The Villian Who Broke The Story

The thunderous applause that followed Kael’s victory over Felix Blazeford lingered throughout the stadium long after he had stepped off the arena.

Students continued discussing the unbelievable battle among themselves. Some were still arguing over whether Kael had truly mastered the Sword Saint’s Celestial Star Style after witnessing it only once months ago, while others debated whether his mysterious copying ability had any limits at all.

High above, the important guests gradually settled back into their seats as the tournament officials prepared for the next match.

Meanwhile, Kael walked through the corridor leading toward the contestants’ waiting rooms, paying little attention to the commotion he had caused.

His expression remained as calm as ever.

To him, defeating Felix wasn’t something worth celebrating.

It was merely another step.

One more obstacle removed from the path toward Rank One.

The moment he entered the waiting room, the muffled cheers from outside became distant.

Several contestants waiting for their own matches instinctively turned to look at him.

Some immediately looked away.

Others quietly swallowed.

The fight against Felix had made one thing painfully clear.

Kael Draven was no longer someone they could underestimate.

Kael ignored every gaze directed at him.

He casually walked toward an empty chair before sitting down, resting one elbow against the armrest.

A bored expression spread across his face.

His next opponent hadn’t even been announced yet.

There was nothing for him to do except wait.

A few moments later, footsteps approached.

Kael raised his head.

Charlotte stood before him holding a bottle of water.

She stretched it toward him.

”You look like you need this.”

Kael accepted the bottle with a small smile.

”Thanks.”

Just as he was about to open it, something occurred to him.

”Are non contestants allowed here?”

Charlotte blinked before narrowing her eyes.

”Yes. First years specifically.”

She folded her arms.

”Don’t tell me that you felt special because you’re in the final round of the tournament.”

Kael immediately shook his head.

”Of course not.”

He unscrewed the bottle before taking a sip.

”Why would you think that?”

He shrugged.

”And is it even wrong if I’m confident?”

He paused briefly.

”Although...”

”I’m a bit worried.”

Charlotte noticed the brief hesitation in his voice.

That wasn’t an answer she expected.

During the past two months, Kael had always appeared confident regardless of the situation.

Even against opponents stronger than himself.

Seeing him admit that he was worried caught her off guard.

She studied him carefully.

”Worried?”

”About what exactly?”

Kael simply smiled.

”You’ll understand someday.”

Charlotte frowned.

”I don’t think that’s an answer.”

Before Kael could reply, the announcer’s voice echoed across the stadium.

”The next match will now begin!”

Both contestants are requested to proceed to the arena immediately!”

Another voice followed almost instantly.

”Zion Crawford...”

”...versus Ethan Boulder!”

The waiting room became noticeably quieter.

Several contestants instinctively turned toward the arena entrance.

Even Kael slowly stood up.

”Well...”

”That fight seems to be interesting.”

He casually tossed the empty water bottle into a nearby bin before walking toward the exit.

Charlotte hurried after him.

”You still haven’t told me what exactly it is that you’re afraid of.”

Kael didn’t stop walking.

”Well...”

”Just consider it to be something that you won’t understand.”

Charlotte sighed.

”You’re really bad at explaining things.”

Kael chuckled.

The pair stepped out of the waiting room and returned to the enormous stadium.

Unlike the preliminary rounds, every remaining match now carried enormous weight.

Thousands of spectators watched from every direction.

The first-year students occupied most of the lower stands, while second and third years observed quietly from higher rows.

Teachers remained stationed around the arena.

Magic instructors continuously reinforced the protective barriers surrounding the elevated platform.

After witnessing Kael’s fight against Felix, nobody wanted to underestimate the destructive potential of the remaining contestants.

Even the VIP section seemed noticeably livelier.

Guild Master Garrick Ironfang leaned forward with an excited grin.

Madam Voss remained composed.

The Sword Saint rested his chin on one hand while calmly observing the arena.

Below them...

Zion Crawford slowly walked onto the elevated platform.

His expression remained completely emotionless.

His long sword rested comfortably at his waist.

He stopped precisely at the center of the arena.

Moments later...

His opponent entered from the opposite side.

A young mage dressed in brown academy robes.

Unlike Zion, the boy wasted no time.

The instant he reached the center of the arena, mana surged beneath his feet.

Several layers of earth rose from the platform.

Massive stone walls surrounded him almost immediately.

The earth twisted and compressed itself into thick defensive barriers.

Within seconds...

The mage had transformed his side of the battlefield into a miniature fortress.

Even before the battle officially began.

Kael couldn’t help smiling.

”Interesting...”

Charlotte tilted her head.

”You know him?”

Kael shook his head.

”But as an Earth Mage.”

”He understands one thing.”

”The greatest weakness of a mage is allowing a swordsman to get close especially someone like Zion.”

”And He’s removing that possibility before the fight even begins.”

Charlotte nodded.

”That’s actually smart.”

Kael smiled again.

”It is.”

”But...”

He shifted his attention toward Zion.

”...he picked the worst possible opponent because the outcome will be the same.”

On the platform...

Zion calmly stared at the enormous earth barriers standing between himself and the mage.

Not even a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Instead...

A faint smirk slowly formed.

”Are you really that scared of me?”

The entire stadium fell silent.

Everyone waited for the mage’s response.

The Earth Mage let out a short laugh from behind the protection of his stone fortress.

”Don’t be silly.”

He placed one hand against the rocky wall while mana continued flowing beneath the arena.

”I’m just taking precautions.”

A low rumble echoed through the battlefield as more layers of earth rose from the ground, making his defenses even thicker.

”You may be Rank 2,” the mage continued, ”but at the end of the day, you’re still a knight.”

”As long as I don’t let you get close, this battle belongs to me.”

Several spectators nodded in agreement.

Unlike knights, mages excelled at controlling distance. Against someone like Zion Crawford, whose greatest strength lay in close combat, fortifying the battlefield before the fight even started was the logical approach.

Charlotte folded her arms.

”He isn’t wrong.”

Kael shook his head.

”No...”

”He made one fatal mistake.”

”What?”

”He assumed Zion would play by his rules.”

The referee glanced between both contestants before raising his hand.

”Begin!”

The instant the signal was given, the Earth Mage slammed both palms against the ground.

Boom!

Several stone spikes erupted toward Zion from every direction.

Massive boulders followed immediately after, racing across the arena with frightening speed.

Dust exploded into the air.

The audience leaned forward.

Yet Zion never moved.

He merely watched the incoming attacks with his usual stoic expression.

”...Is he frozen?” someone in the audience whispered.

Just before the first spike reached him—

Zion calmly stepped aside.

Not a frantic dodge.

Not a desperate leap.

Just one precise movement.

The spike missed him by barely an inch.

The second attack arrived.

Another simple sidestep.

The third.

A slight tilt of his head.

Every movement was unbelievably efficient.

It looked less like he was dodging...

...and more like the attacks were intentionally avoiding him.

The Earth Mage frowned.

”Tch.”

Without wasting another second, he increased the intensity of his assault.

Dozens of stone lances burst from beneath the platform.

Large chunks of rock rained down from above.

The entire battlefield trembled continuously.

Yet...

Zion continued walking forward.

One hand remained casually inside his pocket.

The other rested loosely by his side.

He looked almost bored.

High above the stadium, Garrick Ironfang burst into laughter.

”Hahaha!”

”Your son really has an attitude.”

”I like that.”

The Sword Saint allowed himself a small smile.

”Nah.”

”It seems like he’s trying to test his future opponent.”

”Or at least test the limits of his ability to copy his technique.”

”All in all...”

”Meeting someone capable of learning the Celestial Star Style without years of training must be rather annoying.”

”But...”

He looked toward Kael in the audience.

”...this will make the tournament much more interesting.”

Madam Voss remained completely silent.

Her cold gaze never left the battlefield.

Below them...

The Earth Mage gritted his teeth.

”Stop dodging!”

He stomped his foot.

Another enormous wave of earth erupted across the arena.

Entire sections of the platform shifted under Zion’s feet.

Still...

Nothing changed.

Zion continued advancing.

Slowly.

Patiently.

As though he were taking a leisurely walk through a garden instead of fighting one of the academy’s strongest Earth Mages.

Finally...

He stopped.

The audience noticed something unusual.

Zion reached into his pocket.

”...What’s he doing?”

A small metallic object appeared in his hand.

It wasn’t his sword.

It wasn’t even a dagger.

It was...

A tiny pocket knife.

The entire stadium went silent.

Even the Earth Mage blinked in confusion.

”...You can’t possibly tell me that you were planning on using this pocket knife to fight me.”

The mage’s voice rose in disbelief.

Across the arena, a vein bulged on Zion’s forehead.

His expression darkened slightly.

The silence that followed wasn’t born from shock.

It was curiosity.

Everyone wanted to know exactly what Zion Crawford intended to accomplish with nothing more than a tiny pocket knife.

It was already common knowledge throughout the academy that mages naturally possessed an advantage over knights in battles fought at long range.

Yet now...

Rank Two himself intended to fight under those conditions...

...while using nothing more than a pocket knife.

Kael watched with genuine admiration.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

”So that’s your answer...”

Charlotte glanced at him.

”What answer?”

Kael kept his eyes fixed on Zion.

”He isn’t trying to disrespect his opponent.”

”He’s making a statement.”

”If he can win with something like that...”

”...then the gap between them was never close to begin with.”

On the platform...

The Earth Mage clenched his staff tightly.

”If you’re looking down on me...”

”...I’ll make you regret it.”

Zion calmly twirled the tiny knife once before pointing it toward his opponent exactly as though it were a legendary sword.

His voice remained completely emotionless.

”You made your preparations.”

”You’ve fortified the battlefield.”

”You’ve chosen the terrain.”

He slowly lowered his stance.

”So...”

”I’ll defeat you anyway.”

The pressure radiating from him intensified.

Even students seated dozens of meters away unconsciously held their breath.

The real battle...

...was finally about to begin.

The Earth Mage’s pupils shrank.

As Zion suddenly vanished from his view

The mage immediately used The earth below his feet to propel himself to the sky to observe the arena from above.

”No matter how fast you think you are you can’t escape my sight from above,” The Mage said with a cocky expression, but as time went on he didn’t catch a glimpse of Zion on the arena almost like.

”...He isn’t there.” The mage said in a terrified tone.

His heart skipped a beat as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him.

Before he could react—

He felt a faint ripple of mana directly behind him.

His body instinctively twisted around.

There, suspended in the air behind him, was Zion.

The small pocket knife rested in his hand exactly as though it were a legendary blade.

The Earth Mage’s face immediately lost all color.

”When...?”

Zion looked down at him with the same indifferent expression he had worn since the beginning of the battle.

”Only an idiotic mage would take a fight to an unfamiliar terrain.”

The words struck harder than any attack.

Realizing the danger he was in, the Earth Mage reacted immediately.

”Earth Fortress!”

Three enormous walls of condensed stone erupted between himself and Zion.

Each wall was thicker than the last, reinforced with mana until they resembled the walls of a fortress rather than ordinary earth magic.

The spectators gasped.

”Three defensive walls?”

”He’s putting everything into defense!”

”That should be enough to stop even Zion...”

The Earth Mage exhaled sharply.

He had created the barriers in an instant.

No knight should be capable of cutting through all three before gravity pulled them back to the ground.

Yet Zion’s expression never changed.

He simply raised the pocket knife.

His stance became perfectly still.

The noisy stadium seemed to disappear.

Everything around him fell silent.

Even Kael unconsciously narrowed his eyes.

”That stance...”

Charlotte felt goosebumps spread across her arms.

”It can’t be...”

Zion’s grip tightened.

A faint silver glow gathered around the tiny blade.

The overwhelming sword intent radiating from his body caused countless students to hold their breath.

Then—

”First Form...”

His voice was calm.

Almost gentle.

”...Guiding Light.”

Slash!

For a single instant—

A brilliant streak of silver flashed across the battlefield.

No one below the rank of instructor managed to see Zion move.

To them...

He had simply vanished.

The next moment...

He was already standing on the ground several meters behind the Earth Mage.

The pocket knife remained pointed toward the earth.

Silence filled the arena.

Zion calmly dusted his uniform with his free hand before folding the tiny knife and letting it fall from his fingers.

Clink.

The small metallic sound echoed across the stadium.

Nothing happened.

Several students blinked in confusion.

”...Did he miss?”

Then—

The first earth wall split perfectly down the center.

A heartbeat later—

The second wall collapsed.

Then the third.

Each barrier slid apart cleanly before crashing onto the arena floor.

The Earth Mage remained standing for only a brief second longer.

A thin line appeared across his chest.

His eyes rolled backward.

His body collapsed on the arena with a loud thud.

The referee immediately stepped forward.

”Winner...”

”...Zion Crawford!”

The announcement echoed throughout the stadium.

For several seconds...

No one spoke.

If a pin had fallen onto the arena floor, everyone present would have heard it.

Then the entire stadium erupted.

”He used a pocket knife!”

”He cut through three reinforced earth walls!”

”That wasn’t even a sword!”

The VIP section was no less shocked.

Garrick Ironfang burst into loud laughter.

”Hahaha!”

”That’s exactly what I wanted to see!”

The Sword Saint smiled faintly.

”He wasn’t trying to show off.”

”He was teaching.”

”He wanted everyone—including Kael—to understand that the Celestial Star Style isn’t defined by the weapon.”

”It’s defined by the swordsman.”

Far below, Zion never acknowledged the cheers.

He simply turned and walked toward the waiting corridor as though the victory meant nothing.

Halfway there...

He stopped for only a fraction of a second.

His eyes met Kael’s.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them smiled.

Yet an invisible challenge passed between them.

Kael slowly grinned.

”As expected...”

Charlotte looked at him.

”What?”

Kael’s eyes never left Zion.

”Could you help me get a pocket knife?”

Charlotte blinked.

”A... pocket knife?”

”What do you want to do? Exactly what he did?”

Kael chuckled.

”Well yeah.”

”Something like that.”

Charlotte sighed helplessly.

”You’ll be taunting him.”

Kael shrugged.

”Well, he replied to my initial taunt with a taunt of his own.”

”I shouldn’t back down.”

He continued watching Zion disappear into the waiting area before a confident smile spread across his face.

”My next fight...”

He slipped both hands into his pockets.

”...will be with a pocket knife.”