The candidates had been given ten minutes to select their opponents, and now that time was up. All the candidates had already chosen their opponents, and it was finally time to begin the combat segment of the Demon Slayer Academy entrance exam.
The candidates were instructed to move to the sides, clearing a wide open space in the center of the arena that would be used for the combat segment of the exam.
"Now that you have all selected your opponents, it is time to begin the combat segment." The announcer's voice echoed once more across the arena. "Whichever pair wishes to go first, please step forward to the designated combat area."
The words had barely left the announcer's mouth when the Fishman who had challenged Jericho stepped forward into the combat area.
A cocky smile stretched wide across his face, his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight, almost like he already knew the outcome of the match.
"I can't wait to crush you under my feet," he snarled, eyes locking onto Jericho. "Don't keep me waiting, human."
"What's this guy's problem?" Jericho muttered under his breath, frustration flickering across his face. "Well... there's no getting out of it now."
He let out a quiet breath, squared his shoulders, and stepped forward. He walked out to the combat area behind the Fishman, each step heavier than the last.
As soon as both fighters arrived at the combat area, the announcer's voice rang out once more across the arena. It was clear and commanding as he explained the rules of the combat test.
"The rules for this test are simple: all you have to do is defeat your opponent, either by knockout or surrender. You are permitted to use any weapons of your choice. There are powerful healers on standby; they will immediately tend to any injuries sustained during the fight."
A wave of murmurs passed through the crowd as the rules were explained. The Fishman cracked his knuckles and turned to Jericho, his gills flaring with each breath.
"This just got interesting," he snarled, baring his teeth. "Now I don't have to hold back."
He stepped forward, his massive body towering over Jericho. "I'm going to crush your skull under my feet."
Jericho stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the Fishman as he waited for the fight to begin.
The announcer's voice echoed across the arena one final time, giving the start signal for the fight. "Without any further ado... let the match begin!"
The moment the announcer gave the signal, Jericho's system screen flickered to life in front of his eyes.
[New Side Task Discovered.]
[Task: Defeat your opponent within 10 minutes to receive a special reward.]
As soon as he finished reading, the screen shifted, revealing a glowing countdown timer already ticking down from 10:00.
"Wait, what?" he muttered. "Defeat this guy in ten minutes?" Jericho blinked in disbelief.
He glanced at the Fishman, who was already cracking his knuckles with a bloodthirsty grin playing on his face.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear this system is trying to get me killed..."
Before Jericho could even form a plan, the Fishman let out a sharp battle cry and charged towards Jericho.
He surged forward with terrifying speed, closing the distance very fast. As he moved, he immediately activated his special ability. He coated his fist with thick layers of ice, forming jagged gauntlets of frozen ice.
Jericho barely had time to react before the Fishman was right in front of him, his icy fist already mid-swing. The blow came fast; it was packed with enough force to shatter a brick wall.
Jericho's eyes widened as he saw the punch approaching. On instinct, he mentally accessed his system and, in the blink of an eye, he summoned his dagger from the inventory. The blade instantly materialized in his hand, glowing faintly with divine energy.
With no time to spare, he raised it to block the Fishman's attack. The moment the Fishman's fist met with the blade, a loud clang rang out through the arena and sparks exploded into the air.
Jericho gritted his teeth and absorbed the impact. Then, he used the momentum of the clash to push himself and flip backward. He landed a few meters away from the Fishman, creating a safe space between them.
His boots skidded slightly across the stone floor as he landed, creating a soft dust trail.
"Looks like you had something up your sleeve," the Fishman growled, cracking his icy knuckles. "But that won't save you for long."
He took a step forward and locked his eyes on Jericho. "I'll just make sure my next attack shatters that little blade of yours!"
Then, without warning, the Fishman lunged at Jericho again, faster and more brutally than before. He roared loudly as he swung his ice-coated fist, aiming to break through Jericho's defense with raw power.
But this time, Jericho saw it coming. He ducked under the swing in a fluid motion, allowing the icy knuckles to graze the top of his hair. As the punch flew past him, Jericho stepped in with his dagger in hand and slashed upward.
The blade cut cleanly through the thick ice gauntlet, splitting it in two with a sharp crack and sending frozen shards flying through the air.
The Fishman staggered back, his eyes wide in disbelief. He wasn't expecting Jericho to be able to do that, especially since being a Fishman was supposed to give him the upper hand in the fight, as Fishmen are far stronger than humans.
"What the hell...?" he muttered, staring at the broken ice around his wrist. "He cut through my gauntlet like it was nothing."
His gaze flicked to the dagger in Jericho's hand, now glowing faintly with divine energy. "There's no way that's just a regular magic weapon… it has to be at least a Special Grade blade."
Angered by Jericho's counter, the Fishman leapt back, putting distance between himself and Jericho. His expression twisted with rage as he thrust both hands forward, palms facing Jericho.
"Let's see how useful that fancy blade is against a thousand ice shards!" he roared, his voice beaming with fury.
"Time to end you, human!" he snarled. "Ice Vortex: Ice Shards of Conviction!"
As he chanted the spell, a spinning vortex of frost and wind burst to life between his hands, swirling violently like a black hole. Then, from the center of the vortex, dozens of razor-sharp ice shards began launching outward, each one glinting like glass and flying at arrow-like speed.
As the ice shards hurtled toward him, Jericho braced himself for the attack. He tightened his grip on the dagger and began swinging it with rapid, controlled precision to slash through the barrage of ice shards as best he could.
Each swing deflected shards with a sharp clang, sending sparks flying with every clash.
Some of the ice shards slipped through his defense and grazed his arms and shoulders, leaving shallow cuts behind. Unwilling to give up, Jericho blocked most of the ice shards with his dagger.
Seeing that Jericho was still standing, the Fishman's expression twisted with anger and disbelief.
"Why won't you just fall!" he roared, like he was venting a long-time hatred towards Jericho.
But before he could do anything, Jericho dashed at him with full force. In one fluid motion, he twisted his dagger into a reverse grip and dashed forward like a blur of speed, closing the gap in seconds.
The Fishman barely had time to react before the tip of Jericho's blade was pressed to his throat, the edge grazing just deep enough to draw a thin line of blood.
"You lost," Jericho said, his voice steady and his blade still pressed firmly against the Fishman's throat. "It's over. Just give up and surrender."
The Fishman stood frozen, every muscle in his body tense with rage and humiliation, but with the dagger drawing blood at his neck, he had no options left.
"You might've won this one..." he growled, his voice low and venomous. "But I swear to you. I, Drake, will repay this favor. I'll make your life a living hell." His jaw clenched as he surrendered. "Mark my words… you'll regret this."
Immediately after Drake surrendered, Jericho lowered his dagger and made his way back into the crowd of candidates. Drake walked slowly behind him, his pride as a Fishman shattered by his defeat.