CHAPTER 96: TOUGH MATCHUP!

Ren walked back to the candidate observation area with measured steps, his expression maintaining the same calm composure he had shown throughout the battle.

To the thousands of observers filling the arena, his victory over Lyra had appeared almost effortless to the viewers. It was a demonstration of superior tactical thinking that had systematically dismantled her formidable abilities.

But the reality was far more complex than appearances suggested.

The battle against Lyra had been anything but easy, requiring every ounce of his analytical capabilities and strategic experience to achieve victory while revealing as little as possible about his true abilities.

The advantages he had possessed were real but limited, requiring precise exploitation to be effective.

His mind affinity had indeed provided the key to countering Lyra’s temporal magic, but only because he understood the fundamental relationship between mental clarity and complex magical weaving.

Most students would have attempted to overpower her predictive abilities through brute force, failing to recognize that her entire combat system depended on uninterrupted concentration.

But identifying the weakness was only the beginning.

Executing the strategy had required split-second timing, perfect positioning, and the ability to maintain multiple tactical considerations simultaneously while engaged in high-speed magical combat.

The dual weaving capability that his chaos mental sea provided had been crucial, but not in the obvious way.

While other observers had focused on his ability to cast two spells simultaneously, the real advantage lay in the psychological pressure it created.

Lyra’s Perfect Prediction worked by calculating optimal responses to anticipated actions, but when faced with an opponent who could execute multiple unpredictable combinations, her enhanced cognition became overwhelmed with variables.

The mental warfare aspect had been even more complex than the magical combat.

Every move he made had been calculated not just for immediate tactical advantage, but for long-term strategic positioning.

He needed to demonstrate enough capability to advance while avoiding revealing the full extent of his abilities to future opponents.

The momentum creation technique he had used for his final attack was deliberately chosen for its psychological impact as much as its tactical effectiveness.

By demonstrating an ability that appeared to violate normal magical physics, he had established himself as someone whose capabilities extended beyond conventional analysis.

Future opponents would need to prepare for possibilities they couldn’t predict, giving him crucial advantages in upcoming battles.

As Ren settled into position to observe the remaining first-round matches, he began processing intelligence about his potential future opponents with the same analytical precision he had applied to defeating Lyra.

"Vera Amethyst versus Marcella of Block C," the witch announced, her voice carrying obvious anticipation for the next demonstration of elite magical combat.

The youngest Amethyst sister stepped forward with characteristic directness, her movements flowing with the controlled grace that spoke of years of elite magical training.

Marcella, a prospective known for her methodical fighting style, approached with visible determination that suggested she understood the magnitude of the challenge she faced.

The moment combat began, Vera demonstrated why the Amethyst family was renowned throughout the surface.

Her water affinity manifested with devastating precision as she connected to the loom’s second layer, manipulating water to create tactical advantages that most students couldn’t even perceive.

But her true advantage came from her unique carved runes.

Her Stage 1 Azure Sea Serpent rune activated, and the familiar stat boosts flooded through her body—enhanced speed, improved magical capacity, and superior physical conditioning.

But more importantly, the rune’s special ability activated: Aqueous Form.

Vera’s left arm began shifting into liquid water while maintaining its basic structure and function.

The limb became semi-transparent and fluid, allowing her to bend and stretch it in ways that normal anatomy couldn’t achieve.

When Marcella launched an earth projectile at her arm, it passed through the liquefied limb without causing damage, though Vera had to concentrate to maintain the transformation.

The mirage of an azure serpent appeared behind her as she achieved resonance, doubling the effectiveness of her transformation.

Now she could liquefy both arms simultaneously while maintaining better control over their density and form. It wasn’t only her arms she could liquify either, she could do it for any limb.

Marcella attempted to establish range and use her earth weaves to create tactical advantages through systematic earth-based weave combinations.

Her approach was textbook perfect, but Vera’s fighting style incorporated her unique ability in creative ways.

When Marcella created earth barriers for defense, Vera liquefied her arms to reach through narrow gaps, delivering strikes from her daggers at unexpected angles.

Her water-based weaving combined with her limited transformation ability created unpredictable attack patterns that were difficult to counter.

However, the ability came with clear limitations. Vera could only maintain the liquefied state for short periods before exhaustion set in, and transforming required significant concentration that left her vulnerable to coordinated attacks.

Marcella managed to exploit this weakness several times, forcing Vera to rely on conventional combat techniques for extended periods.

The engagement concluded when Vera used her aqueous form strategically, liquefying her blocking arm to avoid Marcella’s earth-enhanced punch while simultaneously striking with her solid arm.

The technique was precise but clearly taxing, leaving Vera visibly drained despite her victory.

"Elena Amethyst versus Cassia of Block A," came the next announcement.

The eldest sister fought like a general commanding a battlefield, her space affinity creating tactical advantages through dimensional awareness while her analytical mind processed variables with mechanical efficiency.

Elena’s Stage 1 Radiant Phoenix rune activated, flooding her body with enhanced magical recovery and combat endurance.

But the rune’s special ability made her truly formidable: Phoenix Vision.

Her eyes began glowing with soft golden light as she gained the ability to see energy signatures and flows with perfect clarity.

This allowed her to track opponents through concealment, identify weak points in magical defenses, and predict attack patterns by watching magical energy buildup in her enemy’s body.

Although this might seem like a pretty weak ability, it was actually quite insane. The ability to visualize energy itself was a broken ability for any magical profession.

Not only could she literally see the loom with absurd clarity compared to the others, it also had a direct impact on her will, her ability to sense and manipulate the loom and even break through into deeper layers.

It was that broken!

Cassia possessed impressive capabilities, but Elena’s enhanced perception provided crucial advantages.

She could see exactly where Cassia was preparing spells by observing energy patterns, giving her precious seconds to prepare counters.

When Elena achieved resonance, the golden phoenix mirage appeared behind her, extending her vision range and improving her ability to distinguish different energy signatures.

Combined with her space-based battlefield control, she positioned herself optimally by reading the arena’s energy landscape.

Elena systematically dismantled Cassia’s effectiveness by predicting attacks through energy observation and creating spatial disadvantages her opponent couldn’t navigate.

The victory came through superior information gathering rather than overwhelming power.

"Sertina versus Morgana of Block A," the witch continued.

Shadow’s second appearance was even more unsettling.

When Morgana used area-effect spells to counter stealth attacks, Shadow demonstrated she could manipulate darkness as tangible force.

The arena filled with writhing shadows that moved independently, creating tactical confusion.

Shadow’s victory came when she emerged from solid stone itself, having used dimensional magic to move through the arena floor.

Her casual ease in bypassing every defensive measure suggested supernatural capabilities. Among the remaining prospectives, she was the one Ren felt was the most difficult to face.

Her abilities were simply too bizarre and unconventional. She was even more difficult to deal with than himself!

Several more matches followed. Daria of Block B defeated Helena through innovative fire techniques that overcame conventional wind magic training.

Lysandra proved her advancement was earned through methodical competence despite political connections.

When the first round concluded, sixteen candidates remained from thirty two.

The arena atmosphere intensified as observers processed what they’d witnessed—each remaining fighter possessed capabilities that could prove decisive.

There were unique and special in their own way, making predictions for the final winner very uncertain.

"The first round has concluded," the witch announced with satisfaction. "But now the real testing begins. The second round will determine who possesses excellence that transcends normal basic education."

Magical displays shifted to show new matchups, and Ren analyzed potential opponents. Every future battle would be against someone representing the highest levels of student achievement.

"The second round begins immediately," the witch continued. "Our first match features two candidates whose abilities represent the pinnacle of magical education and strategic thinking."

She paused dramatically as thousands awaited the announcement.

"Mirabella of Block B versus Elena Amethyst."

The announcement sent excitement through the stands as observers realized they would witness a battle between two candidates whose capabilities had consistently exceeded expectations.

Ren’s analytical attention sharpened. Both possessed exceptional abilities operating at levels few students achieved, and their contrasting approaches would create a battle testing the limits of elite magical education.

It was time for the long awaited Neutral Faction Vs Traditionalist Faction battle!

Who would come out on top?

"Begin!"

Rumble!