Chapter 208: "Vesper of Class 7-D has won the first round!"

The cheers from the audience had yet to settle when Vesper finally lowered his fist, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes were still red from the foul-smelling smoke, and the tears on his cheeks hadn’t completely dried, but the sight of the unconscious Sentinel being carried away made the corners of his mouth lift with satisfaction.

He had won.

Not only that, he had won without using his Sentinel ability.

Kane and Sabel were still standing beside the barrier, looking at their classmate with expressions that were a mixture of relief and amazement. They had known that Vesper was strong, but none of them had expected him to overcome such a troublesome ability and emerge victorious. The moment that green smoke swallowed him, they had genuinely thought he might lose, especially since his unusually sensitive nose made him more susceptible to the spiritual beast’s attack than anyone else.

"Did you see that? I thought he was going to throw up right there!" Sabel exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement as she turned toward Kane. "That was disgusting! How did he even manage to jump out of it?"

Kane released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "I don’t know, but he actually did it. That bastard’s strength is no joke. Did you see how his opponent couldn’t even defend against him once Vesper got close?"

Sabel grinned. "He deserved it. Who told him to play dirty?"

Although they were happy about the result, neither of them could completely forget the moment Vesper had been trapped inside the smoke. His opponent had clearly known about his enhanced sense of smell and deliberately exploited it, turning one of Vesper’s natural advantages into a weakness. If Vesper had allowed his temper to get the better of him, he might have rushed blindly into the smoke and given his opponent exactly what he wanted.

Fortunately, he hadn’t.

Aisha, who had been watching Vesper return from the stage, seemed much less surprised than the two of them. She understood why the smoke had affected him so badly, but she also knew that a person’s initial reaction wasn’t necessarily what determined the outcome of a battle.

"It’s not that strange," she explained, her eyes following Vesper as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "The smell was overwhelming at first, so his body reacted before he could adjust to it. But if he had managed to calm himself down and give his senses time to adapt, he could still fight through it."

Kane turned toward her, listening.

"People can grow accustomed to some unpleasant sensations when they’re exposed to them long enough," Aisha continued. "Of course, that doesn’t mean the smell suddenly becomes tolerable. It just means you learn to endure it without allowing your body to control every move you make. And holding your breath for an entire minute isn’t entirely impossible, is it?"

She had experienced far worse things in her previous world. A little foul odor had never been enough to stop someone who was desperate to survive, and Vesper, despite his short temper and occasional lack of judgment, was stubborn enough to keep fighting once he had set his mind on something.

Aisha had seen that much during their training.

Once Vesper decided that he wouldn’t lose, he would push himself until he could no longer stand. Sometimes, that stubbornness caused unnecessary trouble, but there were also moments when it became his greatest strength.

She glanced at the stage again.

Besides, Vesper had accomplished something that should not have been overlooked. He hadn’t summoned his spiritual beast or used his Sentinel ability. Everything he had done, from enduring the smoke to breaking through his opponent’s defense, had relied entirely on his physical strength.

For someone who had been criticized for his lack of control and relegated to the lowest class despite his A-rank, that was already a considerable achievement.

Kane seemed to remember something as well. His gaze traveled toward the professors’ viewing section, where several instructors were still discussing Vesper’s performance.

"Do you think they regret putting him in Class 7-D now?" he asked quietly.

Sabel followed his gaze and scoffed. "They’d better. What else do they want from him? He’s an A-rank Sentinel, and he just won against a C-rank without even using his ability. If that’s not enough to prove he’s capable, what is?"

Kane couldn’t help agreeing with her.

Aisha also looked toward the professors for a brief moment. She could see some of them nodding as they spoke, while others continued looking at Vesper with renewed interest. Their reactions were understandable. An A-rank Sentinel was valuable, and seeing one in the lowest class defeat an opponent with great advantage would certainly make them reconsider their previous judgments.

But whether the academy would actually do anything about it was another matter.

Aisha eventually moved her gaze away, uninterested in their opinions.

They could praise Vesper today and forget him tomorrow. Unless someone with enough authority was willing to change his circumstances, their words would mean very little.

The announcer’s voice soon rang through the arena, drawing everyone’s attention back toward the stage.

"Vesper of Class 7-D has won the first round!"

The holographic screens above the battlefield displayed the result, while the audience continued discussing the unexpected outcome.

"Only three more rounds remain in today’s duel," the announcer continued. "If Vesper wins the next match as well, Class 7-D will be in a considerably stronger position to claim victory!"

The announcement immediately stirred the crowd again.

Those who had placed their bets on Corwin’s team weren’t particularly pleased, and several students could already be heard complaining about their lost money. Meanwhile, the few who had believed in Vesper were busy celebrating, delighted that their gamble had paid off.

However, not everyone was enjoying the result.

On the opposite side of the arena, Corwin watched Luther being helped off the battlefield with an expression that had grown increasingly unpleasant.

Luther was barely able to walk.

His arms were trembling, and his face was swollen from the beating he had received. The foul smoke had left him struggling to breathe as well, since his spiritual beast had been forced to withdraw its ability after the match ended.

He had tried.

He had genuinely tried everything he could think of to defeat Vesper.

But the difference in their physical strength had been far greater than he had expected. Even after trapping Vesper inside the smoke, the A-rank Sentinel had still found a way out and beaten him until he couldn’t fight anymore.