Clang!
Watching Derek charge forward in a rage, completely disregarding strategy, Ryan remained calm.
Their monster-slaying spears collided in an instant, and Ryan used the force of Derek's attack to create distance between them.
Derek, however, had put too much strength into his strike, causing the tip of his spear to drive directly into the stone slab beneath him.
"Chance!"
A cold glint flashed through Ryan's eyes.
He shifted to the side and, almost instantly, circled around to Derek's flank.
At that moment, Derek's spear was still lodged in the stone floor, and he had yet to pull it free.
Whoosh!
The monster-slaying spear in Ryan's hands flashed forward like a streak of silver light.
Rip!
The sound of fabric tearing rang out.
Ryan's spear swept across Derek's waist, cutting through part of his brigandine and leaving another wound.
If not for the protective layers of the academy-issued armor, the injury would have been much more serious.
Derek's attacks were powerful enough to drive his spear several centimeters into the stone floor. Although Ryan's strength was slightly inferior, the difference between them wasn't overwhelming.
Without the protection of his brigandine, Derek would have suffered a far more serious injury from that strike.
"Ah!"
Feeling a sharp pain at his waist, Derek instinctively retreated.
His face was filled with disbelief.
He couldn't understand how he had been struck again.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Ryan gave him no time to recover.
He immediately pressed forward, thrusting and sweeping his monster-slaying spear in rapid succession.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Faced with the spearhead repeatedly coming toward him, Derek hurriedly used his own spear and shield to defend.
But after losing the initiative, he was forced backward step by step.
Rip!
At that moment, Ryan's spear technique, which now ranked among the best in the entire year, finally revealed its true strength.
His spear suddenly changed direction from an unexpected angle and swept across Derek's right hand, which was gripping the shaft of his weapon.
Derek cried out in pain.
His grip loosened, and the monster-slaying spear slipped from his hand and fell onto the stone floor.
"Idiot."
Seeing Derek lose his spear, Adrian couldn't help but shake his head.
For someone who relied on a spear, the weapon was practically an extension of the body.
Once the weapon was lost, combat strength would naturally drop sharply.
Now that Derek had lost his spear, the outcome was becoming obvious.
"Not good!"
The instant his spear hit the ground, Derek realized the danger.
Ignoring the pain in his hand, he immediately bent down to retrieve it.
Ryan clearly had no intention of giving him that opportunity.
Seeing Derek reach for his weapon, Ryan raised his spear and brought it down from above.
If Derek continued trying to retrieve his spear, he would leave himself completely exposed.
Whoosh!
Faced with Ryan's descending attack, Derek immediately abandoned the attempt and retreated in a disordered manner, narrowly avoiding the blow.
"Derek lost!"
By this point, nearly every student watching understood that the outcome had already been decided.
Ryan had gained complete control of the fight.
"Useless."
Below the arena, Victor's expression had become extremely gloomy.
He hadn't expected the duel to develop like this.
All of his preparations had effectively become meaningless.
Derek had been beaten so badly that he had even lost his weapon.
The idea of Derek using excessive force against Ryan now seemed almost ridiculous.
Victor could already notice several students from influential families exchanging meaningful glances, clearly having understood that something unusual had been planned.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Facing Derek, who no longer had a spear, Ryan showed no intention of stopping.
His spear struck repeatedly against Derek's defenses, forcing him farther and farther backward.
The instructor acting as referee found himself in an awkward position.
According to Victor's intentions, he had been expected to overlook things if Derek used excessive force against Ryan.
But now Derek had lost his weapon and was being driven across the arena instead.
What was he supposed to do?
"Stop."
After thinking for a moment, the instructor decided to give Victor some face and immediately ordered Ryan to halt.
Whoosh!
Ryan had already committed to another thrust when the command came.
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Ryan suddenly felt an overwhelming force strike his spear.
His attack was blocked, and the immense impact forced him backward.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ryan retreated more than ten steps before finally stabilizing himself.
His hands had gone numb from the impact, and for a moment, he nearly lost his grip on his spear.
"Didn't you hear me tell you to stop?"
The instructor now stood where Ryan had just been.
He held his own spear in one hand and stared at Ryan with an unfriendly expression.
"Why did you attack me?"
After being forced back by a single strike and clearly recognizing the enormous difference between their strength, Ryan suppressed his anger and questioned him.
"Didn't you see that your opponent had already lost his weapon?"
The instructor spoke coldly.
"Does losing a spear mean the opponent automatically stops fighting? Aegis Martial Academy doesn't have such a rule for arena battles."
Ryan's expression darkened.
"Although the academy has no such rule, as the referee, I have the authority to stop the fight if I believe there is a risk of serious injury. I believe this is the appropriate time."
The instructor answered impatiently.
"This instructor is openly favoring Derek."
Hearing those words, Adrian frowned.
Although the instructor claimed that he was preventing serious injury, Adrian could clearly see that he was siding with Derek.
"There's definitely something wrong with this instructor."
"Derek is Victor Langford's follower. He's probably doing this to give Victor face."
By now, most of the students could also see that the instructor was favoring Derek, and quiet discussions immediately spread throughout the crowd.
Hearing the murmurs around him, the instructor frowned.
If the situation continued, it could quickly become troublesome.
To prevent things from escalating, he immediately announced,
"I hereby declare the duel over!"
"Yes."
Hearing the instructor's words, Derek immediately responded and let out a quiet breath of relief.
Without his spear, continuing the fight would only make his situation worse.
Ryan said nothing.
He simply gave the instructor a long look before turning away.
Although he was extremely dissatisfied, the instructor in front of him was a Rank 1 Blood Warrior.
With Ryan's current strength, there was nothing he could do.
For now, he could only remember what had happened.
"Ryan, are you alright?"
Elias quickly came over, patted Ryan on the shoulder, and looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine."
Ryan shook his head.
Although the result wasn't completely satisfactory, he had still achieved what he wanted.
He had defeated Derek.
After today, Derek would probably think twice before provoking him again.
Despite his injuries, Derek walked toward Victor and was about to speak when he was interrupted by the same follower who had earlier claimed that Derek was about to win.
The follower glared at him.
"You've completely disgraced Young Master Victor. How do you still have the nerve to come over here?"
"Young Master Victor..."
Derek's expression immediately changed.
Victor was someone he had worked hard to become associated with, and his family had invested considerable resources into helping him establish that connection.
If Victor abandoned him after this failure, Derek would undoubtedly face severe consequences from his family.
"Useless."
Victor gave Derek a cold glance before turning and walking away.
If Derek hadn't still possessed some value, Victor would have discarded him already.