The roar of Ordgar echoed through the arena until the chief judge arrived and intervened. For a moment, Davi only saw a silhouette flash across his field of vision like a golden streak. In the blink of an eye, the judge was between them, holding Ordgar's arm with enough force to make him drop his weapon.

"Enough!" His voice reverberated like thunder, charged with power. The ground trembled slightly, and the runic symbol in the center of the arena glowed, signaling the immediate end of the combat.

Ordgar tried to resist, his eyes still bloodshot, but the judge twisted his arm and forced him to his knees, immobilizing him with ease.

"You continued to fight even after a judge ordered the fight to stop. You are eliminated, Ordgar."

The old man looked the boy up and down, then noticed the source of that extreme power. "Furthermore, using external means to illegally increase your power is a dishonor."

The crowd murmured, and the tension was palpable. Davi, still out of breath, kept his sword at a low guard, but his eyes were fixed on the scene.

"That's... not... true!" Ordgar growled, trying to justify himself.

The judge made a dry gesture. "Your lies are so empty they don't even deserve to be answered." Without a care for the man, he turned to Davi. "Any serious injuries, competitor?"

"No, sir..." Davi replied.

The judge nodded briefly and turned back to the other officials. "This competitor will be disqualified immediately and taken to the Council for additional sanctions."

Ordgar paled, realizing that his defeat was no longer just on the battlefield.

"The tournament must continue," the judge declared.

After the judge's declaration, everyone quickly returned to their duties to repair the damage to the arena. The sound of hammers, repair spells, and voices coordinating the work replaced the tense silence that had taken over the place.

Ordgar was escorted by two officials to the jury, his face still contorted with frustration. Davi, in turn, left the field and went up to the stands, where he found Lina waiting for him.

They exchanged a few brief words, more to reassure her that he was okay, before he decided to go home.

In the following days, the consequences came fast and heavy. The Council confirmed that Ordgar's sudden power boost came from an illegal amulet supplied by his own professor.

The fact that he was a vocal member of the anti-Amelia faction in Enki caused the entire group to lose power. And even though he had many allies on the council, they decided to abandon him.

His crime had been too obvious and seen by a large number of people. Both were severely punished:

Ordgar was suspended for a full year, losing all rights to participate in official tournaments during that period. While the professor was dismissed from his position and forbidden from holding a post in any affiliated institution.

Their reputations were crushed, and whispers about the scandal would echo through the halls for a long time.

ⵔⵔⵔ

After two days of rest, the quarterfinals of the tournament were about to begin, so Lina and Davi met up once again.

Before the tournament, they went to have breakfast together, as he wanted to help Lina calm down a bit before her match.

This time, based on the draw, he would be the one to fight first. His opponent was once again an older student, a Rank A girl who fought using a bow and arrow.

But her most troublesome abilities to deal with were those related to electricity. Still, it wasn't a particularly difficult fight for Davi.

In fact, the audience was even a bit disappointed with the match because, after the boy dodged the woman's attacks, he hit her by surprise with an <Air Slash>.

Since she didn't have much physical resistance and understood she had no chance of winning, the woman surrendered.

But to the audience, who couldn't even see the invisible blade of air, it seemed like she had given up for no reason in a match that had just begun.

Right after the fight, Davi had to go give interviews, as this was part of the event starting from the quarterfinals, so he didn't even get a chance to speak with Lina before her match.

ⵔⵔⵔ

Meanwhile, Lina was taking her first steps into the arena.

The crowd's murmurs filled the arena as Lina stepped onto the stone platform, her footsteps sounding far too loud in her own ears. She clutched her fists, trying to keep her breathing calm. The announcer's voice boomed across the coliseum:

"Entering from the west gate, representing the prestigious Darnell family… Drako Darnell!"

A tall man with slick red hair and a faint smirk strolled into view, his crimson coat swaying with each step. He carried no weapon, but flames flickered lazily along his fingertips, like a predator toying with the idea of a kill. His sharp amber eyes locked on Lina, sizing her up with casual disdain.

"Drako Darnell," the announcer continued, "specializing in advanced fire magic. A top contender for the championship!"

Lina's throat tightened. She'd heard the name before; just two days ago, she had seen how he demolished his adversary. He always attacked with full power from the start, often harming his opponent before a judge could interfere or before they could surrender.

Drako stopped a few paces from her, his smile widening into something cruel.

"So… you're the useless shy girl they matched me with? This will be over quickly," he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Don't worry, I'll try not to burn you too badly. I will burn your clothes off first to check if you are worth something."

Drako had a hunch that the girl in front of him could be a hottie. She wore a rope that conceded her body, so he could see the silhouette of her large breasts. And her face, even if hidden behind her bangs, was quite beautiful.

Well, if in the end she was just a fat pig, he would try to burn her to death just for fun.

Hearing his awful words and feeling his gaze, Lina bit her lip, taking a small step back. She hated confrontation, and this man's arrogance was suffocating.

But when her silence didn't give him the reaction he wanted, Drako's eyes narrowed. He wanted her to be angry at him because angry opponents don't give up. He always provoked his opponents as much as possible, so they would fight for longer.

If insulting her was not enough, then what about insulting her beloved friend? Drako had done his work of observing his opponent before the fight.

"That boy you cling to, Davi, isn't it? He's nothing but a fluke. Without his cheap tricks, he wouldn't last a minute against someone real. Honestly, I'm surprised you still follow him around like some lost puppy."

"Everyone says he just got this far because he had a good team," he kept going. "Well, I do admire his ability to attract women. He definitely knows how to manipulate stupid girls like you."

"Shut up!" Lina screamed.

"Oh, do you perhaps believe you are actually friends?"At most, he wants to fuck you. Actually, considering how many beautiful women are around him, you are at most his last backup plan."

"Davi is not like that," she said with a firm tone, the mana around her surging aggressively.

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