Chapter Seven: The Confrontation with Jason Kee

Chapter Seven: The Duel with Jasenki

“Hurry to the dueling ground! I heard a new student has challenged the war mage Jasenki, and Jasenki actually accepted!”
“What? Are you serious? What are we waiting for? Let's go!”
“I heard the challenger is a rare beauty—this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, let’s not miss it!”

“Excuse me, could you tell me what’s happening? Why is everyone heading to the dueling ground?” Catherine stopped a freshman to ask.

The freshman was about to snap back, but upon seeing it was a beautiful upperclassman, he straightened his clothes and replied, “Oh, it’s like this, senior: a powerful new student named Shuster has challenged the seventh-tier mage Jasenki, and now they’re both on their way to the dueling ground.”

“Oh—thank you, junior. See you!” With that, Catherine dashed off towards Emiru and the others.

“Hurry to the dueling ground! Shuster has challenged Jasenki to a duel!” she called out as she reached them.

“What? You mean the war mage Jasenki, said to be invincible beneath the headmaster himself? This is bad, why would Brother Shuster challenge him?” Somia said, utterly panicked.

“The winner isn’t decided yet,” Emiru remarked.

“Huh? What do you mean? Does Shuster actually stand a chance?” Catherine asked in surprise.

“Don’t forget Shuster’s class. It’s an ancient vocation. According to the lore passed down in our royal elven family, a magic swordsman can defeat opponents even a tier above.”

“Wow, let’s get to the dueling ground!”

––––––––––––––––– The Line of Ancient Vocations –––––––––––––––––

On the dueling ground, Jasenki and Shuster stood face to face, the tension in the air growing heavier by the second.

“Little one, let’s be clear—this is just a match. Even if you lose, I won’t make you give up becoming a warrior,” said Jasenki.

“Don’t worry. Even if you beat me within an inch of my life, I’ll recover instantly. Everyone keeps a few tricks for survival, and I have more than a few—here, I’ll give you a bottle. Don’t hold back, I won’t either.” Shuster tossed him a vial of light healing potion, speaking with excitement for the first time.

“What’s this? An ancient alchemical potion? Who exactly are you?” Jasenki eyed the potion in his hand, questioning Shuster.

“I’m just a homeless magic swordsman. Let’s begin!” Shuster replied impatiently, his fighting spirit ignited by facing such a formidable opponent for the first time.

A tremendous aura and killing intent locked onto Jasenki, faint arcs of lightning gathering along Shuster’s Blood-Dancing Crescent Moon blade.

Sensing Shuster’s force, Jasenki stowed the healing potion and drew his staff. In the next instant, his own aura—greater than Shuster’s—pressed down upon his opponent. The two were locked in a standoff…

“Hyaah!” Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, Shuster unleashed his Lightning Slash.

“Gather, countless thunder elements in the sky—Thunder Arrow!” Jasenki countered with a third-tier spell, Thunder Arrow, neutralizing Shuster’s Lightning Slash.

The first round—a contest of aura—ended in Shuster’s utter defeat.

“Deer of the heavens, lion of the floating skies, heed my command—Thunder Strike!” Without pause, Jasenki continued chanting. The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck down above Shuster’s head.

With a swish, Shuster easily dodged the lightning using his Round Table Dancer technique and launched another Lightning Slash from afar.

“Wild winds! Clouded skies! Lightning’s wrath! By the ancient pact, come to me—Lightning Armor!” Seeing Shuster’s relentless harassment, Jasenki cast the fifth-tier defense spell, Lightning Armor.

Boom! Boom! Shuster’s two Lightning Slashes struck Jasenki’s shields directly, leaving him unharmed. Clicking his tongue, Shuster finally closed in for melee combat.

“Rampaging thunder spirits, destroy all with your might—Storm Thunderfall!” As Shuster nimbly closed in, Jasenki unleashed a sixth-tier spell. In an instant, twenty bolts of lightning, controlled by his will, chased the ever-dodging Shuster.

Sensing the surge in his opponent’s magical power, Shuster poured more energy into his Round Table Dancer skill, narrowly evading the lightning.

“Thunder Dragon’s Roar!” Upon landing, Shuster sent a storm of sword energy to counter the twenty bolts, then gathered his strength and slashed a ten-meter-long arc of crackling sword energy at Jasenki.

“Defying all law and ancient reason, obeying only my command. If the heavens punish my arrogance, then let them be defied—Heaven’s Rebellion!” Faced with such a fierce assault, Jasenki dared not hold back and finally unleashed his first seventh-tier spell. Blue lightning wrapped around his staff, the light lengthening and twisting like a dragon, then shot forth to meet Shuster’s arc.

Boom! The two attacks collided, making the earth tremble. With a crack, Shuster’s sword energy was ultimately shattered by the seventh-tier Rebellious Thunder, and the diminished lightning continued toward Shuster…

“Danger!” “Watch out!” Catherine and the others, having arrived at the scene, shouted.

At that moment, Shuster’s strength was spent, his new force not yet risen—he could not dodge. All he could do was summon a full magic shield in front of himself. Crack! Shuster was blasted into the air, spitting blood before crashing to the ground.

Yet Jasenki did not relax at his opponent’s injury; on the contrary, he grew more cautious, years of instinct telling him to prepare his strongest attack.

“Heh… Take my final move—MAX Thunder God’s Stranglehold!” Sitting up, blood trickling from his lips, Shuster raised his sword, now sparking with three arcs of lightning, and grinned at Jasenki.

“Not good! Scattered dust, bewildered traveler, wrath of the earth, summons of the stars. Evil intent, chaotic rebirth, wild darkness! Appear! By the name of heavenly thunder, I summon—Annihilation Thunder!” The threat in Shuster’s attack forced Jasenki to recite the incantation for the seventh-tier Annihilation Thunder without hesitation.

“My god, that’s the forbidden spell Annihilation Thunder—does he mean to kill her?” a student gasped, watching the black lightning descend.

Blue orb and black lightning finally collided—BOOM! This was true earth-shaking force, as Shuster, pouring in his last reserves of magic, met Jasenki’s forbidden spell in a clash that made the whole city tremble.

“Cough, cough… What happened?” Brushing away the dust, Emiru asked Somia, who had activated her magical shield.

“They… they canceled each other out!” Somia’s stammered voice came from ahead.

“What?” Looking at the arena, the only change was a gaping crater—the two duelists stood exactly where they had before.

“Gulp… Teacher Jasenki, I admit defeat!” After drinking a healing potion, Shuster stood up and declared.

“Well… little one, you are worthy of the title magic swordsman. Starting tomorrow, you’ll study with me—no one else in this school wields lightning magic.” With that, Jasenki left the field without another word.

“How odd. Are all seventh-tier mages this strange?” Mending the remnants of his shattered clothes, Shuster gazed after Jasenki’s departing figure, murmuring to himself.