The roar of the Colosseum was a physical entity, a wave of sound and pressure that beat against the shimmering mana barriers enclosing the arena floor.

Fifty thousand pairs of eyes, amplified by millions watching through holographic broadcasts, were fixed on the two figures standing at the center of the vast, sun-drenched stage.

The air itself seemed to vibrate with anticipation, thick with the scent of ozone from the nearby mana projectors and the collective adrenaline of the crowd.

Eric William stood opposite me, a figure carved from noble pride and honed power.

His white and gold uniform seemed to radiate light, a stark contrast to my own simple black tunic.

His sword, a beautifully crafted blade likely forged by William family smiths, hummed faintly with contained Light mana. His stance was perfect, balanced, emanating an aura of absolute confidence.

The earlier arrogance was gone, replaced by a chillingly focused intensity. His blue eyes, fixed on me, held no trace of doubt, only the cold certainty of impending victory.

He was the embodiment of legacy, power, and the established order.

I stood my ground, Draken held loosely at my side. The dark blade felt strangely calm, its ancient presence a silent counterpoint to Eric's brilliance.

My own aura was contained, a quiet storm swirling beneath the surface – Ice, Lightning, Space, and the potent hum of Aura Dominion, all held in check.

My breathing was slow, measured, my mind a whirl of calculations fueled by Quantum Analysis Mind skill that Eric William. E+ Rank, pushing D- potential. Light and Wind affinities. Mastered Light Arts, including the dangerous Stellar Parallax. Exceptional speed.

Overwhelming power output. Pride is his core, but it's been tempered into focus. Weakness: Potential over-reliance on known forms, possible predictability under sustained pressure, slight arrogance in assuming superiority.

Jian Kloss's amplified voice boomed across the stadium, cutting through the roar.

"The moment has arrived! The final battle! Eric William versus Michael Wilson! For the title of First-Year Champion and the glory that comes with it!"

He paused, letting the crowd's frenzy peak. "Let the final match… BEGIN!"

[BEGIN!]

The instant the signal flared, Eric exploded.

He didn't test the waters. He didn't probe. He unleashed.

"Gale Step!" Wind erupted around his feet, propelling him forward not just with speed, but with blinding acceleration.

He crossed the ten-meter gap between us in less than a heartbeat, his sword already a blur of golden light aimed directly at my throat.

"Flash Cut!" It was the same combination he used against Maria, but faster, more direct, more lethal. He intended to end this before I could even establish my footing.

"Predictable opening. Overwhelm with speed," my mind processed instantly.

"Counter: Misdirection and immediate control."

I didn't try to meet his speed head-on. Just as his blade was about to connect, I activated "Shadow Swap," blinking not far away, but directly behind him, simultaneously unleashing a pulse of my Ice affinity. "Frost Ripple."

Eric's blade sliced through empty air.

The sudden disappearance of his target, combined with the unexpected wave of cold erupting from behind him, disrupted his momentum.

Frost instantly coated the stone floor around his feet, making the surface slick, hampering his ability to immediately pivot and re-engage

"Tricks again?" Eric snarled, spinning, his Wind affinity kicking in to maintain balance on the ice.

He hadn't expected the Shadow Swap and the immediate environmental control.

"Adaptability," I corrected, already moving. I didn't press a direct attack. Instead, I used Swift Step, skating across the ice I had created, circling him, forcing him to constantly adjust his footing on the treacherous surface while tracking my rapid movement.

Draken hummed, lightning crackling along its edge

.

Eric scoffed, planting his feet firmly, light mana flaring to melt the ice immediately around him, creating a small zone of stability.

"You think a little ice can stop me?" He raised his sword.

"Light Arts From 1— Radiant Slash —Radiant Spears!"

Multiple javelins of pure, solidified light materialized in the air around him, humming with power.

With a sharp gesture, they shot towards me from various angles, a deadly barrage designed to pin me down.

"Multi-vector attack. Evasion difficult in open space." I switched tactics instantly. Instead of dodging, I met the attack.

"Aura Dominion!"

The silver-blue field snapped into existence around me. The 5-meter radius pulsed with my will. My stats surged.

The incoming Radiant Light Spears visibly slowed as they entered my field, impacted by the subtle but constant Will Suppression.

I moved within my Dominion, Draken becoming a whirlwind of dark steel infused with Frost-Lightning.

CLANG! SHATTER! PING!

I deflected or shattered each spear with precise, economical movements, my enhanced speed and perception allowing me to track and intercept the volley perfectly.

The crowd gasped as the spears of light were casually dismantled.

Eric's eyes narrowed. He felt it – the subtle, oppressive pressure of my Dominion field, the slight sluggishness it imposed on his mana flow, the way his own light seemed slightly dimmer within its radius.

"This field… it's disrupting my mana control?"

[William Estate – Viewing Chamber]

Denish William leaned forward, his impassive mask finally showing a crack of interest.

"That field… it's not a simple barrier. It's projecting his will, actively suppressing ambient mana and hostile intent. An Aura Manifestation technique? At his age?"

Gideon nodded slowly, his ancient eyes gleaming.

"As I suspected,Lord. He is no ordinary E-rank. That is the beginning stage of Domain control, something typically seen only in high B-ranks or A-ranks."

Somiya looked worried. "Is Eriky in danger?"

Denish didn't answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the screen where Eric was visibly adjusting his stance, trying to compensate for the unfamiliar pressure.

"…Perhaps."

[Instructor's Gallery]

"He activated it," Evelyn breathed, her analytical mind working furiously.

"Aura Dominion. Stat amplification, enemy debuff… the versatility is astounding. He's completely neutralized Eric's initial speed advantage and is forcing him into a controlled engagement."

Alastor grinned. "Told you the brat had more tricks. Now let's see if William can adapt, or if he just tries to brute-force his way through like the Lionheart cub did."

[The Arena – Shifting Tides]

Eric realized brute force wasn't the immediate answer.

My Dominion field, while draining my mana, gave me a significant advantage in close-to-mid-range combat. He needed to either break the field or force me out of it.

He chose the former. Instead of charging, he created distance, leaping back smoothly.

He raised his sword, pouring mana into it, the light concentrating, turning blindingly white.

"Light Arts: Purging Sun!"

He unleashed the miniature sun, not directly at me, but aimed slightly above my Dominion field, intending to detonate it with overwhelming energy from the outside, collapsing the field through sheer force.

"Clever. Attacking the field itself, not me directly."

My Quantum Analysis Mind calculated the energy required to maintain the Dominion against such an assault. Too high. Sustaining it would drain me completely.

I deactivated Aura Dominion the instant before his attack hit. The silver-blue field vanished. The Purging Sun detonated in the empty space, its force washing over me as harmless (though uncomfortably hot) light and wind.

But Eric had used the blinding flash and the dissipation of my field as cover.

"Gale Strike!" He burst through the fading light, sword aimed in a lethal thrust, appearing right before me faster than expected.

My instincts screamed. No time for Shadow Swap. No time for a full parry.

I reacted purely on reflex, twisting my body, letting Draken take the brunt of the blow not on its flat, but deflecting it along its edge, channeling Ice mana desperately into the parry.

SCREEEEECH!

Steel ground against steel. Holy Light clashed violently with Ice. The force of the impact was immense. Eric's blade, imbued with his superior strength and the momentum of Gale Strike, blasted through my hasty defense.

Pain exploded in my left shoulder as his blade bit deep, shearing through tunic and virtual flesh.

The system registered the hit – [Critical Damage Received! Left Arm Mobility Reduced!] – but the pain felt chillingly real.

I was thrown back, stumbling, clutching my bleeding shoulder, Draken nearly falling from my numb fingers. Gasps erupted from the crowd. Blood – virtual, but vividly red – stained my black tunic.

Eric stood where I had been, sword radiating light, a cold, triumphant smirk finally gracing his lips.

"Caught you, commoner. Your tricks run out eventually." He didn't press the attack immediately, savoring the moment, confident the fight was now his.

[Viewing Boxes & Stands]

"YES!" Denish William slammed his fist on the armrest, a rare show of emotion.

"A clean hit! Finish him, Eric!" Somiya sighed in relief.

Maria's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with worry. Leon leaned forward, fist clenched, torn between rivalry and concern.

Aiden growled, "Get up, Michael! Don't let that prick win!"

The commoner sections fell silent, hope momentarily extinguished.

[The Arena – The Turning Point?]

I grit my teeth against the searing pain in my shoulder. My left arm hung almost uselessly. Mana leaked from the wound. My breathing was ragged.

Eric was right; his speed and power, combined with his tactical adjustment, had finally broken through my defenses.

He began to advance slowly, deliberately, sword held ready, savoring his perceived dominance. "Any last words before I demonstrate the true gap between us?"

I looked up at him, panting slightly. Blood dripped from my chin. My vision swam for a moment. He thought he had won. He thought my tricks were exhausted.

He was wrong.

Pain was a familiar companion. Desperation was a catalyst. And sometimes, showing a weakness was the deadliest strategy of all.

A slow, pained, but undeniably challenging grin spread across my face.

"Just getting started, William," I rasped, forcing myself straighter, tightening my grip on Draken with my right hand.

Eric's smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of irritation. "Still posturing? Fine. Then allow me to end it."

He raised his sword, light gathering once more. He prepared for a final, decisive strike.

But as he focused his mana, as he prepared to unleash his power, I focused on something else.

Not my wound. Not my pain. But the subtle distortion his own Light Arts created in the fabric of the virtual space. And the echo I knew was coming.

I channeled my remaining mana, not into a flashy counter, but into a single, focused point. Ice. Lightning. Space. Aura. All converging on the edge of Draken.

He wouldn't expect this. No one would.

The final act was about to begin.

(To be continued)

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