The moment Faiser stood up after his name was announced—
he did not move toward the arena immediately like everyone expected.
Instead, he remained standing for only a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the arena while the noise of the stadium still continued after Kael and Mira's battle.
Then—
he disappeared. Not with a jump, nor with an ordinary fast movement.
He truly disappeared from his place, as if his image had been erased from reality for a brief moment.
And in the very next second—
Faiser appeared standing calmly beside the Fifth Elder at the edge of the arena, his hands behind his back as though he had been there from the very beginning.
The Fifth Elder's eyes widened instantly, to the point that he turned toward him with slightly delayed instinct.
"When…?!"
His pupils trembled for a moment.
"I didn't even sense his movement?!"
The Fifth Elder furrowed his brows while staring at Faiser from head to toe.
"This brat… is incredibly fast!"
Meanwhile, in the stands—
Shin's eyes widened immediately.
"Hah?!"
He half-stood from his seat.
"When did this madman move?!"
On the opposite side—
Shirin placed her hand over her mouth in obvious shock.
"I didn't see him at all…"
Then she narrowed her eyes toward Faiser.
"Even after focusing on him… I still couldn't notice the movement."
As for Daren—
he remained silent for a moment while watching Faiser standing near the arena.
Then—
the corner of his mouth rose into a very faint smile.
"Heh…"
He lowered his gaze slightly.
"As expected."
At that moment—
people's attention began shifting toward the other side of the arena, because Shall had finally started walking toward the stage.
His steps were steady this time, completely different from that defeated boy back in the training grounds.
He carried his sword over his shoulder, his expression filled with focus and excitement, while the disciples immediately began shouting his name the moment he appeared.
"Shaaaaaall!!"
"Crush that arrogant bastard!"
"Show him the power of the third generation!"
"You're our best disciple!"
"Don't lose against that conceited guy!"
Some disciples even stood up and applauded loudly, because Shall was well known within the sect as a talented, hardworking, and well-liked disciple.
Unlike Faiser, whose name had started spreading as a strange, annoying, and absurdly arrogant person.
Inside Faiser's mind—
the book burst into mocking laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Look at them!"
Then it continued with its usual provoking laughter:
"They're acting as if some legendary hero just entered the arena to save the world from the great villain!"
As for Faiser—
he did not care at all. He merely lifted his gaze toward Shall for a moment, then calmly said:
"Aaah… you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Aren't you that boy from the training grounds last time?"
He smiled faintly.
"I think I remember you… quite a nice coincidence though."
Shall stopped on the arena, then pointed his sword directly at him.
"Yes."
He tightened his grip strongly.
"I'm that boy."
Then he continued with a voice full of determination:
"And I admit that you defeated me before."
A brief silence spread across the arena.
"But that defeat…"
his tone gradually rose.
"…is what changed me."
Chi began moving lightly around his body.
"I knew you beat me by luck back then, even though I acknowledge your strength…"
Then he pointed his sword directly at Faiser.
"But now…"
he narrowed his eyes fiercely.
"…I promise you that no matter how hard you try, you will not defeat me again, Faiser!"
Faiser finally smiled faintly.
"Hahaha…"
Then he slowly nodded.
"Good."
"That's the spirit I wanted to see."
Meanwhile, the Fifth Elder—
kept staring at Faiser for several moments before sighing tiredly.
"Fine…"
He slightly raised his hand.
"Both of you, take your positions."
Shall stepped back to one side of the arena.
As for Faiser—
he walked calmly toward the opposite side, then stopped with his hands behind his back as though he were merely taking a stroll.
But suddenly—
the Fifth Elder narrowed his eyes, then said:
"Boy…"
He looked toward Faiser with obvious confusion.
"Where is your weapon?"
A brief silence followed.
"Do you use a dagger… or what?"
Faiser smiled lightly.
"Me?"
Then he slowly raised his empty hands.
"I don't need a weapon."
Some disciples' eyes widened.
As for Faiser—
he continued while looking toward Shall with clear provocation:
"I'll fight using only my bare hands."
Then he laughed softly.
"Just like the last time I fought you, boy."
He tilted his head slightly.
"What do you think?"
His provocative smile widened.
"Doesn't that seem fair in your favor? Hahahaha."
Shall clenched his teeth immediately, veins bulging on his forehead, but instead of exploding—
he simply lowered his head and took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, the Fifth Elder—
sighed tiredly in his mind.
"Is this brat actually insane?!"
He looked at Faiser again.
"Just as the rumors say… unbearably arrogant despite his weak level."
Then he shook his head.
"Haaah… whatever."
Finally, he raised his voice.
"Let the second round of the combat tournament begin!"
Then he shouted loudly:
"Begiiiiiin!!!"
The Fifth Elder instantly vanished from the middle of the arena and lightly returned below, but he muttered in his mind once more:
"This brat…"
He looked toward Faiser.
"…what exactly does he plan to do without a weapon?"
He sighed slowly.
"No matter how strong he is… this is far too difficult."
Then he shook his head.
"Whatever… this round will probably end quickly."
Inside the arena—
Shall stared directly at Faiser.
But Faiser… was not even looking at him.
Instead, he was slightly turned toward the side with his hands behind his back as though he had no interest in the battle whatsoever.
A heavy silence lasted for several seconds.
Then—
Shall suddenly shouted:
"Faaaaaaaiser!!!"
The entire arena shook from his voice.
"Look at me!"
He gripped his sword tightly.
"Attack me!"
His tone rose even more.
"Why are you looking away from me?!"
His eyes began reddening from emotion.
"Do you think I'm still weak like last time?!"
Then he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"LOOK AT MEEEEEE!!!"
Faiser sighed lightly, but still did not turn around yet. Then he finally said in an extremely calm voice:
"It's not a matter of weakness."
A brief silence followed.
"Even a weak person… can sometimes win."
Then the corner of his mouth rose slightly.
"I simply don't want to look at you."
Shall froze in place for a moment, while Faiser continued with the same calm tone:
"Because if I decide not to see you…"
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"…believe me, even if you sat on my eyelash, I still wouldn't see you."
In a single moment—
Shall exploded in anger.
"So that's what I am to you, Faaaaaaaiser?!"
Tears began appearing in his eyes despite his shouting.
"Just a weakling?!"
He clenched his fist so hard that his arm trembled.
Then—
his voice suddenly changed, becoming calmer and more sincere.
"I…"
He lowered his head slightly.
"…have considered you my role model ever since last time."
Some disciples' eyes widened in shock.
As for Shall—
he continued while tears streamed down despite his trembling smile.
"You're an amazing person in my eyes, Faiser…"
He pointed his sword directly at him.
"So…"
his voice trembled.
"…please."
"Just give me a chance to show you my strength."
Faiser's eye widened slightly for the first time since the battle began.
As for Shall—
he shouted once more:
"I want to defeat you!"
Then he laughed softly through his tears.
"Or at least… truly face you."
A very brief silence spread throughout the arena, then—
Faiser suddenly laughed.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
He finally turned toward him.
"You're seriously embarrassing me with those words, Shall."
At that moment—
Shall finally smiled with complete satisfaction, though his tears were not tears of sadness at all.
"Finally…"
He took a deep breath.
"…finally you looked at me."
Then he slowly raised his sword.
"And now…"
his smile widened with excitement.
"…I'll use all my power, so prepare yourself, brother!"
Inside Faiser's mind—
he quietly repeated:
"Brother… huh?"
Then he chuckled lightly.
"This kid is truly strange."
As for the book—
this time its laughter sounded slightly different. Not complete mockery, but closer to mild respect.
"Hahaha…"
Then it said:
"Take care of this kid."
"He'll become a good person in the distant future."
Faiser smiled faintly.
"Really…"
Then he closed his eyes for a moment.
"For the first time, I agree with you, Book."
His smile widened slightly.
"It's like you read my thoughts."
Then he opened his arms toward Shall.
"And now…"
He slightly raised his chin.
"Attack me with everything you have."
"I'll give you the first strike for free."
Shall smiled with obvious excitement.
"Then prepare yourself, brother!"
He took a very deep breath, then shouted with force that shook the arena:
"First Martial Art…"
Black chi began gathering violently around his sword.
"…Cursed Raven Blade!!!"
Shhhhhhhhhhh!!
And in a single moment—
the blade of his sword transformed into a dark blackness resembling raven feathers beneath the night.
Then—
black feathers began falling throughout the entire arena.
Dense feathers, mysterious and strangely beautiful, to the point that even the air became somewhat darker.
As for Faiser—
his eyes genuinely widened this time. He raised his hand toward one of the falling feathers and caught it between his fingers.
"Aaah…"
He looked at it with obvious admiration.
"How beautiful."
Then he smiled faintly.
"A talent like this truly shouldn't be wasted."
As for Shall—
he took another deep breath, then shouted with all his might:
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
And he charged directly toward Faiser at tremendous speed. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the black sword pierced through the air straight toward Faiser's face.
But—
the moment the blade came only centimeters away from his face…
Faiser smiled.
A very faint smile.
Without moving from his place at all.
Then—
the black feathers exploded throughout the arena, and everything disappeared within darkness and dust.
A brief silence spread.
Then—
the disciples exploded into screams.
"It's over!"
"Only one strike?!"
"Hahahahaha! That arrogant bastard finally fell!"
Even Lin laughed mockingly.
"Hah… so he was just a loudmouth after all."
As for Daren—
he silently narrowed his eyes.
"…"
Then he calmly said:
"No…"
But before he could finish—
Shin was already shouting nervously:
"What the hell happened?!"
As for Shirin—
she clenched her fists in fear.
"Did… did he really lose?!"
Above the platform—
the Sixth Elder burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"This is what happens to arrogant fools!"
Meanwhile, the Fifth Elder—
slowly sighed.
"Haaah…"
Then he shook his head.
"So it's probably over."
He raised his gaze toward the dust.
"Let's just wait for the dust to clear—"
But he suddenly stopped.
Because the dust had begun slowly parting.
And in the very next moment—
the entire arena froze.
Faiser appeared standing in his place without taking even a single step.
One hand behind his back.
As for the other hand…
it was holding Shall's black blade completely barehanded.
Without any injury.
Without even a scratch.
Even the raven feathers falling around him made the scene look like a terrifying yet majestic painting at the same time.
Everyone's eyes widened.
One disciple immediately screamed:
"WHAAAAAAAAT?!"
Another violently stood from his seat.
"He caught the blade with his hand?!"
"That's impossible!"
"Is that even possible?!"
"Even the chi around the sword couldn't pierce his skin!"
As for the Fifth Elder—
his eyes widened in genuine shock.
"How…?!"
He felt a chill run down his spine.
"How did he stop that strike with his bare hand?!"
Then he narrowed his eyes further.
"Is he using some hidden technique?!"
"Who exactly is this brat…?!"
As for the Sixth Elder—
he violently rose from his seat.
"How did that bastard not fall?!"
Veins bulged across his face in anger.
"Is he using some strange cheating method?!"
Below—
Shin stared at Faiser as though he were looking at a monster.
"This…"
He swallowed with difficulty.
"…is terrifying."
As for Shirin—
she could not speak at all.
She merely stared at him with trembling eyes.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Elder—
watched Faiser lazily with half-open eyes as usual.
Then—
the corner of his mouth finally rose.
"Heh…"
He chuckled lightly.
"I knew he wasn't normal."
He lazily closed one eye.
"This brat… is truly entertaining."
As for Daren—
his eyes widened clearly for the first time.
"With his hand…?"
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"More and more interesting…"
Meanwhile, Lin—
was completely shocked.
"No…"
He shook his head in disbelief.
"This can't be…"
Amid that heavy silence—
Faiser was still holding Shall's blade with one hand.
Then he calmly said:
"So, Shall…"
He smiled faintly.
"I gave you the first opportunity."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"But it seems you didn't make good use of it."
As for Shall—
he stared at him in complete shock.
"What is this power…?!"
His pupils trembled.
"It's as if…"
For a moment, he felt suffocated.
"…I'm trying to pierce the sky itself."
Then Faiser continued with terrifying calmness:
"And now…"
He slowly released the blade.
"…your turn is over."
Purple chi suddenly appeared around his other arm.
Dense and calm chi.
Yet it gave off a far heavier feeling than expected.
Shall's eyes widened instantly.
"When—?!"
But before he could finish—
Faiser disappeared from before him.
And in the very next instant—
Faiser's fist appeared buried inside his stomach.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The impact exploded violently inside Shall's body.
His eyes rolled backward and all the air burst from his lungs at once.
Then—
his body flew several meters before stopping with difficulty and collapsing onto his knees.
"Coughhh…!!"
He vomited blood onto the arena floor, then slowly lifted his head toward Faiser while his entire body trembled.
"This…"
He placed his hand over his trembling stomach.
"…hurts."
Then he laughed lightly in disbelief.
"So…"
He finally raised his eyes toward him.
"…this is the difference in power between us."
His eyes widened further.
"It's… truly vast."
Above the arena—
Faiser stood in complete calmness while the purple chi gradually faded from his fist, and the black feathers still slowly fell around him.
And at that moment—
everything inside the arena disappeared.
No cheers.
No whispers.
Not even the sound of the wind that had been passing over the arena moments earlier.
Everyone…
was only staring at that boy standing amidst the falling black feathers, with bare hands… and a terrifyingly calm gaze.
As for Shall—
he knelt before him trembling in pain, unable to even comprehend what had happened to him just moments ago.
Above—
the expressions of the elders gradually began changing.
Because what had just happened…
could no longer be described as talent or strangeness.
It was something far more dangerous.
Something that made even the Fifth Elder feel for the first time since the tournament began…
that Faiser's existence within this sect might one day become a true catastrophe.
As for Faiser—
he merely raised his eyes calmly toward the completely silent arena…
then smiled.
A very small smile.
But it was enough…
to make the hearts of more than one person in the stands tighten for no understandable reason.