The Anomaly's Path

”Fine,” I said, my voice dropping into a flat, serious tone as the top ranks got ready. ”Let us see what you have got.”

The space between us did not just feel small — it vanished.

A heavy, crushing weight dropped onto my shoulders. It was not the messy, unorganized power of the hundred students I had just taken down. This was sharp. Clear. Nine separate waves of strong intent locking onto me at the same time.

My flash instinct was already screaming, a cold warning at the back of my neck telling me that one mistake here would not just mean losing the Primus title.

It meant getting put in the dirt. These people were strong. Fighting them all together was very different from looking at stats or controlling them behind a screen in my past life. This was real killing intent, and it was dangerous.

Thump.

Roan moved first.

He did not use his time power, the bastard was too proud for that, but his raw speed was crazy. The sand under his boots did not just scatter. It exploded as he closed a thirty-step gap in a second. His crystal-tipped spear was a blur of silver light, aimed straight for my throat.

I shifted my weight, using a quick Starlight Step to move my body inside his reach. The wind from his spear cut a thin red line across my cheek. Before I could strike back, a shadow came from Roan’s side.

Riven.

His two daggers gleamed with dark shadow power, slicing up toward my exposed ribs from a blind angle. I had to force a sudden Volt Step, the black lightning snapping against the sand as I moved back.

But they had already expected the retreat.

”Stay down!” Cordelia’s voice was not loud, but as she stepped forward with her rapier raised, the air around my lungs suddenly turned heavy. Her Sovereign Wind power pushed through the space, creating a crushing pressure that fought my movement, making my limbs feel like they were wrapped in stone.

A sudden flash of silver wolf ears and grey hair cut through the wind pressure. Nyra was already in my guard, her claws carrying superhuman strength as she tore downward in a hard cross-slash.

I managed to pull Tempest up, keeping it inside its cover to block. The force of her beastkin strength shook right through my bones, the sheer power pushing my boots three inches deep into the arena floor.

Clang!

Before I could push her off, a big shadow loomed over her shoulder.

Alice came down like a rock, her massive longsword, nearly as tall as she was carrying the heavy weight of her half-dragon blood. She was not just swinging. Her amber eyes were wild with defiance, her Reave power flaring in red arcs.

I used a Spatial Slip, moving my cover by three inches mid-swing to change her path. Her heavy blade hit the sand where my feet had been a second ago, sending a big shockwave of stone and dust into the air.

I slid backward, my breath catching in my throat as a sudden chill hit my skin.

A clear water snake made of liquid light came through the dust cloud, its jaws open. Amelia stood a few steps back, her silver-violet eyes dead serious as her staff glowed with blue light, using her Apostle power to slow the mana flowing into my legs.

I didn’t try to dodge the serpent.

My left hand grabbed my cover, and with a harsh, metal sound, I pulled my sword fully into the light. The long, dark steel flashed as I swung in a hard arc.

I let my Soul Flame light up along the metal, a dark fire with a hollow purple core coating the edge as I cut through the middle of the water beast. The blade rang as the steel and flames tore the mana apart, breaking the construct until it burst into heavy mist.

But through that mist came the gold light.

Arthur did not say a word.

His messy black hair was pulled back by the wind of his approach, his golden eyes locked onto mine. His broadsword came down in a perfect, clean overhead strike.

I met his attack head-on, swinging my sword up with everything I had. Our blades hit each other with a loud screech, a big spray of bright sparks flying between our faces.

Bang!

The sound was loud. My knees bent a little. The moment our blades crossed, a cold wave of understanding hit my mind.

Arthur’s Sword power was a real problem.

In terms of pure, raw sword skill, the bastard was ahead of me. His balance was perfect, his pressure steady. I knew his moves because I used to play as him — I knew his stance, his weight, his favorite moves, and I used that knowledge to twist my wrist, using a space fold to push his blade off my guard.

But even knowing his moves did not save me from the weight of his speed. The light from his blade flared, a sudden burst of pure power hitting me in the chest.

The force sent me flying across the sand. My back hit the thick stone wall of the arena with a heavy, cracking thud.

”He is hit! Do not let him recover!” Julia’s voice cut through the dust, sharp and urgent. Her pink hair flew around her face as she slammed both palms onto the ground, using her Spatial Pressure power.

A 100-meter radar grid of faint blue light spread under the sand, locking onto my spot.

”Arthur, move left! Roan, he is going to step behind the broken wall! I can track his mana, move now!”

I coughed, a splash of red blood hitting the stone and staining the front of my uniform. My chest felt like it had been hit by a cart, the mana burn itching against the sudden damage.

”Is that all you have, Leo?” Roan laughed, his voice echoing across the arena as he spun his spear, his storm-silver eyes burning with wild excitement. ”Get up! I know you are not done!”

I leaned my head back against the broken stone, a low, ragged breath escaping my throat. I looked out at the loose half-circle they had formed.

Riven was waiting for me to make a move.

Marius stood near the back, his eyes serious as he kept his sword raised to cover their sides. Julia was standing near Cordelia, her wide amber eyes locked onto me, her hands still shaking but focused on keeping her spatial lock active.

I adjusted my grip on my sword. The earring on my ear pulsed cold against my skin, lowering the heat of my frustration, keeping my head clear.

If I make another mistake, I lose.

But looking at them, seeing Arthur’s clean sword lines, Roan’s scary fighting instinct, Alice’s raw dragon power, and Amelia’s spirit control, a sudden, cold spark lit up under my ribs.

I didn’t just want to beat them.

I wanted their skill. I wanted to see how they pushed their affinities to the limit. If I could endure this, if I could take in the intent behind these high-level clashes, I could use it. I could finally close the gap and finish the third form of my Eclipse art.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. The blood on my chin was warm, but the focus in my mind was cold as ice.

Before they could close the distance again, I moved.

Volt Step and Starlight Steps combined into one fast, unpredictable rhythm. Julia saw me coming through her radar, her eyes going wide with panic as she raised her staff defensively, trying to slow the space in front of her.

”Get back—!” she gasped, pushing her power to its limit to resist.

But my speed was already too high. I did not swing my blade at her. I reached out with my left hand, grabbing the tip of her staff and twisting it out of her grip, while my right hand pressed firmly against her shoulder.

”You did well...,” I said, my voice dropping into a low, flat whisper that only she could hear over the wind. ”You are growing, Julia. Now, sit down.”

I held back the full force of my power, keeping the black lightning from hurting her.

A small, controlled burst of force came from my palm — just enough to break her spatial lock without breaking her bones. The force sent her flying over the boundary line, landing safely on the soft sand outside the active area.

”You bastard!” Alice yelled, her red hair flying as she lunged from the side, her longsword aiming to take my arm off.

I spun on my heel, the sand exploding under my boots as my bloodline spiked inside my core. The black lightning did not just crackle now — it hissed with an unstable, dangerous fury, reacting to the sudden surge of power in my core.

I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my left hand, a wild, jagged grin finally breaking across my face as I looked at the remaining eight chosen fighters closing in from all sides.

”Heh, come on then,” I whispered, my fingers locking tight against Tempest’s hilt. ”Let’s see who stays standing.”