A shadow slid across the fractured arena as the Domain's influence shifted once more, and the suspended debris suddenly lost its stillness.
What had been floating in eerie silence now surged forward all at once, drawn by Chatel's control as if gravity itself had been rewritten to obey him. Broken tiles, jagged stone, and fragments of the arena floor collapsed toward Knox in a relentless wave.
Knox remained where he stood, his gaze steady as he followed the movement instead of reacting to it immediately, reading the flow behind the attack rather than the attack itself.
Then, behind him, a massive magic circle unfolded.
It spread outward in layered patterns, glowing with a deep, oceanic blue, and before the debris could fully close in, the circle released its power. A tremendous surge of water erupted forward, crashing directly into the incoming mass.
The impact tore through the formation, scattering fragments apart midair as water and stone collided in a violent clash, sending pieces spinning off course and breaking the cohesion of the Domain's control for a brief moment.
The once-controlled debris lost its formation, some still drifting, others thrown into chaotic motion as the water continued to push through.
But Chatel responded without delay.
His foot came down again, firm and deliberate, and the effect was immediate. The distorted space reasserted itself as the scattered fragments trembled, then rose once more, pulled back into alignment under his Domain. Even the pieces that had just been forced apart began to lift again, regaining that unnatural suspension as if the interruption had meant nothing.
From the sidelines, voices burst out, unable to hold back their reactions.
"Did you see that?!"
"He just took it back like that?!"
"Even destroying things that already floated up is vain…!"
"Knox Aznable is over!"
Their excitement spread quickly, the certainty in their tone making it clear how this exchange looked from the outside.
And then the Domain moved again.
This time, the attack came faster and more precise, debris converging toward Knox from multiple directions, closing in with no obvious escape as if the space itself had decided where he would be struck.
As the storm bore down on him, Knox smiled.
There was no tension in it, no sign of being cornered, only quiet confidence as he lifted both arms and spread them slightly to his sides before guiding them down toward the ground beneath him.
A magic circle formed directly under his feet.
It expanded rapidly, intricate lines weaving together in a pale blue glow as the surrounding air began to cool. At first it was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but within moments the temperature dropped enough to be felt.
"Bloom."
[Knox Aznable Original – Ice Lotus]
From the circle, a spiraling current of freezing air began to rotate outward, following the circular structure of the spell as it expanded. The motion grew stronger with each passing second, the cold intensifying as it spread wider across the arena.
Then it opened fully.
The frost expanded outward like a blooming lotus, each layer unfolding into the next, carrying a wave of freezing energy that spread in every direction.
The arena had already been soaked.
The earlier surge of water, along with Knox's continuous use of water magic, had left the battlefield damp, the floating debris coated in moisture, even Chatel himself not untouched by it.
That moisture became the perfect medium.
Ice formed instantly.
From the magic circle, frost raced outward across the ground, climbing along the suspended debris and freezing them in place midair. One by one, the fragments stopped moving, locked in position as layers of ice wrapped around them, preserving their motion in perfect stillness.
A faint blue hue spread across the battlefield, crystalline patterns forming across every surface the frost reached, turning the chaotic arena into something eerily quiet.
Like a lotus fully in bloom.
Chatel reacted the moment he sensed the shift.
Jet-black energy surged around his body, wrapping tightly over him as protection while the ground beneath him responded to his will. Stone rose upward from below, forming a thick barrier in front of him, angled to intercept the incoming cold without fully enclosing him.
The freezing wave struck it almost immediately.
Ice spread rapidly across the stone surface, creeping along its edges and cracking across its face, but the barrier held long enough to reduce the direct impact.
Even so, the cold continued to spread.
A thin, chilling mist began to rise from the frozen surfaces, drifting outward and filling the arena. It softened outlines, blurred movement, and reduced visibility just enough to make distance harder to judge.
What had once been a battlefield filled with motion and force now stood suspended in frost, with debris frozen midair and the entire space wrapped in a quiet, cold haze.
The cold mist continued to spread, blanketing the arena until even the outlines of the terrain disappeared completely. What had once been a chaotic battlefield was now nothing more than a pale, frozen haze, swallowing everything within it.
The noise from the stands gradually faded, replaced by a quiet tension that pressed down on the spectators.
No one could see anything anymore.
Group 7 stood near the front, their attention fixed on the obscured arena.
Simon remained still, his gaze steady and intent, as if he were trying to piece together the situation from what little he had seen before the mist swallowed everything.
Meilyn frowned, clearly irritated.
"This is seriously annoying… I can't see a thing."
Her tone carried its usual edge, but there was a slight tightness to it that hadn't been there before. She kept staring forward, unwilling to look away even for a second.
"He'd better not mess this up…"
It came out like a complaint, but it didn't quite hide the concern underneath.
Rick clicked his tongue under his breath.
"…Damn it, I really can't see anything from here."
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the mist like he expected something to break through it at any moment.
A short distance away, Group 8 stood together.
Claudia kept her eyes on the arena, her posture still composed, though her focus had sharpened.
"…This is bad visibility."
Her voice stayed calm, but there was a seriousness to it now.
"We can't tell what's happening in there at all."
She didn't look away, clearly trying to assess the situation despite the lack of information.
Cindy, who was usually the most expressive among them, had gone quiet.
She stood still, staring into the mist, her usual energy nowhere to be seen. Her lips pressed together slightly, and her hands hovered uncertainly at her sides, like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to.
"…He's okay… right?"
It came out softer than usual.
Merida, standing beside them, looked different as well.
Her eyes were open, steady and attentive, without the usual haze of drowsiness. She didn't shift or fidget, simply watching the mist in silence.
Even those who had been calmly observing until now found themselves narrowing their eyes, trying to pick out even the slightest movement within the mist, only to be met with the same impenetrable blur.
Lorain, however, stood apart.
Her expression remained composed, almost serene, with the faintest hint of a smug satisfaction lingering at the corner of her lips, as though what was happening now had already aligned perfectly with her expectations.
Serene caught it.
Her brows twitched slightly, and her mouth shifted just enough to betray her reaction, her gaze flicking toward Lorain with a look that practically asked, why are you smug?
For a brief moment, her attention lingered there.
Then she turned back to the arena, her eyes sharpening again as she refocused on the obscured battlefield.
On the higher platform, the professors watched in silence for a beat longer than anyone else.
Hong Feng was the first to react, a wide smile spreading across his face as he observed the frozen, hidden battlefield with unmistakable interest.
Aaron's response was far more restrained. His eyes narrowed slightly, gaze fixed forward as if trying to dissect what lay beyond the mist rather than simply observe it.
Nearby, Bahil and Silage shared similar expressions, both of them tightening their focus, their attention locked onto the arena with a quiet seriousness that mirrored Aaron's.
Jane, on the other hand, crossed her arms.
"Hmm." There was a small smile on her lips, subtle but unmistakably proud, as she continued to watch the frost-covered battlefield without the slightest trace of concern.
The mist continued to drift across the arena, cold and unyielding, hiding everything within it.
No movement could be seen. No figures could be made out.
And yet, no one there could bring themselves to look away.
For a few moments, nothing changed.
The mist still lingered, drifting across the arena in slow, frozen currents, refusing to reveal what lay within.
Then—gradually—it began to thin.
At first, it was subtle. The edges of the haze started to break apart, the dense white veil loosening as if losing its hold over the battlefield. Bit by bit, the obscured arena came back into view.
Shattered terrain. Frozen debris suspended in midair. Faint traces of frost still clinging to everything.
…then—
the mana projector gradually came back into view.
At first, it was faint, its outline barely visible through the thinning mist. But as the haze continued to clear, the display sharpened, the glowing interface stabilizing until the numbers could be read clearly once more.
[Knox Aznable: 100%]
[Chatel Mayer: 50%]
As visibility fully returned, both contestants finally came into view.
Knox stood where he had been, completely unharmed.
His expression, however, was different.
Not the usual bright, easygoing smile people were used to seeing, but something quieter—calm, focused, with a faint seriousness resting beneath it.
It wasn't cold, just rare, and that alone was enough to cause a stir.
The reaction spread through the audience.
"…Oh."
"…Ah—"
A few soft, startled voices slipped out almost at the same time.
"Kyah—!"
"…Wow…"
Some instinctively covered their mouths, while others unconsciously straightened, their eyes fixed on Knox without blinking.
A couple of quiet gulps could be heard here and there, barely noticeable beneath the growing murmur, yet oddly clear in the tension that filled the air.
The shift in his expression—so subtle, yet so different from what they were used to—left a stronger impression than anyone expected.
Some of them instinctively pressed a hand to their chest, completely unprepared for the shift.
Lorain reacted immediately.
"Urgh!"
Her hand went straight to her chest as if she had just taken a direct hit, her composure slipping for the first time as her eyes widened ever so slightly. She kept staring at Knox without blinking, her gaze completely locked onto him, as if everything else around her had momentarily disappeared.
For a brief moment, she couldn't even bring herself to say anything, her lips parting slightly as she remained frozen in place, clearly overwhelmed in a way that was completely unlike her usual self.
Beside her, Serene noticed it right away.
Her brows twitched just a little, and the corner of her lips moved almost imperceptibly as she glanced sideways at Lorain, her eyes narrowing slightly in quiet curiosity, as if silently questioning what exactly had just happened to her.
Then, just as quickly, Serene returned her attention to the arena, her gaze sharpening once more as she focused on Knox again, this time with a slightly different look in her eyes—more attentive, more intrigued than before.
Meanwhile, Chatel stood several meters away, his figure now fully revealed as the last traces of mist cleared from the battlefield.
The jet-black aura that had previously wrapped tightly around his body had completely disappeared, leaving behind only a thin layer of frost that clung across his form, spreading unevenly over his clothes and skin as a lingering result of the earlier impact.
Both of his arms were still extended forward, his hands open and slightly tense, as if he had attempted to block the attack directly at the moment it struck.
In front of him, the earth pillar he had summoned as a defensive measure no longer held its shape, having already collapsed under the force that broke through it, its fragments scattered across the ground and frozen in place, with shards of hardened earth lying cracked and embedded within the frost-covered terrain.
Even without seeing what had happened inside the mist, the state of the battlefield made it clear that the attack had not only reached him, but had also pushed through both layers of his defense at the same time, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of what had once been his protection.
As the full state of the arena became visible, the reaction of the spectators shifted almost instantly.
The battlefield had completely changed.
Large portions of the terrain were now frozen, with frost spreading across the ground and creeping along the scattered debris. Even the remnants of Chatel's Domain Reversal—the objects that had once been suspended and ready to be launched—were now locked in place, suspended midair in a frozen stillness.
Combined with the lingering cold mist and the way the ice had spread outward in a circular pattern, the entire arena resembled something almost unreal.
It was less like a battlefield, and more like a scene shaped by design.
A blooming lotus—frozen in time.
For a brief moment, the spectators fell silent, the earlier noise fading on its own as they simply stared at the transformed arena.
"…How beautiful," Claudia murmured, her voice quiet but clear.
"Wow…" Cindy said softly, her eyes wide as she took in the view.
"…Pretty," Merida added, her tone low, yet sincere in a way that was rare for her.
A murmur spread across the crowd shortly after.
"So beautiful…"
"…Is this really first-year level?"
"…So this is the 'White Devil'…?"
The nickname passed from one person to another, carrying a mix of awe and disbelief.
On the professors' side, the reactions were noticeably different.
Most of them remained silent, their attention fixed on the arena, but their expressions alone made it clear that what they had just witnessed was far from ordinary.
Eric Aura was one of the few who spoke.
"To think he refined both mana and jet-black into such a controlled state, then converted it into elemental ice while maintaining that level of structural integrity…"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued observing the frozen field.
"And not just freezing the surface, but integrating it into the environment itself… shaping the battlefield rather than simply attacking…"
He let out a quiet breath.
"…That's not something you expect from a first-year."
The rest of the professors did not interrupt, but the silence that followed carried its own weight.
Meanwhile, on Chatel's side—
Seeing his [Domain Reversal] completely neutralized, along with the destruction of his jet-black reinforcement and the collapse of his earth pillar, Chatel felt a brief surge of disorientation. The drop in his HP, now clearly displayed at half, only made the situation more real.
For a moment, his expression tightened. Then, just as quickly, he steadied himself. Even if his Domain had been countered, he had no intention of stopping here.
"…."
Kwaahh!
[Domain Reversal – Adjustment]
In the next instant, Chatel moved.
The ground trembled as he raised an earthen wall in front of him, then immediately extended his control outward, pulling in debris from across the arena. Soil, shattered stone, fragments of the stadium floor—everything began to gather under his influence.
Crunch—crrk—!
The collected material compressed and reshaped, forming into dense, jagged masses that resembled sharpened awls and heavy, crushing fists.
As his hand lowered, the mass shifted with it.
A low, grinding sound filled the air—
Grrrrrrk—
—and then, without hesitation, he released it.
The entire formation surged forward at once, spreading outward as it descended, turning into a wide-range bombardment that rained down toward Knox.
"What is that?!"
"That's ridiculous…!"
"Another monster…."
Knox raised his hand.
In response, the frozen ground beneath him began to tremble, the blue-stained frost spreading faint vibrations across the surface. The ice that had formed earlier didn't simply remain as it was—instead, fragments of the frozen debris slowly lifted into the air, gathering and reshaping under his control.
One by one, elongated shapes formed into javelins, dozens of them appearing in the air.
The floating ice javelins spread outward, suspended in formation, their surfaces gleaming faintly under the cold light that still lingered across the arena.
And then—
they moved.
With a sharp motion, the javelins shot forward all at once, cutting through the air as they met Chatel's incoming bombardment head-on.
KRAAASH—!!
The collision was immediate and violent, ice and stone crashing into each other midair as the entire formation erupted into fragments. The sharp javelins shattered upon impact, while Chatel's compressed masses broke apart at the same time, both attacks collapsing together in a storm of debris that scattered across the battlefield.
When the clash ended, neither side remained.
Seeing this, Chatel's expression gradually hardened.
"…You are strong. Very strong."
Knox gave a small smile.
"Thank you. You too~"
Chatel's gaze sharpened.
"Even so… I will fight until the end."
Knox let out a light sigh, though there was a faint hint of excitement beneath it.
"As expected of you, Chatel."
He rolled his shoulder slightly before continuing.
"Alright, since it's been a while since I've had this kind of clash of magic, I'll show you some respect."
A small pause.
"I've decided to unveil one of my trump cards. Something I've never used before."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted.
Chatel's expression turned completely serious.
From the spectator seats, gasps and murmurs immediately spread.
"What?"
"One of his trump cards?"
"So Knox Aznable is finally getting serious?"
"Wait—are you saying he hasn't been serious this whole time?!"
Meanwhile, on the side of Group 7 and Group 8—
"Trump card?" Simon repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He glanced toward the others.
"Do any of you know what he's referring to?"
Cindy crossed her arms, tilting her head with a puzzled look.
"…No idea."
Merida spoke up lazily, though her gaze remained on the arena.
"Knox is like an onion… it wouldn't be surprising if he had a lot of things we don't know about…"
Then—
Serene, as if mildly amused, decided to step in.
"Well then, Miss Archbold," she said smoothly, turning her gaze toward Lorain, "would you care to enlighten us? After all… you are his childhood friend~"
At that, the attention of both groups shifted.
Not just them—
even some of the nearby spectators subtly perked up, their curiosity drawn in.
Lorain immediately felt the weight of those gazes.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she shot a sharp look toward the surrounding onlookers—everyone except Group 7 and Group 8—causing several of them to stiffen and quickly look away as if nothing had happened.
Then, she cleared her throat.
"Cough… well."
She lifted her chin slightly, regaining her composure.
"It's true that I'm his childhood friend, and I've spent more time with him than anyone else."
Her tone was steady, almost proud.
But—
the moment those words settled, an identical thought crossed the minds of those listening.
What does that have to do with his trump card…?
Lorain seemed to notice the shift in their gazes.
"…Cough."
She cleared her throat again, this time more pointedly.
"What I mean is, since I've spent years with him, I know this much—Knox has quite a lot of… 'cards.'"
Serene's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"…So you're saying," she said calmly, her gaze fixed on Lorain, "that even you don't know?"
A brief silence followed.
Then—
Lorain turned her head just enough to meet Serene's eyes, her expression sharpening.
"…No one would think you're mute if you chose not to say anything."