---
The Academy Arena was transformed.
No longer the polished marble ground where fledgling spellcasters practiced restraint and theory—today, it had become a coliseum. Towering banners waved under enchanted wind, displaying the crests of each elite class. The stands were packed with spectators: nobles, professors, guild scouts, and representatives from imperial branches.
At the center stood a circular platform, ringed by wards and amplifiers, glowing softly in blue and gold. Today was not a day for study.
It was a day to prove dominance.
And everyone had their eyes on one name:
Harvey Alzahar.
---
A Duel Announced
Professor Orwin, the Battle Arts overseer, stepped forward.
"Today's duel shall be a command performance—not optional. This isn't mere training. This is tradition. The top eight students, chosen through merit and recommendation, will face each other."
He paused.
"And yes. Injuries will not be stopped unless fatal."
The murmurs turned to electrified excitement.
Harvey stood silently, his coat fluttering slightly in the breeze.
Across from him, his opponent was announced:
> "Harvey Alzahar vs. Julius Graeven, second son of House Graeven."
A hush fell over the arena.
House Graeven—one of the seven spellcasting families tied directly to the Empire's war efforts. Julius was considered a prodigy in combustion and kinetic spells. A rising noble with lethal charm.
And today… his eyes carried something more.
A hint of fear.
And hatred.
---
The Duel Begins
"Begin!"
The moment the word left Orwin's mouth, Julius struck.
A triple-cast: Flame Spear, Arc Detonation, and a Time Acceleration glyph that spun around his body like a halo.
But Harvey didn't move.
Not even when the flame spear blurred forward with enough heat to melt a steel golem.
Instead, he blinked.
And the air rippled.
Everyone blinked in confusion—what had just happened?
Julius gasped, his spell unraveling mid-flight.
> "How…?"
Harvey whispered, voice low but echoed by the amplifiers:
> "You're still layering spells wrong. Your stabilizers aren't synchronized."
Julius flinched, backing away, conjuring a shield—
> "Silence—!"
But Harvey was already moving.
---
Collapse
One step. Two.
And with the third step, Julius's entire kinetic array collapsed.
No explosion. No visible impact.
Just… collapse.
Like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
The audience gasped as Julius fell to his knees, vomiting mana and clutching his skull.
Harvey stood over him, hand extended, two fingers glowing with a sequence rune unseen in any imperial spellbook.
> "Disruption Cipher: Omega Line," he said coldly. "Copied from an execution chamber in the Abyss Archives."
He wasn't even trying to hide anymore.
---
Whispers Begin
In the stands, whispers turned into ripples.
> "That spell—wasn't that banned centuries ago?"
> "Where did he learn that?!"
> "Did you see his mana compression rate?"
Guild agents scribbled notes. Professors leaned forward. Even the imperial envoy, cloaked in black and gold, narrowed his eyes beneath his hood.
But none of that mattered.
Harvey turned, walking away before the official call was made.
> "Winner: Harvey Alzahar!"
---
In the Shadows – The Watcher Arrives
Beneath the arena, inside the observation tunnel, a man watched the match through a crystal lens. He wore a tailored suit, eyes glowing faintly silver.
The Watcher.
He smiled faintly.
> "Found you," he whispered. "So you do remember, Spellbreaker."
He turned, fading into the shadows.
Behind him, the lens melted into dust.
---
After the Duel
Back in the dorm tower, Liora stormed into Harvey's room.
"You're pushing too far," she hissed. "You exposed a forbidden spell to the entire Academy!"
Harvey calmly sipped tea.
"They would've found out eventually."
She clenched her fists. "You don't understand—if the Arcanum starts moving, they'll come for your soul, not just your body."
"I'm counting on it."
Liora paused.
"…Why?"
Harvey looked at her, and for a brief second, the cold mask cracked.
"I need them all in one place," he said softly. "So I can burn everything down with a single spell."
---