Chapter 201: Late Bloomer

"Come on, hurry up! We’ll miss it if we don’t run."

"Yeah, it’s a duel between Elysia and Ray! Everyone’s already there!"

"This is going to be really interesting... Doesn’t Ray have feelings for Elysia? Then why is he the one challenging her to a duel in front of everyone..?"

The three students of Class 1C spoke quickly among themselves while running through the corridor, their steps echoing as excitement pushed their pace. Just then, a sudden gust of wind surged past them from behind, making their hair whip around and their uniforms flutter.

"What the heck? Why is the wind blowing so fast all of a sudden?"

They almost stumbled from the unexpected force, barely managing to steady themselves as they stopped in their tracks to regain balance.

That’s when they noticed something strange.

"Wait... that wasn’t just wind, was it? I did not feel like a normal wind...."

"For real... was that actually a person who just passed us?"

They stared wide-eyed at the empty hallway ahead, stunned by what they had just witnessed. That speed... it was too ridiculous to belong to a first-year student.

Was that some senior from the fourth year...?

"It must have been an Elite student from the fourth year. You know how absurdly strong those Elites are, right?" Rin said, still catching his breath.

"Yeah, that has to be it..." Kai muttered in agreement, his eyes squinting at the far end of the hall.

"Wait, look! I think he’s coming back...!" Finn, who was in the middle, suddenly pointed with his finger. Before they could even brace themselves, the figure reappeared like a shadow returning with the wind. The presence stopped right in front of them, and then calmly asked—

"Where is the duel taking place?"

Huh...?

Finn, Rin, and Kai all froze, unable to respond immediately. Their minds blanked the moment they looked at the person’s face. He wasn’t just fast... he was strikingly handsome, his appearance so unexpected it stunned them more than the speed itself.

They only snapped back to reality when the boy repeated himself with the same question, this time with a slightly more serious tone.

"It’s in the Starlight Arena..." Kai quickly replied, lifting his arm and pointing out the wide glass window beside them. From there, the massive coliseum-like structure could be seen in the distance.

Even though it was clearly visible, it was still a considerable distance away, making it appear smaller than it actually was.

Although there were several short-distance teleportation circles installed across the academy to save time during rush hours, they often had waiting lines, especially during popular events like this duel.

"Damn it..." the boy cursed under his breath, clearly frustrated. His gaze flicked toward the window, and without another word, he sprinted toward it.

"Thank you..." his voice faded away mid-sentence as he leaped straight out of the window, disappearing in an instant as he began falling through the air.

Finn, Rin, and Kai rushed to the window frame with horror painted across their faces. They leaned out in a panic, expecting to see a body falling or lying somewhere below.

But there was nothing.

Just grass swaying gently in the breeze, trees standing still, and the stone-paved pathway stretching ahead like nothing had happened.

"Where did he go...?" Rin asked, blinking in disbelief.

"How would I know? He was right in front of us just a second ago..." Finn replied, scanning the ground with wide eyes.

"But he asked us where the duel was taking place... He must have gone to watch it. And considering how fast he moved, I’m guessing his trait is something related to speed, or maybe wind itself," Kai said, his tone thoughtful now.

"But... we forgot to tell him that the duel already started five minutes ago. We’re the only ones who are running late..." Rin said in a quieter voice, a note of guilt slipping in.

"He didn’t ask about the timing though," Finn shrugged.

"Yeah," Kai nodded, backing him up.

"If you say so," Rin muttered, finally relaxing as the three of them resumed their run, while thinking who that person was.

Curse it all.....I am late..

Ash thought, his eyes narrowing as he stood silently atop the tallest outer wall of the Colosseum stands. The wind tugged at his clothes, whispering past him in swift, sharp gusts.

Yet, his gaze didn’t waver, remaining fixed on the scene unfolding below. He had just teleported here, right after leaping out of the window.

The duel had already begun, and judging from the breathing of Elysia , it had probably been going on for a few minutes now.

There was a deathly silence across the arena, so intense that even the shifting of robes or the clatter of a dropped pin might have echoed through the air. Yet despite that, almost half of the audience had their devices raised, silently recording the battle that unfolded before them.

Ash knew exactly what would happen next. These recordings would soon start circulating through the Academy’s internal forums, shared in whispers and speculations. While it wouldn’t affect anything in the grand scheme, he was more concerned about how Elysia would take it.

From what he knew, she had never been comfortable with public attention, especially in situations like this.

Then why the hell is she even fighting down there....I told her not to do anything impulsive like this....and that fucking son of a bitch is actually fighting her.....is he completely out of his mind...?

Even though anger simmered beneath his thoughts, Ash remained surprisingly calm. His breathing was steady, his mind focused.

Despite the flare of emotion, he wasn’t overwhelmed by it. Instead, he was analyzing the situation with a sharp clarity, allowing the emotion to exist without letting it control him.

From what he remembered about Elysia’s character in the Novel, Moon Mana was more of a late bloomer type. Or perhaps, it had some kind of specific condition tied to its awakening... he wasn’t entirely sure. The novel hadn’t gone into deep detail about it, and much of it had remained vague or only briefly mentioned.

But what was certain was that in the story, Elysia only began to truly grasp the potential of Moon Mana after reaching the Adept Rank. It was at that point that she started to unlock the true nature of its abilities.

Of course, there had been records and historical data from Moon Mana users who came before her. Some of those individuals had manifested traces of power even in the early stages of awakening.

But the truth was... the moment when one could fully harness the essence of the moon varied from person to person.

I have already told her multiple times, that her powers will start to manifest more clearly and consistently once she steps into the next rank.....then why is she so eager to fight now, of all times...? What exactly is pushing her to do this...?

Sighing heavily, Ash shifted his focus to the fight. As expected, there was no surprise in what he saw—it was completely one-sided.

Ray wasn’t attacking at all, but was simply evading or casually blocking every strike that Elysia threw at him, his movements were smooth and controlled.

I need to first find out the actual reason behind this duel...only after that will I decide what to do...

His eyes scanned the stands below. The crowd was large, but the moment his gaze landed on Grace and the other students of Class 1S, who were standing together near the bottom stands, he instantly teleported.

"You should just surrender.." Ray said quietly, his voice calm as he stood just a few steps away from Elysia, who was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as she held her blade in front of her with both hands, her stance trembling slightly.

I can’t win...

That thought had settled in her heart long ago, ever since their very first clash. From the moment their swords collided, it had been painfully clear to her. This wasn’t a battle she had any chance of winning. Every movement, every strike, every attempt to counter him only confirmed what her instincts already knew—Ray was on a completely different level.

Still, even with that bitter truth gnawing at the back of her mind, she refused to back down.

But I don’t want to give up... He’s not attacking me seriously. Maybe... maybe there’s still a chance if I can catch him off guard.

That fragile hope, barely a flicker, gave her enough strength to move again. She dashed forward, her blade dancing in her grip as she launched a relentless assault from all directions. One strike flowed into the next, just like she had practiced,

Her blade shimmered faintly, coated in silver moon mana, yet no matter how hard she pushed, it barely scratched Ray’s sword, which was covered in a strange, dense brownish aura that seemed to absorb the blows without faltering.

Getting dangerously close to him, she suddenly tried to grab his sword with her bare hand and follow through with an attack of her own, hoping to catch him off guard. But Ray was even faster than her.

Not only did he evade her hand with ease, he caught her wrist in a firm grip, disarming her instantly. Her blade clattered to the floor as he placed his sword gently, yet firmly, against the side of her neck.

"Just surrender!!" he said again, his tone sharper this time, no longer a suggestion but a clear demand.

Yet even then, there was no arrogance in his voice. He was simply trying to end the fight without hurting her more than necessary.

Gritting her teeth, she threw a reckless elbow at his ribs, trying to push him away. It was a dangerous move, one that no trained fighter should ever make in close combat.

In a real battle, such a stunt would have gotten her killed without a second’s hesitation. But this wasn’t a life-or-death fight. Deep down, she knew Ray wasn’t going to hurt her. So, she was using it as an advantage.

And as she has expected, he let her go.

She jumped back, retreating, and took a deep breath as she tried to calm her racing thoughts.

What do I do now...? I don’t want to lose... but the difference in our strength is too much. I can’t believe how far ahead he is. How did he grow so powerful in just a few months...?

She charged again, letting her emotions guide her, but the outcome didn’t change. No matter how fast she moved, no matter which direction she attacked from, it felt as though Ray could read her every move, as if he already knew the path her sword would take before she did.

It was frustrating.

I don’t want to lose... I don’t want to... He insulted Ash. Yes... I can’t let him walk away after that, not without facing consequences. He was looking down... on Ash...

Her mind was spiraling, emotions slipping from her control. Her thoughts became a tangled mess, and that chaos bled into her movements. Her strikes grew more reckless, each swing more desperate than the last, heavier, burdened with emotion instead of precision.

And then, in that moment of frenzied intent... the moon mana surrounding her blade suddenly shuddered.