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[Noctis]
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The academy had grown unusually quiet by the time night fully descended upon Nexus.
The excitement and chaos that once filled the stadium throughout the day had finally calmed, leaving behind only silence and the pale glow of moonlight stretching across the enormous academy grounds. From the balcony of his dormitory, Noctis quietly gazed toward the distant towers and pathways below, his white hair swaying gently beneath the cold night wind.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow he would finally fight Samuel Crimson.
The true protagonist of this world.
A faint smile slowly appeared on his face as his crimson eyes reflected the moon hanging high above the sky.
How strange.
It had already been over a year since he arrived in this world.
At first, everything felt artificial to him. The people around him had seemed like nothing more than characters written upon paper. A novel world destined to follow a predetermined plot. Yet somewhere along the way, that feeling had quietly disappeared.
The experiences he had shared.
The battles he had fought.
The people he had met.
Silver Ryker.
Yelena Zephyr.
Clara Taylor.
Even the absurd prince Reinheart.
They no longer felt fictional.
They felt real.
His crimson eyes slowly shifted behind him toward the bed inside the room where Astarix slept lazily curled beneath the blanket. The black cat occasionally twitched in her sleep while muttering incomprehensible nonsense beneath her breath.
A softer smile unconsciously formed on Noctis' face.
…And a companion too.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room once more.
Then his gaze slowly returned toward the moonlit sky outside.
He still remembered the first time he truly clashed with Samuel during the sumo event. But honestly, that couldn't even be considered a real fight. Neither of them had used mana. Neither of them had shown genuine intent. It had merely been a shallow collision between two monsters testing each other's presence.
But tomorrow would be different.
Tomorrow there would be no holding back.
No hesitation.
No restraint.
A dangerous excitement slowly stirred within Noctis' chest at the thought.
Because for the very first time since arriving in this world, he knew someone would genuinely push him to his limits.
His fingers slowly stretched outward into the air.
Instantly—
space distorted faintly around them.
Tiny invisible fractures spread quietly through reality itself before disappearing once more.
Noctis stared silently at the distortion.
From his seven affinities, four had already been revealed to the world.
Ice.
Light.
Lightning.
Space.
At this point, hiding them no longer mattered.
Tomorrow—
he would use everything necessary to win.
Even if it meant revealing more.
Even if it meant pushing his body beyond its limits once again.
Aurelia's words suddenly resurfaced within his mind.
"Space is a cursed element."
"At the pinnacle… it can devour even you."
For a brief moment, Noctis' expression darkened slightly as he quietly observed the invisible distortions around his fingertips.
"…What exactly are you?" he whispered softly.
The space around him trembled faintly.
Almost as though it were alive.
Behind him, Astarix slowly opened one golden eye while still half asleep.
"…Tch," she muttered lazily. "Don't lose yourself tomorrow."
For once—
her voice held no mockery.
Only seriousness.
And strangely enough—
Noctis understood exactly what she meant.
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[Samuel]
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Elsewhere within the academy—
another room remained brightly lit despite the late hour of the night.
Samuel Crimson stood quietly near the large window of his dormitory, his crimson eyes reflecting the moonlight spreading across Nexus Academy. Unlike the calm silence surrounding Noctis' room, the atmosphere here felt hotter.
Sharper.
The faint traces of fire mana unconsciously flickered around Samuel's body before fading once more.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow he would finally fight Noctis Valen.
A grin slowly formed on Samuel's face at the thought.
Ever since entering Nexus Academy, one name had continuously stood beside his own.
Noctis.
The white-haired anomaly who disrupted everything.
Samuel still remembered the first time they met inside the café. At that moment, his system had instantly reacted.
Not with analysis.
Not with confidence.
But with a warning.
A warning Samuel had never seen before.
[WARNING]
[ERROR: #@@2VA@#]
Even now, remembering that moment caused his eyes to narrow slightly.
Because his system had never failed before.
Not once.
Ever since childhood, the system had guided him flawlessly. It analyzed enemies, predicted combat patterns, optimized spells, and continuously strengthened him through battle after battle.
It was the reason he grew so monstrously fast.
Yet the moment it encountered Noctis—
it failed completely.
At first Samuel assumed it was merely an error.
Then came the entrance examination.
The rise to rank one.
The absurd growth speed.
The battle against the S-Rank demon.
The title of Dark Blade.
One impossible feat after another.
And now—
Samuel could no longer deny it.
Noctis stood on the same stage as him.
Perhaps even higher.
Instead of frustration though—
Samuel felt excitement.
Pure excitement.
Because before Noctis appeared, everything had always felt painfully boring.
Samuel Crimson had practically lived the life of every legendary hero told in old stories. His parents were slaughtered by demons during his childhood, leaving behind nothing except rage and revenge within his heart.
Then came the Abyss Guild.
Quill personally took him in after discovering his talent.
And from that point onward—
Samuel's life completely changed.
His multiple affinities.
His monstrous mana sensitivity.
His overwhelming combat talent.
Everywhere he went, people praised him endlessly.
The Greatest Prodigy of the Century.
The Future Of Humanity.
The Child Blessed By Mana Itself.
The kingdom adored him.
The guilds invested everything into him.
Even the heirs of noble families struggled to stand beside him.
At first Samuel enjoyed it.
But eventually—
it became boring.
No one could truly challenge him.
No one could genuinely force him to fight seriously.
Until Noctis appeared.
Samuel slowly touched the faint scar across his cheek left behind by Darius' final attack.
A cold look briefly flashed through his crimson eyes.
That battle reminded him of something important.
Carelessness could still cost him.
And tomorrow—
he couldn't afford to make that mistake again.
Slowly, Samuel looked back toward the moon outside the window.
Then—
his grin widened.
A dangerous excitement radiated from his body.
Because tomorrow—
for the very first time in years—
Samuel Crimson would fight someone he truly acknowledged as an equal.
And honestly—
he couldn't wait anymore.
...
The atmosphere inside Nexus Academy had completely changed by the time the two finalists finally approached the arena.
The usual loud excitement of the students had transformed into something heavier. Tens of thousands of cadets filled the massive stadium seats while discussions continuously echoed everywhere around the arena. Even the professors and instructors held unusually serious expressions today.
Because everyone understood something clearly.
This battle was special.
This was not simply another tournament match between talented students.
No—
this was the collision between the two greatest monsters of the first years.
The future of the kingdom itself seemed to stand within that arena.
The gigantic magical screens surrounding the battlefield glowed brightly before suddenly displaying the names of the upcoming duelists.
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Rank#1—Noctis
Versus
Rank #2 —Samuel Crimson
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The entire stadium instantly erupted.
Cheers.
Shouts.
Excitement exploded throughout the arena as mana barriers around the battlefield activated one after another. Even the reinforced SS-Rank walls surrounding the arena radiated brightly beneath the pressure of the enchantments.
Slowly—
Samuel Crimson stepped into the arena first.
His crimson hair swayed lightly beneath the wind while his crimson eyes calmly scanned the battlefield ahead. A crimson spear rested against his shoulder while faint traces of heat distorted the atmosphere around him unconsciously.
The crowd instantly roared louder.
Because Samuel Crimson was already a celebrity even before entering Nexus Academy.
The genius blessed with three affinities.
The disciple of Vice Headmaster Mitch Rozenberg.
The future pillar of the Abyss Guild.
For many students—
Samuel represented invincibility itself.
Meanwhile high above the arena, Selena quietly watched him while clenching her hands together slightly.
Even she understood this battle would not be easy.
Noctis was unlike anyone Samuel had faced before.
Then—
the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
A strange silence quietly spread throughout the stadium.
Students instinctively turned toward the opposite entrance.
And slowly—
Noctis walked into the arena.
White hair.
Crimson eyes.
A black coat fluttering slightly behind him beneath the wind.
The moment he appeared, the pressure inside the arena itself seemed to change faintly.
Because unlike Samuel—
Noctis carried mystery around him.
Anomaly.
Fear.
Curiosity.
The boy who defeated an S-Rank demon.
The wielder of the cursed Space affinity.
The disciple of Aurelia Lioren herself.
The young hunter now known throughout the kingdom as the Dark Blade.
Even the higher years quietly narrowed their eyes watching him descend toward the battlefield.
Above the arena—
Sylas slowly smiled.
"…Now this is going to be fun."
Ismeria Valerion's golden eyes slowly sharpened while observing the two figures standing below.
The pressure radiating from the battlefield alone already felt abnormal despite the duel not even beginning yet.
Beside her—
Sylas remained leaning lazily against his seat while holding an amused smile on his face.
Ismeria quietly glanced toward him afterward.
"…Who do you think is going to win?"
"Hm?"
Sylas slowly turned toward her before his grin widened slightly.
"Why should I tell you?"
"Tch."
"…Annoying."
That only made Sylas laugh softly.
Because honestly—
even he couldn't predict the outcome perfectly anymore.
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Meanwhile—
within the audience seats—
Silver Ryker quietly sat together with Reinheart and Yelena.
And currently—
Alyssa Croft was peacefully sleeping with her head resting on Yelena's lap completely unbothered by the overwhelming atmosphere surrounding the stadium.
Yelena sighed while gently patting the pink-haired girl's head.
"…How is she sleeping right now?"
No one answered.
Because honestly—
it was Alyssa.
Trying to understand her was pointless.
Soon afterward—
Yelena glanced toward the arena before speaking softly.
"Who do you guys think is going to win?"
Reinheart's gaze slowly shifted toward Samuel Crimson standing below.
For once—
his expression looked unusually serious.
"…As much as I want to side with Noctis…"
"…ever since I witnessed Samuel fight as a child…"
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"…I just could never imagine him losing."
"It didn't matter how strong the opponent was."
"Samuel always somehow found a way out."
Reinheart quietly folded his arms afterward.
"…Honestly, I was never sure why."
Then—
Silver suddenly spoke.
"It's going to be Noctis."
That instantly made Reinheart glance toward him.
Silver's cold blue eyes remained fixed on the white-haired boy below.
Calm.
Confident.
"…That monster keeps surpassing expectations."
"…I stopped doubting him a while ago."
Beside them—
Yelena sighed deeply.
"…Whoever wins…"
"…let's just hope it doesn't become too ridiculous."
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Elsewhere—
inside the crowd—
Clara Taylor was currently sweating buckets.
Literal panic filled her face while she continuously stared between Samuel and Noctis.
"…U-Ugh…"
"…What even is this scenario…"
One was the protagonist she personally created.
The other was the anomaly that completely shattered the plot itself.
Neither of them should have become this absurd this quickly.
Clara grabbed her head in frustration afterward.
Then suddenly—
she stood up from her seat.
"DON'T DIE, IDIOT!"
Her voice echoed loudly throughout the nearby audience section.
Several students immediately stared at her strangely.
Clara slowly sat back down afterward while covering her face from embarrassment.
"…Kill me…"
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Far away—
inside the Saviant Guild Headquarters of Lumere—
Baldur quietly stared toward the magical projection with folded arms.
Even the veteran hunters surrounding him looked unusually focused.
Then—
Clare suddenly leaned forward excitedly.
"Okay this is DEFINITELY the biggest first-year fight I've ever seen."
One of the hunters beside her slowly muttered.
"…Those two really are monsters."
Baldur surprisingly remained silent briefly afterward before speaking calmly.
"…The terrifying part…"
"…is that neither of them are anywhere near their peak yet."
That single statement made the atmosphere inside the room heavier instantly.
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Meanwhile—
inside the Saviant Headquarters—
the atmosphere had become completely silent.
Every single guild member remained focused on the magical projection floating above the center hall.
Upon it—
two figures stood facing each other within the massive arena of Nexus Academy.
Samuel Crimson.
Noctis.
Even the veteran hunters watching quietly understood something instinctively.
This battle would become historic.
Guildmaster Elena calmly rested her chin against her hand while her sharp blue eyes remained fixed on the white-haired boy standing below.
Beside her—
Ogram folded his arms while exhaling slowly.
"…Hard to believe those are first years."
Lyra quietly nodded afterward.
The pressure leaking from the screen alone already felt monstrous.
Then—
a small smile slowly appeared on Elena's face.
Soft.
Yet filled with confidence.
Her blue eyes remained locked onto Rio.
"…Shock the world, Rio."
Those simple words quietly echoed throughout the silent hall.
And strangely—
every single person there felt the same thing.
That white-haired boy standing inside the arena—
was about to do exactly that.
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Deep within the forest—
Leon watched the battlefield with glowing interest while Emma stood beside him looking annoyed.
Then—
Leon suddenly smiled.
"…Win kid."