Tired of Lorenzo's persistence, Elizabeth decided to challenge him to a duel to put him in his place.
The arena vibrated with tension as Elizabeth and Lorenzo faced each other. The students of class 1A held their breath, anticipating a clash of power and strategy.
The ground trembled beneath Lorenzo's steps. The wind surrounding him roared like a wild beast, lifting spirals of dust and tearing through the haze as he advanced. Each step left a faint crack in the reinforced floor, as if the ground itself was not meant to withstand his strength.
Some students instinctively stepped back. Others only whispered his level in disbelief:
—Fifty-two...
Lorenzo didn't hear them. He had left behind the need to impress. Only the strength of his body and the edge of his blade remained.
This time... I won't retreat, he thought.
His sword whistled as he raised it, charged with Beta-level wind. The air parted in its path, as if afraid to touch the blade.
Elizabeth watched him in silence. She didn't take a single step back.
Her hair lifted slightly, drawn by the electricity gathering around her. It wasn't fear; it was contained precision. Her level—fifty-nine—and her Delta affinity allowed her to expend energy with almost unnatural efficiency.
If I withstand the first three moves, the battle will be decided.
She didn't have to wait. Lorenzo struck first.
The impact was brutal.
Compressed wind fell like a scythe, but Elizabeth raised her hand and lightning struck before the blade. A pure bolt hit his chest and pushed him several meters back, forcing him to dig his sword into the ground to keep from falling.
Lorenzo grunted in pain. Sparks of electricity scattered across his armor.
—Not bad... princess —he muttered, spitting blood.
Elizabeth didn't respond. With a smooth motion, she conjured five electric spheres that began to orbit her, emitting a sharp hum. Each one released calculated bursts that forced him to block or deflect with wind, rapidly draining his stamina.
Lorenzo understood how dangerous that strategy was.
She's managing her mana... and forcing me to spend more than I can recover. She doesn't want to defeat me quickly. She wants to wear me down.
That realization unsettled him more than the pain.
Driven by urgency, he slammed his knee into the ground and unleashed a contained whirlwind around himself. The air turned razor-sharp. Elizabeth dodged by leaping back, but a gust cut across her thigh, leaving a torn wind-burn.
She bled. And barely smiled. Not out of arrogance, but genuine interest.
—Interesting.
Lorenzo was already breathing heavily. His muscles burned, and the wind reinforcing him began to disperse. Elizabeth, meanwhile, maintained a steady stance. Her spheres still circled her, though more slowly now, like predators circling before the final strike.
He understood.
His defense was failing. His strength too.
Elizabeth lowered her hand.
—End of calculation.
A lightning bolt descended from above, focused and silent. It struck Lorenzo with absolute precision. There was no scream. Only the dull crash of a body yielding to a force beyond it.
The warrior fell, unconscious. The arena trembled with the impact.
The electricity surrounding Elizabeth faded gradually as she exhaled, without arrogance.
—I hope you won't bother me again —she said quietly—. Or next time it'll be worse.
No one dared to break the silence.
The students erupted into applause, at first scattered, then overwhelming, like a wave rolling through the stands. Some stood up, others murmured in disbelief; no one had expected such a calculated outcome. The fight hadn't been a display of brute force, but a masterclass in efficiency, affinity, and strategy.
Elizabeth took a deep breath. Though she still felt a faint tremor running through her body, her gaze remained steady. She didn't celebrate or smile. She simply looked at Lorenzo, who lay a few steps away, conscious but exhausted, with the intact dignity of someone who falls only after giving everything.
There was a moment of reverent silence.
Lorenzo had endured beyond his limits, reaffirming the innate strength of warriors against mages. But that duel made one thing clear: Elizabeth's natural talent, level difference, and Delta affinity went beyond physical strength. Her absolute control of energy, her precision in maintaining distance, and her ability to sustain advanced spells throughout the fight had tipped the balance.
She had won without needing to overpower. She won the way those who understand their power do: without wasting a single movement.
Professor Clara approached Naomi with light steps, her eyes shining with excitement and her hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline.
—That was extraordinary! —she exclaimed, unable to contain herself—. A mage defeating a warrior!
She raised a hand as if about to cast a spell, her voice filled with pride.
—Do you see? This is what happens when talent combines with speed... and a touch of magical genius.
She spun lightly, her energy contagious to the nearby students.
—Remember this: it's not just about power —she said, pointing toward the arena— but how fast you cast, how precisely you calculate, and never underestimating your opponent... not even the toughest knights. If Elizabeth managed to maintain that offense while controlling everything, it's because she turned her strategy into a weapon.
Some students exchanged glances, surprised to feel encouraged after such an intense battle. Clara smiled as she noticed the color rising to their cheeks.
—So... —she added with a playful wink— get to practice! And make sure you stay alert. I wouldn't want anyone getting a small burn... purely educational, of course.