eyes widened in disbelief. "What… what just happened? How… how is this possible?"

Even the audience was frozen in awe, watching the impossible. Silence spread through the arena. Nobody spoke. Nobody breathed. For the first time, everyone felt the true power Nolan wielded—time itself bowed to him.

"What… what just happened?" the emissary stammered, his voice echoing through the wind amplifier. "I can't believe my eyes! Nolan, who claimed to be Rank E, just stopped Asta's attack—and turned it into water! I… I'm not even sure how that's possible!"

The arena was in chaos. The crowd roared and murmured, trying to make sense of what they'd seen.

"He didn't even move from where he was standing!" one man shouted. "Did he control the ice somehow?"

"I don't think so," another replied quickly. "I saw it! He snapped his finger! When he did, everything froze—and when he snapped again, the ice turned to water. It happened right before our eyes!"

The emissary looked back toward the battlefield, his voice trembling. "This… this is beyond belief. Even the mages of Vandenegraad would find this difficult to explain."

Meanwhile, in the stands, Kyrion stared wide-eyed at Nolan. His jaw tightened. "How… how did he do that?" he muttered, his hand slamming against the railing. "He stopped Asta's entire attack… with a single snap. What kind of technique is that?"

He clenched his fists, frustration mixing with awe. "I didn't know he was this strong. His power is… overwhelming. If I have to face him, it's not going to be easy for me. No… it might not be good at all."

Still, a dangerous spark lit up in Kyrion's eyes. "But I have my trump card. If it comes to it, I'll use a life-consuming technique. I'll win… no matter what it takes."

"Boss, calm down," Cora said, reaching out and gripping his arm. "You're getting too worked up."

Kyrion exhaled sharply, forcing himself to sit back. "Yeah… maybe you're right," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Nolan, who still stood calmly in the center of the arena.

In the participants stands, Celia's eyes sparkled with pride. "Wow… Master is amazing!" she said, clutching her hands together.

"Yes," Linda agreed softly, smiling. "Master is the greatest."

Tharion walked toward Celia and Linda, a grin tugging at his lips. "Wow, your master is amazing," he said, sitting down beside them.

"Yes, he is," Linda replied, folding her arms. "And why are you here, Tharion?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, I was just… shocked. Seeing that, I finally realized how powerful he really is. I used to think I could go toe-to-toe with him in a fight, maybe even hold my own somehow—but there's a huge difference in strength. The way he crushed that massive ice wall with just his hand, and shattered that enormous ice sphere with a flick of his finger… that's something else. Now I understand why he's always so calm, no matter who he's facing."

Celia smirked. "You? Beat him? Not in a million years. You'd lose to Master before the fight even starts."

Tharion stood up with a light laugh, waving at them as he headed back to his seat.

Meanwhile, Nolan stood in the center of the arena, listening to the roar of the crowd. Their cheers echoed across the field, filled with amazement and disbelief. But the one who looked most shaken wasn't the audience—it was Asta.

Nolan looked at him calmly, then stepped forward with his right foot. Asta flinched and moved back slightly.

"Hey, why are you moving away? I'm not done with you yet," Asta said, trying to sound confident.

"Oh good," Nolan replied. "I thought you were about to give up. That would've been disappointing. I could have ended this anytime, you know. I was only holding back because the audience enjoys a little entertainment."

"End what first?" Asta shouted. "You're not the one who decides that. I'm the ruler here. I'm the strongest! No one is stronger than me!"

Nolan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then let's see how powerful you really are."

Asta raised his hand to summon another ice attack—but before he could finish, Nolan snapped his fingers.

In an instant, time stopped. Asta froze mid-motion. His body locked in place, his legs unable to move. Only his eyes and mouth could shift.

"What's going on? I can't move! What did you do to me?" Asta yelled, panic rising in his voice.

"Well, sorry," Nolan said quietly, walking toward him. "I would've liked to see your next attack. But it would just be a waste of time. You're too arrogant. Remember—there's always someone stronger. Don't be cocky."

He lifted his leg slightly, then placed it back down. "I was about to kick you, but that would be too painful. Just… go to sleep."

Nolan appeared behind Asta in a blur and struck the back of his neck. Asta's eyes rolled back as he fell unconscious, still frozen in time. Nolan snapped his fingers again, and time resumed. Asta's limp body swayed, then crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

The arena fell silent.

"Is he going to wake up?" someone whispered. "Could this truly be the end? Has the Ice God been defeated?"

The Emissary stood, stunned. "What just happened?" he murmured.

Then the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. "He did it! He defeated Asta!" voices shouted. "The moment he snapped his fingers, Asta couldn't move!"

A royal healer rushed into the arena, kneeling beside Asta. He checked for signs of consciousness, then raised his hand to signal the result.

"Asta is fully unconscious!"

The Emissary lifted the wind amplifier and announced, "The winner is Nolan Thorne!"

The crowd exploded in celebration, chanting his name as Nolan turned and walked toward the illuminated entrance at the back of the arena.

The Emissary's voice echoed through the coliseum. "What an unexpected outcome! But this won't be the last of Asta. Remember—those who lose still have a chance to climb back to the top!"

Nolan didn't look back. The cheers followed him as he disappeared through the entrance.

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