----
The air in the arena was thick with tension as Arthur and Damon faced each other, stepping back and analyzing their opponent. Damon rolled his shoulders, a confident smirk spreading across his face.
"So, you're Arthur, huh? I've heard a lot about you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Oh? I didn't know I was that popular."
Damon's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "You're popular as the fallen noble, that is." He suddenly burst into laughter, loud and mocking. "Looks like luck is on my side today! I get to fight the so-called noble who wasn't even chosen by a blade! Lucky me, lucky me!"
The crowd murmured in agreement, their whispers buzzing across the arena.
"Yeah, he's lucky."
"Arthur's just a failed noble. This match is already decided."
Arthur's gaze sharpened as he looked at Damon, his voice calm but firm. "Are you going to just stand there talking, or are you actually going to come at me?"
Damon's grin faltered for a split second before twisting into a sneer. "Ooooh, still acting all high and mighty, even after being stripped of your nobility? Let me enlighten you—you're nothing more than a commoner now, you hear me?" He raised his hand, pointing at Arthur. "I won't waste my time. I'll finish you off quickly."
Arthur's fingers twitched as he exhaled slowly. "Then let's get started."
At that moment, Hyorinmaru, the small ice dragon, floated onto Arthur's shoulder. The little dragon's eyes glowed as he analyzed Damon.
"He's strong," Hyorinmaru said, his voice echoing in Arthur's mind. "And your abilities are still blank. You're going to have a tough time defeating him."
Damon's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the dragon before he let out another chuckle. "Ooooh, I didn't know you babysat little lizards too. Don't worry—after I'm done with you, I'll take care of it for you."
"Blind... Kagayagi!"
A brilliant flash of light magic enveloped Damon's hand as it transformed into a glowing sword, radiating with overwhelming brilliance.
Hyorinmaru's eyes flashed at the insult. "Arthur," he said, his voice sharper, "he talks too much. Why don't we shut him up?"
Arthur smirked. "Gladly."
Damon lunged, his blade slicing through the air. Arthur didn't flinch. He raised his hand, his breath steady as he called out:
"Frost upon the heavens... Hyorinmaru."
In an instant, the small dragon on his shoulder disappeared in a flurry of ice and mist, reforming into a sleek, glistening blade in Arthur's grasp. The temperature in the arena dropped as the ice-forged weapon pulsed with raw energy.
CLANG!
Arthur intercepted Damon's attack with ease, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks and frost.
Damon stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. "You can summon a blade? That dragon was... it?"
In the audience, the captains of the Sword Mage Order exchanged surprised glances. The head captain narrowed his eyes, his gaze locked onto Arthur's sword.
"That blade..." he thought, his expression darkening. "There's something sinister about it. And it looks... familiar."
The vice-captain beside him noticed his change in expression. "Captain? Something wrong?"
The head captain remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "It's nothing."
Back in the arena, Damon's lips curled into a smirk. "Don't get cocky just because you can summon a sword now. You're still beneath me!"
He charged again, faster this time, his blade slicing forward. Arthur met him head-on, their swords clashing in rapid succession.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Damon feinted left before swinging upward from below. Arthur's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected move, but he reacted instantly. Using Damon's arm as support, he flipped over him in midair, landing smoothly behind him.
SWISH!
Arthur's blade struck out in a sharp arc. Damon twisted, barely managing to block in time, but the force of the strike sent him skidding backward.
A flicker of frustration crossed Damon's face. He gritted his teeth. "I won't lose to you!"
He suddenly raised his free hand.
"Light Magic: Ray Beam!"
A blinding bolt of light shot toward Arthur. He barely dodged in time, feeling the heat graze past him.
Damon laughed, his voice dripping with arrogance. "What's wrong? Where's that attitude of yours now?"
He fired another beam, then another. Arthur ducked, weaving through the onslaught as the energy blasts exploded against the stage. He picked up speed, sprinting in a wide arc around Damon, dodging each attack.
As he ran, his mind worked furiously.
"I need to find an opening. We can't stay on the defensive forever."
Damon suddenly fired five beams in rapid succession. Arthur dodged four—but the fifth struck him in the side.
BOOM!
Arthur grunted as he staggered back, pain flaring across his ribs.
Damon smirked. "Got you."
He raised his hand for another shot.
Arthur's mind raced. Think, think... You can't lose here. Not after coming this far!
Another beam whizzed past his face. Then, suddenly—an idea struck him.
"He's attacking using light magic—Ray Beam. But light can be reflected..."
His thoughts flashed back to a lesson in school, an experiment with mirrors and a beam of light.
"The law of reflection... the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection."
Arthur's eyes sharpened. "If I can create ice so clear it acts like a mirror, I can reflect Damon's attacks back at him. And if I control the angles... I can make sure he never sees it coming."
Damon kept firing, the beams narrowly missing. "Is running all you can do? Use your magic already! Show me what you've got!"
Arthur suddenly sprinted straight toward Damon.
Damon let out a mocking laugh. "That won't work on me!"
He stepped back, aiming his hand.
"Ray Beam!"
Arthur didn't dodge.
The beam struck him—just off-center, avoiding a vital spot.
Damon's eyes widened in shock. "What—?!"
For the first time, Damon hesitated. He had expected Arthur to evade, not take the hit head-on. That moment of hesitation was all Arthur needed.
With a deep breath, Arthur raised Hyorinmaru, his voice ringing with power.
"Ice Magic: Clear Crystal!"
A transparent wall of ice formed instantly in front of him—perfectly smooth, as reflective as glass.
The Ray Beam struck the ice—
And rebounded.
Damon's smirk faltered. "I can dodge this!"
He sidestepped, but—
Another ice mirror appeared.
The beam bounced again—redirected at a new angle.
Then another. And another.
More ice mirrors materialized in quick succession, forming a complex web of reflections, all calculated according to the law of reflection.
Arthur's expression was calm, controlled. "Light travels in a straight line. But when manipulated correctly, it can be unpredictable."
Damon's smirk was gone. His eyes darted wildly, tracking the reflections as the beam zigzagged around him at impossible angles.
Arthur's voice was steady. "Now you can't predict where the attack will come from, can you?"
Damon snapped. His panic turned into desperation as he fired five more Ray Beams, trying to shatter the ice.
But it was too late.
The mirrors redirected every single shot, sending them back tenfold.
Four final mirrors appeared, surrounding Damon from all sides and Arthur says it's over.
The light beams converged.
A blinding explosion of light erupted at the center of the stage.
As the light faded, Damon lay motionless on the ground.
Garrick stood from his seat, his voice echoing across the arena.
"The winner is—Arthur!"