The air in Training Ground Beta crackled with raw Mana, a testament to the intensity of the mock battle. Referee Randy, his arms crossed, watched with an analytical gaze as Lathel and Justia, despite their visible fatigue, moved with a newfound fluidity and precision. The last round had pushed them to their limits, yet instead of breaking, they had adapted, their Mana signatures now humming with a focused, almost predatory energy. Rudelion, for his part, maintained his serene demeanor, dodging, weaving, and subtly disrupting, always just out of reach, but he was noticing the shifts.
'They're learning fast,' Rudelion mused, effortlessly phasing through a coordinated Mana blast from Lathel and a sudden defensive surge from Justia. 'Much faster than their game counterparts. They're applying my insights, not just blindly. This is… intriguing.'
The previous rounds had focused on Rudelion's speed and Mana disruption. He had shown them the ephemeral nature of spatial movement and the vulnerability of Mana flow. Now, they were directly attempting to counter those lessons. Lathel, instead of unleashing wild bursts, was using his 'Internal Sculpting' to create precisely aimed, concentrated Mana bolts that tracked Rudelion's predicted Abyssal Blink destinations. Justia, meanwhile, was no longer just building static shields; she was weaving dynamic Mana currents, attempting to subtly redirect Rudelion's movements, to guide him into Lathel's attacks.
Rudelion feigned a moment of hesitation, allowing one of Justia's Mana currents to subtly nudge his Void Step a fraction of an inch off his intended trajectory. 'Let's see if they capitalize.'
"Now, Lathel!" Justia yelled, her voice strained but sharp, her Mana flaring as she pushed the current.
Lathel, already anticipating, unleashed a focused Mana Bolt, not directly at Rudelion, but at the point where Justia's current was pushing him. It was a perfect predictive shot, a testament to their newfound coordination.
Rudelion, still holding back his true power, executed a rapid Abyssal Blink to avoid the direct hit. But instead of the fluid, effortless movement he had exhibited before, he made it appear as if he had to exert a fraction more effort, a subtle grimace crossing his face, a mere flicker in his composure. 'They're forcing me to work for it. They're actually adapting to my methods. Incredible.'
Lathel and Justia, seeing his feigned struggle, pressed their advantage. Justia began casting multiple Mana-based illusions, not to obscure, but to create sensory overload, making Rudelion's Mana sensing less precise, forcing him to rely more on visual cues. Simultaneously, Lathel moved with a relentless, intelligent aggression, no longer wasting Mana, but delivering precise, sculpted strikes and bolts that targeted Rudelion's projected escape routes.
'The illusions are well-placed,' Rudelion acknowledged, his internal calculations whirring. 'They're attempting to break my spatial awareness. And Lathel's consistent, focused pressure is forcing me to commit my movements more. This is no longer just a training exercise; it's becoming a genuine tactical challenge.'
Rudelion continued his evasive dance, his Vitality and Dexterity allowing him to maintain the rigorous pace. But he was allowing them increasingly closer calls, letting them feel the rush of 'almost' hitting him. He needed to push them further, to see their true breakthrough.
Justia then unleashed a new technique. Instead of a solid Mana Construct: Wall, she created a rapidly expanding Mana Web – a delicate, intricate lattice of Mana that spread across a section of the arena. It wasn't designed for damage, but for entrapment, to subtly catch and slow Mana movements.
'A Mana Web! Clever! She's applying the concept of Mana flow interruption in a new way. It won't hold me, but it will slow my Abyssal Blink for a split second. Enough.'
Rudelion allowed himself to be partially caught by the Mana Web. For a fleeting moment, his movements visibly stuttered, his Mana signature flickering as he seemingly struggled against the ethereal threads. He then, with a burst of power, tore through the web, but it cost him a visible surge of Mana.
"He's vulnerable!" Lathel yelled, his eyes blazing with fierce determination. He had been holding back, channeling a massive amount of Mana into his sword. His entire body glowed with divine light, a concentrated aura of pure power. 'He's charging his ultimate strike. The one that was interrupted last time.'
Justia, seeing her opening, didn't hesitate. Her Mana flared, and she manifested a series of small, rapidly moving Mana Constructs: Orbs. They weren't powerful, but they darted around Rudelion, creating a chaotic interference pattern, further taxing his Mana sensing and spatial awareness. Simultaneously, she created a rapid Mana Wall directly behind him, anticipating his most likely escape route.
'They're funneling me. Using the orbs to distract, the wall to block retreat, and the web to slow me down if I try to escape.' Rudelion inwardly praised their brilliant coordination. 'This is it. Their moment.'
Lathel, with a guttural roar, lunged forward. His practice sword, now glowing with an blindingly intense, compressed divine light, became a piercing beam. It wasn't a wide swing; it was a focused, piercing thrust aimed directly at Rudelion's center of mass. This was the result of his perfected 'Internal Sculpting,' refined by pressure.
Rudelion knew he could Abyssal Blink away, or erect an impenetrable Mana Shield. He could negate this entirely. But that wasn't the point of this final round. He wanted them to win. He wanted them to feel the triumph of their growth.
He activated his Mana Shield, but only to a precise fraction of its power. Enough to absorb the kinetic force, but not enough to completely negate the feeling of impact. He allowed the tip of Lathel's glowing sword to connect with the very edge of his Mana Shield, the invisible barrier bending inward, creating a visible shimmer of distorted Mana. A faint 'thud' echoed through the arena.
Lathel's eyes widened in disbelief. His Mana, honed to such precision, had actually connected with Rudelion's defense. The point of his sword pushed against the Mana Shield, holding for a split second, a silent testament to its concentrated power.
And in that split second, Justia seized her opportunity. Having exhausted her other Mana, she channeled her last significant reserves into a powerful, precisely aimed Arcane Dispel, not at Rudelion's body, but at the subtle, low-level Mana field Rudelion had been maintaining around himself to give his movements a slight resistance. It was a tiny, almost negligible field, but it was there.
The Arcane Dispel connected. Rudelion's Mana field, imperceptible to anyone but himself and now, apparently, Justia's keen sense, flickered and vanished. It was a momentary release, a subtle expansion of his true Mana, no longer constrained by the feigned resistance.
Referee Randy, whose Mana sensing was incredibly refined, saw it. He saw the precise Mana connection from Lathel, and the subtle, perfectly timed dispel from Justia that effectively removed Rudelion's "handicap" in that critical moment. It was a strategic victory.
"TIME!" Randy's voice boomed through the arena, cutting through the strained silence. "Lathel and Justia win!"
Lathel, still pushing his sword point against Rudelion's Mana Shield, froze. Justia sagged, her Mana reserves completely spent, but her eyes shining with disbelief and exhilaration.
Rudelion, his expression a careful mask of surprise, slowly lowered his Mana Shield, allowing Lathel's sword to drop. He took a step back, his eyes widening slightly, a rare flicker of genuine astonishment crossing his features before it settled into something else—something akin to profound pride.
'They did it,' Rudelion thought, his internal monologue buzzing with a mix of surprise and utter satisfaction. 'They actually did it. Not through brute force, not by relying on their innate heroic nature, but through genuine adaptation, teamwork, and applying my lessons against me. They found the subtle opening. They exploited the very training methods I imparted.'
He looked at Lathel, still panting, his silver hair plastered to his forehead, but his eyes blazing with accomplishment. Then at Justia, exhausted but beaming, her sapphire eyes holding a newfound confidence.
"Impossible," Rudelion murmured, not in true disbelief, but in an expression of his 'surprise'. He walked towards them, his movements regaining their effortless grace. His voice, when he spoke again, was filled with a rare, genuine warmth that transcended his usual cultivated politeness. "Lathel, Justia… I am truly, truly impressed."
Lathel's face broke into a wide, triumphant grin. "We… we actually did it? We won?"
"You did," Rudelion confirmed, nodding slowly. "Lathel, your precision with that final strike was exceptional. You didn't just unleash power; you sculpted it, guided it, applying the very principles of 'Internal Sculpting' we discussed. And Justia," he turned to her, a deep respect in his gaze, "your awareness was sublime. That Mana Web, the distracting orbs, and especially that final dispel… you understood not just how to defend, but how to create openings, how to manipulate the flow itself. You leveraged my own lessons against me, recognizing the subtle Mana field I was maintaining. That was truly brilliant."
Justia's cheeks flushed, a rare smile of pure joy lighting up her face. "We just… remembered what you said about precision, and understanding the flow."
'They surpassed their game selves,' Rudelion thought, a profound realization washing over him. 'In GoldenFrisk2, these two would have relied on brute force and their inherent power for many more chapters before truly refining their skills. But here, through direct, intellectual engagement, through self-taught adaptation, they've accelerated their growth beyond anything the System predicted for their initial stages. They didn't just gain experience from battle; they learned from it. They transcended the typical 'battle-to-level' reliance.'
"You have truly surpassed your past selves," Rudelion stated, his voice ringing with conviction, his eyes reflecting a deep pride. "Many Arcana users rely solely on the accumulation of experience points from combat. But you two… you actively learned, you adapted, you pushed yourselves to understand why and how Mana works, not just what it does. You have laid a foundation for true mastery, far beyond simple power."
He reached out, placing a hand on Lathel's shoulder, then briefly on Justia's arm. "You have every right to be proud. This victory is not just about a mock battle; it's a testament to your innate brilliance and your unwavering dedication. You have gone beyond simply relying on combat to gain experience; you have truly understood what it means to learn and to grow."
Lathel and Justia stood before him, exhausted but radiating a profound sense of accomplishment and an even deeper respect for Rudelion. Their bond with him had solidified, transforming from that of an intriguing mentor to a genuine, respected ally and guide.
'This changes things,' Rudelion mused, walking away from them, leaving them to bask in their hard-earned victory. 'If they can adapt and learn this quickly, if they can surpass their pre-scripted progression, then the narrative itself becomes more fluid. My efforts to DEFEAT FATE are no longer just about avoiding my death flags; they're about actively reshaping the heroes, making them stronger, more capable than the game ever intended. A stronger protagonist could mean a smoother path to my freedom, or a new, unforeseen challenge.'
He watched Referee Randy approach them, offering his own congratulations. The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the arena. Rudelion felt no exhaustion, only a buzzing energy, a mental exhilaration. His manipulation had worked too well, in the best possible way. He had groomed the heroes, making them stronger, more intelligent, more self-reliant. And in doing so, he had woven himself deeper into their lives, becoming an indispensable part of their journey.
'This is not just about avoiding death anymore,' he thought, his heterochromatic eyes glinting in the fading light. 'This is about orchestrating the future. And I am perfectly, exhilaratingly, in control. This doesn't even make me sweat.'