Fantasy Libary 17

Title: A Star Shining Amidst the Heatwave

*SSSTS...*

The sound of tearing fabric echoes through the suddenly silent duel stage.

As shreds of cloth flutter in the air, Arcadi is thrown backward in an awkward retreat. He slides a considerable distance before finally stabilizing himself to avoid falling to the ground.

However, his expression upon landing is anything but calm.

One side of his clothing has been sliced open, the cut dangerously close to the badge pinned to his chest.

“You managed to dodge?”

Across from him, Ark holds Ser-Veresta, still swinging it upward, and raises an eyebrow.

“Impressive. As expected of someone ranked 13th. Defeating you is no easy task.”

Rather than feeling complimented, Arcadi finds Ark’s words somewhat insulting.

He glances at the remnants of his gun, now split in two. The edges of the severed weapon still glow red, like molten iron. Arcadi takes a deep breath.

“I must say, Ser-Veresta truly lives up to its reputation, destroying my weapon so easily.”

Without a second thought, Arcadi discards the now-useless firearm, its value likely enough to make most people wince. However, his gaze turns cold and sharp as he stares at Ark.

“I was too naive, thinking I could defeat you with a weapon and tactics I’m unfamiliar with. I should have realized it sooner—anyone capable of wielding an Orga Lux is no ordinary person. Who would have thought such a formidable opponent was hidden in our academy?”

For an unranked student, possessing physical abilities on par with a mid-tier fighter is already surprising, but what about Ark’s extraordinary swordsmanship? It’s truly astonishing.

He had hidden himself so well.

“But from now on, I won’t give you any more chances.”

Arcadi draws his weapon of choice—a katana-shaped Lux. Its blade is incredibly thin, even thinner than a standard weapon’s, and clearly finely tuned.

This weapon is what made Arcadi famous.

Although it would be impossible to withstand Ser-Veresta if blocked directly, as long as he focuses on evasion, he won’t have to worry about his sword being destroyed.

Close combat is also his specialty. Even though Ark’s swordsmanship is dazzling, his physical and Prana abilities still can’t match Arcadi’s. That’s a significant advantage.

“As long as I stay focused on dodging, you won’t be able to catch me again.” Arcadi’s voice exudes confidence.

Ark simply replies, “If that’s how you feel, senpai, then it would be rude of me not to take this seriously.”

Seeing Arcadi switch to his trusted weapon, Ark’s aura changes. Instead of showing surprise, he curls his lips into a faint smile.

“What do you mean?” Arcadi’s face darkens.

“I mean.” Ark says as he raises Ser-Veresta, “the real show is just beginning now.”

Stardust begins to swirl around Ark, enveloping him in a dazzling ring of light.

Channeling all his Prana, Ark pours it into Ser-Veresta, causing dark patterns to emerge and flow along its blade.

These dark patterns spiral outward, flowing into the deep red Manadyte embedded in the sword.

In an instant, Ser-Veresta begins to emit even greater heat, its pure white blade fading into a dark, purplish-black hue.

*BUZZ!*

At the same time, a scorching heatwave erupts around Ark, creating a terrifying blast of hot air.

This heatwave transforms into shimmering distortions in the air around him, resembling ripples of a mirage.

At the center of this heatstorm, Ark shines with brilliant Prana, as if a star is flickering amidst the blazing heat.

The sight sends an involuntary shiver down Arcadi’s spine, instinctively making him take a step back.

But—

*BOOM!*

The blazing star within the heatwave suddenly explodes, accompanied by an ear-splitting blast.

Like a beam of light carrying burning wind, it dashes forward at a terrifying speed.

In the blink of an eye, it reaches Arcadi.

“What the…?!”

Arcadi’s expression changes to one of shock as a shimmering, mirage-like figure appears right in front of him.

*HUM!*

Ser-Veresta radiates a burning aura, emitting a purplish-black glow.

Its speed far surpasses anything Arcadi can react to. He can only watch helplessly as the blade slashes toward his right chest.

*CRACK!*

Suddenly, time seems to freeze.

Arcadi stops moving entirely, staring blankly ahead, his body unresponsive.

Before him stands Ark, stardust swirling around him, heat radiating in waves as his form shimmers like a mirage.

Ser-Veresta rests after its attack, humming softly in Ark’s grip.

“Thank you for the match.” Ark says as he sheathes his sword.

As his words are spoken, a synthetic voice from above announces the duel’s result, processed through the badge’s information system.

“Duel concluded. Winner: Ark.”

With the declaration, Arcadi’s badge splits in two and falls to the ground.

“...”

The silence is deafening.

Everyone stares at the scene in disbelief, unable to speak.

Then—

“WHOOOOAAAAHHHH!”

After a few seconds, the stands erupt into chaos, the deafening roar of the audience filling the air.

“Did you just see that?!”

“So fast!”

“How did he suddenly become so fast?”

“Both his speed and his slash—they were on a completely different level from before!”

“How did he do it?”

“So strong!”

The spectators cheer with shouts of shock and admiration.

“What just happened?” Julis stands, her face filled with astonishment. She mutters in disbelief, “How did he suddenly become so powerful in those final moments?”

The burst of speed and the agility of Ark’s attack far surpassed anything he had shown before. It left Julis feeling incredulous.

How could she not?

The speed Ark had just displayed was so extraordinary that even Julis herself wouldn’t have been able to react in time.

And what did that mean?

It meant that even if she had been in Arcadi’s place, the result likely wouldn’t have been any different.

“How did he do it?” That’s the only question swirling in Julis’s mind.

It’s then that Claudia speaks up.

“It’s the heatwave.”

Her eyes remain fixed on the stage as she explains calmly.

“Heatwave?” Julis blinks in confusion.

“Yes.” Claudia nods seriously, her tone measured. “He deliberately released the heat generated by Ser-Veresta, creating a heatwave. He then directed it to propel himself in the opposite direction of where he wanted to go.”

“It works like a thruster. Even the final attack that severed Arcadi Finken’s badge was propelled by the heatwave, accelerating Ser-Veresta’s blade.”

“That’s how he achieved that speed and delivered such a swift slash.”

Hearing this, Julis looks utterly stunned.

“He’s only had Ser-Veresta for a few days, right?” Julis struggles to believe what she’s hearing. “I heard that the Four Bewitched Swords are extremely difficult to wield. How could he have mastered Ser-Veresta in such a short time?”

“...I’ve never heard of anyone using Ser-Veresta like that.” Claudia admits with a wry smile. “That kind of usage is completely unprecedented. He might be the first person to ever do it.”

Could this be the result of exceeding the critical compatibility threshold with Ser-Veresta?

Claudia instinctively touches the weapon at her waist, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in the stands, the other high-ranking students watch Ark with grim expressions, wariness clearly visible in their eyes.

They all know one thing: From this day onward, Seidoukan Academy has gained a new force.

A formidable figure who could easily rise to the ranks of Page One—perhaps even among the strongest of them all.