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1. Shadows at Dawn
Before the sun even rose, the arena was already occupied.
Three dozen candidates had gathered at the gates—not to duel, but to meditate, warm up, and mentally prepare. A few even offered prayers to obscure gods. One student burned incense. Another placed a charm on their forehead.
They weren't preparing for beasts or traps.
They were preparing for him.
The moment Aaron Aetherwyn's footsteps echoed across the plaza, every head turned. Silence fell like a hammer.
He yawned.
Someone fainted.
He adjusted his collar.
Two students bit their tongues.
Lily, arriving beside him, groaned. "You breathed too hard again."
"I just… inhaled," Aaron mumbled.
"That's what makes it worse."
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2. Duel Assignment – "No Mercy Round"
The morning matches were different today.
Nova had altered the format—no more tame summoned beasts or controlled environments. Now, students would be facing controlled chaos: enchanted terrain, magical storms, and roaming constructs. A step below military-grade simulations.
"They need pressure," Nova had said. "I want to see who breaks. And I want him to see it."
She didn't mean Aaron.
Not directly.
But Lily understood.
She always did.
Today's real test wasn't magic or strength.
It was how long a student could function while being watched by the academy's most terrifying professor.
---
3. Duel 1 – Saria Vonn vs. Split-Terrain Constructs
The arena floor split diagonally—half transformed into burning desert, the other into a slick, icy slope.
Saria Vonn stepped forward with perfect posture. She drew her sword, activated three core runes across her ribs, and plunged into the desert half.
Two humanoid constructs activated. One wielded a blade coated in curse runes. The other used fire projectiles in irregular arcs.
Saria danced.
She glided between strikes, deflecting fire, sliding under slashes, and executing perfect side-flips on unstable sand. When she reached the icy terrain, she didn't slow—she accelerated, using her momentum to control a skidding slide into a finishing arc slash.
The constructs fell.
The crowd barely understood what had happened.
Saria stood, breathing heavily—then looked up.
Aaron was watching.
Expressionless.
Her eye twitched.
Then she fainted.
Aaron blinked. "Was it too much?"
Nova smirked. "You looked impressed."
"I was."
Nova whispered, "Then why do you always look like you're judging their ancestors?"
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4. Duel 2 – Velis Noxen Rematch
Velis stepped onto the arena again—despite already having a full duel earlier in the arc. This time, his request was special.
"I want to fight without illusions. Pure counterplay. I… I want to see if I can endure," he said.
The evaluators were confused.
Aaron approved it silently.
And so Velis entered a mirrored arena—walls reflecting every movement, magic spells bouncing wildly.
His enemy: his own clone.
A full mana illusion, cast by the Academy staff, with his spells, his weaknesses, and his fear.
The duel was brutal.
Velis fought dirty, cast wide nets, collapsed runes mid-form to create distortions, and tricked even his own copy. But the illusion was better. Cleaner. More precise.
Then Velis looked up and saw Aaron's silhouette.
Still.
Watching.
He pushed forward—screaming.
And struck down his own copy with a blast of raw, unrefined mana that shattered every reflection in the field.
When the mirrors fell, Velis dropped to his knees.
"I did it…"
Aaron nodded once. "Clever rune-collapsing."
Velis bowed so hard his forehead hit the floor.
---
5. Meanwhile – Axel's Discovery
In a forgotten hallway near the beast containment chambers, Axel Myrravelle was sneaking around.
He wasn't here to cheat. Not directly.
He wanted information. Insight.
He needed to understand what made Aaron Aetherwyn so unstoppable.
But instead, he found something else.
A sealed vault. Faintly glowing. Runes cracked.
Axel stared.
He didn't open it.
He simply placed his hand near it.
The runes pulsed.
His eyes widened.
Something old. Something aware. Something watching him from behind that stone.
And when he pulled his hand away, the mark of a snake coiled around a crown had appeared, faintly, on the back of his palm.
He stumbled backward.
Then smiled.
---
6. Duel 3 – The Arrogant Returns
To everyone's disbelief, Gerod Mave returned.
Battered. Bruised. Limiting himself to one arm in a sling.
"I demand the right to redeem myself!" he shouted. "I shall duel with honor, grace, and the blessing of Professor Aetherwyn!"
Aaron flinched. "I didn't bless anyone."
Lily buried her face in her hands. "Why is he back?"
Nova sipped wine. "Because drama sells."
Gerod was pitted against a floating construct that used gravity wells and summoned spiked chains.
It floored him in five seconds.
He stood back up.
It knocked him down again.
He stood once more—bloodied, laughing, crying.
He raised his wand and screamed, "By the wisdom of Professor Aether—!"
Aaron sneezed.
The construct exploded.
Silence.
Aaron wiped his nose. "Sorry. Pollen."
Gerod collapsed, whispering, "My lord is merciful…"
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7. After Hours
That night, the academy was quieter than usual.
Lily stood at the cliffside with her arms folded.
Nova joined her. "He's not changing. But everything else is."
"The stronger the students get," Lily said, "the more scared they become."
Nova looked at the stars. "He's not trying to dominate. But he exists in dominance."
Below them, Aaron walked the path back to his quarters, softly humming an off-key tune about muffins.
Half the student body heard the tune and didn't sleep that night.
Just in case it was a spell.
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End of Chapter 40