
At this moment, Char felt a blazing fire burning inside his body.
The profound shadow of the mountainous giant, brimming with oppressive aura, descended from the front, accompanied by the gust of wind it stirred while moving, causing his black hair to flutter slowly.
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the lone eye radiating crimson killing intent.
Seemingly dissatisfied with an ant looking up at it with such eyes, the mountainous giant let out a furious roar that shook the arena, raising its massive stone arm high.
In the next second, it unleashed a hurricane-like surge, crashing down like a falling meteor!
It intended to crush its target into dust!
"Boom—!!!!"
The earth collapsed, and debris filled the air.
Among of terrified and suppressed gazes in the stands, the fleeting silhouette of the giant hand instantly overshadowed Char's position, engulfing the surroundings in smoke, dust, and rubble.
...
"Oh no!"
Upon learning that Char refused to end the battle, headmaster Lucius, who had been anxiously watching the arena, saw the mountainous giant raising its arm and swinging it downward. His pupils dilated.
This was the seed for the academy's future four years. How could they let a monster kill him here?
Especially since he was a young noble with no strong backing. For Norton Academy, which was filled with factions, he was the perfect candidate to win over.
Moreover, headmaster Lucius himself held a deep admiration for this child.
So, in that split second when the mountainous giant raised its arm, headmaster Lucius lifted his own arm. The somewhat withered fingertips pointed directly at its lone eye, radiating a dazzling and dreamlike brilliance.
Arcane Art: Dimensional Annihilation Light!
Due to the fear of affecting the innocent students around, headmaster Lucius deliberately controlled the output of his spell.
Even so, once struck by this beam of light, one would completely dissipate in this world, leaving no trace behind.
However, just as the magic was about to be unleashed, Lucius suddenly felt a weight on his body. The smoothly flowing magical energy became slightly sluggish, pausing for half a second before the beam pierced through space and shot out.
Although it was only a brief half-second, it was enough for certain individuals sitting on the other side to react.
Mevis stood up, lightly snapping her slender fingers.
"Hum—"
In the path of the Annihilation Light, a door of void, leading to an unknown destination, instantly opened, devouring the dazzling brilliance and intercepting the attack.
"How dare you!!!"
Headmaster Lucius was furious.
In terms of rank, although both were divine magician, headmaster Lucius held a much higher realm compared to this newly ascended divine magician.
He abruptly stood up, raising his hand as if he wanted to encompass Mevis and the surrounding space in his grasp.
In an instant, a deep starry sky slowly emerged, spreading like a quagmire around Mevis, causing her body to penetrate it and immobilizing her.
After a few breaths, the graceful figure dressed in moon-white robes slowly disappeared from where she stood.
In a fit of anger, headmaster Lucius banished her to the starry sky!
Although it wouldn't be fatal, the opponent would still have to pay a price to return to reality.
He had already been cautious enough of Mevis, but he didn't expect someone to come and disrupt things at a critical moment!
With these thoughts in mind, headmaster Lucius's chest rose and fell rapidly as he suppressed his anger and looked to the side, only to find that the blond youth had somehow appeared next to him.
The stiffness in the flow of magic earlier was also caused by the influence of this Holy Radiance Knights' Captain.
"You represent the Althia family?"
Looking at the smoke and dust in the arena, as well as Char, who was trapped under the giant's arm with his life hanging by a thread, headmaster Lucius spoke in a deep voice.
The blond youth glanced at him, then shifted his gaze back to the arena.
The entire arena was in ruins, filled with sunken trenches and cracks, resembling a wasteland trampled by a behemoth.
After a moment, he calmly spoke, "I intercepted you just to prevent a knight from leaving regrets in a duel."
"Quietly watch, headmaster, the outcome of this intriguing duel may not be what you expect."
....
"Cough, cough, cough—"
Angelica coughed and waved her hand to disperse the smoke, restoring her vision.
Facing the full force of the mountainous giant's attack was a completely different experience from witnessing it from the stands.
At least she personally experienced such shock.
The smoke gradually cleared.
As the surrounding light gradually brightened, a faint blue barrier emerged around her. Under the protection of this power, she managed to survive the aftermath of the attack just now.
The giant's massive hand was deeply embedded in the ground, and the area affected by the attack seemed as if it had been bombarded by explosive magic, making it impossible to recognize the original appearance of the arena.
She lifted her head and looked around, only to find the entire audience silent and speechless.
There were no cheers and applause that used to belong solely to her.
Because in today's battle, all her dignity and self-esteem were torn to pieces by Char, and he even threw her on the ground and trampled on her a few times for good measure.
Gazing at the chaotic scene before her, Angelica surprisingly felt a sense of relief instead of the usual joy and sense of accomplishment that comes with victory.
"It's over..."
Angelica let out a soft sigh, leaning against the wall as she tried to stand up, swaying unsteadily.
"Yes, it's time to end."
A familiar voice suddenly emerged from the ruins.
Angelica's face turned pale as if she had been struck by lightning.
Subconsciously, she looked towards the source of the voice, but her legs gave way, and she slid down the ground, losing all composure.
The towering and massive body of the giant-like mountainous creature trembled slightly.
Its rocky palm wasn't deeply embedded in the already shattered arena but maintained a certain height, locked in a stalemate, unable to lower even a fraction.
It was locked in a struggle with someone.
"No, it can't be..."
Angelica muttered with dry lips, her eyes vacant as she watched the scene before her.
Bent over, Char's feet firmly planted into the ground, sinking deeply into the hard surface. Using only his hands, he forcefully held up the disproportionately large rocky giant hand.
Not only did he stop its descent, but with a slight tremor, he gradually pushed it upward!
In the previous battle, Char's knight attire was completely destroyed, reduced to tattered pieces falling off his body as he exerted his full strength.
His well-trained, slender physique was now exposed to everyone's view.
But they had no interest in admiring it.
At this moment, a faint red glow emanated from Char's body, strange flame-like patterns extended from his back to his torso, limbs, and even his face. Accompanied by a subtle steam, they enveloped his body's surface.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud..."
The strong and powerful heartbeat resounded like a drum, clearly audible to Angelica and the surrounding audience.
It was a prelude to a certain power about to erupt.
Explosive Battle Qi.
"Boom—!!!!"
The next moment, accompanied by an explosion akin to a steam boiler, an immensely intense blast wave, along with thick heat and steam, erupted from beneath the mountainous giant's palm!
The temperature within a dozen meters soared rapidly, countless vortex-like currents of heat and steam intertwined and spread outwards from Char's center, in a frenzy.
The unprecedented grandeur swept through the entire arena like a tornado!
With an instant burst of power and arm strength, the giant stone arm was sent flying. Char, covered in faint steam and adorned with peculiar red patterns all over his body, emerged from the fierce winds and currents, resembling a monster.
He clasped his fists, making the joints "click" as he smiled at the corners of his mouth.
His black hair fluttered in the strong wind.
Under the effect of the "Explosive Battle Qi" Char's strength experienced an exponential explosive growth. He felt a power within him that he had never experienced before.
Even if his strength had been inferior just moments ago, he was now undoubtedly on par with the mountainous giant.
Furthermore, with the knowledge of the mountainous giant's fatal weakness that Sitar had shared with him, Char now possessed the "strongest spear" to defeat his opponent!
After a moment, the audience erupted into an uproar!
They had lost count of how many times they had been astonished like this today.
"No way..."
Sitar stared blankly at the scene in the arena, squeezing Rode's thigh hard, but Rode himself wore a dumbfounded expression.
"No way..."
Headmaster Lucius and Archbishop Edmund both stood up, their aging hearts struggling to keep up.
"No way..."
Sylvasta and Dahlia exchanged glances, covering their mouths lightly, their eyes shimmering with excitement.
"No way..."
Including Ephie and Sally , as well as a secretly thrilled Tyrus, everyone from the Blood Rose Society widened their eyes in astonishment.
"No way..."
Sergei fell to his knees in despair. Having started unauthorized gambling on the match, he was now burdened with a debt of thousands of gold coins due to the continuous mind-boggling turn of events on the field.
"No way..."
At this moment, not only those directly involved with Char or those who had been paying attention to him, but all the students and staff present couldn't help but show expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
They clenched their fists tightly, instinctively stood up, feeling as if they were witnessing a historic moment.
Only ten seconds remained.
Char felt the explosive power rapidly depleting from his body and quickly estimated the remaining time.
If he were to confront the mountainous giant head-on, it would be nearly impossible to determine the outcome in such a short period of time. That was one of the reasons why Char hadn't activated the "Explosive Battle Qi." earlier.
But now, knowing its fatal weakness, ten seconds were more than enough for him.
So, under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Char, covered in crimson patterns all over his body, slightly bent his waist and lowered himself, like a fierce beast ready to pounce.
The surrounding air currents converged slowly towards him.
"You're right. It's time to end this farce that has been disguised as fairness and justice from start to finish," he lowered his head, a hint of satisfaction appearing at the corners of his mouth. "Damn you, magician."
"Boom—"
With a loud bang, the already sunken ground collapsed once again. Spiderweb-like patterns spread rapidly in all directions, causing even the walls of the arena to crumble!
And Char, who had been standing on the ground, soared high into the air with an incredibly intense sonic boom, as if he had teleported.
In this moment, he looked down upon the mountainous giant.
In this moment, his heart was free of distractions.
In this moment, there was only one thing he had to do.
"Damn you... you damn noble!!"
A 16-year-old boy, after seeing the screwed-up nature of this world, let out a resolute roar and howl, refusing to compromise.
Twisting his body, clenching his fists.
Countless pairs of dazed eyes focused on this moment.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
It was a minute before 3 o'clock in the afternoon on the 16th of July in the new calendar year 1496.
Because of Char, everyone would remember that minute.
"Boom——!!!!!!"