The corridor leading toward the arena was unusually quiet.
Knox walked alone through the long passageway, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. The usual sunny smile that almost always decorated his face was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a cold expression that made the atmosphere around him feel noticeably heavier.
He wasn't nervous about the duel waiting ahead.
Andre Dresden simply wasn't someone capable of making him nervous in the first place.
As Knox continued walking, however, the shadow beneath his feet suddenly rippled.
The movement was subtle at first, but it quickly spread across the floor before part of Knox's shadow stretched unnaturally along the corridor wall. Its shape grew larger and broader, gradually taking the form of a heavily armored knight kneeling behind its king.
Two crimson eyes slowly opened within the darkness.
It was Igris.
"My liege, do you still even need to duel this 'Andre'?"
Igris's cold voice echoed directly within Knox's mind. Even without manifesting his physical body, the anger contained within that usually composed voice was unmistakable.
"Just give me the word. I will lead my army and eradicate him and his kingdom."
Knox's footsteps continued at the same steady pace.
Before he could answer, another part of his shadow began moving.
This time, the darkness rose into a far more monstrous silhouette. A pair of enormous wings unfolded across the corridor wall, while the outline of a massive ant-like creature emerged beside Igris. Two violet eyes gleamed from within its shadow as Beru's furious voice immediately followed.
"I agree, my liege! How dare that dirty bastard Andre threaten you like this! How could I possibly stay silent?!"
Unlike Igris, who could still maintain his usual composure despite his anger, Beru made absolutely no attempt to hide it.
"I don't understand, my liege! I really want to rip him to pieces!"
The murderous intent contained within those words would've been enough to make Andre reconsider every decision he had ever made in his life.
Unfortunately for Beru, someone else decided to join their little conversation.
The pink badge attached to Knox's uniform suddenly gave off a faint glow.
"Hehe~, alright, you two. I'm pretty sure Knox has his own purpose, you know~"
Cyrene's usual cheerful voice came from the badge.
Anyone unfamiliar with her would've probably thought she was simply trying to calm the two angry summons down. However, Knox, Igris, and Beru had known Cyrene for more than long enough to notice the chill hidden beneath that cheerful tone.
Apparently, she wasn't particularly happy with Andre either.
Hearing all three of them, Knox remained silent for a few more steps before finally speaking.
"Killing him now would be a waste. Unfortunately for him, he still has some use."
Knox spoke quietly, without a trace of his usual playfulness. The faint smile that normally lingered on his face was gone, while the warmth in his violet eyes had turned frighteningly cold.
"But don't misunderstand."
A cold glint flashed through his crimson eyes.
"Keeping him alive and forgiving him are two entirely different things."
A chilling smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"When this is over, I'll make sure he remembers what he did today for the rest of his life."
"After all... I did promise to make sure even his parents wouldn't recognize him."
For a brief moment, neither Igris nor Beru answered.
Then, as if accepting their king's decision, the two enormous shadows slowly sank back into Knox's own. The faint glow from Cyrene's badge also disappeared, leaving the corridor quiet once again.
By then, Knox had already reached the end of the passageway.
Bright light poured through the arena entrance ahead, accompanied by the distant noise of countless spectators waiting on the other side. Knox stopped for only a brief moment before stepping forward, his cold expression gradually settling into calmness as he entered the battlefield.
***
Not long after, cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
On the arena below, two students slowly walked toward the center of the battlefield.
They were Knox Aznable and Andre Dresden.
Standing between them was the referee. After making sure both participants were in position, the referee raised his voice.
"I will now announce the conditions for today's duel."
He turned toward Knox first.
"Student Knox Aznable has voluntarily agreed not to use his summons throughout this duel. Do you acknowledge and accept this condition?"
"I do." Knox answered with a calm nod.
"Confirmed."
The referee then looked at both students.
"This duel will be conducted under the Duel Evaluation Rules. The loser must fulfill one request from the winner and offer a formal apology."
"Do both participants agree to these conditions?"
"I agree."
"I agree."
Seeing both students acknowledge the rules, the referee slowly raised one hand.
"Then..."
"From this moment onward..."
"The duel between first-year student Knox Aznable..."
"...and second-year student Andre Dresden..."
"...officially begins!"
The instant the referee's hand came down...
Andre immediately spread out a summoning magic circle beneath his feet.
Several second-year students immediately recognized the spell.
"Looks like Andre's not planning to hold back."
"He summoned it right from the start..."
"Knox Aznable is finished."
Unlike the second-years, many first-years had never seen Andre's summon before.
Even so, every pair of eyes remained fixed on the arena.
Soon...
Everyone found themselves wondering the same thing.
What is Knox Aznable going to do?
It didn't take long before they got their answer.
The answer was...
Nothing.
Knox simply stood where he was. He neither drew a magic circle nor assumed a fighting stance. He merely looked at Andre with an indifferent expression.
The spectators couldn't help but exchange puzzled looks. Some concluded that Knox had been frightened into freezing.
Others, however...
Already had a different interpretation.
For Knox, Andre simply wasn't worth taking seriously at all.
"Hahaha!"
Andre burst into laughter.
"Behold, Knox Aznable!"
"With this..."
"You don't stand a chance!"
Knox's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"...Are you done?"
"...?" Andre blinked.
"If not, hurry up."
"You...!!"
The summoning circle beneath Andre suddenly shone even brighter.
"With this, you're finished, Knox Aznable!"
"Descend..."
"Ensipher!"
The next moment, a towering figure emerged from the summoning circle.
Its entire body was clad in jet-black armor, while an ominous crimson glow burned beneath the visor of its helmet. Resting on one shoulder was an enormous greatsword measuring well over ten meters in length, giving the armored giant an overwhelming sense of oppression the moment it appeared.
To most spectators, Ensipher simply looked like another summoned spirit.
However, those knowledgeable in necromancy understood that it was something entirely different.
Unlike ordinary spirits, Ensipher possessed a genuine physical body and overwhelming physical strength.
Among necromancers, it was regarded as a special type of spirit.
"Now..." Andre pointed directly at Knox.
"Crush the fool standing before you."
"Ensipher!"
Ensipher lunged forward the moment Andre gave the order. The armored giant crossed the arena in a single leap before raising its colossal greatsword high above its head, then brought it crashing down toward Knox with enough force to split the arena apart.
The spectators instinctively held their breath. Faced with such an overwhelming attack, most expected Knox to dodge at the last second or at least raise some kind of defensive spell. Even those who believed in his strength couldn't imagine him taking the strike head-on.
Yet Knox remained where he was.
Without the slightest hint of panic, he slowly raised his right hand. Streams of violet mana quietly gathered around his palm, condensing into a dense layer that wrapped around it like a gauntlet before he reached toward the descending blade.
The enormous greatsword continued its descent, closing the remaining distance in the blink of an eye before finally colliding with Knox's outstretched hand.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
A thunderous explosion erupted throughout the arena as a terrifying shockwave burst outward from the point of impact. Violent winds roared across the battlefield, sweeping dust and shattered stone high into the air while the arena floor trembled beneath the overwhelming force.
Countless spectators instinctively raised their arms to shield their faces, and for a brief moment, the entire arena disappeared behind a thick cloud of dust.
When the dust gradually settled, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
The gigantic greatsword had stopped dead in its tracks.
Its momentum hadn't weakened, nor had Knox dodged the attack. Instead, the massive blade that had come crashing down with overwhelming force was now completely motionless.
And beneath it...
Knox stood exactly where he had been from the beginning, his right hand firmly gripping the blade.
He had stopped it with one hand.
His fingers were firmly wrapped around the gigantic blade, effortlessly holding back a weapon many times larger than his own body. Beneath his feet, the arena floor had collapsed into a massive crater from the tremendous impact, yet despite receiving the full force of the strike, Knox hadn't budged even an inch.
"...What?!" Andre's eyes widened.
"Impossible!!"
His confident smile vanished completely. Looking at the scene before him, he couldn't believe that Ensipher's full-powered strike had been stopped so effortlessly.
The spectators were no different.
"...How is that possible?"
"He... caught it?"
"With one hand?!"
"That's Ensipher's full-powered attack!"
The second-year students, who were familiar with Andre's summon, reacted even more strongly. They knew exactly how terrifying Ensipher's physical strength was, which only made the scene unfolding before them all the more unbelievable.
"How could this be?!"
"He's only a first-year!"
"Did he really stop that head-on?!"
Unlike the second-years, many first-years didn't fully understand how powerful Ensipher was. Even so, seeing someone catch a gigantic greatsword with one hand without moving an inch was more than enough to leave them speechless.
Meanwhile, Knox's friends finally let out the breath they had been unconsciously holding.
"...Whew."
"I knew Knox would be fine."
"For a second there, you almost scared me..."
Claudia let out a helpless laugh as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, while Cindy smiled in relief. Even Merida, who had been quietly watching the entire time, noticeably relaxed after seeing Knox standing there completely unharmed.
Not far away, Simon couldn't help laughing bitterly.
"I really don't know why I was worried about him."
Rick nodded in agreement.
"Seriously... worrying about Knox was a waste of energy."
Even Meilyn and Cami couldn't help smiling wryly.
After everything they had witnessed over the past few months, they should have known better than to worry about someone like Knox.
"Heh."
Jean couldn't help letting out a faint chuckle as she looked at the stunned expressions around her. There was a trace of pride mixed with smug amusement on her face, as though she found everyone's reaction perfectly understandable.
"Why is everyone so surprised?"
Beside her, Tenerife covered her mouth with one hand before letting out a cheerful laugh.
"Hehe~ Knox is still as cool as ever."
Jane remained silent.
She simply watched Knox quietly before giving a small nod, as though the outcome unfolding before her was exactly what she had expected.
Ensipher immediately tried to pull its greatsword back after realizing it had been caught. Its entire body tensed as it poured even more strength into its arms, attempting to wrench the blade free from Knox's grasp.
The tremendous force even caused the muscles beneath its black armor to bulge, yet no matter how hard it pulled, the greatsword refused to move as though it had become part of the ground itself.
A low growl escaped from the armored giant as it refused to give up. Planting one foot firmly against the arena floor, Ensipher twisted its waist and exerted every ounce of its physical strength.
The stone beneath its feet cracked apart from the strain, but the only thing that moved was Ensipher itself. Knox's arm remained perfectly still, and the giant sword was still locked tightly within his grasp.
The spectators watched with growing disbelief. They could clearly see Ensipher desperately trying to reclaim its weapon, yet the difference in strength between the two sides was so overwhelming that it looked less like a contest and more like an adult failing to pry a toy away from a stubborn child.
Only then did Knox finally lower his gaze toward the gigantic blade in his hand. Without changing his expression, he slowly tightened his grip.
Crk...
A faint cracking sound echoed across the arena.
At first, the sound was so soft that most people thought they had imagined it. However, before anyone could wonder where it had come from, another crack followed, then another. Thin fractures quietly spread across the surface of the gigantic greatsword, branching outward like a spider's web until they covered nearly every inch of the blade.
Andre's pupils shrank.
"N-No...!"
CRAAAAACK!!
The greatsword finally reached its limit. Unable to withstand the terrifying pressure coming from Knox's grip, the enormous blade shattered into countless fragments that burst into the air before raining down across the arena.
When the dust settled once more, only the hilt remained in Knox's hand, while the rest of Ensipher's weapon had completely disintegrated.