Dark Magus Returns - Chapter 1452: The Ace in Waiting

Chapter 1452: The Ace in Waiting

With the tip of the blade resting at Lee Roy’s neck, the outcome was undeniable. The fight was over. But the way it had ended revealed something far more important than most in the crowd realized.

This wasn’t the kind of victory born from a desperate clash of equals, where two fighters pushed each other to their absolute limits until one finally broke. It wasn’t a drawn-out struggle that required the teachers to step in to prevent serious harm. No… this was different.

Here, one fighter had held such complete control that they could decide the conclusion on their own terms. They could choose how to win, and end it as cleanly as this.

For the crowd, none of that mattered. All they saw was the result, and they erupted into thunderous cheers, the sound echoing through the arena.

Liam lowered his sword, a broad smile spreading across his face. It was rare for his hard work to be recognized like this, and as he looked out over the sea of faces, students and strangers alike, cheering for him, a warm feeling spread through his chest.

“I can’t believe it. Lee Roy actually lost,” someone in the stands gasped. “Wasn’t he one of the favourites to win this whole thing?”

“Well, maybe not the top favourite,” another replied, “but people definitely thought he could at least take down one of the Central Academy students. Now… not so much.”

“Yeah. Honestly, it feels like we never even got to see the full potential of his unique trait or his special affinity. Maybe his opponent was just too strong. Or maybe it was a bad match-up for him from the start. Either way, no one can really complain about the luck of the draw in a tournament like this.”

Another voice chimed in, more excited than disappointed. “Still, this changes things. Doesn’t this mean there’s actually someone out there who can take on the Central Academy students now?”

That thought lingered in the air. They recalled Liam’s match and compared it to the one George had fought earlier. Now that the mages in the audience had seen George’s power firsthand, they could see the potential, Liam’s quick, decisive lightning magic could give him the edge to strike before an opponent even had the chance to retaliate.

Whether the two would ever face each other was uncertain. They might not even end up matched in this tournament. But the possibility was tantalizing enough to stir the crowd’s imagination.

“That guy…” one student said with wide eyes, “he must be Wilton’s secret weapon! The magic swordsman, that’s probably why they cleared the dimension so fast! This is amazing!”

With that match concluded, every academy had now fielded at least one participant. This meant the audience was given their final chance to place their bets, predicting which academy would ultimately claim victory in the event.

The shift in numbers was immediate. All of BIMM’s votes had vanished completely, just as most expected they would. Wilton Academy, which had started with only a modest portion of the wagers, now saw a surge of confidence from the crowd, thirty percent predicting they would win. The remaining seventy percent, however, still belonged to Central Academy.

For most, this was encouraging enough. But for one man, it wasn’t even close to good enough.

Really? Ibarin thought, his jaw tightening until the muscles in his face were taut. His fingers curled so hard around the arms of his seat that the wood creaked faintly beneath his grip. You honestly believe that just because someone swings a sword while flashing a bit of lightning, they could defeat our top student?

His thoughts sharpened with irritation. There’s a reason, there has to be a reason, that fool never came to Central Academy. Only the very best are accepted here. And if he’s not one of us, then he’s not one of the best.

The crowd’s excitement over Safa’s performance was something Ibarin could tolerate. Light magic was difficult to measure in terms of true power, and her claim of having God Eyes only came later. Lee Roy’s loss had its own set of circumstances, he had, after all, been invited to Central Academy before.

But this boy with the eyepatch… Who was he really?

Once the betting closed, all that was left was to watch the next wave of competitors step into the arena. With every academy having sent one fighter already, the second participants were now being called.

From Wilton Academy, the final remaining student had been accepted for the next match, and that student was Raze.

As Liam made his way down to the waiting room to join the others who had already fought, Raze began walking up the steps toward the stage. The two crossed paths in the hall, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space between them.

“You did a good job, Liam,” Raze said, his tone steady but approving.

“Right,” Liam replied with a faint smile. “Now you just need to do yours. Don’t lose.”

When Raze reached the stage, his eyes found his opponent. It was the student known for their unusual trait, the ability to transform into an animal. An interesting gift, but one that, at least on the surface, didn’t seem to lend itself well to actual combat.

As the teachers from the other academies watched the pair prepare, a question began to stir in some of their minds.

I know a lot of people think the magic swordsman is the ace of Wilton Academy, one thought, but when they asked that teacher, Redrick, to choose his first fighter… there was a certain confidence in his expression when he picked this one instead.

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