'So she's a reincarnated person... This is dangerous.'
[Your calmness always surprises me. I have to admit that I'm also surprised someone else has reincarnated besides you.]
'You didn't know?'
[I suspected it. I know other worlds exist, but obtaining information about them is difficult. My level is far too low for them to bother revealing anything to me.]
'How lucky I am.'
Enrico maintained a calm expression while congratulating Valença, who was still upset about failing to defeat Giulia. When he noticed that the girl was looking at Valença, his eyes narrowed.
'It seems she knows the original story, since she's been looking at us strangely from the beginning. This also means she probably knows our stats.'
[You're right... I'll try to obtain some information. That's why I'll disappear for a few seconds.]
'Thanks for being useful.'
Enrico already had a small suspicion that there might be other reincarnated people because of Pedro. Until then, it had only been a hypothesis, but that didn't mean he could let his guard down.
'What if a reincarnated person appears as an enemy? I need to prepare myself and evolve quickly. Faster than ever before.'
Giulia was already making the most of the advantages of her reincarnation. Of course, Enrico was doing the same, but there was a problem: her potential was much greater than his, putting him at a considerable disadvantage.
'Since this continent is gigantic, anyone can go unnoticed while standing out as the best student at their academy. And given Matteo's more impulsive behavior, it's entirely possible that Giulia is their academy's top student instead of him.'
Enrico now understood why those students were stronger than they should have been at this point in the story. Initially, he had thought that it might have been caused by some interference on his part, but he dismissed that possibility as soon as the System confirmed his hypothesis. Besides, he had only visited Vesparello once, and that shouldn't have been enough to cause such significant changes.
'I need to find out how long she's been in this world. In any case, I also need to help Valença.'
Enrico turned his attention to the girl beside him.
"Don't be discouraged. When the next fight is over, we'll go out together."
Valença's eyes lit up with happiness.
"Really?"
"Yes. I'm being completely serious."
She moved even closer, standing beside him, and secretly took his hand with a small smile, making sure the others didn't notice. Her cheeks became slightly flushed.
Enrico didn't comment, allowing her to enjoy that moment.
'Let's see how you use your new abilities, Kai.'
In the arena, Kai stared at Matteo with a determined expression. He didn't intend merely to defeat him, but also to demonstrate the difference between their levels. Besides, he wanted to show Enrico how much he had evolved.
'If I defeat him while demonstrating my power, Enrico won't be able to refuse my rematch!'
The knight responsible for the fight raised his hand and announced the start of the confrontation.
"Begin!"
"Assassin Magic: Concealing Mist!"
A dark mist rapidly spread throughout the arena, covering the battlefield and preventing Kai from seeing what was around him.
He tried to use his own magic to disperse the mist, but it didn't move even an inch, as if it were trapped in the space it occupied.
Kai drew his sword and focused on his own senses, trying to identify where the next attack would come from.
'If the mist moves, I'll cut. If I hear any noise, I'll cut. If I sense anything behind me or above my head, I'll cut. I can't give him any opening.'
Kai remained alert for several seconds, but he heard nothing. Then, suddenly, he felt a slash across his back.
He immediately turned around and struck in the attacker's direction, but his sword found nothing but mist.
'How? I didn't see or feel anything moving!'
'The mist is affecting your senses.'
'Jatina? If what you're saying is true, then I'll launch an attack in every direction.'
The fairy with whom he had made a contract spoke to Kai telepathically.
Kai lowered his stance and took a deep breath, concentrating as much as possible. For a brief moment, his eyes took on a bright, dark blue hue.
"Lunar Technique: Shadow Birth!"
In a sudden movement, Kai disappeared from where he had been standing. Matteo, who was preparing another attack from the front, became confused when he couldn't find his opponent.
"Where did he go?"
He decided to remain alert, waiting for Kai to reappear. After all, he could see through his own mist and sense any movement within it. That was precisely why he couldn't understand how Kai had disappeared without leaving the slightest trace.
'All I have to do is wait. Sooner or later, he'll have to attack. And since that knight hasn't said anything, it means Kai is still inside the arena.'
This could only mean that Kai was still hiding in the mist. Perhaps he was using an invisibility technique or some other trick to escape his perception.
"How long is this going to take?"
Three minutes had passed since Kai disappeared, but Matteo still couldn't find his opponent.
To make matters worse, his mana reserves were rapidly decreasing. He needed to keep the mist active to maintain his advantage, but he couldn't continue spending energy that way for much longer.
For that reason, he began gradually reducing the mist's range, trying to preserve enough mana to continue fighting.
"Found you."
The voice came from behind him.
Kai was crouching in a low stance, his sword ready and all his concentration focused on his opponent. He took one breath, and in the next instant, he swung his blade with a speed Matteo's eyes couldn't follow. A slash appeared across his chest, making him spit blood.
Matteo felt the impact and immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. If Kai had genuinely wanted to kill him, he could have done so right then and there.
'I can't accept this! I'm the heir to the Order of Assassins!'
Matteo brought his hand to his chest. As soon as blood began flowing from the wound, his unique ability activated automatically.
[Unique Ability — Pain Immunity: When the user is struck, this ability activates, allowing their body to recover and preventing them from feeling pain for five minutes.]
"Assassin Magic: Shadow Daggers!"
Several dark blades appeared at different points within the mist, all pointed toward Kai.
Matteo was confident he could win. His opponent couldn't see through the mist or sense his movements, while he himself could follow everything happening within that environment.
To him, defeating Kai with that technique would be easy. After all, it had been created specifically to defeat Giulia.
"I didn't think I'd need to use this against anyone other than Giulia. Congratulations on forcing me to do so."
"I feel the same way."
"What?"
Kai lowered his stance, and light began to emerge from his body. The mist around him started to retreat, as if it were being repelled by that energy.
Matteo noticed the change as he stared into Kai's eyes. The effect of his magic no longer seemed to work the same way.
Kai looked seriously at his opponent.
"I wanted to save this as a surprise for Enrico, but you're stronger than I thought."
Matteo lowered his hands for a moment, overcome with despair. Then, using his mind to control the blades, he launched all of them toward Kai.
'Hit him! Please, hit him!'
He knew that magic and understood that it was his worst enemy.
"Light Magic: Light Slash!"
Kai drew his sword and delivered a slash in front of him. A wave of light crossed the space, striking the shadowy blades and making them all disappear under the combined force of magic and concentrated power.
Matteo was only four meters away and tried to dodge the attack, but he couldn't escape in time.
The light struck him directly, engulfing his body in a flash.
"Thanks for the fight, Matteo Nero."
Kai returned his sword to its sheath and looked at Matteo lying unconscious outside the arena, his clothes torn.
'Enrico, I'm eagerly looking forward to our rematch. I can't wait for that moment to arrive.'
Matteo was a good combatant, but his physical endurance wasn't at the same level as his offensive abilities. Since he had focused mainly on assassination, a single powerful attack had been enough to defeat him.
"Congratulations on awakening your magic, Kai."
Hearing the applause from his friends, who were still surprised by the result, Kai scratched the back of his neck, displaying genuine embarrassment.
He had awakened his light magic and improved his ocean magic thanks to the secrets he had discovered in his own home. His mother possessed a unique water magic, while his father was capable of using a second type of magic: light.
Thanks to the books they had both left behind before dying, Kai had managed to better understand his parents' powers and reach a new level of strength.
Behind them, Lorenzo grabbed Matteo by the shoulder and began leaving the area. Giulia followed shortly afterward with her clothes repaired, but she couldn't help looking back.
Those students were growing much faster than they had in the original story.
'This is going to be troublesome.'