CHAPTER 66: HE’S TRULY HIM [2]

Chapter 66: He’s Truly Him [2]

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Veyrion pushed off the edge of the stage, his body a blur of motion as he launched himself at Kyousuke once more. This wasn’t just a duel anymore; it was more an act of desperation. He lunged again and again, a series of frantic, precise strikes aimed at Kyousuke’s front, back, and sides. Each attack was faster and more furious than the last, a testament to his raw agility.

But every single time, Kyousuke didn’t move an inch. He was like a statue, he just raised his hand, the wooden sword tightly gripped, and effortlessly blocked every single one of Veyrion’s strikes. The clack-clack-clack of wood against wood was the only sound in the now-silent hall. With every block, Veyrion was sent flying back, his feet barely able to find grip on the floor.

The students in the crowd were completely awestruck. Their initial murmurs had died down, replaced by a deep, reverent silence. They had never seen anything like this. Veyrion was now seen as a prodigy of speed and agility, and yet he was completely and utterly helpless against Kyousuke. It was like a whirlwind of motion trying to move a mountain, but kept failing every time.

"Is he even trying?" one student whispered.

"I don’t think he needs to," another replied, their voice filled with awe.

Arios, standing with Lucy and Liza, watched the utterly one-sided duel in front of them. The air was so thick with tension you could almost touch it.

Lucy, her eyes wide with wonder, quickly gripped Arios’s arm. "How is he doing that? Veyrion is so fast, but Kyousuke hasn’t even moved his feet!"

"It’s a form of defense I’ve never seen before," Liza murmured, her usual teasing demeanor gone, replaced by a deep, serious concentration. "He’s like a rock in the middle of a river. All of Veyrion’s energy is just flowing around him, uselessly."

"No, it’s not flowing around him," Arios corrected softly, his gaze locked on the stage. "He’s absorbing it."

Both girls looked at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief, Arios understood this combat method more than them. After acquiring his seven-winged physique, he had occasionally absorbed the force of his self-inflicted sword hits during his training. This helped him better understand the dynamics of the moves, which was a good thing for him.

"Absorbing it?" Lucy repeated, her brow furrowed. "But... how? That doesn’t even make sense. How do you absorb a hit from a wooden sword?"

"He’s not absorbing the hit itself," Arios explained, still in a low, analytical tone. "He’s absorbing the force behind it. The mana and the physical energy Veyrion is putting into every single swing. He’s taking all of that momentum and just... nullifying it. Turning it into nothing."

Lucy’s eyes quickly widened. "Something....uh like a sponge? A giant, human sponge?"

Arios gave a small nod. "Something like that. Veyrion’s movements are beautiful, don’t get me wrong. They’re all about speed and momentum. But Kyousuke’s style is the absolute opposite. It’s about stillness. He’s not just a good fighter; he’s a master of fundamental principles. He’s using Veyrion’s own energy against him, but without even striking back. It’s the most passive, yet most overwhelming, form of counter-offense I’ve ever seen."

"This is insane," Lucy breathed, her fingers tightening on Arios’s arm. "I mean, I thought your fight was hard, but... this is just on a whole other level. Veyrion looks like he’s going to collapse from exhaustion."

"Right?" Liza agreed, her voice a little higher now. "I feel so bad for him. He’s giving it everything he’s got, and Kyousuke is just standing there like he’s bored! It’s kind of rude, if you think about it. The least he could do is move a little!"

"He’s not being rude," Arios said. "He’s being efficient. He’s not wasting a single bit of energy on unnecessary movement. He’s teaching Veyrion a lesson, whether Veyrion wants it or not."

Liza sighed, a long, drawn-out sound. "I get it, I get it. The guy’s a genius. We’ve established that. But still... look at Veyrion! He’s running out of gas. You can see the frustration all over his face."

Indeed, Veyrion’s movements had lost their earlier grace. He was stumbling now, his attacks becoming more frantic and less precise. He was no longer trying to win; he was just trying to land a single, meaningful hit, anything to prove that Kyousuke wasn’t invincible.

"This is honestly a little scary," Lucy whispered, pulling a little closer to Arios. "It’s like he’s not even human. Who can do that? Just... not move?"

"A genius, I guess," Liza muttered, crossing her arms. "And an infuriating one at that. I bet he’s going to end this with a single, boring flick of his wrist. Just to show off."

Arios watched as Veyrion, in a last-ditch effort, changed his strategy entirely. He stopped his frantic lunges and instead began a series of direct, powerful strikes, running straight at Kyousuke’s front.

"Oh no, what is he doing?" Lucy said, her voice filled with apprehension. "He’s not even trying to outmaneuver him anymore! He’s just going for it head-on!"

"He’s desperate," Arios said simply. "He’s trying to brute-force his way through. It won’t work."

"It’s a bold move, I’ll give him that," Liza admitted. "But yeah, that’s not going to end well. Kyousuke’s not going to budge. He’s probably going to hit the guy so hard he bounces off the stage."

As if on cue, Veyrion crashed into Kyousuke. The impact was a dull, heavy thud, and the entire hall winced in unison. Veyrion pushed with all his might, his muscles straining, his face turning red with the effort. But Kyousuke didn’t even sway. He just stood there, completely unmoved.

"I told you," Liza said, her voice a little hushed now. "He’s not even a rock. He’s like a mountain."

Lucy’s eyes were wide, and she was speechless. She just stared at the stage, watching as Veyrion’s body finally gave out, and he fell to his knees, utterly defeated.

"He... he didn’t even hit him," Lucy finally managed to say, her voice shaky.

"He didn’t need to," Arios said, his eyes still locked on the stage. "Kyousuke didn’t need to do anything. The fight was over before it even began."

Veyrion, now fueled by a mix of desperation and frustration, changed his strategy. He stopped his frantic lunges and instead began a series of direct, powerful strikes. He ran straight at Kyousuke, his movements a blur as he aimed for his sides, his chest, and his head. He was a force of nature, an unstoppable wave of aggression.

But still, Kyousuke didn’t move an inch. He just raised his hand, his movements so minimal that they seemed almost effortless. With every block, the sound was a dull, heavy thud, and Veyrion was sent staggering back, his feet barely able to find stand on the floor. He was now running on pure instinct, pure adrenaline, his every move a futile attempt to break the impenetrable defense.

Professor Vaelian watched from the sidelines, a thin smile on his face. They are amazing, truly. But Kyousuke... that boy isn’t meant to be in Class 1-D, he thought. He is a true Mage Knight in the making, no— a true Grandmaster potential.

Instructor Bale, a master of refined martial arts, simply shook his head, a mix of admiration and disbelief in his eyes. "That’s not a defense. That’s a passive counter. He’s not even trying to hurt him. He’s just absorbing his attacks and sending the force back to him. It’s like he’s a living shield."

Mage Ronin, simply watched with his jaw dropped. He had seen many duels in his time, but he had never seen anything like this. He was watching a student who was so powerful, so in control of his body, that he could win a duel without even trying.

Eldrich Lionsheart, who had been sitting calmly throughout the entire duel, suddenly stood up. His eyes now held a spark of fire, a deep, professional curiosity that had been missing since his own duel. His hand subconsciously moved to his side, where his sword would be, a sign of a true warrior who had found a worthy student. He hadn’t seen such raw talent and sheer, pure strength in an academy student in a long, long time.

Veyrion, now completely exhausted, ran straight at Kyousuke’s front, his body a desperate, last-ditch attempt to move him from his spot. He pushed his body against Kyousuke’s, a pathetic, last-ditch effort to move the immovable. He pushed with all his might, but it was like trying to move a brick wall with a single finger. Kyousuke didn’t even move an inch. Veyrion finally fell to his knees, his body shaking with a mix of exhaustion and defeat.

He looked up at Kyousuke from his knees, a look of utter defeat on his face. His voice, now a raspy whisper, was filled with a sense of reverence that had not been there before. "I yield," he said, and with that, he conceded defeat.

The hall was silent. They had just witnessed a duel that had been so one-sided, so utterly devoid of any struggle, that it was almost a joke. Kyousuke, with his unwavering composure and his silent, effortless defense, had just proven that he was in a league of his own.

Kyousuke is truly him, Arios thought, his gaze locked on the figure in the center of the stage.

So you finally decided to put an effort, Elisa thought, a thin smirk gracing her lips. Her posture, which had been tense throughout the duel, now relaxed. She had known all along that Kyousuke was holding back, and seeing him finally reveal a fraction of his true might was a satisfying sight.

Veyrion mind racing, his gaze fixed on Kyousuke. So this is strength, he thought. This is true strength.